Eportfolios are an excellent way to show folio thinking which is can be a positive learning experience. At a minimum, students choose what is entered into it. Students then have the opportunity to explain why they chose the items and then reflect on their learning experience. During this time students can identify their strength and weaknesses and make plans for growth. Folios are meant to show authentic learning and evidence as assessment. They allow a learner to show their strengths and students can access ways they need to grow. Eportfolios are meant to an ongoing, every changing collection of evidence-based learning that is learner selected.
Learners should be able to provide evidence of their learning. Learners can do this by providing a digital collection of artifacts that demonstrate ability including electronic files, multimedia files, blog links, images, etc. Being able to show an eportfolio demonstrates more than a student’s abilty to take a test and get grades. Eportfolios are a true authentic reflection of the work the student is doing and allows them to self-evaluate. The learner is able to showcase what they believe they are doing well.
Eportfolios afford the learners some simple software advantages. Eportfolios give the learner a place to store the knowledge and organize it a way that they choose. They can be updated and shared easily. Most programs that create eportfolios also help in the aesthetics of it; appearance, editing, and organization on the page. The appearance also gives a little insight into the person and their personality. They allow the learner to build self-confidence since they select their work that will be displayed. Students are able to showcase what they think is their best as well as their learning and connections.
I choose to use the new Google Sites. Since students are already using google docs, slides, and sheets, it is easy to embed them into a google site. All the student needs is an account to access google site and the students in our district have that.
TPACK Reflection:
CONTENT: The content varies by student choice. The idea is any item that showcases their best work can be added to it. One added feature is the students may write their reflection ir connection which allows learner hone their writing skills.
PEDAGOGY: Eportfolios simply allow a way for a student to gather work of his/her own choosing. The contents can be of many different subject matters, as long as the student choose it. It allows for collection, selection, reflection, and connection.
TECHNOLOGY: Computer, desk tops/laptops would be the best form of technology to use updating their eportfolio, although it can be done on a tablet. The tablet will need to be in desktop view, and it is just frankly not as user friendly, but very possible.
Our school district has been implementing eportfolios for a few years. The requirement in elementary is as little as one artifact a year. I’ll be honest and say that I have viewed eportfolios in the past as a chore, I now see them differently. I can see the value in students choosing their best work that shows their learning. I think learners will show pride in an eportfolio when they are the ones that choose the artifacts and can show ownership in the way it looks with their own unique personality showing through. There is also value when the learner reflects on the contents over time and thus have a learning experience, not just have a collection.
Link to the beginning of my own eportfolio:
EDTech 