Electronic Portfolio:

An electronic portfolio is required for TESH students in fulfilling the requirements for meeting professional teaching standards in content disciplines, the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The following standards are reflected in the portfolio design and assessment:

I.    Teachers are committed to all students and their learning.
  • The teacher intern understands how students learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support a student's intellectual, social, and personal development.
  • The teacher intern understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
II.   Teachers know the subjects and how to teach those subjects to students.
  • The teacher intern understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful to students.
  • The teacher intern plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, state and national standards, students, and the community.
  • The teacher intern understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking, problem solving, and the community.
  • The teacher intern uses knowledge of effective verbal, non-verbal and media communication techniques and appropriate technology to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
III.  Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
  • The teacher intern uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation
  • The teacher intern understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies, consistent with instruction goals, to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
IV.  Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
  • The teacher intern is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluate the effects of his or her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
  • The teacher intern responds well to constructive feedback.
V.   Teachers are members of learning communities.
  • The teacher intern fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students and well being.
  • The teacher intern demonstrates a professional attitude toward the community by learning and adhering to school policies.

TESH Electronic Portfolio Frequently Asked Questions *Available in Word or PDF

Electronic Portfolio Orientation


Quick Links:

[Rationale] [Standards] [Requirements] [Assessment] [Reflection Guidelines]
[Support for Portfolio Development] [Examples] [Time Line] [Forms] [References] [FAQs] [Orientation]

 

Teacher Education in the Science and Humanities (TESH) 

Electronic Portfolio Guidelines 

Portfolios provide a connection to the contexts and personal histories of real teaching and make it possible to document the unfolding of both teaching and learning over time (K. Wolf, 1991)

Rationale [back to top]
Currently, portfolios are widely used within teacher education programs to promote student learning, professional development, and reflection (Stone 1998). For example, the results of the Teacher Assessment Project (TAP) at Stanford reveal that engaging in the process of portfolio development appears to encourage teachers to become more reflective about their instructional practices (Vavrus and Collings, 1991). In addition, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards utilizes teacher portfolios as part of its assessment process to identify accomplished teachers.

Shulman (1992) highlighted the importance and need for portfolios in preservice teacher education when he contended that "teaching is like dry ice, it evaporates and goes away ... Student teachers are told to learn from experience but the experience doesn't stay put so one can learn from it." Portfolios are a strategy designed to make the teaching experience "stay put," allowing beginning teachers to capture the complexities of learning, teaching, and learning to teach. Well-constructed portfolios provide an opportunity for preservice teachers to examine "critical incidents" and to reflect on failures and frustrations as well as successes as they continue their journey to the other side of the desk. Situated within the context of transforming schools and on-going efforts to prepare tomorrow's teachers to use technology critically and reflectively, current technologies and portfolio assessment hold a great deal of potential as powerful tools for improving a teacher's practice and, as a result, the learning of her/his students.
 

Indicators of Success for Meeting Professional Standards [back to top]
An electronic portfolio at Virginia Tech is required for TESH students in fulfilling the requirements for meeting the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and professional standards for teaching and learning within each content discipline. The following NBPTS standards are reflective in our portfolio design and assessment:

  • Teachers are committed to all students and their learning.
  • Teachers know the subjects and how to teach those subjects to students.
  • Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
  • Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
  • Teachers are members of learning communities.
These standards are consistent with competencies addressed on the Student Teacher Intern Evaluation form for TESH.

Discipline-specific standards will be discussed in each licensure area:

In conjunction with serving as an authentic assessment tool that yields a rich source of evidence of reflection, web based electronic portfolios provide prospective employers with information about a teacher's suitability for a position. The electronic portfolio should contain evidence, data, and research from a variety of sources to indicate what you have learned in your preparation program in meeting the above standards and the standards in your discipline. 

Requirements [back to top]

  1. Each portfolio should be designed for electronic access on the web.
     
  2. Each portfolio should include a table of contents and an opening narrative that highlights how your portfolio meets the professional standards.

  3.  
  4. A personal statement of educational philosophy and a current resume are also the required elements for every portfolio. Seminar and class discussions, papers, and teaching experiences should assist you in shaping the philosophy statement.

  5.  
  6. The portfolio should contain evidence of your teaching and learning that you feel represents you as a professional educator in terms of the five propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards listed above and professional teaching standards in your field. Examples may include lesson and unit plans, digitized photos or video/audio clips, self-assessments/reflections, evaluations and assessments, professional development activities, class organization and management information, research, and the integration of interactive technologies into the classroom.

  7.  
  8. Each piece of work or evidence should contain a caption, annotation, or shore narrative to explain how this piece connects to your learning and the professional standards.

  9.  
  10. Note that the electronic portfolio is not an electronic scrapbook or a fancy multimedia presentation. Your portfolio should demonstrate that you have the knowledge, skills and perspectives to be an effective teacher and that you are capable of translating pedagogical knowledge into practice. The portfolio should contain thoughtful responses about each item that connects with your teaching philosophy in relation to professional standards.

 

Assessment of Electronic Portfolios [back to top]

Portfolios will be assessed using the Portfolio Evaluation with Indicators of Success for Meeting Professional Standards.  This form is a useful resource for learning about appropriate evidence for inclusion in the portfolio. In addition, all students should complete a Technology Checklist to demonstrate competence in meeting technology standards.

Students will present their electronic portfolio to a committee of three faculty members. The committee consists of your advisor and two faculty members of your choice. Cooperating teachers and other students will also be invited to your presentation. Please refer to the suggested timeline for completion of portfolio.
 


Guidelines for Reflecting on School Experiences [back to top]

In designing electronic portfolios in support of professional standards, all student teacher interns must follow these guidelines:

  1. Focus on your own teaching and learning and student learning in relation to professional teaching standards. Do not focus on the teaching of your cooperating teacher. Your focus should be on how you helped students learn in the context of the school culture in which you are teaching

  2. .
  3. Because your written reflections will be public, you have a responsibility to communicate to your audience in a professional manner, avoiding judgements and comments about other teachers, administrators, parents or students which may be construed as hurtful or derogatory.

  4.  
  5. Use pseudonyms for students, teachers, and schools when reflecting on your experiences.

  6.  
  7. Any written analysis of students, classroom, or the school community should be approved by the program advisor before it is added to your web page.

  8.  
  9. Photos or videoclips of individual students should not be posted on the web. Photos of student teachers or backs of students are acceptable.

  10.  
  11. Students may have the option of linking their electronic portfolio website to the TESH or other program websites.

 

Support for Electronic Portfolio Development [back to top]

While each program advisor will provide resources and direction to support various aspects of portfolio creation through specific courses and modules, additional resources and tutorials are available:

New Media Center
The New Media Center is open again. You can contact them for specific problems. They also have one-on-one assistance available (if scheduled beforehand). The Center has a Mac lab and a PC lab. This is an excellent free resource for graduate students on campus.

Faculty Development Institute
The Faculty Development Institutes are small two hour workshops covering a wide variety of topics that could be helpful for you. The workshops vary on time and place. You must preregister for the workshops (using your PID and password). Go to this website, click on Spring Short Courses to find dates, times, and descriptions. Workshops start this week, so if you are interested, check it out soon.

ElementK
ElementK is the free online tutorial for Virginia Tech students.If you have not used it before, you must register through your HokieSpa pages - under the academics tab, click on ElementK and follow the directions for registering. This is an incredible resource for all things computer.

TEEPS (Teacher Education Electronic Portfolio Support)
Be sure to check out the TEEPS (Teacher Education Electronic Portfolio Support) website.This website was created with online support possibilities especially for education electronic portfolios.

ePortfolio Dialogue Day Resources
This online resource was recommended by Dr Linda Wilson.

Filebox at computing.vt.edu
This is Virginia Tech's computing services site about Filebox and web page creation. If you have any questions about using Filebox for your electronic portfolio, please contact Jane Falls.

Support systems will be available for the following recommended software programs: Netscape Composer, Front Page, and Dreamweaver.

Staff support will also be provided for technical assistance in the Instructional Technology Lab, 220 WMH.
 
 

Examples of Electronic Portfolios [back to top]

Examples of electronic portfolios completed in spring 2000 may be viewed on the websites below. Please note that these portfolios were designed according to guidelines that were in development in 1999-2000. Students should follow the guidelines in this document for spring 2001.

 

Suggested Timeline: [back to top]

  • Sept. Begin to collect and select material from previous classes and store in files (HTML, text, photos, PDF, video, sound) 

  •   
  • Oct. Complete and select assignments during the fall field experience to be included in electronic portfolio. Develop captions and store in files. 

  •   
  • Nov. Create and post resume in portfolio. Create hyperlinks to VT and other sources. 

  •  
  • Dec./Jan. Present "dry run" of portfolio in methods classes. 


  • Feb. Select additional pieces from student teaching that support professional teaching standards (e.g. unit plans, analysis of videotaped instruction). Convert to files, develop captions, and include in portfolio. 

  •  
  • March Apply for graduation and defense date for MA exam. Review portfolio for content and format. 

  •  
  • April Final editing and completion of the project.

 

Click here to download Electronic Portfolio Development Guide in PDF (Use Acrobat Reader to view and print)

Forms: [back to top]

Portfolio Evaluation

Student Teacher Evaluation

Technology Checklist


References [back to top]

Shulman, L. S. (1992, April) Portfolios for teacher education: A component of reflective teacher education. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA

Stone, B. (1998) Problems, Pitfalls and Benefits of Portfolios. Teacher Education Quarterly25 (1),105-114

Vavrus, L. G., & Collins, A. (1991) . Portfolios documentation and assessment center exercises: A marriage made for teacher assessment. Teacher Education Quarterly, 18 (3), 13-29

Wolfe, K. (1991). The school teachers portfolio: Issues for design, implementation, and evaluation. Phi Delta Kappan, 73, 129-136.
 
 

Articles

  • Bibliography on Teaching Portfolios 
  • Electronic Portfolios: A New Idea In Assessment 
  • Electronic Teaching Portfolios 
  • Portfolios: Student, Teacher, & Electronic 
  • The Power of Teacher Portfolios for Professional Development--Alice Hom 
  • Teacher Portfolio Assessment 
  • The Five Propositions of Accomplished Teaching from NBPTS 
  • Electronic Portfolios, School Reform and Standards 
  • Assessment of Electronic Portfolios 
Guides Sample Electronic Portfolios
  • Paige Ann Bell 
  • Students' Electronic Teaching Portfolios