This document summarizes a presentation about using ePortfolios in schools, specifically with the open source software Mahara. The presentation covered why schools should use ePortfolios, highlighting how they support 21st century skills and help students become effective communicators. It also provided an overview of Mahara's capabilities and examples of how it has been implemented successfully in schools in New Zealand and the UK. The document concluded with suggestions for how teachers can incorporate Mahara into classroom activities and strategies for a successful ePortfolio implementation centered around student engagement.

1. ePortfolios in Schools
Focus on Mahara
Golden Hills School Division
January 25, 2013

2. Learning Agents
Accelerated learning systems
E-learning resources & services
Learning community support
Consulting
http://bit.ly/DonPresant_ePortfolio

3. Agenda
Goals: Pedagogical imagineering, Fun
1. Why ePortfolio?
2. Why Mahara?
3. Mahara in the Wild
4. Hands-on Mahara
5. Using Mahara in your Classroom
6. Mahara in the Future

4. What is ePortfolio?
A learning companion
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/e-portfolios

5. What is ePortfolio?
“We-ell, it’s…it’s…it’s…”
The University of Nottingham

6. What is ePortfolio?
Yin and Yang
• Portfolio OF Learning
– Showcase, summative
• Portfolio FOR Learning
– Constructive, formative

7. What is ePortfolio?
http://www.slideshare.net/4nitsirk/mahara-open-source-eportfolio-application

8. What is ePortfolio?
In schools
• Showcase, repository of artefacts and achievements
– Private/Shared/Public
• “Walled garden” for:
– Reflection, critical thinking
– Digital skill building, socialization
• Assignment submission tool
– With/without Moodle
• Scaffolded knowledge construction
– Incremental, monitored, commented
• Tool for transition
– University entrance
– Work experience, employment
• Your idea here…

9. What is ePortfolio?
At GHSD already: “stealth portfolio”
• Post-Graduate Paper: Organizational Trust
– collection
• Video Tutorials - Moodle
• Dustin LA Portfolio

10. What is ePortfolio?
Grandma’s balanced view
Helen Barrett http://electronicportfolios.org/balance/

11. Why ePortfolios?
Grandma says…
Helen Barrett http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/11873587

12. Why ePortfolios?
Student feedback (primary level)
Jamin Lietze presentation (NZ 2009)

13. Why ePortfolios?
GHSD Mission Statement
“…helping our students become
the thinkers, doers, creators and
communicators that our 21st
Century world needs.”
GHSD 2012-2015 - Summary of 3 Yr Ed Plan and AERR

14. Why ePortfolios?
21st Century Skills and Learning
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Collaborating
• Adapting
• Innovating
“…facilitated by expert teachers and enabled by
technology tools.”
GHSD 2012-2015 - Combined Three Year Education Plan and AERR

15. Why ePortfolios?
21st Century Skills and Learning
• Critical thinking (and reflecting?)
• Problem-solving (and inquiring?)
• Collaborating (and expressing?)
• Adapting (and integrating?)
• Innovating (and creating?)
“…facilitated by expert teachers and enabled by
technology tools.”
GHSD 2012-2015 - Combined Three Year Education Plan and AERR

16. Why ePortfolios?
Teacher Professional Development
“…facilitated by expert teachers and enabled by
technology tools.”
• Pedagogy supported by technology
– Articulating/exploring values
– Building knowledge (PLE)
– Building a community of practice (PLN)
– Supporting daily performance
– Demonstrating the impact of teaching
– Advancing career

17. Why Mahara?
Overview
• Designed for schools
– National school implementation in NZ: “MyPortfolio”
• Works with Moodle: “Mahoodle”
– SSO, Export to Mahara, Submit to Moodle
• Flexible
– Digital story machine, not a “tick box”
• Free Open Source Software (FOSS)
– Free (like a puppy)
– Controllable, predictable
– Extendable, “clusterable” (Mahoodle, Google Apps…)

18. Why Mahara?
Under the hood
• Core capabilities
– Profile, Resume, Files, Notes, Journals (blogs), Plans
– Pages, Collections
• Embed external media, Google Apps, RSS feeds
– Groups and collaboration
• Shared files, pages, collections
• Assignment submission workflow
– Multi-layered sharing/privacy, multiple languages
• Third Party Plugins (Web 2.0)
– “Stock”: My CPD, My Learning, Google Apps, etc.
– “Special”: Chem2D, Jmol, Freemind, etc.

19. Mahara in the Wild
MyPortfolio, New Zealand
• 1,125 schools, 40,465 active accounts, 7,525 groups*
* As of July, 2012

20. Mahara in the Wild
“Tell me about yourself” - template
Our Lady’s Preston (UK)

21. Mahara in the Wild
“Tell me about yourself” – fictitious example
Our Lady’s Preston (UK)

22. Mahara in the Wild
“Tell me about yourself” – real example
Our Lady’s Preston (UK)

23. Mahara in the Wild
“Tell me about yourself” – real example
Our Lady’s Preston (UK)

24. Mahara in the Wild
“Tell me about yourself” – real example
Our Lady’s Preston (UK)

25. Mahara in the Wild
More than you can digest in one sitting…
http://bit.ly/ep4schools

26. Hands On Mahara
“Fffinally!…”
• Profile Page
– Introduction, YouTube video, ?
• Collaborate
– Friends, Groups

27. Using Mahara in your Classroom
Sample Activities and Projects
• About me (Profile page)
• Multi-year retrospective
• Student-led conferences
• Students teach Mahara
– video documentation and more…
• Inquiry-based project
• Group project
• University entrance portfolio
• ….?

28. Using Mahara in your Classroom
Embedding in 21C Learning Practices
CAPABILITY AFFORDANCE
• Inquire, construct • Pages, collections
• Analyze, criticize • Templates, examples
• Store, protect • Files, images, videos
• Share, declare • Journals
• Collaborate, converse • Privacy levels
• Guide, re-direct • External media, RSS
• Celebrate, showcase • Plans, CPD
• Adapt, innovate • Group forums, pages
• Build skills, identity • Plugins

29. Using Mahara in your Classroom
Embedding in 21C Learning Practices
CAPABILITY AFFORDANCE
• Inquire, construct • Pages, collections
• Analyze, criticize • Templates, examples
• Store, protect • Files, images, videos
• Share, declare • Journals
• Collaborate, converse • Privacy levels
• Guide, re-direct • External media, RSS
• Celebrate, showcase • Plans, CPD
• Adapt, innovate • Group forums, pages
• Build skills, identity • Plugins
Make your own connections…

30. Mahara in the Future
On the horizon
• Upcoming versions of Mahara
– Every 6 months
• New plug-ins
• Open Badges
• Tighter coupling with Moodle?
• Your improvements!

31. The Open Badges Initiative
Coming in 2013
Richard Wyles, Totara LMS at MaharaUK12
http://maharauk.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=117

32. Success Strategies
Centre on the student
• Start with something fun
– Find ways to increase engagement and ownership
• Take small steps with lots of scaffolding
– Simple tasks to begin, provide examples, templates
– Provide technical and content support and feedback
• Focus on learning, not just assessment
– Personal web site, lifelong companion…
– Private, shared and public space
• Emphasize content over technology
– Telling stories…
• Provide opportunities for peer interaction
– Peer review, brainstorming, portfolio buddies, presenting portfolios at student-
led conferences, student “consultants”
• Eat your own dog food (i.e. build your own eportfolio)
With ideas from :
http://www.engconfintl.org/8axabstracts/Session%202B/rees08_submission_67.pdf

33. Don Presant
don@learningagents.ca
(888) 229-2889
PRESENTATION SUPPORT PAGE
http://bit.ly/ep4schools