Contact:

Gail Ring – gailring@coe.ufl.edu

What purpose does your assessment tool serve? 

All students majoring in Unified Early Childhood Education, Unified Elementary Education and Secondary Education at the University of Florida are required to develop and maintain an electronic portfolio. These portfolios are used across the teacher education curriculum and demonstrate a student's growth over time. The purposes of the electronic portfolio are to: Present illustrations of competency in the 12 Florida Accomplished Practices Assist students in the reflection process, through the form of a rationale statement designed to inform the reader of why an illustration was selected and how it relates to a given practice. Effectively use and integrate technology in the educational experience in the Teacher Education Program at the University of Florida. Encourage students to develop and present a professional vitae over time. Assist the student in coming to a better understanding of professional requirements for certification beyond the University of Florida, ie; National Board Certification.

Please indicate which category best describes your tool:

a.        _____ Tools that allow users to ask questions of data (tools for collecting and disaggregating data, including surveys, self-reported data and standardized data)

b.       ____ Tools for observation (including teacher observation and observation of student behavior or performance)

c.        _X__ Tools for reviewing student products (including electronic or digital portfolios)

Who is the audience for this assessment tool?

The audience of the students' portfolio is varied. While in the teacher ed program student portfolios will be reviewed periodically by their professors, their peers, and the director of the e-Portfolio Project. When the students graduate their portfolios will be reviewed by principals and administrators as they begin to seek employment.

What technology is used?

These portfolios are web-based documents and students use a computer and a web editor to develop and revise their portfolios. They are published to the ep (electronic portfolio) web server housed in the College of Education using file transfer protocol software. Students also use digital cameras, camcorders, scanners, presentation software, music, and video in the development of their Florida Accomplished Practice illustrations.

Approximately how many people are currently using this system?

What professional development (for students or assessors) is required to use the tool?

Students begin developing their portfolios in their first semester in the College of Education. Because these portfolios are linked to the Florida Accomplished Practices students are required to include illustrations that span their entire program (undergraduate and graduate). Students continue to add to, revise, and enhance their e-portfolios throughout their education program.

To use the tool effectively, what else should the school have in place?

If you haven't already addressed it, how does your tool help students or teachers demonstrate that they are meeting standards?

It was decided collectively among the faculty in the college of education that evaluation must occur in both a formative and summative manner. For example, the illustrations the students choose to include in their portfolios are graded at the course level: the professor assigns a project or paper, etc., the student completes the assignment, submits it to their professor, the assignment is graded by the professor and returned to the student with the comment that the illustration is portfolio ready. Over the course of their graduate program students acquire an expanding collection of portfolio ready. assignments. It is from this collection of work that the students select their illustrations and articulate, in the form of the rationale statement, why the illustration is an appropriate demonstration of a particular practice. Periodically students portfolios are reviewed by professors, administrators and peers. Students are provided feedback and coaching to improve their rationale statements, scaffolding the students through the developmental process of becoming critical thinkers.

What questions would you like participants to address?