1. ECC Portfolios: Using Project Based Learning to Teach the ECC
Greg Aikens
Cobb County School District
October 23, 2015

2. Session Outline Purpose ECC Assessment What is PBL?
Combining PBL and Portfolios

3. Purpose
To provide quality program planning and instruction in the Expanded Core Curriculum by combining Project Based Learning (PBL) and student portfolios.

4. Assessment
Quality instruction is rooted in quality assessment. The three annual assessments for students who are blind and visually impaired are:
Functional Vision Assessment
Learning Media Assessment
Expanded Core Curriculum Assessment
See The Essential Assessment Rubric Project at

5. Tools for ECC Assessment
ECC Needs Screening Tool (
Guides the conversation.
Tailor tool to each student.
Identify 2 to 3 critical areas of the ECC for instruction.
EVALS Kit from TSBVI (
Drill down in areas of critical need to identify needed skills.
Other resources?

6. After Quality Assessment
Several target skills are identified.
May or may not be related.
May only require a small amount of instruction.

7. Portfolios can… Target a variety of skills.
Include assignments of varying length.
Document growth and progress.
Be measured using a rubric.

8. Sample Portfolio Goal
Goal: Greg will improve his skills in the areas of social interaction, self-determination, and assistive technology as part of instruction in the Expanded Core Curriculum during the current IEP year.
Objective: Greg will complete at least 6 ECC portfolio activities, scoring either a 3 or 4 on at least 50% of activities, as measured by a teacher-made rubric.

9. Portfolios + PBL
Using Project Based Learning to design portfolios makes them a more powerful teaching tool.

10. What is PBL?
“…a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.”
The Buck Institute

11. Essential Elements of PBL
Key knowledge, understanding, and success skills
Challenging problem or question (meaningful)
Sustained inquiry
Authenticity
Student voice and choice
Reflection
Critique and revision
Public product
The Buck Institute

12. PBL Supports ECC Knowledge and success skills = ECC skills
Self-determination: critical thinking, problem solving, choice making, self-evaluation, self-efficacy
Career Ed: authentic problems and tools, critique and revision
Assistive Technology: real world tools, public products
Etc.

13. What Does it Look Like? Identify target skills through assessment.
Design portfolio of projects (with student input)
Create rubrics for each project.
Teach and evaluate.

14. Sample Activity
Cooking without looking – The student will research and learn how to make a food item of her choice. The final product could include sharing the food she makes with others or making a cooking video to demonstrate her skills. The final product should be accompanied by a personal reflection on her experiences and the new skills she learned.

15. Target Multiple Skills
The main knowledge – Cooking (Independent Living)
Self-determination skills – Decision making, reflection, self-evaluation
Technology skills – researching recipes, final product

16. Sample Rubric
4: Student makes food, final product demonstrates at least 3 adaptive cooking skills, reflection discusses new learning and what the student still wants to learn.
3: Student makes food, final product demonstrates 1 or 2 adaptive cooking skills, reflection discusses new learning or skills the student still wants to learn.
2: Student makes food but does not complete a final product or reflection.
1: Student does not make food.

17. Things to Remember
Students will need learning in a variety of areas to complete most projects.
Opportunity to cover many areas of the ECC at once.
Students have a voice but teacher guides learning.
Make the driving question relevant but manageable.
Include interaction with peers or adults in the project.
Encourage creativity in designing a final product.

18. Final Products Written report or article Create a children’s book
Text or video blog
Presentation
One-person play
How-to guide
Plan an event
Or anything else that demonstrates student knowledge.

19. IEP Considerations
Bring a list of portfolio activities to the meeting.
Leave blank spaces on the portfolio to add activities during the year.
Bring a rubric for each activity to the meeting.

20. What kind of students? Students with VI only
Students receiving daily service
Students receiving service twice a month
Students with multiple disabilities

21. Your Ideas Are you already using similar practices to teach the ECC?
Are PBL and portfolios something that might work for your students?
Are there barriers?

22. Contact Info
Greg Aikens
Cobb County School District
Work
Personal

23. Acknowledgements
My thanks to Rachel Schles, Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, VA for introducing me to the idea of Project Based Learning and portfolios. Rachel also shared handouts to be used for this session.

24. Resources
For more info on Project Based Learning, visit the Buck Institute for Education (
For more information on assessing for the ECC, visit the Essential Assessment Rubric Project (