Portfolio Guidelines

Portfolio Guidelines for all Graduate students

          The documents in a professional portfolio in education are carefully chosen and assembled by the student to showcase professional work.  The selection of materials is an ongoing process.  The portfolio concept will be introduced in SEDU 702: Teaching in the Contemporary Multicultural Classroom and reinforced in professional education courses.  During the initial stage, students will collect documents and artifacts, which may be assembled into a professional portfolio.  Documents and artifacts can be deleted or refined so that the portfolio will eventually become a polished product.  The portfolio will display the student's professional development and skills. The submission of the portfolio will be a culminating activity of the program.  

Portfolio Definition

          The portfolio represents an ongoing organized array of documents, such as letters, papers, and pictures that track and support the growth of the developing professional.  The student, with direction and cooperation from the university graduate faculty, plays a vital role in determining the portfolio content, the guidelines for selection, and the judging of merit.

Developing a Portfolio

          The comprehensive portfolio must contain the following pieces. The cover page is to be followed by the table of contents. After that, students may decide the order of the portfolio pieces.

1)      Cover Page with

            a. Name

            b. ID number

            c. Date submitted

            d. Identification of area of concentration (i.e. Pedagogy, English, Middle Level)

            e. Advisor

2) Table of Contents that includes major sections in the portfolio

3)  Copy of Plan of Study (or list of course you have taken in the program). You should be finishing your courses the semester you submit your portfolio. 

4)  Professional Résumé

5)  Artifacts from the graduate program courses relating to Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards:

           a. Artifacts from core courses must be used but other artifacts can also be used

           b. Six to ten artifacts should be provided for documentation purposes

           c. All propositions must be addressed

           d. A single artifact can document more than one outcome, but this must be reflected in the

               preview sheet (See item 6 below.)

6)  A preview sheet prior to each section supporting how the proposition has been met in that section.

7)  Philosophy of Education, a 1-2 page paper stating your beliefs on the following: Student learning, Deliberate, reflective teaching, Assessment, Classroom climate., Professionalism.

8)  Educational Autobiography from SEDU 702 assignment.

9)  Bibliography of professional resources useful in your teaching such as websites, books, articles, and community resources.

10) Self evaluation using the portfolio rubric provided.    

Students are required to submit their final portfolio electronically in LiveText.   LiveText can be purchased at the campus bookstore, on the Edinboro website, or online at LiveText.com. 

List of Example Artifacts and Master Teacher Outcomes

          A Master Educator demonstrates the following Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards:

Portfolio Submission

           Candidates for the Master's Degree and Certification in Middle and Secondary Instruction must complete the following steps during the semester in which they intend to graduate:

(1)   Indicate intent to submit a portfolio to the Graduate Program Head by the middle of the semester in which the student will graduate

(2)   Submit electronic portfolio to the student’s advisor for faculty review before the last month of the semester in which the student will graduate:

1. By April 15^th (Spring)
2. By November 15^th (Fall)
3. By August 15^th (Summer)

Portfolio Grading Scale 

          The following rubric will guide the faculty assessment and student self-review. Students must receive “Target” or “Acceptable” scores for all items. Items scored as “Unacceptable” will require revision.

Target: Artifacts comprehensively address the propositions or requirements. Artifacts are high quality, and contain accurate information and original thinking. Artifacts demonstrate a significant contribution to the growth of the educator. Artifacts are free of errors in the conventions of Standard English. Artifacts are clearly identified in the Preview Sheets. 

 Acceptable:  Artifacts clearly address most or all propositions or requirements. Artifacts are graduate level quality and contain accurate information. Artifacts demonstrate a suitable contribution to the growth of the educator. Artifacts are mostly free of errors in the conventions of Standard English. Artifacts are identified in the Preview Sheets. 

Unacceptable:  Artifacts only marginally address the propositions or requirements. Artifacts are poor quality and superficial. Artifacts fail to meet guidelines and do not indicate growth of the educator Artifacts contain errors in the conventions of Standard English. Artifacts are not clearly identified in the Preview Sheets.

Portfolio Rubric for Self-Evaluation

1.      The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of the subject matter meaningful for students.

2.      The teacher understands how children learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development. 

3.      The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners. 

 4.  The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.  

5.      The teacher uses the understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. 

6.      The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom. 

 7.      The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals. 

 8.  Philosophy

 9. Educational Biography

10.  Bibliography

11. Self-evaluation