Professional+Development

=Technology for Teacher Professional Development= //Your Challenge: What can be uploaded to an e-portfolio as evidence of good teaching?//

Danielson and Abrutyn (1997) identified three main types of portfolios: working, assessment, and showcase. A working portfolio contains work in progress, and usually tracks learning over time. The second, assessment portfolios, are structured and standardized with the content being predetermined by the curriculum. The third and final type of e-portfolio is a showcase portfolio. These exhibit the teacher's best work. They are generally used to demonstrate a level of accomplishment. The showcase portfolio is one type of portfolio that may be best suited for demonstrating good teaching to a potential or current employer. It should, just as its name suggests, showcase the teachers best work including their basic technology skills. The e-portfolio should be organized in such a way that information can be easily found by all viewers. During the planning stages, authors should remember that the e-portfolio is a broad summary of their teaching work and need not contain every little thing that has been in used in their classroom. They should think about what to include that would make the e-portfolio unique and stand out from other portfolios; yet still be structured and to the point. The e-portfolios should also show teachers' personalities by showcasing personal interests both in and out of school. An effective teaching e-portfolio should contain some of the following:
 * a resume including the diversity of teaching experiences in different districts (rural, urban and suburban) and honors or awards received
 * a cover letter
 * letters of recommendation and references
 * certification information
 * a philosophy statement
 * an "All About Me" section with personal and background information
 * video snippets of the teacher teaching (both good and bad to show how he or she handles difficulties)
 * reflections on sample lessons that address what worked as well as possible solutions to problems that arose
 * samples of differentiated instruction
 * classroom management strategies and anything the teacher created for other teachers to use
 * evidence of collaborative work with other teachers
 * links to his or her teacher page on a school or personal website
 * references to favorite technology teaching tools
 * any accolades that the teacher has received throughout the year from administrators, colleagues, students or parents
 * letters and notes from parents and former students
 * all professional development attended

It is also important to showcase the effectiveness of teaching practices by including examples of lesson plans, student work and the teacher's reflective comments on the lessons taught. All information included should be clearly organized by category and easy to navigate for a wide range of users. The manner in which information is presented and organized can often times be just as important as the information itself.

The e-portfolio should also insinuate that the educator plans to continue to use, develop, reflect upon and maintain the e-portfolio. As a result, the portfolio should contain professional goals and be updated on a regular basis; similar to a resume. It should be evident to the employer that the teacher is a life long learner and wishes to continue to grow professionally as an educator.