BCPS Digital Portfolio Program: Development Guidelines

Welcome to the Digital Portfolio guidelines page. This page is designed to assist you in successfully creating your electronic portfolio and it will guide you through the steps for accessing and creating your portfolio.

Elementary technology integration teachers are a select group of skilled educators whose technology skills and job responsibilities extend beyond those of typical classroom teachers. This job brings both unique opportunities as well as unique responsibilities. The Digital Portfolio program provides you with an opportunity to capture artifacts and reflections that may not fit into a typical format for keeping documentation of your professional growth. As you develop your Digital Portfolio, keep in mind these distinct differences as well as the Maryland Teacher Technology Standards and the job responsibilities that guide your teaching.

As a participant in this e-portfolio program, you have two responsibilities. The first is to capture and record artifacts and reflections that demonstrate your achievement of the unique demands of your job. The second responsibility is to serve as a peer reviewer and provide feedback to your colleagues as they develop their portfolios.

Your digital portfolio is comprised of four major parts:

Part I. Introduction

This Digital Portfolio section will contain a description of your work setting and additional information that outlines your professional philosophy and personal professional development plan.

• Job and School Description. Provides specific information about your current position and responsibilities and it also allows you to describe your unique school setting. (Template for Job and School Description. Should not exceed 2 paragraphs)
• Relevant Job Experience. Provides information about your preparation for this position and your experience. (Should not exceed 2 paragraphs)
• Educational Philosophy. Explains your personal beliefs about education and how the effective use of technology can improve teaching and learning. (Should not exceed 1 page)
• Personal Professional Development Plan based on the Maryland Teacher Technology Standards. Describes your short-term and long-term goals and several activities that can be used to obtain your goals.

Part II. Digital Portfolio Development Table

Part II is an important part of the portfolio program as it provides information related to the types of artifacts that might be collected in the portfolio. There are three columns in the Development Table:

• Job Responsibility This column describes ten specific responsibilities of elementary technology integration teachers. The descriptions include examples of instructional, leadership, and technical responsibilities. The e-Portfolio program is organized around these ten items and integration teachers will be collecting artifacts and reflecting on their work as it relates to these responsibilities.
• MTTS Related Standards This column references the Maryland Teacher Technology Standard(s) as related to a particular job responsibility.
• Teacher Characteristics, Suggested Artifacts, and Guide Questions In this column, there is information that will enable you to make decisions about the types of artifacts that might be included in your portfolio for each particular job responsibility. Each artifact will be named and described briefly. Suggested artifacts are described and could include an entire lesson plan, graphics, a picture of a bulletin board or a student product. Suggestions for artifacts are listed and guide questions will help to clarify the purpose of the artifact.

Guidelines for Artifact Collection:

• Each of the ten job responsibilities must have a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of three (3) artifacts to support each standard. At least 25 artifacts are required for the entire portfolio; no artifacts may be used twice.
• Each artifact should begin with a short paragraph that explains the rationale for the artifact and how the artifact demonstrates competence related to the standard.
• Artifacts should include, but are not limited to:
  - Teacher-created or adapted lesson plans
  - Student work
  - Examples demonstrating specific focus on different tested content areas
  - images
• Parts of a unit of study may be used for different purposes throughout the portfolio, but may be used for no more than two different standards
• Any materials from published curriculum, commercial materials, or other resources require an explanation as to how they were adapted to fit the needs of the specific students, setting, and/or lesson.

Part III. Reflections:
Participants will be responsible for completing personal reflections on how they are meeting the portfolio standards. These reflections will be listed as their artifact rationales and support with files documenting their work. Potentional reflection samples are as follows, but are unique to each individual:

• As the artifacts are completed for each job responsibility, a reflection will be submitted which summarizes the participant's views concerning that particular job responsibility.
• When the Digital Portfolio is completed, participants will submit a final reflection on the entire body of work.

Part IV: Peer Review:
Each participant will be responsible for reviewing the work of other participants in the project. As a way to get to know everyone's strengths as eductors, by the end of the project participants will review a minimum of one item from each person. At the initial meeting of participants, groups of three will be formed so that peer reviewers will know whose work they will be responsible for reviewing. Reviewers must complete peer reviews for at least 25 artifacts. In the peer review process, both commendations and recommendations will be addressed. Reviews must be given in a timely fashion.

General Guidelines for Participating in the Digital Portfolio pilot program:

1. Participants agree to participate in the pilot program.
2. Participants will receive a stipend of $200 to be paid in two equal payments. The first payment of $100 will be made when the participant has:
   a. Attended the organizational meeting of Digital Portfolio participants
   b. Placed 15 artifacts into the portfolio, and;
   c. Completed 15 peer reviews, submiting 3.
   d. Completed the payment form and submitted to the Office of Instructional Technology
3. The second payment of $100. will be made when the participant has:
   a. Completed a minimum of 25 artifacts
   b. Completed a minimum of 25 (total) peer reviews, submiting 5.
   c. Completed one reflection for each of the ten job responsibilities and placed them in the portfolio
   d. Attended the final meeting of Digital Portfolio participants
4. All work will be submitted following the organization of the portfolio as outlined above and each section will be clearly labeled.
5. Participants will use the complete written work in Times New Roman (font size 12).