Portfolios+Part+1

= Portfolio Workshop I =

= special aspect of the curriculum in Graduate Studies in Education (GSE) - the professional development strand. This strand provides candidates opportunities to critically analyze and reflect on their own classroom practices, and it may prove to be the most important aspect of our graduate degree programs for teachers. The following paragraphs describe why this strand was incorporated. = = = Through the years graduate programs for teachers have emphasized a number of areas, such as teaching skills, educational research and theory, and practicum experiences. While all of these curricular areas of graduate education can be supported, research has shown that //professional development// //directly related to classroom practice// enhances teacher quality, therefore professional development activities may reframe advanced degree programs in the coming years.

For example, a study from the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme surveyed 3,250 teacher participants in 80 professional development activities (Ingvarson, Meiers, & Beavis, 2005). The results showed that the most effective professional development programs were those that gave teachers opportunities to focus on what their students need to learn and how to help them learn it. The following list describes some professional development activities that produced high results: ·  Teachers focused on the content they teach. ·  Teachers examined student work and then reflected on their classroom practices. ·  Teachers compared their practice to professional standards. ·  Teachers planned learning experiences that met the needs of their students. ·  Teachers tested new methods and received follow-up and coaching on these methods. ·  Teachers increased their ties and collaboration with others in their schools. ·  Teachers “deprivitized” their teaching by discussing their teaching with colleagues. ·  Teacher efficacy increased when teachers’ efforts positively influenced their students’ learning.

These results correspond to many of the activities required for advanced certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). For example, the certification process requires teachers to produce videotapes of their teaching and analyze their classroom practice. At the turn of the 21st century, a partnership formed between the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation (NCATE) and NBPTS led to the redesign of master's level preparation in many college and universities. Many graduate programs now align their programs to National Board core propositions and standards as evidenced in course syllabi, assessment, and portfolio activities (Williams, 2008). All of these activities promote active learning practices related to teacher quality and classroom performance.

Our commitment to professional development is evident in the GSE conceptual framework. The framework describes this component:

In order to build a bridge between graduate curriculum and classroom practice - //professional development// is evident in all graduate programs for teachers//.// In this strand teachers learn how to analyze and reflect on their current teaching practices and compare them to professional standards. In graduate classes they discuss their problems with each other and conduct action research on these perplexing issues. As teachers have opportunities to compare their practices with standards, educational research, and best practices, they experience growth and understand better how to make positive changes in their school environments.

For these reasons the graduate curriculum includes three main professional development activities, the first two occurring throughout the programs – the creation of a professional teaching portfolio and the completion of final summary papers. The third professional development activity is the action research project, which occurs near the end of the programs. These requirements compel candidates to become introspective, analytical, reflective, and consider how their teaching compares to the best educational practices. These three requirements create //a professional development strand // that forms a sturdy bridge, beginning in the graduate classroom and ending in the K-12 classroom. (GSE Conceptual Framework, 2008, pg. 8)

The pages of this wiki describe these three requirements and how GSE faculty assess candidates' work.

**Helpful Website about //e//portfolios:**
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 * Center for Recording Achievement**

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 * Inter/National Coalition For Electronic Portfolio Research**

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 * LaGuardia Community College**

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 * Overview of eportfolios:**

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 * Regent University**

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 * The California State University e-portfolio site**

This website displays a study of customized //e//portfolio system for bioscience students []
 * UK Center for Bioscience**

Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology []
 * Washington State University**

Portfolio Process Website []

Student Samples: University of Nebraska at Omaha Click on "Registered Undergraduate Users" http://portfolio.unomaha.edu Username: jsample Passowrd: sample Click on "View Your Prep Portfolio."