¡Hola, profe! As you read this, we might be reaching the end of the year, o quizás el trimestre. Or maybe you’re just starting a new school year. Either way, you’re probably looking for a way to review what your students have seen in the last year of Spanish class. Now’s the time to assess what students have learned. It’s also a time to celebrate how far your classes have come in this past year.
It can be tricky to find a Spanish project that meets both of those criteria. I have the perfect creative high school project idea for your Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 end of year curriculum – Learner Portfolio Projects!
What are Learner Portfolio Projects?
Learner portfolio projects have endless possibilities – limited only by your creativity. Students are given lists of topics, from greetings to a full vocabulary review. Students then choose activities to complete within each topic. My portfolio projects include printable or digital content and clear student instructions. There are also deadlines for project tasks and they are fully editable to adjust to other language classes.
Why are Portfolio Projects right for my Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 classes?
Alternative Assessment
No one loves giving exams at the end of the school year. Who wants to spend time grading the same old questions over and over? Portfolio projects are so much more fun for students to complete than trying to review everything they have learned over the course of a school year for a one day test.
Portfolio projects easily fill class time during the last weeks of the school year. This makes lesson plans súper fácil. An added bonus is that Portfolio Projects are definitely more interesting and less monotonous for you to grade. Each student gets to give the project their own spin, and you can grade the projects one step at a time. Much better than staring down a stack of projects at the end of the term.
Allow for Student Choice
Student choice is a powerful part of Portfolio Projects. Everyone is far more likely to enjoy and fully participate in an activity that they get to help design. Choosing between several activities per topic makes it easier to find something that fits a student’s interests and comfort level. A student might not be ready to engage with certain activities because of their life experiences or personal preferences. Having other choices will help make all students feel safe and supported and much more prepared to learn and share.
Creative Expression of Understanding
Providing different activities within each topic of the Portfolio Project gives students freedom to make the project work with their strengths. If they are a strong writer, they can choose writing activities. If you have fabulous artists in your class, illustrations and diagrams might be a better fit. Encouraging students to express themselves using their strengths will also prove a powerful tool for creating lasting learning.
When I was in high school, we would go to a foreign language day at a nearby college. My friend group loved theater and performing, so we participated in the skit competition every year. I can still remember every word of those skits because it was a style of learning that clicked for me. We’d love for our students to have that same experience, profe.
Allow for Review
One of the greatest advantages of learner portfolios is that they serve as a comprehensive review tool. Students can revisit what they have learned throughout the year and use it to make an amazing Learner Portfolio. This comprehensive review can help students fill gaps they may have. It can also really cement concepts into a strong foundation for their next Spanish classes. This way, we can allow students to answer questions they may have had previously and to go deeper into the areas where they lack a strong understanding. Using the information they review to complete activities will create much better learning opportunities than a test ever could.
Students Can Use as a Resource in Future Classes
After they are completed, Learner Portfolios become invaluable resources for students to turn to in future language classes. They allow students to revisit and build upon their previous learning. Additionally, students can use them when they reflect on their progress in Spanish learning. Portfolios can even be used to set goals for further improvement. ¡Qué maravilla ver cómo han crecido y cuánto han aprendido a lo largo del tiempo!
Useful Resource for Summer School or Credit Recovery
In addition to being amazing for end-of-year review projects, Learner Portfolios can be a really useful resource for summer school or in cases where students need credit recovery. These projects cover all of the topics that you would cover in Spanish 1 or Spanish 2, so they are a perfect blueprint for a shorter class on either subject.
Additionally, students in either of these programs may feel disenfranchised when it comes to their education. These students may need the student choice and creative expression even more than our school year students do. I love it when a project can meet a student where they are and help them feel successful!
Other End-of-Year Spanish Resources
End-of-Year Bundles
Because I am a teacher, I know how chaotic the end of the school year can feel. Hopefully you are already sold on my Learner Portfolio Review Projects to help you plan your last few weeks of Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 classes. If you need more encouragement to use them, I recommend my Finishing Strong in Your Spanish Classroom post for more information.
¡Pero hay más recursos! I have bundled my learner portfolio projects with student reflection activities, rubrics, and summer work that will help extend the Spanish learning through summer break. My End-of-Year Resource Bundles for Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 contain everything you need to finish the year strong and set yourself up for an epic return to school in the fall.
Todo Sobre Mi Project
Another fantastic activity you could consider assigning as part of a Learner Portfolio or as summer work is my free “Todo Sobre Mí” project. This resource invites students to create a page all about themselves in Spanish. As an extension activity, they can also create a family tree with information about their family members, also in Spanish. It’s a fun and creative way for learners to practice using vocabulary and sentence structure while sharing interesting facts about themselves. Plus, students can enjoy presenting their projects to their classmates. If you join my email list, I’ll send you a free “Todo Sobre Mí” project guide to help you get started. ¡Es genial!
Entonces, profe, as you embark on the journey of implementing Learner Portfolios in your Spanish 1 and 2 classes, remember to foster creativity, encourage student choice, and celebrate the diversity of projects that arise. Always remember, you’re not alone in this journey. If you ever need support, ideas, or resources, aquí estoy para ayudar.
