ePortfolio Outline

Overview

Billy Baines Middle School is one of the top middle schools throughout the entire district of Fort Bend, and in an effort to continually grow the success of Baines MS, I feel that my idea to implement ePortfolios on our campus would be a great opportunity. I’ve had the opportunity of using an ePortfolio during my masters program at Lamar University, and overall the experience with it has been a positive one. I’ve learned how to create my own website, build my own brand, and use a number of tools to make it my own. I’ve also been able to reflect on my learning and thinking on just about anything while receive feedback from my peers and professors. I would love to pilot a class of my choosing, collect data on my findings and hopefully implement this plan in future years. I believe this would be a great opportunity to help our students succeed and represent FBISD’s “Profile of a Graduate.”

Proposal

I want to implement students using their own ePortfolio where they can select a school approved platform and use that platform to display their learning not just in one class, but all their classes. This portfolio would be able to follow them beyond their years in high school and college to be used as a positive tool for personal reflection, growth and individualized learning. We are constantly looking for new ways to implement online tools or have technology blended into our curriculum, and I believe that this idea allows for students to work with technology, build tech-needed skills, reflect on their learning experiences in all classrooms, display their learning in one singular form as opposed to a multitude of different notebooks, tests, worksheets, etc., that students may forget or lose, and allows them to grow from each individual learning experience while expressing unique, creative mind.

Need/Purpose

Being in the masters program at Lamar University focusing on Digital Learning and Leading has opened my eyes to what true learning consists of. It is the idea that learning happens at any time and any place, but in order for us to truly learn, we must do it at our own time and not feel pushed into doing it. Now, looking into the literature research, and learning with my new classmates, I can see that this is something we need to help students prepare for their future careers and future students who walk into the classroom.

As previously stated, the purpose of the eportfolio is to allow the students a platform to display and show off their learning.This format also allows ease of access for teachers because we usually have a lot of papers or projects to grade, but what if all of the students work and projects were displayed in one area? ePortfolios would not only be beneficial for students, but also for teachers as it would help with grading because students would submit work from other classes through their portfolio and allow teachers to collaborate with each other.

Outline

Phase 1

• Send in proposal letter to Dr. Jennifer Roberts
• Model my ePortfolio and learning process over the last three months, share why it has been successful.
• During second semester of the 2018-2019 school year, begin process with one Pre-AP class to create and setup their own unique ePortfolio.
• Create unique goal statement with students so we understand the ePortfolios use
• Allow time for students to create their own ePortfolio from district approved list of sites (WordPress, Wix, Weebly)
• Develop/Support student understanding for ePortfolios
• Embed ePortfolios into a lesson for the class
• Fix any issues, have student upload several reflections, work samples, videos etc.
• Display student learning and interaction at faculty meeting/Spring Open House
• I will track student data through formative assessments, discussions, usage through the end of the school year.
• Listen to student feedback over successes/failures/adjustments with ePortfolio

Phase 2

• At the end of the school year, present my findings to my department, Assistant Principals and Principal, and make a plan of action to present during BOY professional development.
• Uncover more research and data from my findings and other research and present all findings during the 2019-2020 school year.
• Make the initiative campus wide for Pre-AP  8th grade level.
• Portfolio’s will be created in ELA as a project, and will be utilized more by Pre-AP core content classes (Math, Science, Social Studies and ELA.)
• 8th grade teachers will collect data throughout the school year, present their findings at faculty meetings, PLC meetings, communications through email, student success, parental feedback etc.
• At the end of the first semester, we will meet to discuss Pros and Cons of ePortfolio and if the program needs to continue or make adjustments.

Phase 3

• If all is successful during the 2019-2020 school year, continue to push the ePortfolio to all levels for 8th grade,, utilizing the same outline for step 2 by tracking data, student growth and success, parent feedback etc.
• Use ePortfolios throughout the 2020-2021 school year at plan to implement on the 7th grade level then grade level and beyond.

Goals (Year One)

The goals of the ePortfolio will focus on one class this school year, specifically one of my pre-AP classes. These students are constantly eager to learn new tools, try them out, and if they fail, they ask the questions that help them realign their focus.

1. Students will select a platform that is District approved
2. Students will use the platform to display their learning for assignments such as: Essays, stories, reflections, projects, video submissions.
3. I will use student data to meet with other content area teachers, and see if there was success using ePortfolios.
4. Baines Middle school will begin the integration of ePortfolios for the 2019-2020 school year and beyond.

Specifications

Baines MS is equipped with three computer labs, several iPad carts in addition students have their smartphones. They will, if necessary, need to download the app of the platform that they are using, so they can use their device to upload any new content.