1. EPORTFOLIOS:
HALLMARKS
OF
EXCELLENCE
In
the
Master
of
Education
program
we
require
students
to
develop
an
ePortfolio,
a
password-­‐
protected
online
collection
of
work
samples
and
written
reflections.
Here's
why:
ePortfolio
Vision
Statement
By
pursuing
a
Master's
degree,
you
are
in
a
process
of
–
metaphorically
speaking
–
writing
the
next
chapter
in
the
story
of
your
life.
Your
courses
are
one
part
of
that
process.
You
construct
meaning
on
your
journey,
considering
how
your
program
informs
and
shapes
personal
and
professional
goals.
Your
ePortfolio
is
designed
to
help
you
document
this
narrative
of
growth
to
see
how
parts
relate
to
the
whole.
We
believe
it
will
help
you
improve
the
quality
of
your
learning
experience,
both
during
and
after
your
time
in
the
program.
WHAT
MAKES
AN
EPORTFOLIO
“GOOD”?
You
work
on
your
ePortfolio
throughout
the
program,
adding
something
new
to
it
in
each
course
that
you
take.
A
good
ePortfolio
is
more
than
an
online
resume
or
personal
website.
It
provides
evidence
that
you
are
thinking
about
Your
present
and
future,
What
you
have
learned
so
far,
The
quality
of
your
current
work,
How
your
experience
relates
to
your
current
goals,
How
your
goals
have
changed
or
matured
over
time,
The
connections
between
your
learning
experiences,
and
Additional
experience
you
need
to
realize
your
goals.
Make
sure
that
every
page
in
your
ePortfolio
includes
meaningful
text.
Blank
pages
or
pages
that
still
have
placeholder
template
text
indicate
that
you
aren’t
keeping
it
up,
using
the
ePortfolio
to
track
your
development
and
further
your
learning.
The
template
includes
suggestions
and
writing
prompts
to
help
you
get
started
with
this
process.
Revisit
the
introductory
page
and
goals
section
of
your
ePortfolio
at
the
beginning
and
end
of
each
term,
updating
them
to
reflect
recent
developments.
Evidence
of
learning
is
the
heart
and
soul
of
an
ePortfolio.
Your
work
samples
are
evidence
because
they
demonstrate
your
growing
capabilities.
Collect
the
work
you
have
created
for
a
class.
Examine
it
to
assess
the

2. quality.
As
you
look
at
the
work,
ask
yourself
questions
like
these:
What
am
I
learning?
What
are
my
strengths?
What
do
I
need
to
improve?
Select
one
or
more
examples
and
upload
the
pieces
along
with
an
explanation
or
reflection.
If
you
see
room
for
improvement,
say
how
you
will
act
upon
that
observation.
Be
honest,
because
false
claims
of
excellence
are
as
bad
as
poor
work!
Communicate
your
goals
and
growth.
Some
learning
experiences
open
up
a
whole
new
world
of
ideas,
questions,
and
possibilities
for
your
future
direction.
Other
learning
experiences
reinforce
aspirations.
Consider
the
following
questions
as
you
write
your
reflection:
What
ideas
and
abilities
did
I
gain
from
course
readings
and
assignments?
How
does
this
newfound
understanding
differ
from
the
assumptions
that
I
had
at
the
beginning
of
the
course?
How
is
my
work
different
from
what
I
would
have
been
able
to
produce
or
do
prior
to
my
experience
in
the
course
or
program?
Remember
that
your
ePortfolio
can
include
more
than
text,
including
photos,
documents,
videos,
slide
presentations,
multimedia
galleries,
and
social
media.
Good
ePortfolios
are
engaging;
they
often
bring
the
story
of
a
person’s
learning
to
life
through
deft
integration
of
images,
sounds,
colors,
and
text.
But
every
element
of
your
ePortfolio
should
serve
a
purpose.
Gratuitous,
inappropriate,
and
irrelevant
use
of
multimedia
–
including
images
–
compromises
the
quality
of
your
ePortfolio.
Spelling
and
grammar
are
important
because
they
reflect
your
ability
to
communicate
clearly.
Read
your
ePortfolio
aloud
on
a
regular
basis
and
have
a
friend
check
it
for
errors.
You
can
also
ask
classmates
and
professors
for
feedback.
Keep
revising
your
ePortfolio
to
improve
it.
HOW
WILL
I
USE
MY
EPORTFOLIO?
• Course-­‐Based
Learning:
While
taking
a
class
you
will
be
prompted
to
post
entries
and
work
along
the
way
so
that
you
can
chart
the
growth
of
your
thinking
and
abilities,
drawing
on
this
material
to
author
a
final
reflection
about
your
course-­‐related
learning.
Some
professors
may
ask
you
to
share
your
ePortfolio
with
other
classmates.
• Program
Direction:
While
you're
in
the
program,
your
ePortfolio
provides
you
with
successive
snapshots
of
your
learning,
so
that
you
can
see
how
your
work
is
adding
up.
• Personal
and
Professional
Development:
In
viewing
your
ePortfolio
as
a
whole
you
will
probably
see
places
where
you
are
weak
or
would
benefit
from
more
depth
and
experience.
This
reflective
exercise
helps
you
make
informed
decisions
about
courses
or
extracurricular
experiences
that
will
help
you
achieve
your
goals.
• Advancement:
By
the
time
you
graduate
you
will
have
a
comprehensive
picture
of
your
learning
and
capabilities.
After
you
graduate
your
access
to
Blackboard
will
be
terminated,
but
you
will
still
have
the
ePortfolio.
If
you
continue
to
update
your
ePortfolio
to
document
professional
growth,
it
will
help
you
identify
accomplishments
and
abilities
when
preparing
for
job
interviews
or
annual
review.