Professional E-Portfolios

From Wikitechbook--the student-developed, technology textbook

Portfolios have been used for many years in a variety of professions. Traditionally, these portfolios are binders or notebooks with many documents placed inside in an orderly manner. These traditional portfolios can be costly and may be inconvenient at times. E-Portfolios, on the other hand, are a good alternative to the conventional portfolios. This form of multimedia can be used as a tool to demonstrate professional development and one's competencies in his/her area of specialty. While e-portfolios can be utilized in all professions, for the purpose of this page we have decided to focus primarily on e-portfolios in the field of education.

What is an E-Portfolio?

An e-portfolio is a web-based, organized collection of work samples which provides evidence of one's best work and personal interests. It provides a pathway of communication between pre-service teachers and future employers. E-portfolios commonly include inputting text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. This form of documentation provides a visual assortment of concrete evidence in an accessible and effective manner.

Click on the following link to better understand what an e-portfolio is.

• E-Portfolio (This is a link to a page we created explaining more about e-portfolios and why they are important for future educators.)
• E-Portfolios for Starters (This is a video explaining the basics of an e-portfolio, and why they are helpful)

Steps for Compiling an E-Portfolio

There are many different styles of portfolios and different websites that can be used to create them. Here is a great link to help in the development of an e-portfolio:

• E-Portfolio Design Checklist (This website includes important attributes to consider when designing an E-portfolio.)
• Components of an E-Portfolio (This is a link to a page we created with a checklist of items to include in an E-portfolio.)
   

Benefits

Here are just a few of the many benefits for a pre-service teacher creating an E-portfolio:

• Organized and easily transportable
• Easy to manage and update using familiar Web browsers
• Provides continual reflection
• Broadens technology skills
• More authentic form assessment
   

For more advantages of e-portfolios, check out this website:

Additional Benefits

Using e-Portfolios in Math Classrooms

Gayle Nixon is a teacher at Craig Middle School. The students at the middle school are required to pass each level of math by an eighty-percent proficiency before they are allowed to move on to the next level of math. Gayle has a vision to set up e-Portfolios for each math student, where students, teachers, and parents would be able to look up the student's progress at any moment. The e-Portfolios would also require each student to select what they thought was their best works for different categories, like number theory, estimation and computation, measurement, geometry, functions and relationships, and probability and statistics. This way, the e-Portfolios would allow understanding and mastery of the students to be demonstrated in other ways than just tests.

Expanding Your Knowledge

1. Pre-Service Teachers and E-Portfolios (This is a link within this page which describes what pre-service teachers need to know about making e-portfolios.)
2. Current Trends (This is a website with useful information about what is new with e-portfolios.)  
3. Blogging about E-Portfolios (This is linked to a blog with someone's thoughts about e-portfolios and how they are becomming a useful tool for lifelong learning.)
4. For ways an e-portfolios can enhance a classroom, view this video.

References

• http://sun.com/emrkt/educonnection/newsletter/0206eduinsight.html
• http://rossanaelearningtools.blogspot.com/2006/09/eportfolio-is-web-based-information.html
• http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/eportfolios.htm

• http://mathteched658.wikispaces.com/Digital+Portfolios

• http://eddigitaltribe.blogspot.com/2008/08/building-e-portfolios.html

Related Resources

• http://www.eportfolio.lagcc.cuny.edu/benefits.html

• http://www.citizenshipin.eu/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/e-portfoliopaper.pdf

   

Quiz-yourself Questions

1. The State of Missouri has standards for e-portfolios for pre-service teachers. (a) True, (b) False
2. Which of the following will HURT your credibility? (a) Working hyperlinks, (b) A photo of you teaching, (c) a misspelled word (d) Professional tone
3. Pre-service teachers can use e-portfolios to enhance classroom experiences. (a) True, (b) False
4. E-Portfolios allow who to evaluate their own work? (a) Students (b) Teachers (c) Both students and teachers
5. Parents are not able to engage in their children's educational accomplishments when e-Portfolios are involved. (a) True (b) False
6. E-Portfolios have the possiblility to make parent-teacher conferences much easier, without using very much paper. (a) True (b) False

Answers to Quiz

     1. a

     2. c

     3. a

     4. c

     5. b

     6. a

Developers of this page

Contributors from SBU: Emma & Angla (Jan '09), Erin, Christina & LaTasha (Fall '08), Jency and Laura (Jan. '08), Kyle, Brittni, Kinsey, and Shyrah (March '08), Carolyn (April '09)

Contributors from other universities: Name (summer '08)

All other editors and writers: Name (date)