Why have one?

Because it’s fun.  It’s a pleasure and an outlet for our thinking.  Also, the learner portfolio is an IB requirement, but it’s so much more than that. This is an opportunity for you to explore your own writing and to express your ideas creatively.  It is meant for you to show your interests and passions in your own writing.

What is it?

It’s a mad lab!  It’s messy and experimental.  More concretely, it’s a blank art sketchbook or padlet or Adobe Spark page or a website or a Google Drive folder (or something else) where you collect and collate examples of your writing and the writing of others.  It is an opportunity to explore ideas, styles, and more in relation to your interests.     

How do I do this?

Read and be curious about the world around you.  Be organized with your writing and thinking.  Focus on the writing process and not solely on the final products you create.

How Often Do I Contribute to This?

As often as you want!  But, your teacher will expect you to add to it often.  They will give you more concrete details.  

Make sure to:

• Observe the world around you; collect ideas and thoughts; collate work that reflects a range of perspectives, genres, and interests;

• Experiment with everything you can;

• Challenge yourself in what you read, write, and consider;

• Create compelling written work that has some literary merit;  

• Articulate your understanding of the writer’s craft (your own and others);   

• Demonstrate the ability to manipulate elements of various genres;  

• Use the portfolio as a space to develop your internal and external assessment components of the course;

• Connect to the areas of exploration, concepts, and global issues when relevant;

• Track your learning and progress;

• Be independent.

Do "real" writers do this?

YES! In many ways, all the awesome stuff in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: The Revolution is what you could be/should be doing.  Find a picture of it here.

How do I connect to the course?

In your learner portfolio – when relevant – you will want to connect to the areas of exploration; concepts; fields of inquiry; and assessment components.  They are listed below to help remind you of them.

Areas of exploration

Concepts

Fields of Inquiry - what can lead to a global issue

Assessment components