The success of ePortfolios in Learning Languages and French in particular will "depend on the availability and usability of appropriate software, on implementation in the curriculum and the widespread understanding and acceptance of the medium".(EU Leonardo eReport)
This entry aims to help you further your understanding and your investigations on how best to support your students in the gathering of evidence along their learning journey.
- Portfolio of evidence: technology pointers.
A big step to take is to decide which tools are best to gather evidence of our students' learning for assessment purposes and beyond.
The following people, from a range of backgrounds, have been working on this subject for sometime and share their experience and findings. It makes for excellent reading.
Nick Rate is currently an ICTPD National Facilitator for Core Education. As eFellow 08 he researched ePortfolios. Nick writes eLearning Infusion, his professional blog. He invites you to "clarify your purpose (pedagogy) before your technology (ePortfolio tool)", to "use the ePortfolio as the vehicle for drawing the components of effective pedagogy and assessment" in his CORE breakfast seminar presentation on ePortfolio . Nick answers 3 key questions in his subsequent blog post More ePortfolio Big Picture Question.
Jamin Lietze has been researching and leading the implementation of ePortfolios at Bethlehem College, Tauranga.
Jamin writes a professional blog called Education Investigation where you can view his findings and reflections on the "development of effective ePortfolios in NZ".
Jamin is a year 6 teacher dedicated to investigate which ICT tools are best for teaching and learning. In his blog he presents his "school's ePorfolio journey", not only sharing his findings about tools and the choices he's made but also about pedagogical issues, including ownership of students' learning, priorities etc. Recently Jamin initiated a successful ePortfolio Pedagogy Meeting, and he has established with the numerous participants The ePortfolios NZ Wiki on which you can access "a brief overview of different ePortfolio purposes", some of the "presentations delivered at the meeting" and contact names of teachers offering to show their work.
Toni Twiss is a NZC and eLearning Advisor at Waikato University. Toni has looked into tools and recommends 3 options to create students portfolios, which you can read about on her website.
The MoE is supporting the hosting of a specialist Tool: Mahara: Some beginners' information can be found on the Taming IT section and on the Mahara Demo Site.
I would like to draw your attention to the MLE Reference Group Googlegroup. Key in Mahara once on the Topic List to access very interesting and factual information on the use of Mahara, with conversations between teachers wanting to start with this specialist portfolio tool.
- Portfolio of Evidence: Pedagogy Pointers.
Alongside deciding on which tools suit you and your students best, maybe in discussion with others in your school, it is crucial to plan on what evidence to gather and how to make it happen in your planning. How to guide students while leaving room for student management? What tasks to incorporate to cater for a range of need and abilities? Gunhild Litwin (LL Advisor, Massey University) ran a plenary session for the Auckland branch of the NZALT in August 2010 called "Portfolios of Evidence : a suggestion for managing self and others". Her presentation, introducing Choice boards and students logbook can be downloaded from below.
Gunhild describes this Powerpoint presentation as "the product of over 150 teachers and me workshopping ways to manage the 1.3 portfolio standard."
Gunhild points out that "you can too view and contribute to the a google.doc (you must have a gmail account to access it, though) to download the logbook and choice-boards, and/or make changes on the document at this link. Gunhild adds that "a google.doc keeps history, so by altering anything, you will NOT delete prior versions.... " She also wants to "alert you to the very crucial fact that the 'success criteria' which describe in more detail the performance levels of Merit and Excellence are what came out of collaboration between teachers and me. They are by NO means official from NZQA or MoE"
Dawn Jarbeau (Facilitator Learning Languages Yrs 7-13, Team Solutions) brings to our attention the new TKI-Assessment for Learning website, which contains all current information related to Assessment. It provides, amongst others, School Stories, guidelines for Effective use of Evidence. The newest reference when it comes to Assessment under the New Zealand Curriculum.
Dawn has produced the document below What is Assessment for Learning? to describe the process and demonstrate how "Assessment, Teaching and Learning are inextricably linked."
A message from Ruth Bourchier, National Adviser for French (March 2010):
It is worth noting that the National Moderation Workshop for 2010 are based on the current standards and not standards alignment. As it will be 2013 before NCEA is fully aligned, you will be assessing against the current standards (with your current Year 11) for the next 3 years, while your current Year 10s will be the pioneers for the aligned standards.
Calendar 2010 for Best Practice Moderation Workshop ran by Shirley Bain, National Moderator for French.
Auckland Central: 29 June 2010
Napier: 17 August 2010
Nelson: 17 June 2010
New Plymouth: 18 November 2010
Palmerston North: 12 May 2010
Rotorua: 3 June 2010
Link to the NZQA Subject Specific site: a ‘one stop shop’ for your moderation needs. You will be able to access the following:
• Clarifications of the Standards documents. These have been written to help clarify the moderation around the Writing (06/09) and the Conversation Standards (03/09).
• Moderator Newsletter. An outline the most current issues in moderation
• You will find both the latest and past National Moderators' reports available for download.
• Student work exemplars. (Links from the Moderator's Newsletter)
This site will also provide you with direct links to other helpful resources e.g. the vocab and structures lists, the external examination papers, the assessment specifications, TKI, Assessment Guidelines and Circulars.
NZQA Website: 