A New Teacher's Portfolio:
" " Finish your online teacher portfolio," her cooperating teacher replied. " That way everyone in the hiring process can see your ideas and accomplishments. Your choice of lesson plans, student work, and other materials for display will help you descrive your teaching and show what you can do in the classroom as a tteacher." As she began posting her materials electronically, Tracy decided that portfolios would be valuable to use with her students. All semester, she had been puzzled by how some students refused to prepare for multiple-choice and fill in the blank exams. These students seemed totally disconnected from learning, going through the motions of attending class but not putting any effort into studying of participating." " ( 306, Maloy)
In retrospect, I can understand exactly what it is like as a student to be able to walk into a classroom, and physically be there, however, mentally you may be else where. As a young college student, I currently understand the importance of now only showing up to class to be present while the lecture is in session, but it is important to the highest degree to fully understand what an educator is lecturing. Being able to walk out of a classroom and understand the lesson makes us, as individuals confident on what the test, or next lecture, or next assignment may be about, however, some students leave the classroom in a state of confusion where they never fully absorbed the material that was being taught.
In this day in age, individuals in society are running around with mini computers in their pockets, the ability of an iPod or an iPad is astronomical. I like to think of it as a version of having a part of the world at your finger tips. Since students, teachers, educators, and many parents are up to date on our society that is ran by technology, I believe that every educator should be required to have their own digital teacher porfolio. Before last week, April 4, 2013, to be exact, I had minor knowledge on what a teachers portfolio should contain, however, when my professor, Marie Coleman, displayed her sample, teacher portfolio to her Introduction to Technology for Educator Class, I felt like I really needed to see an example of a teacher's portfolio to have a deep understanding. Reading about portfolios, and all the wonderful digital advances that we have today may only get us, as educators so far, but being able to learn from another individual is what usually teaches us so well, that we can teach it our self.
My understanding of a digital portfolio to be able to have your class, away from class. Meaning, students attend class, learn the material, do their classwork, and once they are out of class they may sometimes have a question or concern of the next weeks test, or the homework that was assigned that day. A teachers portfolio is very helpful for the student, having access to their portfolio by "surfing" the web, may help that student fully understand the concept that he had lacked or the concept that he forgot after he left the classroom.
The digital portfolio is very useful for the students parents as well, many times, students come home to parents asking them: " So Sally, what are you learning in school this week?" And little Sally may not really know exactly how to respond, and if she does, it may be a very vague answer. The fact that the parents of the students also have access to their child's teacher digital portfolio may help the parent in more than one occasion. Parents, as well as educators have very busy lives, between, school and work, and every detail in between, there may or may not be enough time to meet their child's teacher, unless it was the first few days for the orientation, but what about throughout the year when the parents are questioning their child's work? That's a perfect time to log in to the digital portfolio that the teacher has very adequately put up for viewing purposes.
" Portfolios, unlike standardized multiple-choice exams, emply performance-based,{ such as lesson plans, work logs, student work smaples, relectice essays, and video materials) as a basis for assessin skills and accomplishments. In California, beginning in July 2008, every student in a teacher education program must pass a performance assessment before receing a licesnse to teach (Rothman, 2008).
"Creating a portfolio positively affects the growth of a new teacher, and the growth of their students as learners in two ways. First portfolio building involved everyone in reflectively assessing learning. As a portfolio builder weighs the merits of materials to be included in an online collection, he or she evaluates what has been learned. Self-reflection, invaluable for teachers, is an important skill to convey to students at every grade level. Being able to clearly state or demonstrate what was been learned indicates deep and lasting understanding." ( 306, 307 Maloy)
Browsing the internet, I wanted to see some " pro's " of a digital portfolio, so I found the benefits of a digital portfolio, and just as there is good, the website did point out some of the "con's", which I can point on how they are not even that much of a " con."
On E Portfolios Pro's and Cons | Faculty of Education, I found the following:
Under the second bullet, it states, that in a interview situation, you may want a hard copy version. A hard copy version would be as easy as saving it to our little disk drives, and now we're on our way, and what exactly what place doesn't have internet connections? No a days, wifi seems to accessible almost anywhere, therefore, having access to the portfolio should not be an issue, if you have one of the two options.
The third bulletin may be true, not everybody who wants to interview you may have the time to view your portfolio, but the ones who do have the time, will. If you end up getting the job, is a high chance that one day, maybe not the day of the interview, but later on they may come across your portfolio, and after all it is a useful and beneficial tool for yourself, as an educator, or aspiring educator.
A clarification for you as I think there's some confusion. What you are writing about is really the purpose of a 'teacher webpage' that is a communication tool between the teacher/class/school and the learner/student/parent. Whereas a portfolio is a collection of documents (electronic or paper) that demonstrates the accomplishments of the teacher (and can/should also be done for students). The project that you will be doing for next week is actually a combined teacher webpage/eportfolio, which is not normal! But it was a way to get both experiences in one assignment! :) Hope that helps to explain.
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