Electronic+Portfolios


 * Read the information in the links below and then choose one question to answer. Write your name next to your answer. The sooner your perform this task, the more choice of what to answer you will have! **

- Electronic Appeal - Writing Portfolios Go Digital: []

- Using Wordpress and Edu-blogs for e-portfolios: []

- Using wikis in writing classes: []

- Balancing the two faces of e-portfolios: []

- Electronic Portfolio: []

1) What is an e-portfolio?
 * Gustavo:** __Basically, an electronic portfolio is a record of any type of media shared by someone via the web, which allows different types of audiences to have access to the user's abilities.__

2) What are 2 key components of portfolios?

__Yancey says the key components of portfolios are collection, selection, reflection, and projection, meaning a student is actively engaged in the process of picking, refining, explaining, juxtaposing, and proposing next steps in his or her writing.__ **Heloisa Dourado**

3) What are other 2 key components of portfolios? I believe Heloisa answered this one when she answered question 3. **- Gabriel**

4) What are 2 benefits of e-portfolios? __ **According to Lorna Roberson, using a portfolio helps improve writing instruction and student writing ability. She turned to portfolios because they seemed a natural way of showing student growth in writing over time and she also thinks they can help with the paper storage issue that print portfolios arise.** __ **Juliana Squinca**

5) What are 2 other benefits of e-portfolios? One of the benefits of e-portfolios, according to Strivens, is that e-portfolios help the individual to foster a more independent and autonomous way of thinking. One is forced to reflect about what was learned and how one plans to build and improve in the future. Another benefit of using e-portfolio is that the individual tends to develop his/her multimedia skills. **Wilsimara Rocha**

6) What are some advantages of using wordpress.com as digital portfolios?

Some of the advantages are: Blogs can be more creative and innovative. It shows more than a resumé (people can interact with you, giving suggestions and feedback) Flexibility: The ability of changing contents and adding information. It shows the creator has the technical proficiency and is also familiar with current trends in communication. (I wasn't able to open the content of the link you sent us, so I made a little research myself) **Âmara**

7) What are some advantages of using Edublogs as digital portfolios?

Among many advantages, using Edublgs as digital portfolios allows writers(STUDENTS) to share their writing experience over the network. It allows peers to contribute with feedback on their writing. Another great advantage is the fact that students can assess their learning process by having their projects uploaded and available to other peers, teachers and other members from the Edublog platform. **(JULIANA MELLO**)

8) What are the two faces of e-portfolios? An e-portfolio can be a Working Portfolio, which is also called a "workspace", or it can be a Presentation Portfolio, that is also called a "showcase". These two "faces" have been called by some schools the "digital toolbox" and "showtime", respectively. **Louise Catunda**.

9) In what ways do these 2 faces differ? The **workspace** portfolio is used by its participants to work and learn together, so it's focused on the process of learning, and collaboration. It shows the evolution of the body of work made by the participants in real time, so it can also be assessed in real time. It's possible to say that a workspace portfolio will produce results that can be exhibited in a showcase portfolio. The **showcase** portfolio works as a "gallery of achievements", and there is little to no collaboration in its making, as it focuses on the results - the end of whatever research, paper, etc it was. It has no focus on the process, and there is no real-time evaluation or reflection: the work is done, and it is posted. The teacher cannot participate in (nor assess) its making, and neither can any peers. Brief summary: [Digital] Shoebox Blog Formative ||< Learning & Collaboration ||< Learning and/or Reflection ||< Portfolio as a PROCESS ||< Chronological (like blog posts) ||< Immediate or in real time (while it is buing built) ||< Teacher gives FEEDBACK on various steps of the process, providing formative assessment that will favour the learning. || Showtime  Formal Presentation <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Summative ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Showcasing achievement ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Showcase or Accountability ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Portfolio as a PRODUCT ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Thematical (by areas) ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Retrospectively <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">(after the work has been posted); <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Future//wise// <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">(planning and setting goals for the future) ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teacher EVALUATES the finished product, provaiding summative assessment of the learning that took place. || <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I hope this answer was enough, I felt like I had too much to cover on this one. Sorry about the alignment... I tried for a long time, but I couldn't make it work. - **Gabriel**
 * < <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Type of portfolio ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Related Names ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Activity ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Purpose ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Main Focus ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Organization ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Reflection ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teacher's role ||
 * < <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Working Portfolio ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Workspace
 * < <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Presentation Portfolio ||< <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Showcase

10) What's the difference between a blog and a wiki?

Both wikis and blogs are online tools that can be edited by it's members and that can be accessed with any browser. Both are meant for producing, editing and sharing information. A wiki is more of a collaborative tool - anyone - or anyone that fits certain requirements can edit it, while a blog tends to have an owner and a few guest posts, and information is edited and changed. On blogs, posts are more or less permanent and rarely added to, though new posts might be written. there are a few other things that might also be taken into consideration in my opinion: even if a blog is also used for the same reasons as a wiki, blogs originated as journals and the time in which a post is made is very important, while timelines might be absolutely weightless on wikis. **Carolina Martins**

11) What is the heart and soul of a portfolio?


 * According to Kolb and Zull, reflection is the "the heart and soul" of a portfolio, and is essential to brain-based learning. They acknowledge the importance of developing strategies that can better support reflection in the learning process, sustaining different kinds of reflection to improve learning.** **Aline Fidelis**

12) How are teachers reacting to digital portfolios in Virginia Beach Public Schools?

<span style="color: #c267c2; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">"After about five years of working in print portfolios, the district is now moving to electronic portfolios. It's a transition that makes sense. For one thing, they hope it might help with the paper storage issue that print portfolios can present. <span style="color: #c267c2; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Elizabeth Beagle, an English teacher at Landstown High School and Technology Academy in Virginia Beach, has seen a lot of teacher interest in electronic portfolios. She attributes this to the many benefits, which she lists as: "storage, ease of reading, option of alternative assessment, variety, and integration of state technology standards." <span style="color: #c267c2; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">She also notes some hesitancy among teachers who might not be as familiar with technology. But Beagle encourages everyone to try it, suggesting they start out slowly and build as their skills and confidence do. <span style="color: #c267c2; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">"I think what the electronic portfolio does for a lot of students is that it unlocks their minds. I know when I first started doing this, I had students who would have been reluctant to turn in a standard, written portfolio, but because it was digital, it intrigued them. They were able to express their personality, using fonts, color, and graphics." Enticed, students turned in a portfolio, even if the quality wasn't always stellar." <span style="color: #c267c2; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">So I guess the teachers in Virginia Beach are really coming on board with the e-portfolio project! (Dharana)