POLICIES CONCERNING COMPLETION OF A DEGREE PROGRAM
Portfolio Requirements - Curriculum and Instruction
Portfolio Development
A component of the graduate program is the on-going development of a professional portfolio, in which the graduate student is asked to record, integrate, and reflect on his/her professional experiences in the graduate program. The portfolio will provide the student with a personal tool for reflecting upon his/her teaching skills, knowledge and understanding. It allows the student to mesh the theories and practices of teaching and learning and provides the documentation of growth and of integration throughout the graduate work. Portfolios serve as self-assessment for the graduate student and as a means for the faculty to assess the strengths and areas of weakness of the graduate program.
The Doane Graduate Education Program Standards provide direction for the portfolio.
1. Understands Content: The developing professional understands the content knowledge of the discipline (s).
- Demonstrates how knowledge in content area is created, organized, linked to other disciplines and applied to global perspectives. Teacher utilizes technology in this process effectively.
- Commands specialized knowledge of how to convey content knowledge to students including the ability to develop diverse and cultural perspectives.
- Encourages students to construct new knowledge by seeking answers to their questions.
- Aligns content knowledge with state and national standards.
2. Understands Development: The developing professional understands how children learn and develop, and provides opportunities supporting intellectual, social, and personal growth.
- Maintains the belief that all students can learn by developing learning experiences for all cognitive levels.
- Evaluates and selects developmentally appropriate outcomes and activities
- Incorporates current and research-based learning theories into practice.
- Acknowledges that learners learn best from involvement with experiences.
3. Understands Differences: The developing professional recognizes and provides for individual differences and diversity.
- Recognizes individual differences in students and adjusts practice to ensure fairness, equitable opportunity and success for each student.
- Evaluates and designs curriculum for students with special needs.
- Critiques and enhances curriculum for multidimensional perspectives fostering an attitude supporting the development of a community that values diversity.
- Considers the influence of context and culture on behavior
- Fosters students’ self-esteem and respect for race, gender, class, culture, language, family, community, and religious differences.
4. Designs Instructional Strategies: The developing professional uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of skills and strategies for critical thinking and problem solving.
- Differentiates instruction based on observation and knowledge of student interests, abilities, skills, background knowledge, family, and peer relationships.
- Commands a wide range of instructional techniques including those of technology, knows when each is appropriate, and implements them as needed.
- Exposes students to different modes of higher order thinking by teaching students to think analytically and critically about real-world situations.
5. Manages and Motivates: The developing professional uses classroom management and motivational strategies to create a positive learning environment.
- Creates a community where high expectations and support of students promote learning to support individual student achievement to ensure success for all.
- Utilizes different organizational settings in the learning environment to provide various learning opportunities.
- Creates, enriches, and alters the instructional setting to encourage intrinsic motivation of students.
- Facilitates problem solving and conflict management among peers.
6. Communicates: The developing professional uses knowledge of effective communication techniques.
- Possesses the interpersonal skills needed to work collaboratively.
- Communicates effectively with all audiences.
- Uses a variety of media and technological tools to enrich learning and communication.
- Seeks opportunities to facilitate communication with diverse populations.
- Advocates, models and teaches safe, legal and ethical use of information and technology.
7. Plans: The developing professional utilizes effective planning techniques.
- Implements standards established by local, state and national authorities.
- Collaborates in planning the instructional process to assure continuity of learning experiences for students.
- Uses student-centered strategies and models including digital age learning strategies to meet all needs.
- Differentiates curriculum and instruction based on children’s developmental stages, intelligences, learning styles, strengths and needs.
- Evaluates and modifies instruction resources, materials and practices.
8. Assesses: The developing professional understands the assessment processes
- Defines assessment criteria and standards consistent with local, state, and national outcomes.
- Uses culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate assessment strategies in multiple contexts.
- Conducts ongoing assessment in the instructional process measuring individual student understanding.
- Uses assessment data to plan for student learning.
- Fosters student involvement in assessment.
9. Reflects on Practice: The developing professional reflects on practice and teacher preparation.
- Utilizes action research promoting problem solving and reflection to improve teaching and learning practices.
- Engages in lifelong learning, assuming a variety of leadership roles including professional presentations, mentoring and coaching, graduate study, and publishing research.
- Implements and supports daily practices based on a personal philosophy of teaching and learning.
- Envisions new contexts for student learning to meet future demands.
10. Participates in the Professional Community: The developing professional fosters relationships with school colleagues, families, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and wellbeing.
- Uses a range of human resources (peer tutors, other teachers, aides, volunteers) and school and community resources to meet the needs of students.
- Acts as an advocate for students using family and community resources.
- Works collaboratively and creatively with families, engaging them in the work of the school.
- Acts as an instructional leader by participating collaboratively in the ongoing development of a strong school program.
- Models and promotes professional behaviors and digital citizenship.
PORTFOLIO CONTENTS
The contents of the portfolio should represent your learning journey and how you have put the pieces of the puzzle together in a way to create your picture. It will give us a window into your thinking. You must decide how you want to represent your journey, but it is important to include the growth dimension.
Every portfolio must contain at least the following items:
1. AN OVERALL REFLECTIVE STATEMENT: A reflective statement describing the contents of the portfolio and how these components demonstrate the student’s achievement of the program outcomes must be included. The statement may take many forms: a written summary, a narrative, a pictorial/visual representation, a timeline of important events, etc. The statement should explain how the portfolio is organized, what the portfolio shows, and things to watch for as reviewing the materials.
Possible prompts/questions in preparing the reflective statement include:
- What have been the experiences and events that created my most important learning opportunities?
- How has my participation in this program affected my teaching practices and the way I view teaching and learning?
- My goals in growing as a teacher have been …
- I think I have succeeded in …
- I still need to …
- Some new goals in continuing my development include …
- The graduate program has helped me to grow and develop in the following ways …
The FIRST SECTION OF THE PORTFOLIO must begin with a section entitled
CRITICAL PIECES. These include the following:
The critical pieces should be placed in the first section of your portfolio with a reflection that ties them together.
A summary and reflection of your critical pieces over what you have learned.
- A philosophy statement (Completed in EDU-601 Critical Issues)
- Reflection of the diversity field experience (Completed in EDU-601 Critical Issues)
- A 4-MAT Wheel (completed in EDU-600 Improvement of Instruction) or a sample lesson plan if you completed EDU-613 Models of Teaching
- The completed research project (Completed in EDU-603 Research Methods and EDU-604 Culminating Project)
- A performance assessment and accompanying scoring guide (Completed in EDU-602 or EDU-614 Assessment)
Reflective Statements for Each Section of the Portfolio: If the portfolio is organized into sections, reflective statements for each section should be included. These statements should summarize the information in that section.
Artifacts: Artifacts demonstrating growth and development in the teaching profession in relation to the outcomes must be included. The exact nature of the specific contents of the portfolio will be determined by each student. The contents may be generated as part of the student’s course, or they may be created specifically for the portfolio. The following represent possible items for inclusion:
- Goals
- Philosophy - original and latest to show growth and changes
- Sample journal entries
- Reflective statements
- Action plan
- Videotapes, audiotapes, pictures
- Professional readings or a list of professional readings
- Resume
- Future plan
- School and community involvement
- Research proposal
- Projects or products specific for classes
- Select lessons developed because of the program
- Workshops, conferences, etc. attended
- Case study
- Group work from a class
- Statement of plans for continued professional development
- Activities or involvement related to key concepts/outcomes covered in class
Document Captions: A document caption must be placed on each artifact. The purpose of these is to guide the reader through your professional portfolio. The document caption must indicate which outcome(s) you are referencing with the artifact and WHY you decided to include it in your portfolio collection. These do not need to be long statements.
EXAMPLE:
ORGANIZATION OF THE PORTFOLIO
Each student will determine how to organize their portfolio. Possible options include organizing the material around:
- The program outcomes
- Strengths and growth areas
- Common themes
- Goals
- Significant learning events
Each student may structure the portfolio in any manner. Possible options to consider include:
- Expandable file and file folders
- Notebook with dividers
- Artist’s portfolio
- Box
- Scrapbook
- Hyperstudio, Power Point, Web Page, Imovie - Your choice
ASSESSMENT OF THE PORTFOLIO
The faculty will ask you to informally discuss your portfolio and your ideas for the portfolio at the time you are enrolled for EDU-603 Research Methods. In the semester you graduate, you will receive a list of times and places a portfolio review will be held. You are REQUIRED to pick ONE time, bring your completed portfolio and review it with a faculty member and your peers based on the enclosed rubric. These meetings should take about 11/2 hours. During this time, you will be asked to comment on your portfolio and a partner’s portfolio. The purpose of this is to document students’ professional growth and help us to assess the program.
If you have questions, please contact Lyn Forester at 1-800-333-6263 or lyn.forester@doane.edu.
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