The Professional Teaching Portfolio: Aligning with Standards

1. The Professional Teaching Portfolio: Aligning with Standards Rebecca K. Fox, Ph.D. George Mason University Fairfax, VA

2. http://www.actfl.org National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education http://www.ncate.org NEC 2009 NYC

3. Theoretical Framework Portfolios • Current legislation (NCLB) and education organizations (NCATE) have called for professional development that ensures highly qualified teachers. • Literature has identified various purposes for portfolio implementation in teacher education programs. • Assessment tools, evidence of learning and documentation of directed reflection (Fox,1999; Fox, White, Kidd, & Ritchie 2008; Hammadou, 1998) • Many portfolio studies address portfolios as assessment tools, but a need remains for research portfolio process to scaffold the development of reflective practice (Lyons, 2006). NEC 2009 NYC

4. Theoretical Framework Reflective Practice • An essential element in supporting the growth and development of teachers (Liston & Zeichner, 1990; Schön, 1963, 1987) • No assumption that reflection transfers to the classroom (Borko, Michalec,Timmons, & Siddle, 1997; Lyons, 1998; Wade & Yarborough, 1996). • Even highly experienced teachers may require specific experiences such as critical conversations and collaborative inquiry in a supportive environment to move beyond descriptive thought and writing (Lyons, 1998; Ross, 2002). NEC 2009 NYC

5. The Professional Portfolio • Program Level Performance-based Assessment • Time Sequence – created over program • Formative/Developmental - showing growth & development over program • Summative/Completion - synthesizing evidence • Must include critical reflective elements • targeted written and synthesis reflections • oral synthesyzing reflection • Evidence of Candidate’s Knowledge, Teaching, and Alignment with Standards • Presentation Portfolio – May also be used as job interview tool NEC 2009 NYC

6. What is the Professional Portfolio? • Definition: A performance-based document that is aligned with professional Standards and consisting of a collection of carefully selected materials, examples, and reflections, assembled over time, that provides an evidence-based record of a teacher, or teacher candidate’s, knowledge of content and pedagogy, skills, professional growth, teaching practice, and leadership skills. (R. K. Fox, 1999, 2005, 2009) NEC 2009 NYC

7. Purpose of Creating Your Professional WL Portfolio • To provide concrete evidence of content knowledge and teaching practice; • To provide the teacher candidate opportunities to synthesize material and reflect both formatively and summatively on professional practice and K-12 students’ learning; • To help connect the teacher candidate’s work to published national standards (i.e., ACTFL NCATE, the 5 Cs) • To help teacher education institutions determine (as one of several factors) a candidate’s successful completion of a licensure or degree program. NEC 2009 NYC

8. Context of Your WL Portfolio • National/State/Regional Alignment with Standards • Contents align with national standards, such as ACTFL, or other published Standards at all levels • University/College Alignment • Rationale for program inclusion include the both institution’s and the program’s mission and goals • School Division Connections • Allows teachers to demonstrate qualifications sought by schools & enables licensing program to examine to what extent its content prepares candidates • Each Candidate’s unique characteristics NEC 2009 NYC

9. Multiple Purposes – Never Static Provides opportunity for creative demonstration & individualization of teacher candidates’ strengths and unique qualifications - not a mere check list The ACTFL NCATE Standards provide the framework; the teacher provides the creativity, makes choices when choosing artifacts, uses K-12 student work samples aligned with the K-12 Standards (5 Cs). NEC 2009 NYC

10. Alignment with the ACTFL NCATE Standards The 6 Standards for FL Teacher Education Programs I. Language, Linguistics, Comparisons II. Cultures, Literatures, Cross-Disciplinary Concepts III. Language Acquisition Theories & Instructional Practices IV. Integration of Standards into Curriculum & Instruction V. Assessment of Language and Cultures VI. Professionalism NEC 2009 NYC

11. Suggested Organization of 7 Sections – Additional Focus on Technology I. Language, Linguistics, Comparisons II. Cultures, Literatures, Cross-Disciplinary Concepts III. Language Acquisition Theories, Instruction IV. Integration of Standards into Curriculum & Instruction V. Assessment Practices/Impact on Student Learning VI. Technology VII. Professionalism Outline in your Handout NEC 2009 NYC

12. Reflection is Essential • Current research in education strongly suggests that the most effective teachers take a deeply reflective approach to their work. • Portfolio reflections provide a window into teachers’ beliefs and connections to classroom practice • Serves to connect Knowledge, Skills, & Dispositions making connections to classroom practice more visible NEC 2009 NYC

13. Reflection In Your Portfolio • At the start of each section of your Portfolio • Teacher’s Connections to the Standards • Provide insight into your beliefs • Reflective Journal • Reflections after teaching • Incorporate K-12 Student reflections in your work samples • Philosophy Statement NEC 2009 NYC

14. Examples of Digital Portfolios • French, Spanish, and Chinese teachers have created digital portfolios aligned with the ACTFL NCATE Standards These digital portfolios may be web based (uploaded or saved to a CD) or created in Power Point NEC 2009 NYC

15. And Additional Examples . . . • Portfolios may be adapted to reflect different contexts. Example: a teacher who is teaching English in China and has adapted her Portfolio to that context Jie’s Portfolio (A special thank you to Jie for sharing her work) Notice the interweave of Reflection throughout all of the portfolios ~ And Evidence of Content and Pedagogical Knowledge NEC 2009 NYC

16. Process, Presentation, & Evaluation • Formative and Summative processes • Portfolio compiled over the entire program, not just at the end • Should include both required and selected artifacts and reflections • Sharing & Presentation: essential component of the creation and synthesizing process • Mid-program sharing • Formal Synthesizing Presentation NEC 2009 NYC

17. Portfolios & Program Research • Programmatic Research • Understand the results of coursework and experiential learning • Engage teachers in the research on their own learning • Portfolios as tools for formative and summative assessment NEC 2009 NYC

18. Thank you! Questions and Discussion Becky Fox rfox@gmu.edu Dr. Fox’s Homepage: http://mason.gmu.edu/~rfox NEC 2009 NYC AERA 2009 San Diego, CA