Digital Portfolios: training in documenting school learning for the professional world

Purpose: To provide a general overview of why and how to implement digital portfolios as an educational tool with students from Camino Nuevo High School (CNHS).

Thesis: Through creating and maintaining digital portfolios, CNHS students synthesize and present their academic work at the same time they show their competence to master technological resources.

Audience: high school teachers, students at higher level education

1. The digital portfolios (DPs) process at CNHS.
A. Training in basic web design for professional world.
B. Developing skills for self-presentation.

2. DPs in CNHS as an educational tool and a unifying aspect of school culture.
A. Building and maintaining a website by all students.
1. Reflecting upon growth through academic work.
B. Presenting DPs at the end of tenth grade as a graduation requirement.

3. Portfolios’ contents.
A. Sections corresponding to each school year.
1. Assignments demostrating skills and concepts developed.
2. Reflections about the content and skills.
3. Quality of students’ effort and product.

4. Much classroom work posted on DPs for grading.
A. Students’ access to classmates’ DPs.
1. Peer assessments as regular classroom practice.

5. Steps to implement DPs.
A. In-house teacher training for basic web design.
B. Hard-working staff to develop approaches and standards for DPs.
C. Digital Portfolio Handbook on the DP website page.
1. Technical guidance.
2. Rubrics.
3. Guidelines for presentations at the end of tenth grade.

6. “Positive impact [of using DPs] on student achievement across the curriculum” (Cramer, 2009, p. 4)
A. Parents’ and members’ of the community access to students’ work.
B. Students’ chances to share work with possible employers or internship providers.

Reference
Cramer, M. (2009). Digital portfolios: documenting student growth. Horace Summer 2009, 25(1), 1-4. Data file. Retrieved December, 19th 2009 from http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/cespr/view/ces_res/620