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Developing Educator Digital Portfolios Educator uses a digital portfolio to build a record of his/her learning journey to become a more reflective practitioner.

Key Method Educator documents their growth, and reflects on how their role as educator has changed over time, by examining their work.

Method Components Suggested strategies for portfolio development

§ Educator should be guided to evaluate and identify their best work, which could be based on a competency.

§ Educator should document their process while creating their final product(s). - Any brainstorming, drafts, feedback, etc. should be displayed, along with a description of the work

and the answers to the reflection questions below. § Educators should keep their digital portfolios organized, perhaps by competency.

Examples of reflection questions

§ While compiling drafts of their work, educators might consider these questions to help guide them through the reflection process: - What about my work can I celebrate? - What changes will I make and why? - What did I learn from this learning experience, from my struggles and successes? What are the

implications for my teaching? § What essential questions, if any, were answered and/or covered during the creation of the selected

artifacts? Educators might also consider the “Five R’s Framework”, which frames reflection using reporting, responding, relating, reasoning, and reconstructing. For more information, go to: http://caetacademy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/w2014-02-reflective-practice.pdf

Supporting Research Oakley, Grace, Mark Pegrum and Shannon Johnston. “Introducing Eportfolios to Pre-service Teachers as Tools for Reflection and Growth: Lessons Learnt.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education (2014): 42:1, 36-50. DOI: 10.1080/1359866X.2013.854860 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1359866X.2013.854860 Summary

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E-portfolios can be a static or dynamic collection of evidence of learning and/or accomplishments. E-portfolios are created in a two-stage process: 1) as a platform to assemble work and document links for people as resources, and 2) as a platform to showcase exemplary work. Barrett, Helen C. “Using Electronic Portfolios for Classroom Assessment.“ Classroom Connect: Connected Newsletter 2 (Oct. 2006): 4-6. Print. http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/ConnectedNewsletter-final.pdf Conclusion Digital portfolios can be used as formative and summative assessment tools. The teacher and student need to set a clear purpose for digital portfolios, as the purpose will guide the content, creation, and evaluation process. Bain, J.D., R. Ballantyne, C. Mills, and N.C. Lester. “Reflecting on Practice: Student Teachers' Perspectives.” Post Pressed (2002): Flaxton, Qld. http://caetacademy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/w2014-02-reflective-practice.pdf

Resources § Bradbury, Jeff. “Four Resources for Creating and Developing Digital Portfolios.” 16 April ,2015. Web.

http://www.teachercast.net/4-resources-for-creating-and-developing-digital-portfolios/

§ Holland, Beth. “Digital Portfolios: The Art of Reflection.” Edutopia. What Works in Education: George Lucas Educational Foundation, 30 June 2015. Web. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-portfolios-art-of-reflection-beth-holland - Digital portfolios should not just be centered around what students did, but on how and why they

did it. The display of documenting process is critical for understanding progress and performance.

Submission Guidelines & Evaluation Criteria To earn this micro-credential, you must receive a passing evaluation for Parts 1 and 3 as well as an exemplary score for Part 2. Part 1. Overview questions (300-word limit for each response)

§ Please indicate what items you displayed on your digital portfolio, the learning objective supporting those items, and why each item was chosen. - Passing: Educator responds by identifying which work was displayed and why.

Part 2. Work Examples/Artifacts Please submit a link to your digital portfolio. Digital portfolios may include such items as: writing samples, student assignments, audio, images, video, or other products. Please ensure that each item is accompanied by a substantive and unambiguous reflection. Your whole artifact submission will be assessed using the following rubric. You must earn an exemplary score on this portion of the submission in order to earn the micro-credential.

“Needs Improvement” “Developing” “Exemplary”

The digital portfolio displays final products, but there is no evidence of educator reflection or of his or her work over time.

The digital portfolio displays final products, but there is incomplete evidence of educator reflections

The digital portfolio displays the educator’s work over time, along with his or her final products and thoughtful reflections on his or her

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and/or of his or her work over time.

practice. The beginning, middle, and end of the process of the learning experience are documented in the portfolio with descriptions and contextual reflections regarding challenges, successes, and next steps.

Part 3. Educator Reflection (250-word limit)

§ What were some challenges you encountered while creating the digital portfolio? § How has your digital portfolio served as a tool for sharing and documenting your practice?

- Passing - Educator identifies challenges they encountered while creating their digital portfolio, and has concisely described how their portfolio has served as a tool for sharing and documenting their practice.