Developing Portfolios in Education: A Guide to Reflection, Inquiry, and Assessment

by Ruth S. Johnson, J. (Joan) Sabrina Mims-Cox, Adelaide R. Doyle-Nichols

Overview

Developing Portfolios in Education, Second Edition, walks teachers through the practical aspects of creating portfolios and demonstrates how they can be used as an action research tool for reflection and professional development. Authors Ruth S. Johnson, J. Sabrina Mims-Cox, and Adelaide Doyle-Nichols include checklists, visuals, organizational strategies, and hands-on tools to help readers through every step of developing a professional portfolio.

Key Features

• Emphasizes the role of standards as they apply to portfolio content and evaluation
• Includes chapter-opening scenarios that offer real-world examples of portfolio development

New to This Edition

• Presents a chapter that links portfolio development to action research
• Contains updated material on electronic portfolio development
• Provides new step-by-step descriptions of the portfolio process written specifically for teachers

Accompanying Student Resources on CD provide video clips of portfolio presentations, sample electronic portfolios for elementary and secondary teaching credential candidates, PowerPoint slides, tables, templates, and links to Web sites.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544334325
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	07/21/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Ruth S. Johnson is a professor emeritus at California State University, Los Angeles. She has served in a variety of educational settings in New Jersey and California. Ruth received her Ed.D. in 1985 from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Her dissertation was titled An Exploratory Study of Academic Labeling, Student Achievement and Student Ethnographic Characteristics. At the K–12 level, she served as a classroom teacher, an instructional consultant, a director of elementary education, an analyst, an assistant superintendent of schools in the areas of curriculum and business, and as a superintendent of schools. She initiated efforts that resulted in raising academic standards and student achievement in low performing school districts. She served as an education consultant for the New Jersey Department of Education and as a director for two non-profit organizations in California which focused on raising student achievement in underserved student populations. Her major scholarly interests and publications focus on processes related to changing the academic culture of urban schools, with an emphasis on access and equity. In addition to her four published books, she has written numerous book chapters, articles, editorials, research reports, and manuscript reviews. As a recognized speaker, she has presented nationally to scholarly and professional audiences and serves as a consultant to schools and districts.

Table of Contents

CD Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I: The Rationale for Requiring Portfolios
1. Why Develop the Portfolio?
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
What Is a Portfolio?
Purposes for Portfolios
Using Portfolios for Assessment and Evaluation
Benefits of Portfolios
Challenges in Portfolio Development
Summary
2. Portfolio Development as Action Research
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
Defining Action Research and Inquiry
Action Research as a Viable Process for Portfolio Development
Matching Purpose With Audience in Action Research: Who Benefits?
The Cyclical Nature of Action Research and Portfolio Development
Levels of Action Research in Portfolio Development
Summary
Useful Resources
For Further Reading
3. Using Portfolios as Tools for Authentic Assessment and Evaluation
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
Defining Assessment and Evaluation
Portfolios as Authentic Assessment: A Definition
Assessment Options: Measuring Learning Targets and Outcomes
Benefits of Portfolios as Authentic Assessment
Challenges of Portfolios as Authentic Assessments
Portfolios as Formative (Developmental Process) Assessments
Portfolios as Summative (Final Product) Evaluations
Precautions and Recommendations for Effective Practice in Portfolio Evaluation
Rubrics for Portfolio Assessment
Summary
Useful Resources
For Further Reading
4. Reflective Inquiry: A Tool for Giving Voice to the Portfolio
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
Reflective Inquiry: Providing a Global, Bird′s Eye View of the Portfolio
Enhancing Learning Through Structured Reflections
Reflections as an Essential Component of Action Research
Four Types of Portfolio Reflections
Reflections as Glue: Bonding the Portfolio to a Purpose
Ten Major Ways Reflections Transform Artifacts Into Evidence
The Multifaceted, Cyclical Nature of Portfolio Reflection
Scheduling Reflections in the Portfolio Process
Levels of Reflection in the Portfolio Process: A Sample Rubric
Outcomes and Benefits of Reflection and Reflective Inquiry
Summary
Useful Resources
For Further Reading
Part II: A Guide for Developing Portfolios
5. Your Portfolio Journey: Ten Steps for Organizing, Managing, and Completing the Process
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
The Major Phases of Portfolio Organization
Step #1: Project a Purpose and Have a Vision for the Portfolio: Begin With the End in Mind
Step #2: Build a Comprehensive Portfolio or Personal Archive
Step #3: Select a Specific Portfolio Purpose With Learning Targets or Standards and Identify Artifacts That Match That Purpose
Step #4: Reflect on the Value and Role of Each Artifact and Add Reflections to Communicate Its Purpose
Step #5: Inspect Artifacts to Self-Assess or Ensure That They Provide the Strongest Evidence of Competencies and Project Future Goals
Step #6: Connect With Others to Present the Portfolio for Assessment and Evaluation
Step #7: Manage Issues of Time, Space, Collaboration, and Purpose
Step #8: Address Potential Pitfalls by Integrating Time Lines and Scoring Into the Portfolio Process
Step #9: Set Time Lines and Benchmarks at Regular Intervals
Step #10: Practice Scoring the Portfolio
General Portfolio Scoring Procedure
Summary
Useful Resources
For Further Reading
6. Contents of the Portfolio
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
Portfolio Cover Page or Title Page
Portfolio Table of Contents
Introduction or Executive Summary for the Portfolio
The Vision Statement
The Philosophy Statement
Candidate Documents
Standards and Artifacts
Categorizing and Cross-Referencing Artifacts
Reflections and Reflective Statements
Summary
Useful Resources
For Further Reading
7. Presenting and sharing the Portfolio
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
Tips for Preparing Your Presentation
Tips for Scheduling the Presentation
Presentation Formats
Scoring the Presentation
Summary
For Further Reading
8. An Overview of Electronic Portfolios: Exploring the Options
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
Four Options for Creating an Electronic Portfolio
Technology Terms Used in Chapter
Benefits of Electronic Portfolios
When, Where, and How to Use Electronic Portfolios
Options for Presenting Electronic Portfolios: CD- or Web-Based
Privacy and Security: A Word of Caution...
Storage Options
Where Do I Store My Electronic Portfolio While I Am Working on It?
Summary
Useful Resources
For Further Reading
9. Creating Electronic Portfolios
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
Creating an Electronic Portfolio
Getting Started - Naming Files
Organizing Files
Handling Nondigital Artifacts
Creating the Opening Page and Table of Contents in Word
Word or HTML - Which One Is Right for Me?
Converting Word Files to HTML
Creating Links in Word
Linking With the Table of Contents
Save Your Changes
Test the Links
Creating an Electronic Portfolio Using PowerPoint
Converting PowerPoint to HTML
Creating Links in PowerPoint
Summary
Useful Resources
For Further Reading
Part III: The Future of Your Portfolio
10. After the Credential Program, Now What? : Keeping the Portfolio Alive
Chapter Objectives
Scenario
Overview
The Portfolio as a Reflective Companion for Ongoing Assessment
Ongoing Assessments and Reflective Inquiry
Academic and Career Advancement
Self-Assessment and Reflection: What Patterns of Strengths or Gaps Exist?
Selecting Contents for the Different Portfolio Purposes
Preparing Hiring or Interview Portfolios
Portfolio Presentation for Career and Educational Advancement
Summary
Useful Resources
For Further Reading
Glossary
References
Index
About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

"It is a very useful new book. It will greatly help the students and the teachers in developing and making portfolio's as a valuable resource in learning and a toll for assessment. "

S.P. Ruhela