Electronic+Portfolio

Post your response to each question in the **Response** column below. Include your name next to your post. Try to use a use a different color font for ease of reading various responses. As the list grows, feel free to expand upon other posts, without deleting any comments.

the **needs of adult learners?** || Electronic portfolios support a category of intelligence identified by Horn and Cattell (1967) as crystallized intelligence. This form of intelligence, “assessed by untimed measures calling for judgment, knowledge, and experience, is more heavily influenced by education and experience.” As a result, benefiting adult learners when measured. Through electronic portfolios, teachers are able to demonstrate their progress in teaching and learning against a framework based on standards. This idea falls in line with Sternberg’s (1985, 1990) idea of “practical intelligence” where adult learners are able to share their ideas, effort and progress, towards the identification and solution of raising student achievement. This also falls in line with Rossiter and Clark (2007) who discuss the importance of developing one’s educational biography to understand how their own learning has shaped who they are. Electronic portfolios give voice to the teacher’s progress and allow for reflection on strategies or activities implemented to best meet educational standards.
 * **Question** || **Responses - Lisa/Justin/Lauri Jeff ** ** Sarah Candra Becky  ** ||
 * How does the approach support

Electronic Portfolios are flexible learning frameworks from which adult learners can have scaffolding (standards) and autonomy over their learning. Electronic portfolios have the ability to be easily shared and edited by many members. They can be use to recognize prior learning or for reflective learning and demonstration of professional skills. Portfolios in digital formats have the capability to built from multimedia software and thus can encapsulate a more robust illustration of ideas, skills and knowledge.

Electronic portfolios allow adult learners, in this case teachers, to showcase their learning in an authentic and dynamic format. It provides them with an opportunity to reflect on their professional journey and pull out artifacts that celebrate successes, chronicle challenges, and demonstrate growth over time. Having that type of professional “resume” in electronic form is particularly helpful as teachers apply for different positions throughout their career, enabling them to demonstrate evidence of their qualifications.

 Adult learning should be reflective, personalized, and continuous. An e-portfolio is an ideal tool for meeting the needs and approaches to learning.Reflection allows learners to think and analyze what they have been taught to gain an understanding that learning is self-determined and controlled and able to be applied in future activities for improved outcomes. An e-portfolio allows learners to reflect and build on previous activities. This can become a two-way process, with a tutor or peer providing feedback. It can be a sound professional development tool whereby teachers can reflect and gather evidence towards the process of teacher registration and identify areas for self-improvement as part of the continuing process of learning to teach. Electronic portfolios support the needs of the adult learner in several ways. Adults are encouraged to engage in the reflective process throughout the collection of artifacts and creation of the portfolio, as recommended by Cranston (1994). There are several theories of adult learning that focus on the importance of experience in learning. Glickman, Gordon and Ross-Gordon (2010) summarize this, stating, “lasting learning emerges as learners engage in authentic activity embedded in specific situations” (p. 55). Others have found that the use of narrative storytelling is a powerful tool in adult learning. Electronic portfolios provide teachers with a method for documenting their own personal educational journey while collecting, evaluating and including artifacts from the activities that they have participated in. The Electronic portfolio serves as a way for one to see their individual growth. It allows for creativity and ownership while challenges the learner to do more, because it allows them to reflect on what it is they have done in the electronic portfolio. By being able to reflect the learners are able to see their strengths throughout and incorporate it throughout their learning. They have the opportunity to analyze and reflect while creating a tool that shows others their work that they have completed which can also be a great tool to reflection and individual growth strategies. E-Portfolios allow some degree of self-directed learning, invite reflection on progress toward self-established goals, lend themselves to receiving feedback from a variety of sources (self, peers, evaluators, even students!), and can accommodate individual needs and interests. Portfolios are completely focused on real life, so very practical. Viewing the portfolios of others extends one’s understanding. If linked to a rubric and self-evaluation, the quality of artifacts developed can be clearly named. Portfolios can invite timely feedback if a system is in place, such as a “showcase” exhibit where others can view the portfolio and provide input. A high priority would be placed on demonstrating respect and visibility for worthy work. ||
 * How does the approach support **differentiated**
 * professional development to meet the unique needs**
 * of staff in your school?** || While electronic portfolios are organized around a framework based on standards, teachers have the option to implement a variety of learning activities such as workshops, observing other teachers, peer coaching, and participation in study groups to document effort, progress, and achievement in teaching and learning.

As Darren Cambridge states, “In a rapidly changing world professionals... individuals need to make smart choices about how to invest their time and energy in their own development of through a rich understand of how they learn and what they know and cad do” (“Lifelong and Lifewide Learning, 2007, p. 1). International teaching is abundant with fragmented learning experiences and dynamic portfolio would provide a conduit for consolidating and collating learning. It can be used as a consistent tool to aid in reflective thinking that is in contrast to the ad hoc environments of many developing countries.

The electronic format meets the diverse learning styles of staff. They may choose to include photographs, scanned samples of work, audio recordings, and other multimedia to share artifacts and present their learning. Using tools such as a blog also provide an opportunity for others to respond and ask questions, pushing each other to deeper levels of reflection as a professional learning community.

It works as a user-centered, personalized learning space allowing the user to shape the way they present themselves to the world. Content and layout can be individualized to create multiple portfolios which meet the specific, differing or changing requirements of the user. This allows teachers to become key partners in the design of their own learning to suit their needs and they have a clear understanding of how they are progressing. The creation of electronic portfolios allows each individual to tailor the portfolio to suit their individual needs. While an entire staff may be focused on the same goals or benchmarks, each teacher can take their own unique path to meet those goals. The portfolio enables teachers to reflect on the ways that a particular activity helped them to meet specific goals without requiring that all teachers use the same methods or activities to meet those goals. Educators have the opportunity to focus on objectives while working along side a team with similar interest based on their portfolios. How they decide to set up their portfolio allows for differentiation amoungst staff in the school. While focusing on a school wide goal or objective each person has the opportunity to add something to share with their team that can serve as an opportunity for growth through professional development.

They can allow maximum variety of artifacts reflective of different levels of professional knowledge. So maximum choice while still aligned to a set of standards to which everyone is accountable. They can accommodate a variety of learning styles in so far as the artifacts can be graphic, charts, data sets, narratives, classroom artifacts, photos of student work samples, video… They invite individual creativity and initiative. ||
 * What **elements** need to be in place so that the
 * professional development is of high quality and effectively**
 * improves instruction?** || Electronic portfolios must be linked to standards. These standards form the framework for the organization of the portfolio and allow for the demonstration of achievement. Barrett (1998) notes that without standards as the organizing basis for a portfolio, the collection becomes just that…a collection, haphazard and without structure; the purpose lost in the noise, glitz, and hype. Additionally electronic portfolios require administrative support, including allocation of time and resources for planning, delivery, and evaluation. Finally, electronic portfolios require active learning, ongoing assessment and feedback, and continuous professional development that is embedded in the school culture.

I agree with Lisa’s point on linking portfolio documentation to standards. In addition, there are the common needs for any work outside the normal teaching day: time, resources, structure, essential agreements and a climate within the school that would willing and motivated to adopt electronic portfolios. There would be a need for some PD on how to talk about the content that is placed within the portfolios. High order thinking that is student centered would need to be the norm for to improve instruction. Teachers would need to focus on how students are learning (what there doing) and look like when a particular practice is being utilized

It becomes essential to make sure there is a clear, shared vision for the purpose of the portfolio. Although we are looking at electronic portfolios as a form of professional development, effective implementation of them will require PD itself. Guidelines, examples, and a model should be shared to help guide the process.

Ensuring that the reflective process in the portfolio is valued and meaningful. The teachers responsible for creating the portfolio will be the best judge for quality artifacts through their own reflective process. The teacher tying their own needs to the school's goals through guided reflection will ensure that the teachers are utilizing the portfolios for their learning process. It is important that the standards and benchmarks to be met are decided on ahead of time and that there is a system of progress monitoring in place to ensure that staff members are meeting those benchmarks. The flexibility of the portfolio itself provides a vehicle for meeting teachers where they are in their own development. Professional development can be delivered in a variety of ways, allowing districts to provide the most appropriate training for the individual. All teachers can demonstrate their growth through the use of the portfolio. Teachers can therefore participate in collaborative professional development activities while using the portfolio for individual reflection. All electronic portfolio must have a purpose or be linked to an objective. Everything included in the portfolio should be linked to something related to the school or a grade level objective. It should be of high quality meaning if they decide to enter something into their electronic portfolio they will it is meaningful and the teacher is able to have a detailed reflection as to how it relates to their classroom or school.

For portfolios to be used well, teachers would need a warehouse to store artifacts, some kind of infrastructure for displaying artifacts and commentary, a rubric for evaluating the range, depth, and applicability of artifacts and their reflections, a formal time to share the portfolio and receive feedback. ||
 * How does the approach **support teacher evaluation?** || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Electronic portfolios allow for the gathering of data on the teacher’s professional growth as well as the documenting of changes in student learning. Teachers have the option of including evaluation data such as student work, student achievement data, classroom observation data, or the teacher’s reflective writing. Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon (2010) note that during the conference stage, teachers reflect on the learning activities and their impact on student achievement. This allows for a roadmap for future professional development.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teachers would use electronic portfolios for self-assessment of progress. They would be not be viewed as an ends, but a continuum of learning. Reflecting and validating the progress that has been made and for showing patterns or gaps in one’s teaching repertoire.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Electronic portfolios allow teachers to demonstrate a deeper level of teaching than is possible to document through a series of observations and forms. It documents changes in content and methods and includes the teachers own reflections. The portfolio grows and changes over time, as does the teacher. Conferencing about a portfolio of work provides a more authentic picture of a teacher’s effectiveness and efforts to learn and improve.

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The portfolio acts as an aggregate of the teachers learning and performance for a supervisor to look at and evaluate. The portfolio is a continuous road map of the teachers growth and development. The portfolio can be easily shared among many colleagues and supervisors for a variety of viewpoints. The portfolio can be judged on both contents that the portfolio is to demonstrate and also the process or how the portfolio is assembled. The portfolio can include pieces of student learning that can be incorporated into an evaluation. The electronic portfolio can be extremely useful as part of the evaluation process. The use of the portfolio affords the teacher and evaluator the opportunity to have an in-depth conversation while examining artifacts that can include evidence of the teacher’s personal growth as well as examples of student growth and achievement. Ideally a teacher might begin the year setting goals with the evaluator and checking in throughout the year to view the portfolio and discuss the level of success in meeting those goals. Given the fact that an electronic portfolio can include anything from lesson plans to video it provides an extremely flexible method of documentation. The portfolio is a great for teacher evaluation because often times teachers feel that administrators do not get the opportunity to see what really goes on in the classroom. Through the electronic portfolio teachers are able to share their favorite lessons which they feel supported student learning while working towards a specific standard or objective. They then have the opportunity to discuss what they added into the portfolio and the administrator and teacher can evaluate based on student achievement as they worked towards the objective using the tool that teacher included in portfolio. It allows the educator to focus on their strengths in the classroom with their students and gives their supervisor an opportunity to see it's value and importance. <span style="color: #ffb400; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16.6667px;">The types of items in the portfolio can support teacher evaluation by being tied to specific competencies in the different domains of professional practice: Planning for Instruction; Learning Environment; Instructional Processes; Assessment, Monitoring and Feedback; Professional Responsibilities and so on. Teachers and their supervisors can review the teacher’s portfolio together and comment on how the different artifacts do or do not support the competency. Selected artifacts can be used to illustrate components in a domain – areas tied to the teacher’s Professional Learning Plan, so that the portfolio’s content can be directed, rather than random. || supports the approach. The resource might provide more general information about the approach or present specific research-based findings on a particular aspect of the approach. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Educational Leadership: Developing an Effective Teaching Portfolio] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Teacher Porfolios] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">__E-Portfolios for Lifelong Learning and Assessment (2010) by Darren Cambridge__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">__The Learning Porfolio: Effective Practice for Student Learning (2004) by John Zubizarreta__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Center for Instructional Development and Research: Developing a Teaching Portfolio] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|ETP: Multimedia Skills + Portfolio Development = Powerful Professional Development] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (Helen Barrett, UA-Anchorage) Dr. Helen Barrett <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Verdana,sans-serif;">Promoting Reflective Thinking Process in Designing E-Portfolios ISTE NETS e-Portfolio Templates
 * **Contribute at least one resource (e.g., web site or article)** that
 * Electronic Teaching Portfolios: Multimedia Skills + Portfolio Development = Powerful Professional Development**
 * Digital teaching portfolios: Catalysts for fostering authentic professional development**
 * [|Creating an electronic Portfolio]**

<span style="color: #ffb400; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16.6667px;">e-Portfolio Portal: []

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