By Dan Barton and Jason Messinger

 A digitally based alternative to the three ring binder with expanded capabilities!

 An E-portfolio can utilize media!  Besides basic written documents, projects and media presentations can be used in your portfolios.  Examples:  Glogsters  Jason’s Glogster on Digital Learners Jason’s Glogster on Digital Learners  Animotos  Dan’s Animoto on Collaborative Drawing Dan’s Animoto on Collaborative Drawing  Recordings of performances  Wade in de Water (PCCF Performance) Wade in de Water (PCCF Performance)  H20melon Man.Mod – YCP Groove Ensemble H20melon Man.Mod – YCP Groove Ensemble

 It provides a history of a students growth or possibly a collection of works.

 The portfolio can contain projects or papers from any time period to another to showcase how much progress was made in a subject.

 Placing papers that students have written through an extended period of time helps monitor growth.  It can help display:  If a student has developed a wider vocabulary  The progress in a students understandings of writing in different styles.  Such as Persuasive, Informative, and Analytical.  If a students understanding of sentence structure and grammar have improved.  For instance, if a student’s first paper demonstrates poor grammar and sentence structure, their final paper should show a great of improvement toward a firmer understanding of the concepts!

 Art projects are a great way to view personal changes and development in an understanding of different time periods of art!

 This is an excellent area in which students can save information on what they have done throughout their school year for the school or their community.  This allows the teachers to observe their students applying their knowledge of things such as the environment and trying to do something about it!  Recycling  Environmental clean up at a local conservatory.

Students can show how they have developed an understanding of musical concepts and can display their projects and assignments on an e- portfolio allowing the teacher to view how they are progressing and what music theory concepts still need to be addressed!

 During a Biology or Chemistry class, students can electronically document experiments done so the teacher can easily refer back to concepts discussed during that experiment and the students results are always available!  Document an experiment discussing Mitosis and Meiosis!

 Digital portfolios can be very useful for resumes, applications, and anything that needs to be organized and kept.

 Resumes are not very personal and it is hard for an employer to get a feel for what type of person you would be.  So, with a digital portfolio attached to your resume, it gives the employer a 3-D understanding of who you are as a person and what you have accomplished through your career.  Also, it shows your employer that you have an understanding of current technology and are willing to use technology in everyday life.  This will show them that you would not have a problem complying with the ISTE / NETS standards!

 Using a digital portfolio with a resume can be a problem for the following reasons:  You do not want every employer to see it because it gives you away. (Don’t send your portfolio until they would like to consider you for the job.)  The employer may not understand what you are displaying and might ignore the portfolio entirely.  That is why you must make it simple, and have an attachment explaining that if and when you receive your interview, you will go over and discuss each section.

 Stage 1  Determining context and goals  Stage 2  Archive creation and digital conversion  Stage 3  The reflective portfolio  Stage 4  The connected portfolio  Creating hyperlinks  Stage 5  Presentation and storage of the portfolio

 “Reflection is a meaning-making process that moves a learner from one experience into the next with deeper understanding of its relationships with and connections to other ideas.”  “We don’t learn from experience, just reflection!”

 3 critical questions are the guiding force behind effective reflective practice in electronic portfolio development.  What?  So What?  Now what?

 Make a guideline of what must be present in the portfolio. (Can be your standards!)  For each point answer Helen Berrett’s questions.  WHAT do I have to show this?  Is this my best work?  SO WHAT can I do to make this available?  NOW WHAT do I do to spice this up and have it exemplify my efforts?

 Students are able to access their portfolio from different sites. (Depending on the method.)  Students can keep track of their work easier.  Depending on the software, it can be used in lower level classrooms.  Students could actually get into the idea and start using the portfolios as their own workstation digitally.  Students would be able to reflect on their previous projects and determine what they must focus on fo the next project.

 The teacher can keep track of a students progress throughout the school year.  The teacher has references of students works at their finger tips.  Teachers can easily pull up a students e- portfolio during a parent - teacher conference.  The teacher can review all portfolios and get a feel for how much students understood the concepts they taught.

 An e-portfolio allows employers to get a better understanding of who you are and what you have done.  An e-portfolio could show your best work and be a great asset and reminder of all the wonderful things you have accomplished.  An e-portfolio shows the employer that you are willing to work with technology and you will most likely be using it in everyday life!

 Saves a LOT of paper  Much easier to manage files than sheets of paper.  It’s easier to customize and go back and update information.  It is easier to keep different types of media in the portfolio.  E-portfolios have a large storage space, and it is possible to get multiple portfolios for different subjects.

 They can be deleted with the click of a button  CD’s and passwords are easy to lose or forget.

 Things that don’t show your best work or that you do not have copyright to!

 Livetext.com  Richer Picture  Online portfolio service   Wikispaces!  Instructional Technology Wiki Instructional Technology Wiki

 Digital Portfolios are the way to go when it comes to organizing information in order to present it to different parties. Quick and easy solution to organization woes.