Interactive ePortfolios
Web 2.0 and social
networking tools
Dr. Helen Barrett
SOTFConference
October 23, 2012
electronicportfolios.org/
slideshare.net/eportfolios/
Hashtag: #eportfolios
Account: @eportfolios

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Key Concepts
• What? Context & Definitions
• Why? Purpose
– Reflection
– Identity Development
– Online Branding
• How? Tools
– Web 2.0 Tools
– Planning
• Q&A

The Power of
Portfolios
what children can
teach us about
learning and
assessment
Author: Elizabeth Hebert
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Picture courtesy of Amazon.com

The Power of Portfolios
Author:
Dr. Elizabeth
Hebert, Principal
Crow Island
School, Winnetka, Il
linois
Picture taken by Helen Barrett at
AERA, Seattle, April, 2001

From the Preface (1)
Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix
“Portfolios have been with us for a very long time.
Those of us who grew up in the 1950s or earlier
recognize portfolios as reincarnations of the large
memory boxes or drawers where our parents
collected starred spelling tests, lacy
valentines, science fair posters, early attempts at
poetry, and (of course) the obligatory set of plaster
hands. Each item was selected by our parents
because it represented our acquisition of a new
skill or our feelings of accomplishment. Perhaps an
entry was accompanied by a special notation of
praise from a teacher or maybe it was placed in the
box just because we did it.”

From the Preface (2)
Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix
“We formed part of our identity from the
contents of these memory boxes. We recognized
each piece and its association with a particular
time or experience. We shared these collections
with grandparents to reinforce feelings of pride
and we reexamined them on rainy days when
friends were unavailable for play. Reflecting on
the collection allowed us to attribute importance
to these artifacts, and by extension to
ourselves, as they gave witness to the story of
our early school experiences.”

From the Preface (3)
Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix-x
“Our parents couldn’t possibly envision that
these memory boxes would be the inspiration
for an innovative way of thinking about
children’s learning. These collections, lovingly
stored away on our behalf, are the genuine
exemplar for documenting children’s learning
over time. But now these memory boxes have a
different meaning. It’s not purely private or
personal, although the personal is what gives
power to what they can mean.”

Let’s get personal…
Think for a minute about:
Something about your COLLECTIONS:
Suggested topics:
 If you are a parent, what you saved for your
children
 What your parents saved for you
 What you collect…
 Why you collect…

Some issues to consider
 What do your collections say about what you
value?
 Is there a difference between what you
purposefully save and what you can’t throw
away?
 How can we use our personal collections
experiences to help learners as they develop
their portfolios?
The power of portfolios [to support deep
learning] is personal.

Context
Why…
Electronic Portfolios Now?

National Educational
Technology Plan
(2010)
• Technology also gives students opportunities for taking
ownership of their learning. Student-managed electronic
learning portfolios can be part of a persistent learning
record and help students develop the self-awareness
required to set their own learning goals, express their own
views of their strengths, weaknesses, and
achievements, and take responsibility for them. Educators
can use them to gauge students’ development, and they
also can be shared with peers, parents, and others who are
part of students’ extended network. (p.12)

WHAT ARE INTERACTIVEE-PORTFOLIOS?
Portfolios using Web 2.0 tools to:
• reflect on learning in multiple formats
• showcase work online to multiple audiences
• dialogue about learning artifacts/reflections
• provide feedback to improve learning

Balanced?
Student-Centered School-Centered
• Focus on • Focus on
Interests, Passions, Standards, Outcomes
Goals • Accountability, Achiev
• Choice and Voice ement
Reflection • Term, Graduation
• Lifelong Learning

Simon Sinek’sGolden Circle
product
process
motivation
15

WHAT?

Specialty Case Responsibilities
Portfolio
Showcase
Workspace
One Word,
Many Meanings
Art Work Investments
Collection of Artifacts

Who was the
first famous
“folio” keeper?
DEFINITIONS

Leonardo da Vinci’s Folio

What is a Portfolio?
• Dictionary definition:
a flat, portable case
for carrying loose
papers, drawings, etc.
• Financial portfolio: document
accumulation of fiscal capital
• Educational portfolio: document
development of human capital

+Electronic
• digital artifacts organized online
combining various media
(audio/video/text/images)
• interactivity/conversation/feedba
ck

Electronic Portfolios
• almost two decades (since 1991)
• used primarily in education to
– store documents
– reflect on learning
– feedback for improvement
– showcase achievements for
accountability or employment

Social networks
• last five years
–store documents and share
experiences,
–showcase accomplishments,
–communicate and collaborate
– facilitate employment searches

Boundaries Blurring
(between e-portfolios & social networks)
• Structured
Accountability
Systems? or…
• Lifelong interactive portfolios
Picasa
Facebook
blogs
Mash-ups Flickr
YouTube
wikis Ning
Twitter

Process/Product
 ePortfoliois both process and product”
Process: A series of events
(time and effort) to produce a result
- From Old French proces
Portfolio as
Journey Workspace
Product: the outcome/results or
“thinginess” of an activity/process
Destination Portfolio as
 Wiktionary Showcase

Processes
Social
Portfolio Networking Technology
Collection Connect Archiving
(“Friending”)
Selection Linking/Thinking
Listen
Reflection (Reading) Digital Storytelling
Direction/Goals Respond
Collaborating
(Commenting)
Presentation
Share
Publishing
Feedback (linking/tagging)
26

Discuss!
What are the
Engagement
Factors in Social
networks?
How can we build
those factors into
e-portfolios?

E-Portfolio Components
< Multiple Portfolios for
Multiple Purposes
-Celebrating Learning
-Personal Planning
-Transition/entry to courses
-Employment applications
-Accountability/Assessment
< Multiple Tools to Support
Processes
-Capturing & storing evidence
-Reflecting
-Giving & receiving feedback
-Planning & setting goals
-Collaborating
-Presenting to an audience
< Digital Repository
(Becta, 2007; JISC, 2008)

WHY?

Help students find
their Purpose and Passion
through Reflection &
Goal-Setting in
E-Portfolio Development

Lifelong Context for ePortfolios

Multiple Purposes
from Hidden Assumptions
What are yours?
• Showcase • Assessment • Learning
•
http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMag2008/choosing%20an%20eportfolio/cool-cartoon-
346082.png

Digital Identity
• Creating a positive digital footprint

Purpose
• The overarching purpose
of portfolios is to create a
sense of personal
ownership over one’s
accomplishments, becaus
e ownership engenders
feelings of
pride, responsibility, and
dedication. (p.10)
• Paris, S & Ayres, L. (1994) Becoming Reflective
Students and Teachers. American Psychological
Association

Passion and Self-Directed Learning
Lisa Nielsen’s “The Innovative Educator” blog entries:
• Preparing Students for Success
by Helping Them Discover and
Develop Their Passions
(Renzulli’s Total Talent Portfolio)
• 10 Ways Technology Supports
21st Century Learners in Being Self Directed
http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/

“Know Thyself”
Temple at Delphi

Managing Oneself
Peter Drucker, (2005) Harvard Business Review
• “Success in the • What are my strengths?
knowledge economy • How do I perform?
comes to those who
• What are my values?
know themselves –
their strengths, their • Where do I belong?
values, and how best • What should I contribute?
they perform.” • Responsibility for
• Purpose: Use Relationships
ePortfolios for • The Second Half of your
managing knowledge Life
workers' career
development

Reflection
• Source:
http://peterpappas.blogs.co
m/copy_paste/2010/01/tax
onomy-reflection-critical-
thinking-students-teachers-
principals-.html
• Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
(Revised)

Self-Regulated Learning
Abrami, P., et. al. (2008), Encouraging self-regulated learning through electronic
portfolios. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, V34(3) Fall 2008.
http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/viewArticle/507/238

Self-Regulated Learning
Abrami, P., et. al. (2008), Encouraging self-regulated learning through electronic portfolios. Canadian Journal of
Learning and Technology, V34(3) Fall 2008. http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/viewArticle/507/238
Captions/Journals
Blog
Mobiles
Blog Pages Web Sites

Deep Learning
• involves reflection,
• is developmental,
• is integrative,
• is self-directive, and
• is lifelong
Cambridge (2004)

The Learning Cycle
David Kolb from Dewey, Piaget, Lewin, adapted by Zull

Experiential Learning Model
Lewin/Kolb with adaptations by Moon and Zull
Practice
Have an experience
Reflect on the experience
Try out what you
have learned
Metacognition
Learn from the experience

“metacognition lies at the
root of all learning”
“…self-knowledge, awareness of how and why
we think as we do, and the ability to adapt and
learn, are critical to our survival as
individuals…”
James Zull (2011) From Brain to Mind:
Using Neuroscience to Guide
Change in Education (Stylus Publishers)

Action -> Discovery ->
Joy
• Action and Exploration
lead to Discovery
• Discovery leads to Joy
“The ultimate outcome of the
journey is to understand our own
understanding.” (p.15)
(metacognition)
“Emotional links generate
motivation… Zull (2011) From Brain to Mind:
The brain rewards itself with joy.” Using Neuroscience to Guide
Change in Education. Stylus
(p.17) Publishing

HOW?

Balancing the Two Faces of
E-Portfolios
Working Portfolio Presentation Portfolio(s)
Digital Archive Docs The “Story” or Narrative
(Repository of Artifacts)
Collaboration Space
Sites Multiple Views
(public/private)
Reflective Journal Blog Varied Audiences &
Purposes
Portfolio as Process Portfolio as Product
Workspace Showcase

Japanese

Structure of E-Portfolio Types
• Portfolio as Process/ • Portfolio as Product/
Workspace Showcase
– Organization:
Chronological –
blog – Organization:
Thematic – Documenting
Documenting growth over achievement of Standards, Goals
time for both internal and or Learning Outcomes for
external audiences primarily external audiences
website
– Primary Purpose: – Primary Purpose:
Learning or Reflection Accountability or Employment or
Showcase
– Reflection: immediate – Reflection: retrospective
focus on artifact or learning focus on Standards, Goals or
experience Learning Outcomes (Themes)
mobiles

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fritzon/4711241023/

Digital Tools?
Expressive vs.
Structured Models

Categories of Tools
http://electronicportfolios.org/categories.html

Matching Portfolio Purpose to
Portfolio Tools
Purposes Strategies Tools
Processes
Learning/Process Collection Journal/Blog
Projects Reflection Productivity Tools
Capture Experience Mobile tools?
Showcase/ Selection Website/Wiki/Soc
Employment/ Presentation ial Network
College
Assessment/ Evaluation (Self & Database
Accountability Teacher) Evidence Excel
w/Rubrics

With iOS
(iPod
Touch, iPhone
, iPad)
Text
Images CAPTURE THE MOMENT
Audio
Doing
Video

Posted on ePortfolio Conversations
Google Group:
• Question: How to collect evidence of
informal learning rather than formal
education.
• Response: "Start with SMS [on mobile
phones] - it’s the morse code
of the present
generation...
and it works.”

What functions can be achieved with mobile
phones for each of these processes?
• Capturing & storing evidence - this evidence of learning can be in
the form of text, images, audio or video
• Reflecting - “the heart and soul of a portfolio” - this reflection could
be captured in real time in different formats: writing, voice capture
(and voice-to-text conversion), video capture and digital stories
• Giving & receiving feedback - one of the most effective uses of a
portfolio is to review a learner’s work and providing feedback for
improvement
• Planning & setting goals - a very important part of the portfolio
process is personal development planning and setting goals for
achievement
• Collaborating - learning is a social activity - technology provides
new forms of collaboration
• Presenting to an audience - at specific points in the learning
process, a learner may put together a presentation of their learning
outcomes for an audience, either real or virtual

Speak-to-Tweet
• SayNow.com
bought by
Google,
January
25, 2011

Twitter
micro-blogging
“tiny bursts of learning”

Level 1 Workspace:
Collection in the Cloud

Capture Store Online Capture Voice
Images &
Video
Storage
Capturing & Storing Evidence
Google
Drive?
Google Docs DropBox

With iOS
(iPod
Touch, iPhone
, iPad)
Text
Images CAPTURE THE
Audio MOMENT
Video

Integrate file storage
with computer and
website
Hyperlink to files in
Public folder!
Try it!

Level 2 Workspace: Learning/Reflection

Planning Doing
Planning & Setting Goals
Giving & Receiving Feedback
Reflecting

Reflection with WordPress

Blogging* by eMail
*the act of sharing yourself
Tumblr Posterous
• Set up account on website • Just email to
• Send email to: post@posterous.com
myaccount.tumblr.com • iPhone App
• iPhone App • Cross-post to Facebook&
• Call in your posts for audio Twitter
post to blog
• Cross-post to Facebook&
Twitter

Reflection with WordPress App

Post to from Mobile
Phones
• Send email to pre-arranged email
address
• Use BlogPressiOS app ($2.99)
• Set up Blogger Mobile and
send SMS

Evernote
One Account, Many Devices
• Capture Anything
• Access Anywhere
• Find Things Fast
• Capture something in one
place -- access it from another
• Web page access
Emailing your memories
Email notes, snapshots, and audio directly into your account.
Emailed notes will go directly into your default notebook.

Evernote
• All in one recording/saving to
Evernote Account (email address)
• Grades 3-5, Trillium Charter
School, Portland (see my blog)
iPod Touch4 $239 &
Lexmark Pinnacle Pro901 $199

Case Study: Grades 3-5
Trillium Charter School, Portland, OR
http://blog.helenbarrett.org/2011/06/evernote-for-intermediate-portfolios.html
iPod Touch 4

Showcase
Level 3: Primary Purpose: Showcase/Accountability

Web Authoring Tools that can be
“branded” with your own domain (annually)
• Weebly.com ($40)
• Webs.com ($100)
• Yola.com ($100)
• Apps.google.com ($10+)
• Squarespace.com ($144+)
• WordPress.com ($12-$17)

Why?
• Integrated EcoSystem
• Single Sign-On
• Walled Garden
• Transferable

Creating an ePortfolio with
GoogleApps
1. Storage = Google Docs
2. Reflective Journal = Blogger or
Google Sites
Announcements page type
3. Presentation =
Google Sites

Timeline
Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Level 1 X X X X X X X X X
Level 2 X X X X X X X X
Level 3 X XX
Level 1: Collection
Level 2: Collection + Reflection
Level 3: Selection + Presentation – Showcase to
parents – practice in fall
77

Learning is a Conversation!
E-portfolios should be
more Conversation
than Presentation
Because Conversation transforms!

IS THE FUTURE
OFEPORTFOLIO
DEVELOPMENT
IN YOUR POCKET?
“Capture the Moment”
with iOS, Android devices

Poster Session – Tuesday 10-12AM Table 36

Help students find
their Purpose and Passion
through Reflection &
Goal-Setting in
E-Portfolio Development

Social Learning
•Interactivity!
82

EXAMPLES
Online
Portfolios &
Blogs

A Reminder…
Reflection & Relationships
• … the “Heart and Soul” of an
ePortfolio…
• NOT the Technology!
84

*Reflection REAL*
Engagement ePortfolio
Assessment for Academy
for K-12
Learning Teachers

Dual Skill Development
Portfolio Skills
Students Teacher/Faculty/Mentor
• Collecting/ Digitizing • Pedagogy – Facilitate
portfolio processes
• Selecting/ Organizing
• Role of Reflection
• Reflecting
• Assessment/ Feedback
• Goal-Setting • Model own Portfolio
• Presenting Learning
+ Technology Skills

Online Course Available
1. Intro to Student-Centered Electronic Portfolios in K-12
Education (tool-neutral – focus on “Portfolio”
Reflection Process & Feedback) – online NOW
2. Supplemental modules:
– Implement Electronic Portfolios with K-12 Students using
Google Apps
(Docs, Sites, Blogger, YouTube, Picasa, Digication, Teacher
Dashboard) (Focus on “Electronic”)
– Implement Electronic Portfolios with K-12 Students using
Mobile Devices (iOS, Android)
– Create Your Professional Portfolio (tool neutral)

My Final Wish…
Your e-portfolios become
dynamic celebrations &
stories of deep learning
across the lifespan.
Thank You!
89

DR. HELEN BARRETT
Researcher & Consultant
Electronic Portfolios & Digital Storytelling for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning
Founding Faculty
REAL*ePortfolio Academy for K-12 Teachers
*Reflection, Engagement, Assessment for Learning
eportfolios@gmail.com
http://electronicportfolios.org/
Twitter: @eportfolios
http://slideshare.net/eportfolios