ESL 099
Portfolio Instructions
Jacquie George
For ESL 099, 30% of your final grade will be based on the evaluation of your portfolio. Some of you are
probably wondering, “What is a portfolio anyway?” A portfolio is a collection of work that shows
someone’s ability in a certain field. For example, a photographer’s portfolio would contain a series of
prints that the photographer feels best demonstrates her talent. In ESL 099, we will be putting together a
writing portfolio that demonstrates the following characteristics:
1)
2)
3)
your growth as a writer over the entire quarter
your evaluation and choice of what you feel is your best work
the variety of your written work this quarter
Your portfolio will also have the following:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Cover Page
Table of Contents (What’s inside and where I can find it)
Introductions to each piece of writing included in the portfolio which consider and respond to the
following questions:
 why did you select this piece for your portfolio?
 what makes it an important or favorite piece?
 what problems, if any did you have writing this piece?
 how did you solve those problems?
 how would you describe its development, strength, weaknesses
 what is the value of this essay to you, the writer, and its relation to other works in the
portfolio?
The Writings
1. 1 3-5 page out of class writing (include all the drafts)
2. 1 3-5 page out of class writing (include all the drafts)
3. 1 in-class writing of your choice (including original)
4. 1 in-class writing of your choice (including original)
5. 1 community activity
6. The research guide
Final Comments is a section that allows you to think and write about your writing process and
development over the entire quarter. Think about the process you went through putting the
portfolio together. Please address the following questions in this section:
 what are you able to do now as a writer that you could not do before?
 what has helped you most with your writing this quarter?
 what do you still need to work on in writing?
 how has your writing changed?
 how have you changed?
 how do you feel about taking other courses in school with your current writing skills?
Putting It Together (That’s What Counts!)
Your portfolio should be done on a computer very neatly and beautifully. There should be page numbers.
The order should be as follows:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
Title Page
Table of Contents
Introduction to out-of-class essay #1
Out-of-class essay #1
Introduction to out-of-class essay #2
Out-of-class essay #2
Introduction to in-class writing #1
In-class writing#1
Introduction to in-class writing #2
In-class writing #2
Introduction to community activity
Community Activity
Introduction to Research Guide
Research Guide
Final Comments
Evaluation
The pieces of writing that you’re submitting in the portfolio should be in the best shape possible. They
should have gone through the process of writing, editing, reviewing, rewriting, meeting with a tutor,
reading with a friend, conferencing with me, etc… These papers are also beautifully formatted, the
margins are 1”, you have used Times New Roman throughout the entire paper (no larger than 12pt), there
are page numbers at the center-bottom of the page and you have followed the format given to you in class
with painstaking detail. You are ultimately responsible for what the papers look like in your portfolio. I
will use the following guidelines in evaluating your portfolio:
1)
2)
3)
4)
4)
Presentation (that it is legible, numbered, in right order)
Introductions to each piece (5)
All pieces of writing included (5)
Research Guide + Introduction
Final Comments
TOTAL
5
25
40
10
20
100