Portfolios

A overview of the product and the process

Portfolios

• Types:– Preservice

• Entrance• Working• Exit• Interview

– Inservice• Working• Assessment• Showcase

Print-based

OR

E-based

Portfolios

Portfolio Definitions

• “A collection of authentic and diverse evidence, drawn from a larger archive, that represents what a person or organization has learned over time, on which the person or organization has reflected, designed for presentation to one or more audiences for a particular rhetorical purpose.“ (Source)

Portfolio Definitions

• “An organized collection of artifacts or individual, tangible products that verify a teacher’s professional growth” (O-Bannon & Puckett, 2007, p. 78)

• “A goal-driven, organized collection of artifacts that demonstrate a person’s expansion of knowledge and skills over time” (Kilbane & Milman, 2003, p. 4).

Standards-based Organizations

• BCCT Standards• National Board for Professional Teaching S

tandards (NBPTS website)

• Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC website)

• National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE website)

• Alberta Standards for Principals• BCPVPA (

Standards for Administrators under development)

Processes of the E-Portfolio

• Collection

• Selection

• Reflection

• Argumentation

• Presentation

An action research model

Problem IdentificationWhat do I place

in the portfolio and why?

Action PlanningHow do I go about collection

and organizing artifacts?

ImplementationHow much do I collect and

where do place this in the portfolio?

EvaluationAre the artifacts

appropriate evidence of my practice?

ReflectionDoes the portfolios say what I want

it to say about my practice?

Self-evaluationHow can I improve

on my portfolio as evidence of my practice?

General Strengths of Portfolios

• Empowerment

• Collaboration

• Integration

• Explicitness

• Authenticity

• Critical thinking

• Critical self-reflection

A note on reflection

• “A digital teaching portfolio without reflection is merely a multimedia presentation, a fancy electronic resume, or a digital scrapbook” (Barrett, 2000)

Steps to reflection

1. Obtain a list of standards or goals2. Write a reflective statement related to

progress toward each standard3. Select artifacts that represent

achievement of the standard4. Write reflective statements for each

artifacta. How demonstrate competence?b. What was learned in creation or

implementation?c. What changes/revisions could be made?

5. From the reflections and feedback, set learning goals for the future (Barrett, 2000)

Advantages of e-portfolios

• Accessibility: Wider exposure to audience simultaneously (web-based)

• Portability: Easy to transport, reproduce, and modify

• Creativity: Artifacts presented in linear and non-linear fashion

• Technology: Competent = risk taker = career advancement

• Self-confidence: Become more confident in technology and in teaching

• Community: Can be shared with the larger teaching community (Kilbane and Milman, 2003)

Disadvantages of e-portfolios

1. Knowledge and skill requirements

2. Professional support

3. Extension hardware and software

4. Time and energy

5. Increased skills and equipment required by the viewer

6. Digital presentation can detract from the content

Benefits to Teachers and Educational Technology

• Motivated to integrate technology in the learning environment

• Increases creativity and productivity• See benefits of technology in the

classroom (e.g., webpages)• Apt to encourage and assist

students to make their own portfolios

• Hiring personnel are impressed by the e-portfolio

Evidence (artifacts)

• Coursework/Professional Development

• In-school learning opportunities• Out-of-school learning

opportunities• Extra-curricular activities• Work experience• Community service

Categories of artifacts

1. Education and experience

2. Theory and beliefs

3. Curriculum, planning, and management

4. Student assessment

5. Communication

Evidence (media)

• Word processed documents

• Images

• Audio (digital)

• Video (digital)

• Multimedia (e.g., PowerPoint)

• Websites

Portfolio Commandments

1. When in doubt, don’t throw it out2. Do it digitally3. Be organized, not frustrated4. Log it or lose it5. If it is nice, save it thrice6. Be careful, not sorry! Pay attention to

legal and security concerns7. Give credit where credit is due8. Protect the privacy of your students and

colleagues9. Create and stick to a timeline (Kilbane &

Milman, 2003, pp. 96-104)

The EDUC 431/432 E-Portfolio

• Web-based– Series of webpages

• Navigable– Vertical navigation system– Horizontal navigation system

• Multimedia integrated– Text– Graphics– Media (sound; video; ppt; pdf)

Further on-line readings

• E-portfolios advice

• E-portfolio primer

• Portfolio guru

• Tips for the portfolio

• How to build a portfolio

Any Questions?