Our Wildwood, Volume 48

growth,” Laura said. “It’s a great way to show, not tell, an audience, which could be teachers and classmates at a Gateway or Senior Exhibition, or even prospective colleges, about your path towards mastery.” Reflection has always been a part of the Wildwood learning experience, and the importance of student portfolios was even included in the “10 Essentials” that formed the basis of Wildwood’s secondary program expansion to K-12 in 2000. However, the rapid advancement of technology has provided an opportunity to take this practice even deeper, and in a way that fully showcases the K-12 journey, Laura said. “There are fourth grade students that have created Google websites for WISRD (the Wildwood Institute for STEM Research and Development)—that’s evidence of learning that will only evolve over their years as they master new skills.” The next phase of this work will involve developing and testing portfolio prototypes, and eventually rolling out a K-12 system by 2024. In the meantime, the process is a way for Laura and the team to hone their own Habits of Convention, Evidence, and Collaboration in a way that furthers Wildwood’s mission and strengthens our learning community.

Laura and a team of faculty and staff (including Deb Christenson, Kathy Pillar, Allison Rotstein, Paula Gabriel, George Duryea, Dr. Joanie Banks-Hunt, Joe Wise, Steve Barrett, Nicholas Smith, Meira Gottlieb, and Michelle Simon) are collaborating on a three-year endeavor to create a modern, sustainable, and robust portfolio system to serve Wildwood students kindergarten through twelfth grade. Once launched, students will be able to use the portfolio to capture milestone learning moments and use the compiled evidence to demonstrate their growth over time. “When seniors are able to connect their elementary ‘trashion’ fashion projects to their work in costuming in developing their college portfolio, they are not only sharing their passion but also their learnings, reflections, and years of

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