2. Electronic Portfolios Preparing Our Students for the 21 st Century The Future

3. Something to really think about… Data and assessments are considered very valuable pieces of evidences for students and teachers. There are also several different ways to document and showcase these types of evidences. One way to prepare your students for the 21 st Century would be to have your students gather all of their individual meaningful pieces of work and place them in an Electronic Portfolio, also known as an E-portfolio, as evidence that represents their learning and growth. E-portfolios can be used as formative or summative assessments.

4. What is an E-portfolio? An e-portfolio can be a computer-based or web-based tool that documents a collection of different pieces of completed work, selected by the individual student, to showcase his/her abilities, know-how, and personal growth.

5. Formative or Summative Assessment As a formative assessment, E-portfolios can be used to monitor an individual’s learning process step-by-step. Teachers could check/monitor a student’s progress constantly and know exactly what the student needed help with or didn’t understand. As a summative assessment, E-portfolios can be used to monitor an individual’s learning process and growth over time. The overall collection and result would be graded and looked at in the end.

6. Cost of an E-Portfolio… There are several different ways you could start using E-portfolios in your classroom. You could use E-portfolios, in a PowerPoint form, as a computer-based tool. If so, there would be no cost to you. All schools usually have PowerPoint programs installed on their computers. However, if you would like to use E-portfolios as a web- based tool, you would have to search the Internet for one that fits your needs. There are some sites that offer free trials for a limited time, like SellFolio @ www.sellfolio.comwww.sellfolio.com ($49-$249 depending on features). Some factors you need to keep in mind when searching for a web-based tool is cost, features, and if your school/district server will allow you to access it.

7. Documents Students Can Include in Their E-Portfolios PowerPoint Presentations Multimedia Tool Boxes : a collection of teaching/learning materials organized around a single topic. Kits often include real pictures of objects, models, and mock-ups. They may also include CD-ROMs, DVDs, audio and video materials, still pictures, study prints, maps, worksheets, charts, graphs, projects, assessments, and booklets. Rationales/Reflections/Artifacts Feedback About Artifacts Included

8. The Importance of Using E- Portfolios in the Classroom E-Portfolios are an up-to-date version of our old binder portfolio system. By using E-portfolios, students will learn how to use this technology tool to create unique, meaningful pieces of work, that allows them to express themselves creatively, through the use of technology. Students also learn different technical skills, by using this tool with their critical thinking and problem solving skills, while being engaged in hands-on activities, to develop their understanding of the materials presented. These technologies enable students to gain the necessary skills to design, create, and develop meaningful pieces of work, that enhances their learning and reinforces the use of these kind of technology tools that they will be expected to use in the future, in the real-world workforce.

9. What Data Does This Tool Produce ? Through the development of E-portfolios, students learn from the past, reflect upon what they did, and grow from their experiences. E-portfolios are emerging digital tools that are individualized and personal. This gives the learner a new awareness of the skills and potential he/she has. Students archive all of their valuable and meaningful pieces/artifacts and reflect upon their own learning and growth. “E-portfolios contain work that a learner has collected, reflected, selected, and presented to show growth and change overtime” (Barrett, 2005). PBS Teachers. (September 2007). Technology Integration. Retrieved August 30, 2010, from http://www.pbs.org/teachers/librarymedia/tech- integration/#emerging http://www.pbs.org/teachers/librarymedia/tech- integration/#emerging

10. What Data Does This Tool Produce ? All of these artifacts, usually the individual’s best pieces of work, selected by this individual, capture the learning process he/she went through over time. It is a critical component, or data source, that show the individual’s accountability in his/her education and personal growth. This portfolio is an excellent source, full of data, that reflects the skills and potential an individual has.

11. What Data Does This Tool Produce ? “Portfolios are being heralded as vehicles that provide a more equitable and sensitive portrait of what students know and are able to do. Portfolios encourage teachers and schools to focus on important student outcomes, provide parents and the community with credible evidence of student achievement, and inform policy and practice at every level of the educational system.” Barrett, H. (2005). “White paper: researching electronic portfolios and learner engagement.”[Retrieved April 18, 2011 from http://electronicportfolios.org/reflect/whitepaper.pdf ]

12. How Can E-Portfolios Drive Instruction & Differentiate? ●Integrates technology ●Motivates students to do well ●Student Engagement ●Individualized & personalized ●Can be used at any grade level ●Concrete evidence of student learning and growth ●Excellent data source for teachers to use to see where students need help

13. Impact on Student Learning Several research studies showed positive student outcomes, when teachers used and integrated technology into their curriculum/content area. By integrating multimedia and emerging technologies, student’s performances improved in several ways: ●Positive attitudes towards learning (engagement). ●Increase in self-confidence & self-esteem. ●Increased student collaboration & participation. ●Increase in problem-solving & critical thinking skills. ●Less directive & more student-centered teaching. ●Increase in mastery of content and/or skill. Cradler, J. (1990-1994). Summary of current research and evaluation: Finding on technology in education. Retrieved August 31, 2010, from http://www.wested.org/techpolicy/refind.html

14. Impact on Student Learning Students also improved in writing skills, due to the fact that they reflected longer on problems, tasks, and situations, while they wrote (typed) more often, and increased their visibility publicly for everyone to see and critique. The Journal. (2003). The web’s impact on student learning. Retrieved August 29, 2010, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2003/05/01/The-Webs-Impact-On- Student-Learning.aspx?p=1http://thejournal.com/Articles/2003/05/01/The-Webs-Impact-On- Student-Learning.aspx?p=1 By using and engaging your students with this valuable technology tool, you enable your students to use, create, grow, and think about their learning, while reinforcing the content they learned. The information becomes meaningful, applicable, and fun for all students in your class, no matter what kind of learning style they may have.

15. How To Incorporate E- Portfolios In Your Curriculum An Example of E-Portfolios in Your Classroom Have students create a PowerPoint portfolio in the beginning of the year that they can keep adding artifacts, rationales, reflections, and feedback to show what they’ve learned and know. This will reinforce the concepts/info./facts they’ve learned, while becoming independent learners, who are being responsible for their own learning in a meaningful way. They will self-reflect and self-assess the information being shared carefully knowing that this is a reflection of them, while being actively engaged in the learning process and using technology. After completing their individualized and personalized PowerPoint, students will be able to showcase all that they’ve learned and have concrete evidence of how they’ve grown.

16. What Data Does This Tool Produce ? All of these artifacts, usually the individual’s best pieces of work, selected by this individual, capture the learning process he/she went through over time. It is a critical component, or data source, that shows the individual’s accountability in his/her education and personal growth. This portfolio is an excellent source, full of data, that reflects the skills and potential an individual has.

17. So, are you going to prepare your students for the 21 st Century?

18. Or, are you going to make a change… for your students sake? So, are you going to keep doing what you feel comfortable doing? Electronic Portfolios

19. Integrate Technology! Prepare our students for the 21 st Century! The Future

20. References Cradler, J. (1990-1994). Summary of current research and evaluation: Finding on technology in education. Retrieved August 31, 2010, from http://www.wested.org/techpolicy/refind.html The Journal. (2003). The web’s impact on student learning. Retrieved August 29, 2010, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2003/05/01/The-Webs-Impact-On- Student-Learning.aspx?p=1http://thejournal.com/Articles/2003/05/01/The-Webs-Impact-On- Student-Learning.aspx?p=1 Spinning C.D. [Online image] Available http://bestanimations.com/Computers/Discs/Discs2.html, August 29, 2010. Barrett, H. (2005). White paper: researching electronic portfolios and learner engagement. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://electronicportfolios.org/reflect/whitepaper.pdf