Electronic Portfolio Guide for Educational Leadership

The Professional e-Portfolio Background:

In an administrative preparation program the Professional e-Portfolio has two primary purposes: 1)

professional growth, and 2) career advancement. Principal preparation programs are concerned with

teaching the knowledge and skills necessary for success. The Professional e-Portfolio serves the

student (principal candidate) in several important ways.

Reflective Practice – Students value clarity in their coursework. Professional growth occurs

when students are challenged to articulate their beliefs and values.

Career Advancement – Research has shown that a significant percentage of school executives

believe that a professional portfolio is a useful tool in the hiring and selection process.

The Interview – The process of e-portfolio development prepares the candidate for the

interview by requiring the candidate to summarize and articulate beliefs, skills, and strengths.

Matching the Position and Candidate – The Professional e-Portfolio helps the candidate to

stand out from others. It also gives insights into the candidate’s personality, skills and beliefs

that allow the interview team and candidate to better evaluate the “fit” for the position.

You will present the e-Portfolio at an Internship video conferencing session at the end of

your program.

Examples of the Leadership Framework, Belief Matrix, and Entry Plan, and Rubrics for

the presentation and for the e-Portfolio content are located at the end of this document.

e-Portfolio Sections

Your e-Portfolio will contain the following sections (described in greater detail below):

1. Introduction (home page)

2. Cover Letter

3. Curriculum Vita/Resume

4. Leadership Framework

5. Belief Matrix

6. Entry Plan

7. Course Timeline

8. Internship

9. Personal Evaluation

10. Program Evaluation

Although we appreciate the uniqueness of portfolios as they document goals, achievements,

skills, and learning experiences, we require particular sections to facilitate the programmatic and

evaluative purposes of e-Portfolio development. Some people may feel that required sections

limit their self-expression or conform learning experiences to unrepresentative categories. We

believe that barriers to creativity and self-expression can be overcome through presentation style,

selected evidence, and personal reflection. Remember that your e-Portfolio satisfies multiple

program purposes.

Introduction:

The introduction or Home page is the first page people will see when they access your e-

Portfolio. You should provide a professional photograph of yourself and a brief introduction

about you as a professional. Use this page to concisely indicate who you are, your career

objectives, and the degree you are seeking.

Next introduce your e-Portfolio. Briefly describe what is found within it. You may want to

highlight one or two major goals or milestones that you accomplished during e-Portfolio

development and indicate how they influenced you and your career aspirations. You may also

want to indicate how your e-Portfolio demonstrates sufficient knowledge and skill to satisfy job

searches, promotion requirements, or other professional objectives. Make sure your introduction

is concise; it should introduce, not supercede other e-Portfolio sections.

Cover Letter:

Include the Cover Letter you wrote in EDAD 5030. This fictitious cover letter is written as if you

were applying for your dream job. Include your professional training, beliefs about school

leadership, and positive attributes.

Curriculum Vita/Resume:

Include an up-to-date vita in this section, a document required in EDAD 5030. Your vita should

highlight professional accomplishments, and summarize educational experiences.

Given the limited formatting capabilities of HTML editors, you may also want to include a PDF

version of your document.

Include:

Professional address

Education

Honors and awards

Certification(s)

Research interests

Professional experiences including time

frames and brief job descriptions

Professional activities such as

publications, presentations, grants, etc.

Teaching activities

Professional service activities

Leadership Framework:

Include the leadership framework you created in EDAD 5020.

Belief Matrix:

Include the belief matrix you created in EDAD 5010.

Entry Plan:

Include the entry plan you created in EDAD 5020.

Course Timeline:

To help you plan your program experience, you should indicate your time frame for completing

all degree courses by your first e-Portfolio review.

This timeline should identify the degree/certificate you are seeking. Any courses taken prior to

program admittance that were accepted to fulfill program requirements must also be listed.

Indicate the institution, year, and semester (or equivalent) that they were completed.

Your timeline should then list all Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters between program

admittance and expected graduation. Group semesters by year. Indicate within each semester

what courses you will take to complete program requirements.

Internship:

This section should be a reflection on your internship experience. You should describe the

following:

Place and timeframe of your internship

Mentors

Reflections on experiences and lesson learned. This should be a detailed reflection on

how you think the internship went. What were your strengths? What were your

weaknesses? If you could do it again, what would you change?

Artifacts. Include all 25 internship activities write-ups.

Artifacts:

On the Artifacts page of the e-Portfolio, you will provide documentation of your strengths,

experiences, and skills. This section might include any of the following:

Selected letters of reference (2 or 3)

Leadership experience

Communication: personal, internal (staff), and external (parent/community)

Organizational skills

Technical skills

Pictures of your experiences

Personal Evaluation:

This section of your e-Portfolio should include a thoughtful reflection regarding your

performance during the previous years. Base it on the goals you established and your ability to

meet those goals. Be honest and direct. Were you pleased with your overall performance? Why

or why not? What strengths do you have? What personal limitations impeded your progress?

How and to what extent did you overcome these limitations? How might you overcome them in

the future?

This is also a space to go beyond your stated goals and address other life events that are

important for understanding your performance during year.

Program Evaluation:

Similar to your personal evaluation, this section of your e-Portfolio is meant to review the

program’s abilities to meet your goals and expectations. In what ways did programmatic

elements help or hinder goal attainment? What strengths and weaknesses does your program

have? What might the Educational Leader program do to better support your professional

development? What would you like to see more of in the future? What would you like to see less

of?

As with your personal evaluation, be prepared to defend and discuss your statements with your

advisor and/or committee. Although you shouldn’t shy away from giving or receiving criticism,

make sure that your comments are based on constructive feedback as opposed to anger, spite, or

blame placing.

Google Site Tutorial

Google sites is a free Internet Wiki based on collaborative web design. You may use it to create

your e-Portfolio. Unlike many wikis, Google Sites does not require you to learn HTML, CSS, or

Wiki syntax to develop content. You can also determine who can access your content, making

your e-Portfolio public for all Internet users to see or restricting it to just a few persons.

You will need the following pages for your e-Portfolio (see Appendix A):

1. Introduction (home page)

2. Cover Letter

3. Curriculum Vita/Resume

4. Leadership Framework

5. Belief Matrix

6. Entry Plan

7. Course Timeline

8. Internship

9. Personal Evaluation

10. Program Evaluation

11. File Cabinet Page (a hidden page to store artifacts). This page is created following the

same steps in Create a New Page except you select File Cabinet in Step 4.

Below is a list of topics covered in this tutorial. This tutorial is only meant to provide the basics

of Google sites. Additional forums are located at

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/sites?hl=en

Obtain an Account

Create a New Site

Create a New Page

Edit a Page

o Insert a Link

o Insert an Image

o Insert a Table

o Insert a YouTube Video

Remove Attachments/Comments from a Page

Preview a Page

Delete a Page

Site Navigation

o Add Pages to Navigation List

o Reorder Pages from Navigation List

o Remove Pages from Navigation List

o Remove Recent Site Activity from Sidebar

Share your e-Portfolio

Obtain a Google Sites Account

To obtain a Google sites account you will need to have a Google Account. Those of you who

already use Gmail or related Google Services already have access to Google Sites. Just navigate

to http://sites.google.com and login using your Google account information. If you need to create

an account, navigate to http://sites.google.com and select the Sign up for Sites option on the

page. You will be asked to fill out a form and then allowed to login to your site.

Create a New Site

If you have not created a site, you will be presented with a brief overview of the program. Click

the Create site button.

1. Name your site “Last name, First

name e-Portfolio”

2. In the Share with option select

“Only people I specify can view

this site

3. Pick a site theme

4. Type the code to verify that you

are a real person

5. Select the Create site button

Once you create a site, the home page

will automatically generate (pictured

below). The Home page is a special page

because it automatically displays when

your site is entered site. Because of this,

you will retitle it to become your e-

Portfolio introduction page (see Edit a

Page for details).

e-

Portfoli

Create a New Page

1. Click the Home link in

the navigation bar

2. Click the + Create new

Page button in the top-

right of your screen.

3. Title your page

4. Select the Webpage

template

5. Select “Put the page at the

top level”

6. Select Create page

Edit a Page

1. Navigate to the page you want to edit

2. Click the Edit page button

3. A page editor will appear. Within this editor you can alter the title of your page, type

content, format text, insert images, etc.

4. Select the Save button

Insert a Link:

1. Type the text that you want displayed on your page

2. Highlight this text with your cursor

3. Select the Link button from the menu

4. Indicate if you want to link to a web address or to another page on your website

5. Select if you want youe link to open in a new window

6. Type (or paste) the address to the page

7. Click the OK button

Insert an Image:

1. Select the Insert menu

2. Choose Image from the list

3. In the pop-up window, indicate if you will obtain your image from a website or if

you will upload it from your computer

4. Locate the image

5. Click on the Add image button

6. A window will appear below your image. Indicate whether you want to align your

image to the left, center, or right of the screen, what size you want you image, and

whether you want to wrap text around it. If these links don’t appear underneath

your image, click on your image to select it.

Insert a Table:

1. Select the Table menu

2. Scroll over Insert Table from the list and select the number of rows and columns

by highlighting them in the grid that appears

3. After highlighting the number of rows and columns, left-click your mouse

4. Click within a cell to add text

5. To add or delete additional rows or columns, select the Table button, and choose

the corresponding option from the list

Insert a YouTube Video:

Note: If your video is hosted outside of YouTube, create a hyperlink to it.

1. Select the Insert menu

2. Scroll over Video and choose YouTube from the list

3. Copy and paste the web address for this video into the provided box

4. Indicate whether you want a border or title in your video

5. If you want a title, be sure to enter it in the box

6. Press the Save button

Remove Attachment/Comments Options from a Page

1. Navigate to the page you want to remove attachment or comment options

2. Click the More actions button.

3. From the drop-down list, select Page settings

4. Deselect Allow attachments and/or Allow comments from the list

5. Click the Save button.

Preview a Page Google Sites provides tools, features, and page views to web authors that are not shown to

average viewers. However, they also provide a tool to preview what your page will look like to

someone else.

1. Navigate to the page that you want to view

2. Click on the More actions button

3. From the drop-down list, select Preview page as viewer

Delete a Page

1. Navigate to the page that you want to remove

2. Click on the More actions button.

3. From the drop-down list, select Delete

Site Navigation

The navigation menu allows you to quickly navigate to webpages

that you created in your e-Portfolio. By default your Home page

and Site Map are included in this menu. However, you can add,

remove, and reorder any page on your site in this menu.

Add Pages to Navigation List: 1. Select the Edit sidebar link on the bottom-left of

your window

2. Under the Navigation heading select the edit link

(circled at right)

3. Deselect Automatically organize my navigation

4. Select the Add page link

5. Select your page from the list and press OK

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to add more pages

7. Select OK when you are finished

8. Select Save Changes

9. Select the Return to site link in the upper-left portion of your window to return to

your webpage

Reorder Pages from Navigation List:

1. Select the Edit sidebar link on the bottom-left of your

window

2. Under the Navigation heading select the edit link

(circled on previous page)

3. Deselect Automatically organize my navigation

4. To reorder a page on the navigation bar, select page

title with your cursor and use the arrow keys (circled

at right) to reposition or indent it

5. Press the OK button when you are satisfied with your

navigation list

6. Select the Save Changes button

7. Select the Return to site link in the upper-left portion

of your window to return to your webpage

Remove Pages from Navigation List:

1. Select the Edit sidebar link on the bottom-left of your window

2. Under the Navigation heading select the edit link (circled on previous page)

3. Select the page with your cursor and press the X button (below the arrow keys

circled above) in the upper-right hand corner of the pop-up window

4. Press the OK button when you are satisfied with your navigation list

5. Select the Save Changes button

6. Select the Return to site link in the upper-left portion of your window to return to

your webpage

Remove Recent Site Activity from Sidebar: 1. Select the Edit sidebar link on the bottom-left of your window

2. Under the Navigation heading select the edit link (circled on previous page)

3. Deselect Recent site activity from the Include a link to: list

4. Press the OK button when you are satisfied with your navigation list

5. Select the Save Changes button

6. Select the Return to site link in the upper-left portion of your window to return to

your webpage

Share your e-Portfolio

Google sites provides three ways to share your work with others. You can make your work

public, share only the link, or make it private. To share your e-Portfolio:

1. Click on the More Actions button at the top-right of your window and select Site

permissions. A window will appear identifying who has access to the site.

2. Select the Change link to the right of that window

3. If you would like to make your site searchable and available to anyone on the Internet

select Public on the web. If you don’t want your site to be searchable but want it

available to anyone with the URL select Anyone with the link. If you want your site to

be private except for those with specific permission select Private.

4. For purposes of this program, I would recommend making your site available to anyone

with the link. Then you can email them the web address to your e-Portfolio.

Sample Leadership Framework

17

Leadership Framework

John Smith

Department Chair

Jones School District

Philosophy of Education

There are three basic reasons for education. First, to prepare children for life in a democratic

society by providing them with key concepts from all academic disciplines. Second, to instill an

understanding of the values of our society, the difference between right and wrong, the idea that

life choices have consequences, and the self-discipline and self-esteem that accompany that

understanding. Third, to equip students with the tools to become lifelong learners.

Philosophy of Leadership

The principal is the instructional leader of the building. Of all the models of supervision

available, the human resources model is the most effective. In this approach, the principal will

view satisfaction as a desirable end toward which teachers will work. Also, sharing of the

decision-making process between administrators and teachers is vital in order to increase school

effectiveness.

Vision for Learners

Every child deserves a chance to learn, and every child is a learner. It is apparent that not every

child can or will learn in the same way. Therefore, it is important to teach to the individual child

and the whole child. Material must be presented in a variety of ways for optimum learning. In

order for all to learn, children need to know that they are valued and that they have strengths to

build on and weaknesses to overcome. It is the responsibility of the principal and teacher to

provide each child with a supportive, student-centered learning environment.

Vision for Teachers

Teachers are at the heart of the child's learning system. They are supporters, encouragers, and

facilitators of learning. Teachers must have time to plan together and alone so that effective

programs are developed for students. Teachers are accountable for motivating each child in the

classroom. Teachers should be provided with supportive words and resources, including

materials, assistants, time, and money to do their jobs effectively. They should be in an ongoing

program of staff development.

Vision for the Organization

The organization should be a place that prepares children to be lifelong learners. It should be a

system where teachers feel like they have an active role in the decision-making process, where I

parents are involved in their child's education, and where school is seen as a vital part of the

community. The organization is in a constant state of evolution as the needs of students change.

The vision and commitment of the administrator leads to a domino effect that affects the faculty,

the students, and the community .The result is an organization where high expectations lead to

higher achievement for all.

Vision for Professional Growth

I believe that professional growth and staff development is the ongoing and job-related program

within the school district that is designed to maintain and define the required competencies of the

district's employees. Supervisors should not merely transmit expectations for teacher

performance and then evaluate the extent to which teachers conform to those expectations,

however. Since the main thrust of adult education should be self-determination, the principal

must provide a supportive, nonthreatening environment whereteachers, together with the

principal, can develop a plan for improvement. This plan will be the result of honest self-

diagnosis on the part of the teacher and a measuring of the gaps that exist between present

teaching competencies and ideal states. This can be related to a principal's growth as well.

Method of Vision Attainment

A principal cannot undertake the task of creating a first-rate educational community by him or

herself. He or she must enlist the help of the community by cultivating productive relationships

with parents and business leaders. Also, staffing skills will be needed in order to attract and keep

innovative teachers and dismiss those who fail to meet high expectations of the organization. It is

important to balance the traits of both classical and human relations theorists, to be both task-

oriented and receptive to the needs of the faculty. Ultimately, the principal must perform seven

special functions--planning, staffing, organizing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and

budgeting--with the success of the students in mind. It is only then that the ultimate vision of the

organization--the best possible education for all students--will be realized.

LEADERSHIP MATRIX

Principles

Communication

Relationships

Honesty

Trust

Integrity

Humility

High Expectations

Approachable

Communication

Clear

Often

Multiple Ways

Formal/Informal

Reflective

Honest

Communication

Cultivate

Humor

Collegiality

Trusting

Compassionate

Teaching/Learning Leadership Supervision Effective

Successful

Differentiated

Appropriate

Action Research

Reflective

Varied

Visible

Approachable

Accepting

Effective

Visionary

Anticipatory

Reflective

Develop Leaders

Differentiated

Continuous

Informal

Formal

80/20 Rule

Risk Taker

Professional Development School Improvement Assessment/Achievement

Expected

Ongoing

Experiences

Collaborative

Formal

Informal

Research Based

Data Based

Realistic

Acceptance

Concise

Achievable

Curriculum Driven

Multiple Sources

Differentiated

Fair/Equal

Standards

Dexter, R., Berube, B., Perry, S., & Stader, D. (Fall 2005). Putting a frame on Leadership. AASA Journal

of Scholarship and Practice. Available from: www.aasa.org

Entry Plan Example

Goal #1: Participate in activities to develop relationships with school staff, which will establish

myself as the school leader.

Objective Activities Timeline Evaluation

1. Develop

relationships with

internal and external

key communicators.

• Organize an open

house for school and

community members.

• Participate in informal

discussions with

teachers, janitors,

parents, students, and

community leaders.

First month of

school

Ongoing throughout

school year

Verbal feedback

from participants.

Personal reflection

of interactions

2. Become familiar

with the school

climate and culture.

• Review school

vision/mission

statements.

• Attend extra-

curricular activities

• Discuss past

successes and failures

with numerous

individuals involved

in the school

community.

Before the start of

school

Ongoing

Ongoing

Reflection

Informal feedback

from school

community

Form thoughts for

ongoing

improvement

3. Explore the

instructional

philosophies of the

school’s teachers.

• Informal visits to

classrooms.

• Visit with individual

teachers in informal

environments.

• Discussions with

parents and students.

• Attend departmental

meetings.

• Have informal visits

with school

counselors.

Start the first week

of school, then

ongoing

Ongoing

Seek out parents and

students in first days

of school, then

ongoing

Immediately, then

ongoing as time

allows.

Before start of

school, then

ongoing

Reflective

thought/journaling

Reflective thought

Parent survey

Personal assessment

of leadership

acceptance

Personal assessment

of leadership

acceptance

Goal #2: Allow opportunities to balance personal and professional needs.

Objective Activities Timeline Evaluation 1. Provide time for

professional reflective

thought.

• Professional staff

development.

• Discussions with

colleagues.

• Visits to out of district

schools.

Quarterly

As often as possible

Each semester

Reflective

journaling

Reflective thought

Reflective thought

and journaling

2. Manage personal

stress and health. • Balance of time “on the

job.”

• Delegation of projects

when necessary.

• Participate in healthy

physical activities;

walking, skiing, etc.

• Personal entertainment;

dinner, movies, etc.

Everyday

When appropriate

Everyday, or when

appropriate

At least weekly,

sometimes by-

weekly

Do not spend

numerous extra

hours at work

Feedback from

colleagues,

teachers

Participation in

activities

Completion of

activity

Professional e-Portfolio Presentation Guide and Rubric

Professional e-Portfolio Presenters:

Please present your professional portfolio, program, and internship experience in a professional

manner – a more formal presentation rather than casual.

This presentation should be10 minutes or less in length.

Introduce yourself, including your education background, your current assignment, and your

dream administrative appointment.

Please address the following objectives in your presentation:

1. Present the most useful or meaningful content and skills you learned from the program

and internship that will enable you to be an effective leader.

2. What would you have done differently during your internship to improve the learning

experience?

3. Present the most useful or meaningful situation you experienced as an intern.

4. Describe something major you have learned about yourself throughout the content and

internship portion of this program that will make you an effective leader.

5. How do you perceive yourself using the professional portfolio to secure an administrative

position?

6. If you were to start this program again what would you expect to learn from the program

to better prepare you for an administrative appointment?

7. Other areas you would like to address.

The attached rubrics will be used to evaluate your presentation and portfolio.

3 = Distinguished – exceeds stated expectations

2 = Proficient – meets expectations

1 = Basic – needs improvement in several areas

0 = Unsatisfactory - unacceptable

Professional e-Portfolio Presentation Rubric

The presenter . . .

1. Was well organized 3 2 1 0

2. Spoke clearly and professionally 3 2 1 0

3. Maintained contact with the audience 3 2 1 0

4. Appeared confident 3 2 1 0

5. Answered questions from audience 3 2 1 0

6. Adhered to time constraints 3 2 1 0

7. Used technology in presentation 3 2 1 0

8. Accomplished the stated objectives 3 2 1 0

(listed on front page)

Comments:

Professional e-Portfolio Rubric

Title Page

Table of Contents 3 2 1 0

Cover Letter (1 page) 3 2 1 0

Details specific position and match

Resume (2-3 pages) 3 2 1 0

Personal contact information

Job objective statement

Education and training

Experience

Specific skills, activities, and organizations

Leadership Framework (2-3 pages) 3 2 1 0

Philosophy of education

Philosophy of leadership

Vision for learning

Vision for teachers

Vision for the organization

Vision for curriculum, instruction, and assessment

Vision for professional growth

Method of vision attainment

Belief Matrix (1 page) 3 2 1 0

Philosophy & guiding principles

Organizational management

Supervision & selection

Teaching, learning, & technology

Leadership

Communication & relationships

Professional growth

School improvement

Student assessment & achievement

Entry Plan (2-3 pages) 3 2 1 0

Goal statement

Objectives

Activities

Timelines

Evaluation

Internship Summary (2-3 pages) 3 2 1 0

Place & time

Mentors

Summary of experiences

Course timeline: 3 2 1 0

Artifacts: 3 2 1 0

Personal Evaluation: 3 2 1 0

Program Evaluation: 3 2 1 0

Comments: