Educational Portfolio

1. Educational Portfolio A work in progress EDUC 434 Winter 2012

2. Capture who you are as pedagogue What message do you want to send?

3. Reasons for Doing Portfolios • Facilitates critical thinking (good for the interview) • Develops an awareness of self (good for the interview) • Allows for genuine and in the moment REFLECTION as an educator (good for the interview) • Presents a holistic view of achievements (good for the interview) • A record of professional development (good for the interview) • A place to assess self in accordance to future plans and goal setting (good for the interview)

4. Clarifies beliefs, values, skills allowing for professional coherence (just good) • Correlate to national initiatives for establishing performance-based assessment, and accountability to the profession as a process over time (good for the interview) • A professional document to validate teaching ability, quality, and significance (good for the interview) • A way to assess career performance and professional contribution (good for the interview) • Enhance the interview process, regardless (good!!!!)

5. Fulfills a legal requirement—professional obligation • 10A  (1)  Every teacher who has a probationary or permanent contract with a school board shall •  (b)    maintain a professional development profile to be submitted by the teacher to the school board annually, commencing September 30, 2001, on or before September 30 of each year, which shall be included in the teacher’s personal file. • Governor in Council Education Act Regulations S.N.S. 1995-96, c. 1 O.I.C. 97-405 (June 24, 1997), N.S. Reg. 74/97 as amended up to O.I.C. 2004-138 (March 30, 2004, effective April 1, 2004), N.S. Reg. 63/2004 • Fulfills a requirement for EDUC 434 

6. Evidence of Key Program Strands • Literacy • Assessment • Inclusion–IPPs • Evidence of the discipline subject area focus in secondary—evidence of foci areas in elementary • Professionalism (All of our PD Fridays)

7. Depth of understanding of the priorities in our program—Diversity, Social Justice • Professional attitudes • Relationship to Students • Awareness of departmental curriculum, issues, and provincial (national) priorities • Impact of electives on your teaching practice and identity • Impact of Field Experiences on your practice • This is a guide only – but we’d hope this would bubble up in the portfolio….

8. Thoughts • Projection: What do you want to show interested employers? • Collection (PTT) • Selection • Reflection: Where am I? Where am I going? Where have I been? This process is essential for your Portfolio Pull out the specifics to show just that!

9. Portfolio Categories • Awareness of self • Students present a deep sense of who they are as individuals devoted to the practice of teaching, and come to understand their particular personal philosophical reasons for wanting to teach. • Statement of beliefs to start your portfolio (brief 2 pages) • Resume (reflective of teaching) • Certificates of merit, honors, distinctions, transcripts • Unique, personal item of importance

10. Awareness of Principles • Students present an understanding of the emotional/psychological, intellectual, social, spiritual and physical dimensions of learning—and the dynamic interplay of these factors—in nurturing pedagogic relationships. • Learning methods • Styles • Theories • Programs • Learning beliefs • Examples of engaging learning experiences

11. Awareness of Pedagogy • Students present their development and application of their emerging pedagogic sensitivities as part of their professional practice. This is an evolutionary process, a reflective investment in thoughtful action, as you begin to establish your pedagogic beliefs as part of your life-long career. • Child involvement • Programs • Student work, thank you’s • Pictures • Classroom environment

12. Awareness of Moral Professionalism • Students present a commitment to the profession, by implementing and improving education for valued social ends, by constantly developing one’s own practice and collectively supporting one’s colleagues, and by continually striving for the educational development and inclusion of all students. • Conferences • Programs • Leadership opportunities • Workshops • Initiatives • Professional Growth Targets & Goals • Supporting letters • Professional Interests: Curriculum, instruction, leadership, pedagogy

13. Awareness and Proficiency with Practices • Students will present a variety of instructional strategies that are best suited for the context of curriculum and student needs─ ways of knowing and doing. • Lesson Plans • Unit Plans • Assessment strategies • Projects • Student work • IPP’s • Classroom management & discipline

14. Awareness of School Context • Students will present their awareness of the powerful influence of school context upon curriculum implemented, and be awake to the impact of the school’s hidden and null curriculum, societal and home curriculum, and power and politics in shaping students’ lives. • Community involvement • Special interests • School involvement—extra-curricular • Special courses • Diversity • News items (school related)

15. Portfolio Websites • http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~plar/links/canada/networks.html • http://priorlearning.athabascau.ca/how-PLAR-works.php • http://electronicportfolios.org/portfolios/EPDevProcess.html • http://www.pampetty.com/profportfolio.htm

16. “Teachers are very important factors in the classrooms and much of what they know and think and do in their classrooms is dependent on their knowing of themselves” (Burnaford et al. 1996, p. 3).