Teacher Portfolios
As of yet no universal standards guide the production and assessment of electronic teacher portfolios. No central database to present teacher portfolios exists either, making it difficult for educators to represent themselves to prospective employees, parents, coworkers, and students. Still, some basic standards of assessment can be applied to electronic teacher portfolios that ensure consistency and quality. Standardized assessment methods or at least a list of organized assessment procedures can help viewers of the portfolio critically assess and judge the work. Some assessment standards may include quality and quantity of student work included, and whether the student work reflects that teachers' stated area of expertise. Standards related to the teacher biography may relate also to the quality and quantity of material supplied: how much information the teacher revealed about himself or herself and their professional goals. Furthermore, teachers should present an outline of their educational philosophy in the portfolio: another means by which the e-portfolio can be assessed. The portfolio should also include an easy-to-read resume that details that educator's professional experience. Finally, the electronic portfolio should be well-designed, easy to navigate, and stored on a secure server that will not lead to broken Web links. In other words, the electronic teacher portfolio should conform to Web site standards for easy access and navigation.
A checklist for an electronic portfolio may include the following:
1. Full teacher name and recent photograph. The photograph personalizes the portfolio.
2. Full teacher resume, updated. An electronic portfolio is useless without the resume, and the resume is useless without being up-to-date.
3. Educational philosophy, briefly stated and if necessary, with hyperlink references to the sources used to devise the philosophy.
4. Statement of purpose, following the educational philosophy but also including a brief description of teaching style, goals, areas of expertise, and preferences for educational environments. This is the chance for the teacher to shine, to share his or her core ethics and values.
5. Sample lesson plans and/or curricula, for each subject area the teacher specializes in.
6. Samples of student work, as varied as possible and as up-to-date as possible.
7. Multimedia content, if applicable.
8. Links to other portfolios, educational websites, photologues, or any other relevant Web site.
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