Overview of ePortfolios, Including Student Voices

A workshop by Dr. Helen Barrett
REAL ePortfolio Academy for K-12 Teachers

Friday, October 21, 2011
8:30 am to 12:00 pm
Sky Room, Holmes Student Center

Overview:

The first session of the workshop, “Balancing the Two Faces of ePortfolios,” will focus on the two different approaches to e-portfolio development: workspace vs. showcase, process vs. product, portfolios-as-assessment-for-learning/ improvement vs. portfolios-as-assessment-for-accountability. Learning portfolios focus on reflection and strategies to support metacognition: "capturing the moment" with mobile devices, blogging/reflective journals for in-depth reflection, and digital storytelling.  The workshop will include a discussion on using electronic portfolios as part of a comprehensive assessment management system supporting both paradigms of assessment for continuous improvement and accountability.

The second session of the workshop, “Electronic Portfolios and Your Digital Identity,” will focus on explaining how an ePortfolio is a collection of students’ work and their reflections on their learning and growth over time. This session will include a discussion with the participants on the similarities and differences between social networking and ePortfolio development, the importance for students to build their own digital identity as part of career development, and why Forbes Magazine predicts one’s online presence will replace resumes in 10 years. The power of using a variety of digital technologies to help tell the story of students’ personal, academic, and professional achievements will also be discussed.

The workshop presenter, Dr. Helen Barrett (Retired, College of Education, University of Alaska-Anchorage) has been researching strategies and technologies for electronic portfolios since 1991.  Dr. Barrett publishes a website http://electronicportfolios.org and has published numerous book chapters and articles on electronic portfolios. Dr. Barrett teaches educational technology for Seattle Pacific University, consults internationally on the integration of ePortfolios for Learning and Digital Storytelling in K-12 schools and higher education, and is an Apple Distinguished Educator and a George Lucas Educational Foundation Faculty Associate.  In 2011, Dr. Barrett established the REAL (Reflection, Engagement, Assessment for Learning) ePortfolio Academy for K-12 teachers, providing online courses for individuals and assessment/planning support for K-12 institutions.

Listed below is the tentative agenda for the workshop:

Sponsored by:
Assessment Services
Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center

Registration Information:

The workshop is open to NIU administrators, faculty, staff, and teaching assistants. Advance registration is required. Registered participants will receive workshop materials, refreshments, and a certificate of participation. If you do not wish to receive a certificate, please indicate while registering for the workshop.

Registration Deadline: October 11, 2011.

Due to the expensive nature of the program and the advanced notice needed for arranging food and materials, please register by the deadline and plan to attend the entire workshop, if you register. After you register, if you are unable to attend, please inform the Center by October 18, 2011 by emailing to facdev@niu.edu so that those on the waiting list may be given the opportunity to attend the workshop or program costs can be reduced.

Registration is closed for this program.

Last Updated: 10/3/2011