Create an electronic portfolio with a database program

Developing the Framework for your Educational Technology Foundation Standards Electronic Portfolio

Using a Database Program

Stage 1 - In the database, prepare your overview/standards page.

Set up the portfolio demonstrating the ISTE/NCATE Educational Technology Foundation Standards

Set up a database with the following fields:

name/number of each performance indicator
self-rating
reflection
the artifacts
goals

You will want to set up an attractive report layout for presentation.

Copy the performance indicators into the database, creating an individual record for each one.

OR Open the file called "templatedb.awk". This file contains the performance indicators for ISTE Educational Technology Foundations Standards.

Stage 2 - Collecting the Artifacts - The Working Portfolio

Interject personality into the portfolio design. Use some of the graphics capabilities of the report layouts to add style and flair to the portfolio.

Identify the portfolio artifacts (examples of your work, hopefully in electronic form) or experiences you have that demonstrate that you have met this indicator. You might set up a separate database that lists all of the artifacts that you have collected and how they might demonstrate your competency.

On your hard drive, floppy disk or server, store the artifacts into electronic folders for each standard to organize the artifacts (any type of electronic document).

Use appropriate multimedia to add style and individuality to portfolio.

Use a scanner (or camera) to digitize images [Level 2]
Use a microphone and sound digitizing program to digitize audio artifacts [Level 4]
Use a video camera, digitizing hardware and software to digitize video artifacts [Level 5]

Stage 3 - Selection, Reflections & Direction - The Reflective Portfolio

Write a reflection for each performance indicator that explains why you think you have demonstrated achievement of this performance indicator. In other words, how you think you have accomplished this standard.

Enter a short reflection into the "reflection" field

After each reflection, identify the portfolio artifacts (examples of your work, hopefully in electronic form) or experiences you have that demonstrate that you have met this indicator.

List the artifacts or experiences in the "artifacts" field

The portfolio becomes a lifelong learning tool, when we take these reflections and set goals for future learning.

Write a short statement on future learning goals in the "goals" field

Stage 4 - Adding hypertext links to become a Connected Portfolio

The advantage and disadvantage of this approach is the accessibility on the Internet. The difficulty is needing to make the database available through a web server, and knowing how to link the fields to a web page. There are many other resources available to guide the developer on how to make these databases web-accessible. This strategy is certainly a fertile ground for product development.

In the absence of the skills to post the database to the Internet, or access to an appropriate server, another option is to convert the information into a more universal format:

Convert the files to Adobe Acrobat

Convert the files into Web page format