Comments on: An E-Portfolio – Who Is It For? http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2005/12/13/an-e-portfolio-who-is-it-for/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:37:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Aaron http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2005/12/13/an-e-portfolio-who-is-it-for/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Aaron Thu, 15 Dec 2005 21:07:56 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2005/12/13/an-e-portfolio-who-is-it-for/#comment-30 Hello Graham, I really appreciated your thoughts around ePortfolios. This is indeed a very important tool that needs to be in all of our toolboxes. So who's it all for? I never thought of that question before you asked it. (That's one of the things I love about blogs, you get asked to think about things you may not have before.) I think an ePortfolio's primary audience should be the one developing it. If it is being developed as a tool of reflection and a way for students to show what they know, or show how they are developing, then I think first of all, it's all for them. I see my blog as being my developing and very unbridled thinking portfolio. I write for me. I write to learn about my profession. I write to explore ideas and have a place to store them. I then write to connect with others. In my humble, and open to be corrected opinion, an ePortfolio should follow a similar chain of interest. I need to be personally invested in my portfolio's development. I need to care about what's there, and that it continues to grow. I then need to seek connection, and feedback from "out there." I think if you are invested in your portfolio's development, you will be very deeply aware of what's in it, and shape...audience specific versions in a "just-in-time" fashion. What I've been learning so far about the whole portfolio thing, and I know I don't have the complete picture, is that they should be designed to be in congruence with course competencies and standards - that the portfolio is a way for the student to DEMONSTRATE their ability to meet afore mentioned requirements. They are purpose driven. Audience number two, in my mind, is the teacher. They review to see if Johnny has actually met course/class standards. Are we ready to move on, or do we need to review? I don't think Audience two needs anything special by way of special portfolio design, other than that the portfolio actually demonstrates course competencies. (If that makes sense.) Stepping beyond the classroom, I think becomes an issue of adaptability. Another big plus for ePortfolio vs regular portfolios. Customization becomes much easier if data is digital. Wouldn't portfolio development suffer if we tried to doctor it towards something beyond developing the skill? I don't know if I'm speaking well to this conversation...but I sure appreciate it. Hello Graham,

I really appreciated your thoughts around ePortfolios. This is indeed a very important tool that needs to be in all of our toolboxes. So who’s it all for? I never thought of that question before you asked it. (That’s one of the things I love about blogs, you get asked to think about things you may not have before.)

I think an ePortfolio’s primary audience should be the one developing it. If it is being developed as a tool of reflection and a way for students to show what they know, or show how they are developing, then I think first of all, it’s all for them.

I see my blog as being my developing and very unbridled thinking portfolio. I write for me. I write to learn about my profession. I write to explore ideas and have a place to store them. I then write to connect with others.

In my humble, and open to be corrected opinion, an ePortfolio should follow a similar chain of interest. I need to be personally invested in my portfolio’s development. I need to care about what’s there, and that it continues to grow. I then need to seek connection, and feedback from “out there.”

I think if you are invested in your portfolio’s development, you will be very deeply aware of what’s in it, and shape…audience specific versions in a “just-in-time” fashion.

What I’ve been learning so far about the whole portfolio thing, and I know I don’t have the complete picture, is that they should be designed to be in congruence with course competencies and standards – that the portfolio is a way for the student to DEMONSTRATE their ability to meet afore mentioned requirements. They are purpose driven.

Audience number two, in my mind, is the teacher. They review to see if Johnny has actually met course/class standards. Are we ready to move on, or do we need to review? I don’t think Audience two needs anything special by way of special portfolio design, other than that the portfolio actually demonstrates course competencies. (If that makes sense.)

Stepping beyond the classroom, I think becomes an issue of adaptability. Another big plus for ePortfolio vs regular portfolios. Customization becomes much easier if data is digital.

Wouldn’t portfolio development suffer if we tried to doctor it towards something beyond developing the skill?

I don’t know if I’m speaking well to this conversation…but I sure appreciate it.

]]> By: Graham Wegner http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2005/12/13/an-e-portfolio-who-is-it-for/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Graham Wegner Thu, 15 Dec 2005 10:49:34 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2005/12/13/an-e-portfolio-who-is-it-for/#comment-29 Thanks Tony for the comment - I suppose what I'm struggling with is the e-portfolio's relevance to my sector of education in the primary school. In DECS here we have just been given a sneak preview at a set of professional standards for educators and it was hinted that would be the criteria for teacher portfolios in the near future. However, at the moment if I want to apply for a job within this system I apply with a written application that hopefully leads to an interview situation - the e-portfolio would only come into play if I wanted it to. My students are too young for it to be an employment tool ( a Colin Thiele book review Powerpoint might show many skills at that time but not have future impact) and I suppose if the portfolio at my level is a tool to communicate learning to parents, then a heck of lot more awareness raising of what an e-portfolio is and what it can do needs to take place amongst the teacher community. I am not trying to be negative and it is great to hear that your students can use their blogfolios in a way that brings them positive outcomes. Thanks Tony for the comment – I suppose what I’m struggling with is the e-portfolio’s relevance to my sector of education in the primary school. In DECS here we have just been given a sneak preview at a set of professional standards for educators and it was hinted that would be the criteria for teacher portfolios in the near future. However, at the moment if I want to apply for a job within this system I apply with a written application that hopefully leads to an interview situation – the e-portfolio would only come into play if I wanted it to. My students are too young for it to be an employment tool ( a Colin Thiele book review Powerpoint might show many skills at that time but not have future impact) and I suppose if the portfolio at my level is a tool to communicate learning to parents, then a heck of lot more awareness raising of what an e-portfolio is and what it can do needs to take place amongst the teacher community. I am not trying to be negative and it is great to hear that your students can use their blogfolios in a way that brings them positive outcomes.

]]> By: Tony http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2005/12/13/an-e-portfolio-who-is-it-for/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Tony Thu, 15 Dec 2005 08:47:53 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2005/12/13/an-e-portfolio-who-is-it-for/#comment-28 Hi Graham....'Who is it for ?' ...loved the article. For my TAFE students I'm the secondary 'client' , the primary 'client' is the prospective employer,,,that has to be the 'driving force'. I want my students to use their blogfolio to give them a competitive advantage when they start applying for a job..."here is my CV, and here is my website"... we use Tripod.com to create blogs that include the project file (.doc, .ppt, .anything), audio ("this how I solved the problem.....) and video (Here I am and this what I have achieved....)....Guess what?...it works, students get jobs...Who is it for? Hi Graham….’Who is it for ?’ …loved the article.
For my TAFE students I’m the secondary ‘client’ , the primary ‘client’ is the prospective employer,,,that has to be the ‘driving force’. I want my students to use their blogfolio to give them a competitive advantage when they start applying for a job…”here is my CV, and here is my website”… we use Tripod.com to create blogs that include the project file (.doc, .ppt, .anything), audio (”this how I solved the problem…..) and video (Here I am and this what I have achieved….)….Guess what?…it works, students get jobs…Who is it for?

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