Updated on:
March 2, 2010
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Updated on: |
Q & A: General Use of Electronic Portfolios in Education
What are portfolios?
Portfolios
are samples of an individual's accomplishments. Portfolios can be
presented through any or all of the following delivery modes:
How are portfolios used in
Education?
Portfolios are used:
What are electronic
portfolios?
Electronic portfolios are portfolios
presented on a computer. The portfolio can be created and delivered
offline through a software program such as PowerPoint or presented by various
software programs through the web.
What are web portfolios?
Web portfolios are portfolios presented through web pages.
What are some other terms for electronic portfolios?
What software programs are used to create
electronic portfolios?
Any programs that
can create multimedia and/or web pages can be appropriate for electronic
portfolios. Some popular programs are:
What hardware is needed to create electronic portfolios?
What are the physical components of an electronic portfolio?
Where can an electronic portfolio be stored?
Can Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations and
Microsoft Word documents be viewed on the web?
Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files can be sent directly to the web, however,
the student must have access to a web server in order to do this.
Q & A: Using Electronic Portfolios with Students
Why use portfolios with students?
Electronic portfolios are used
to:
Electronic portfolios seem like a lot of
work. How extensive should electronic portfolios be?
Electronic portfolios can be as simple or as complex as you would like to
make them. Much depends on your goals, your ability, the skills of your
students, and the availability of technology. Do not underestimate the
power of a simple electronic portfolio to deliver the message to the
observer.
I don't have good technology skills. How
can I create electronic portfolios?
You can use simple programs like Microsoft Word to help
students create electronic portfolios. Beyond this, consider getting the
help of support staff to teach faculty and students the use of PowerPoint and
other multimedia programs.
We have limited access to computers. How
can our students find the time to create electronic portfolios?
With limited access to
computers, the creation of electronic portfolios can become a long term
project. Students need be scheduled to use computers at a classroom
learning center or computer lab.
What is the difference between an electronic
portfolio and a student who does a technology project on the
computer?
Electronic portfolios usually reflect a
student's work done over the course of an extended period of time and is not a
report or an Internet worksheet. Electronic portfolios demonstrate
various student skills and accomplishments while incorporating multimedia
through the synthesis of a student's work, ideas, and accomplishments. The
construction of an electronic portfolio involves the processes of planning,
creative and original thinking, and collaboration.
How do I begin to start an electronic
portfolio?
First, you must decide on purpose and
mission of the student project. Following are some questions to
ask:
Q & A: Electronic Portfolios and Preservice Teachers
How are electronic portfolios used by preservice
teachers?
Electronic portfolios are used by
preservice teachers to demonstrate their skills and competencies as they prepare
for the job market.
What is the difference between a
teaching portfolio and electronic portfolio?
A teaching portfolio may be presented in a
variety of delivery modes from a simple binder to a web portfolio. The
term "electronic portfolio" implies that the deliver mode will be digital in
nature and presented on a computer.
Do school districts look at
electronic portfolios?
Yes and
no. As in many other occupations, personnel in school districts do not
always have the time to examine electronic portfolios. This does not
preclude the benefits of including an electronic portfolio with application
materials.
Why should we hassle with
electronic portfolios if school districts will not look at them?
Some school districts DO examine
electronic portfolios when reviewing application materials. Other
districts may examine them during the interview process. If a school
district does not examine the electronic portfolio, the portfolio is still proof
of your achievements and technology competencies in teaching. The fact
that you included a disk, CD ROM, DVD, or web site address with your application materials is
another enhancement to you as a potential teacher candidate.
What should we put in an electronic
portfolio?
An
electronic portfolio is no different than a teaching portfolio. A
portfolio should reflect your skills and competencies to become an effective
teacher. The ultimate design and choice of materials to be included in the
portfolio should be a sample of your teaching strengths and experiences.
You have to balance the amount of information with the quality of
information. You can begin with the suggestions given at http://teacherworld.com/portfoliolist.html
but remember that you certainly do not want to include every item on this
page.
How do we begin to construct an
electronic portfolio?
First, you must collect materials from your courses and student teaching
experiences. Save all files on a zip disk and make back-up
copies. Save projects and materials made in classes. Take digital
pictures of materials and activities, and try to integrate activities into your
classes and field experiences that utilize technology. These materials may
ultimately be incorporated into the final electronic portfolio. Next, you
should examine other preservice teacher portfolios to help you design your
own. You will find samples of preservice teacher portfolios on the links
below.
Should our entire electronic
portfolio be in one program such as PowerPoint?
Your portfolio should be
organized in such a way that the user does not have to open more than one
file. This may be PowerPoint, HyperStudio, AppleWorks, a web site, or
some other software program.
If I mail a copy of my electronic portfolio to a school district, how will I know if they have the necessary software program to open it?
One important consideration in putting your portfolio in electronic form is the application needed to open your file. For example, if you used PowerPoint to create your portfolio, the user will need PowerPoint to open your file. However, you can use the Pack and Go Wizard to package the PowerPoint Viewer, as well as the presentation slides so that the program will run by itself and the user will not need PowerPoint. Other applications such as HyperStudio have this feature.
If you create a PDF file, you can include a copy of Adobe Reader on your Zip disk or CD ROM. You could also use programs such as Microsoft Word that are common among PC users and can be opened by other word processing programs. Any HTML file created by a web editor such as FrontPage or Netscape Composer (free) could be opened by any web browser.
How should we design the electronic
portfolio?
Your
electronic portfolio should include both text and photos. You may add
other media such as sound, animations, or movies according to your design and
skills. You should include a table of contents, information about the
portfolio, and a page that includes the type of information you would put into a
résumé.
Your electronic portfolio should be easy to navigate
and not give the use "information overload." You should have others view
the portfolio to check for grammatical or technical
errors.
How should we use the electronic
portfolio?
You can use electronic portfolios in
several ways. First, you could mail the electronic portfolio on a floppy
disk, zip disk or CD ROM along with your application materials. You should
attach a page explaining the format and content of the disk or CD and how to
open the file or files. If you are using a web site, you should attach a
page to your application materials with information about the web site.
Next, you should bring a printed and electronic copy of the portfolio with you
into an interview. You should incorporate the portfolio into your answers
during the interview. Prior to the interview, you should ask the
interviewer if you can demonstrate your electronic portfolio and then make the
necessary arrangements.
Q & A: Web Portfolios and Preservice Teachers
How are web portfolios constructed?
Web portfolios may be constructed by creating web pages using a web editor
such as
Macromedia Dreamweaver.
What should we put in a web portfolio?
The same type of information that you would put in an electronic portfolio.
See What should
we put in an electronic portfolio? above.
Is it expensive to construct and maintain a web site?
Web sites domains and server space may be purchased for $75.00 a year or
less. This is less the the cost of many textbooks.
How can we use web portfolios?
Web portfolios can be used to demonstrate the various competencies
preservice teachers develop throughout their undergraduate education,
particularly student teaching. In addition, student teachers can use their
own web sites to integrate technology into their student teaching experiences.
What are the advantages of preservice teacher web portfolios?
Links for K to 12 Student Portfolios
Electronic Portfolios
http://electronicportfolios.com/
One
of the most comprehensive web sites on electronic portfolios from Dr. Helen
Barrett of the University of Alaska
Electronic Portfolios in
the K-12 Classroom
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech111.shtml
An article from "Education World"
Links for Preservice Teacher Portfolios
WebQuest on Creating Teacher Portfolios
http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/fellows/Spencer/webquest/lasindex.html
Somewhat dated but has useful infomation.
Considerations in assembling a portfolio
http://teacherworld.com/portfoliolist.html
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