Why Portfolios?

Portfolios serve as a means to collect and assess student work for a given period of time (such as a nine week quarter, a semester, or school year). As students develop their portfolios teachers can access current and previous works to reflect on student progress and suggest areas for further development. In addition, digital portfolios assist teachers who have limited space in their classrooms or send out student work for exhibition because it provides a permanent record of student creations. Moreover, using digital portfolios enables teachers to use a greater variety of media for curricular needs such as computer artworks and presentations, edited and scanner images, and digital recordings.

Why do some teachers fear and/or avoid technology?

While technology serves as a wonderful tool for the classroom, it can also seem like a burdensome task for numerous reasons. First, some teachers have not developed their technological skills to their fullest potential because of lack of training. Second, many teachers do not have expensive computer equipment available to them in their classrooms. Third, learning about and developing technological resources for the class can be time consuming.

Can digital portfolios be made easier for teachers?

Yes, this tutorial assists teachers by using technology that most teachers have access to and are familiar with including software such as Word, Photoshop Elements, and PowerPoint. This tutorial enables teachers to develop portfolios for all grade and skill levels. The teacher decides which type of portfolio best serves the class’s needs.

How to use this site:

Sample Portfolios is a collection of portfolios for the classroom. 

Sample Layouts provides visual examples of various page designs for text and images.

Easy Portfolios provides video tutorials on how to work with PowerPoint and use Word and Photoshop Elements to Enhance your presentation.

 

This website was made possible by an Instructional Technology Development Grant provided by the MTSU Information Technology Division.  Many thanks to Al and Brenda for their assistance throughout this project!