Electronic Portfolio: The NEW Generation of the 3-ring Binder

From April 2010 archived blog

by Kathy Belcher

As we plan our strategies for implementing the new and newly revised CTE courses to be unveiled in August, 2010, I challenge you to learn more about the use of electronic portfolios to help your students capture artifacts, build their resumes, and begin their career pathway from secondary to postsecondary education and/or the workplace with confidence.

Many of the new TEKS within the 16 career clusters require that students are expected to maintain and update a portfolio. For example, chapter 130.362(c)(2)(D) Concepts of Engineering and Technology states, “The student is expected to (D) maintain a portfolio.” Chapter 130.374(c)(6)(A)(B) Practicum in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics states,  “The student is expected to (A) update a professional portfolio...; and (B) present the portfolio to all interested stakeholders such as in a poster presentation.”

So what is a portfolio? A portfolio is a purposeful, organized collection of student work to show effort, progress, or degree of proficiency.  It is NOT a haphazard collection of artifacts. The portfolio:

• assesses active learning and performance
• showcases work and growth over periods of time
• reflects the quality of work that students are expected to produce
• reveals strengths and weaknesses through self-evaluation by the student (Health Science, 2006)

An electronic or digital portfolio includes the use of electronic technologies that allow the portfolio developer to collect and organize artifacts in many formats (audio, video, graphics, and text). (Barrett, 2000) A student’s digital collection may contain blogs, articles, drawings, photos, PowerPoint, weekly journals, reflections on samples of work, self-evaluation and assessment. It is common to include a creative cover, letter to the reader, table of contents, and goal-setting page.

The various types of portfolios include:

1. Working – contains projects student is currently working on or has recently completed
2. Display – showcases samples of students’ best work and attainment of technical skill competencies
3. Assessment – work that demonstrates the student has met specific learning goals and requirements
4. Personal/professional – a graduation requirement at many colleges and universities and also used for employment purposes (Brown, 2008)

There are many benefits to using the electronic portfolio, which has been referred to as the “new generation of the 3-ring binder” (Stanier, 2007). Students collaborate with others as they assemble project work. The format is very portable and shareable anywhere there is a computer and/or internet access.  It allows for the use of media-rich content as well as text for narratives.  It is an interactive format between students, teachers, and stakeholders. It is expandable and can be added to.  And finally, it is an excellent tool for self-evaluation and assessment (Boldon, 2010).

 

Before you get started, there are a few things to consider: 

• Basic equipment needed includes computer and scanner, digital camera, digital voice recorder.
• You will need to select your multi-media software or web authoring program. Or, you may publish in HTML format after converting word processing documents into web pages with tools built in to create hyperlinks between goals and artifacts.  
• There are web-based programs you can subscribe to for a fee such as http://www.careercruising.com/  and www.bridges.com.
• Choose a format that fits your purpose and one your audience will be able to access. 
• Consider how you will record portfolio for presentation and for storage (videotape, computer hard drive, flash drive, Zip disk, network server, CD, recordable disk, web server).

As we begin to plan strategies for implementing the new courses, I highly recommend that you encourage your students to embrace the idea and importance of developing an electronic portfolio as they begin their first foundational CTE course. As they continue on their career pathway, they will include licensures or certifications, recognitions and awards, scholarships, community service, participation in student organizations and professional organizations, and a resumé.  And, as your students  complete their practicum course work, they will be fully equipped and confident to pursue postsecondary education or workplace opportunities.

References

• Barrett, H. (2000).  Create Your Own Electronic Portfolio Using Off-the-Shelf Software to Showcase Your Own or Student Work. Retrieved February 4, 2010 published in Learning & Leading with Technology, from Electronic PortfoliosWebsite: http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/iste2k.html
• Boldon, C. (2010). ePortfolio Workshop. Retrieved February 3, 2010 from Atomic Learning Website: http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/eportfolio?from_legacy=1
• Brown, M. (2008). Electronic Portfolios in the K-12 Classroom. Retrieved March 11, 2010 from Education World Website: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech111.shtml
• Health Science Technology Education Assessment Tools. CD-ROM (2006)
• Roberts, G., Stanier, S., Smith, N., Rainger, P., McNaught, A. Lessner, E., & Attwell, G. (2007). Wider Opportunities for Reflection, Learning and Development. Retrieved March 11, 2010 from JISC myWORLD Website: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2007/myworldfinalreport.aspx