Electronic Teaching Portfolios–Part 3
So now that you’ve read part 1 and part 2 of this series on electronic teaching portfolios, you are feeling organized and confident you have the materials you need to begin the process. Now what if I told you not to even think about your computer at this point? Well, how are you going to create an electronic portfolio with the electronics? Don’t worry, we’ll get to that part in a later post, but for now you need to decide what sort of structure you want for your portfolio. Find out more after the jump.
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The first step in organizing the structure of your portfolio is to decide why you want or need a portfolio in the first place. Are you building your portfolio to look for another position at a different school? Do you need to prove to your current administration that you are routinely meeting the teaching standards set forth by the state? Are you looking to be re-certified and have to show the State Board of Education you are competent? Maybe you are striving to become a nationally certified teacher. Whatever your reason, now is the time to think about it and get a clear picture in your head as to how to best represent your work for the intended audience.
Perhaps the easiest and most universal organization scheme is by standards. Let’s examine the pros and cons of this method:
Pros
1. Easiest way to organize your artifacts. A standards based portfolio is most likely going to be the easiest for you. It is relatively simple to look through the standards and match up an artifact from your pile to what the standard calls for. It will also make it easier to name your files as you scan in your artifacts, but we’ll get into that later.
2. Navigation will be easier most audiences. This is especially true if you are looking to prove that you are meeting (and exceeding) the teaching standards to your administration or a State Board of Education. With a list of links on your portfolio to each standard, the information those audiences are seeking will be within a click.
Cons
1. Different states have different standards. So let’s say you are planning to move out of state and need to send a copy of your electronic portfolio (or web address) along to possible employers when you give them your resume. If your portfolio is standards based for your current state, administrators in other states may not be able to navigate it as easily or find what they are looking for.
2. There will be a lot of links on each page. This may not matter, but some people may not like the look of so many links on their portfolio. Minimalists may be put off by the plethora of choices in the navigation. Depending on how many standards your state has, this could be a consideration for your own portfolio.
Another way to organize your portfolio could be in chronological order. In order to use this type of organization, you need to think through your year and how your lessons flow and put your artifacts in that order. This, of course, has pros and cons as well.
Pros
1. The organization pattern is universal.What this means is that it is not dependent on one state. If you are seeking employment in another state, you will be able to show what you have done in a way that flows. It is almost like showcasing how your classroom curriculum moves throughout the year. It’s great at showing how you build base knowledge for the students and then build upon existing knowledge as the year progresses.
2. Your page will be more focused on anecdotes instead of links. You won’t need nearly as many links on your navigation panel with this method. You could break your artifacts up into quarters, trimesters, or seasons to have less links.
Cons
1. It may be difficult to locate information. Depending on who your intended audience will be, it may be difficult for them to find what they are looking for. If your objective is to prove you are meeting the teaching standards, the user may have to click over multiple links until they find what they are looking for.
2. There could be too much information. Trying to fit everything you do in a year into one electronic portfolio could be extremely difficult if you aren’t sure what to cut. Everything we do as educators seems important, so it could be overwhelming to the reader if everything is left in.
Ultimately, it is your decision on how to organize the information. Think about your audience, how much information you need to include and what can be cut, and sit down to draw out a rough draft on paper how you imagine your portfolio will look. The suggestions above are just that–suggestions. There could be several different ways to set up your portfolio and only you can decide what works best for your needs.
In the next part of this series, we’ll discuss whether or not to put your portfolio online, or just keep it on a CD.
