Eportfolio Tools

This week has been a week full of learning for me. I have heard of eportfolios before, but I have never had one of my own. After researching them and learning about them last week, this week I was able to build on what I learned. Reflecting about what to include in eportfolios, and researching useful tools that could help me create a quality eportfolio was helpful for me. These collections of works give a deeper look at the individual and are more than just a quiz or test that only allows a glimpse of one’s capabilities. Portfolios are valuable because they show an individual’s accomplishments, skills, and growth. Personally, an electronic portfolio would be more meaningful and relevant to my academic and professional goals. Some of my coursework has been focused on technology so an electronic portfolio would allow me to showcase my strengths in this area. Most of the artifacts and projects that I have created as a Graduate student have also involved technology so they could easily be added to my electronic portfolio. After reflecting on all of the artifacts and projects I have created, I feel like I missed a huge opportunity by not having an eportfolio. It would have greatly benefitted me to have all of my work , growth, and accomplishments in one area. My growth in teaching, technology, and leadership would have been evident through a portfolio. I prefer an electronic portfolio because it would allow me to be more efficient. Updating and storing my artifacts would be simple and less time consuming than a physical portfolio. In addition, there are so many tools that exist that allow the creation of a visually appealing electronic portfolio.  

Physical portfolios are one way to create a portfolio of artifacts over time. Some may prefer these because they like something tangible that they can touch. You are able to include visuals, reflections, and assessments in physical portfolios. On the other hand, digital portfolios allow the integration of technology which can help include a variety of media. Videos and presentations with special effects can be added to electronic portfolios. Additionally there is ease in updating and storing these portfolios. The tools that I explored this week were wikis, Google sites, and Foliotek which is a portfolio vendor. Wikis are easy to use and images and links are easily embedded. Google sites is a tool that I had a little experience with. It is a great option for eportfolios. There are several layout options that will allow for a visually appealing portfolio. Videos, images, and links can be added to a Google site. Adding artifacts that include technology pieces could be added quickly to a Google site. The Foliotek platform was completely new for me. It was exciting to see all of the layouts, backgrounds, and options available. When setting up your portfolio, there is a section for your photo, a short bio, and a custom url for your eportfolio. This eportfolio platform is available for free. If you want more features, there are paid versions available. I’m currently undecided about which platform I would like to use. I like Google Sites because of the simplicity, features, and I have some experience with it. Foliotek is also appealing because it has so many features as well. The variety of layouts and backgrounds allows more options so that portfolios shine. I’m curious as to what other classmates have found in their research. Since eportfolios is new for me, I think having more information about how others have created and used them would be beneficial for me. 

 

If I were asking my students to create an eportfolio, I would have them use a wiki. I think it is the simplest tool to use, and perfect for starting an electronic portfolio. Wikis would be easier for students to navigate and add to. Reflection artifacts would be important to add to student portfolios. Wikis allow for reflections to be added without a lot of formatting or layout changes. 

 

One example of student work that could be designed using eportfolios is documenting and reflecting on writing a composition using the writing process. This could be for grades 1-5. Students could add something from each step of the writing process to the portfolio. After adding the work sample, students could reflect on their work and decide on ways to improve or revise their writing. Students could also collaborate and leave feedback for peers using a blog. 

 

Another example of student work that could be designed with eportfolios is a science experiment using the scientific method process. Students can document their investigative question, their hypothesis, the experiment, and conclusions. An eportfolio makes it easy to upload a video of students conducting the experiment. They could then write a reflection about what was easy and what was hard about the process. This reflection would show student growth and learning that occurred during this process.

Desirae Zarate