ePortfolio Mock-Ups
As we continue to explore if how we will implement ePortfolios in the (near) future, I’ve been looking at various options that we can use.
My first attempt was using the blogging platform that comes with our SharePoint portal. It is relatively simple to implement but lacks any sort of character. It would serve well as a reflective tool but may not (easily) work as a type of showcase for students. Also, it is not personalizable and – more importantly – isn’t very portable. Since we, like any international school, have a relatively high transient rate amongst students, this is not a good thing.
Another option that we are considering is the use of a Wordpress-type blog. This might be using edublogs or a local WPMU installation. Dr. Helen Barrett has a pretty good sample of what one could look like. It’s reflective in nature and pages can be added as static web pages used as summative showcases at certain points in the year. It is customizable and portable as well.
I think the option that I like most, at this point, however is the use of Google Sites. Thanks to Joseph over at Thinking with Ahead for pointing me in this direction. I had never used Google Sites before but quickly made up a rough first draft. It includes a document library, a blog for on-going reflection, a checklist of what our PYP students currently add to their portfolios and separate pages for end-of-year summative showcases. This seems to satisfy the desire at our school for the portfolio to be flexible: it can be used for assessment, as evidence of growth and as a showcase. (This might be a bit ambitious on our part but that is another blog post!)
Google Sites can be quickly cloned using templates and ownership can be transferred once the student leaves the school. The showcase pages can be individualized by students giving them a sense of ownership over their summative product. And, with Google Apps, we are opening up a world of Google Goodness to all of our students.
I’ve shared what I’ve found with our team. Now let’s see what can come up with.
Which option do like best? Is there one I’ve left out?
ha! I just wrote a blog post on the new Google Sites templates. It *was* you who was asking about Google Sites!
@Adrienne
And that post was what prompted me to mock up that Portfolio site today and write this post! Does that mean I actually prompted myself to write this post???
@Clint
Yes, I think it does.
Good discussion of alternate tools for eportfolios! I’m Dr. Barrett’s daughter. We happen to be in Istanbul, Turkey right now working with a school to “vamp up” their eportfolios. They’ve been using PowerPoint for a couple years and are looking for ways to make eportfolios more interactive.
They’ve installed WordPress on their own server and the teachers are learning how to use it. One issue we ran into here is that Google Sites is blocked in Turkey. No one seems to know why (or they don’t want to talk about it). Google sites was our first choice to use, but since it wasn’t possible, WordPress turned out to be the best option for this school.
Have you also looked into VoiceThread? It may be a great tool to use with younger students (who don’t have the typing skills) because it’s not text based, but uses images and audio.
I’ve just started following your tweets…looking forward to more!
@Erin Barrett
Thanks for dropping by!
Although Google Sites is not blocked here in Hanoi, we do have a connectivity issue: it’s just not that fast and only 85% reliable (I just made that number up, but you get the idea).
As our 1:1 environment filters throughout the school, portfolios that can be used as learning tools as well as showcases will become more important to us. I’m interested to hear how you define ‘interactive’ when it comes to portfolios. Is it that the students are able to add/manipulate it themselves, or do you mean something else entirely?
Our current discussions haven’t really taken into account the little guys but I think VoiceThread and other audio or video-based tools will be very important. I’m thinking Flip video or Web-cam reflections that can then be embedded (by a teacher or aide) would also work well.
Interesting. We are looking at the same thing down at the other end of the country in HCMC.
We have a small group of teachers that will start by trying out Eportfolio systems in the second semester. We had planned on looking at Sites, Wordpress and Mahara.
It looks like we will need to focus only on tools that can be hosted locally as our bandwidth might making working with Sites unpleasant. We will have to keep in touch to see how your exploration goes.
Kind of ironic that I am reading this today when I was just at UNIS for MRISSA volleyball a few weeks ago.
Bandwidth is a huge issue for us as well. We have, by no means, decided on a solution yet. But if we can get a large number of the older students to a point where they can maintain their portfolio independently, then I hope that it can be done at home on their own internet connections rather than on the school’s.
I would love to hear your initial impressions and eventually how you go with Mahara. I have glimpsed at it but haven’t done too much in-depth.
It would be great to get a MRISA-esque collection of technology facilitators/coaches/experts together to share ideas and expertise, particularly as it applies to living and working in South East Asia. By the way, your boys played a great final!