Final Post: Emerging PBA for the future
I am a huge fan of portfolios and used them extensively in my classrooms in both elementary and secondary schools. So the emergence of eportfolios was a gift – no longer did I have to keep boxes and cabinets filled with artifacts that students were completing and saving in their old-style portfolios. So student use of these tools is time saving, space-saving, and more engaging and meaningful for the students.
However, I see another opportunity beyond students (including us in the MET program) in the use of professional e-portfolios for teachers and administrators. In Ontario, we are required to conduct Teacher Performance Appraisals (differentiated for new and experienced teachers) and Principal Performance Appraisals on a regular cycle. Because our ministry provides a raft of forms and manuals to complete this process, the entire experience becomes a monumental task of paperwork and stress for all involved. Because it is completed once every 5 years, there isn’t room for ongoing reflection and collection of products that educators can be proud of.
I believe a better system – to streamline the appraisal and result in more meaningful reflection of teaching and leading practice would be the use of eportfolios. I see new teacher applicants arriving at interview time with monster binders of their portfolios, but there is never time to delve into their hard work in their short time with the interview team – an electronic version would be much more manageable as we could view the products online prior to the interview. Also, educators can continuously update their eportfolio to provide evidence of learning, growth, and reflection for the purpose of the appraisal cycle. Eportfolios for employee performance appraisal makes just as much sense as using them for student learning and assessment.
Brenda
Posted in: Week 10: Product-Based Assessments
Doug Smith 9:09 am on November 12, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Wow, fantastic ideas there Brenda. If a PBA product was designed and incorporated with easy access or affordances for developing and tracking a Personal Learning Network, I imagine that adminstrators across Canada would be extremely interested in using such a tool. Within my own PLN (ie the people I follow on Twitter!), it is obvious that many would jump at the chance to use a web2.0 service that tracks their progress and assessments.
Thanks for the ideas. Sorry I can’t write much more right now, I have some software that I need to develop 😉
cheers
Doug
khenry 8:25 pm on November 12, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Brenda,
I echo Doug’s sentiments. Fantastic idea! It could also include targets, for example, did they attain targets and if not what were the challenges and/or how did they overcome challenges or why were they not able to overcome challenges. Such information could provide useful for administrative processes and ministry officials who are not in first hand contact with the’ field’.
Kerry-Ann
Everton Walker 12:28 pm on November 13, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Brenda,
Great that you came up with this topic. I am currently doing the topic of assessment and evaluation of literacy behaviours with my students and portfolio is featured prominently. However, their knowledge of a portfolio is folders with various artifacts. Since I introduced them to eportfolio, their mindset has changed and they are even now drawn to it more than the folders. They express their love for the convenience and accessibility wherever one goes. They also mentioned how student can share their work with a wider audience and get instant feedback; not only from teachers, but also from parents and peers.
Everton