STEP 1: Contextualizing

Making sense of the folio.

In order to contextualize the creation of your efolio, it is often helpful to examine other, well-developed efolios created by past Faculty of Education teacher candidates. Click here to view examples.

After looking at other efolios it is also important to contextualize your folio in light of expectations of the BEd program. For example, all BEd teacher candidates are expected to create a portfolio (digital or otherwise) in which they gather, record and reflect upon evidence of their growth over the year. This evidence-based process is such an important part of the program that the creation of a professional portfolio is introduced in EDUC 450 (Inquiry I), and the final assembling of such a portfolio is central to one of the two assignments in EDUC 452 (Inquiry III). For example, assignment 2 for EDUC 452 requires students create a portfolio that will:

  • “be a representation (textual and visual) of teacher candidates’ developing understanding of who they are becoming, and what is required of them, as teachers”*, and
  • provide “an opportunity for the aspiring teacher to respond to the basic question, ‘What does the profession of teaching call forth in me?’**

Once you get a sense of what efolios can look like, and how the efolio will be used to assist you demonstrate your personal and professional growth as a beginning educator, then you are ready to move onto stage two, ‘Collecting’.

*  **  Quoted from the EDUC 452 Inquiry 3, assignment #2 document, as posted here: http://teach.educ.ubc.ca/programs/BEd-program/Inquiry/index.html.

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