The Teaching Portfolio: Best Reflective Practices

The Teaching Portfolio

By Doug Strahler

Best Reflective Practices

Overview What is a teaching portfolio? What is reflective practice? Why have a teaching portfolio? What should portfolios demonstrate? Electronic teaching portfolios Sample Teaching Portfolios

How many of you have a teaching portfolio? Please put up a green check if you do

Definition of a Teaching Portfolio “A teaching portfolio is a coherent set of

materials, including work samples and reflective commentary on them, complied by a faculty member to inquire into and represent his or her teaching practice as related to student learning and development”

Center for Teaching Excellence, Duquesne University, n.d.

What is a Teaching Portfolio?

Process Product

Reflection Narrative Analysis Goals Revisions Mentoring

(Collaboration) Improvement

Evidence-based Selective Information Representative Data Appendix Materials Assessment/

Evaluation

Zubizarreta, 1995

What is reflection? “Reflection occurs when learners look back on

their performance in a situation and compare their performance with some set of standards or with other performances, such as their own previous performances and those of experts”

Collins & Halverson, 2009

Critical Component: Reflection Process

Reflection as a whole

Reflection Reflection Reflection Reflection

Reflection Reflection Reflection Reflection

David Kolb’s Learning Cycle

The University of Iowa Center for Teaching, n.d.

Three Forms of Reflection1. Reflection on your process2. Comparison of your performance with the

performance of experts3. Comparison of your performance with a set

of criteria for evaluating performance

Collins & Halverson, 2009

What should portfolios include? Information from oneself Information from others Products or outcomes of student learning

Duquesne University Center for Teaching Excellence The Teaching Portfolio

Statement of teaching philosophy Student evaluation summary A curriculum vitae A list of post-secondary courses taught Sample course materials

Syllabi Assignments and Grading Guide Student Paper with Comments (with statement of student

permission) Lesson Plan Exam or quiz Description of semester-long project Course website excerpts

Duquesne University Center for Teaching Excellence The Teaching Portfolio (cont.)

List of professional interactions about teaching Documentation of classroom observation by a

faculty member Writing Reflections on Teaching Materials

What should portfolios demonstrate? Responsibilities Philosophy Methodologies Materials Student ratings Peer reviews Efforts to improve teaching Goals

Electronic Portfolios

Traditional Portfolio Technology allows

Archiving Linking/Thinking Storytelling Collaborating Publishing

Collecting Selecting Reflecting Projecting Celebrating

Barrett, 2005

Technology Tools for Reflection

Barrett & Richter, n.d.

Blogs (Reflective journal) Wikis (Collaborative Web Pages) Multimedia (Digital stories & Podcasts) Interactive micro-blogging (Twitter) Social Networking

Sample Teaching Portfolio

Final remarks This is not a one-time collection of documents,

but a process that will continue over time Reflect & Revise (Add/Subtract/Edit) Demonstrates growth & development Become a reflective practitioner

ReferencesBarrett, H. C. (2005). Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner

Engagement [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.taskstream.com/reflect/whitepaper.pdf

Barrett, H. C., & Richter, J. (n.d.). Technology Tools for Reflection. Retrieved from

http://sites.google.com/site/reflection4learning/technology-tools-for-reflection

Center for Teaching Excellence, Duquesne University (n.d.). The Teaching Portfolio. Retrieved from http://www.duq.edu/cte/academic-careers/teaching-portfolio.cfm

Collins, A., & Halverson, R. (2009). Rethinking education in the age of technology. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Harvard University Office of Career Services. (2010). Teaching Portfolios. Retrieved from http://bokcenter.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k1985&pageid=icb.page29708

The University of Iowa Center for Teaching (n.d.). David Kolb’s Learning Cycle. Retrieved from http://centeach.uiowa.edu/documents/DavidKolb.pdf

Zubizarreta, J. (1995). The Teaching Portfolio: Reflective Practice for Improvement and Assessment of Teaching [White paper]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/WSSU_CETL/tp-workshop-handout-1