Digital Portfolios: Powerful Tools for Promoting Professional Growth and Reflection [Paperback]

Elizabeth Hartnell-Young (Author), Maureen P. Morriss (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1412949300 | ISBN-13: 978-1412949309 | Publication Date: December 12, 2006 | Edition: 2nd

Providing ten steps to develop portfolios that demonstrate professional growth, this complete resource presents tips and strategies for using digital technology and guidelines for creating portfolios.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Teaches you how to build a portfolio and shows the potential benefits of the portfolio process. Qualitative research, which is essentially what portfolios lead to, is beneficial for teachers because it forces them to reflect on what actually happens in their classrooms. I can't think of a more powerful tool for learning and growth."
(Erin Powers, English Teacher )

"Novices are introduced to the wide scope of considerations regarding adoption of digital portfolios. For experienced practitioners, frames and matrices help to identify their own practices in relation to those of others."
(From the Foreword by Barbara Cambridge )

"The chapters are crafted for the inexperienced person confronted with keeping and maintaining a digital portfolio, but there are plenty of recommendations for the reader who has some experience but who needs fresh ideas to spice up the portfolio in preparation for an accreditation visit or in searching for new employment." (Teacher Librarian, April 2007 )

"Experts in the field provide educators and libraries catering to both education professionals and businesspeople with an excellent survey to creating a digital portfolio that accurately communicates professional goals and achievements." (The Bookwatch, October 2007 )

About the Author

Elizabeth Hartnell-Young is a research fellow in the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Nottingham, UK. Her interests include teacher roles and professional development, ePortfolios, and using mobile technologies for learning in schools. Her recent experience in developing and managing innovative projects in Australian schools includes the Boys’ Education Lighthouse Schools Project in over 350 schools. Formerly a secondary school principal, Elizabeth has also developed and presented leadership and career development programs for the Australian Principals Centre, universities, and government departments. She is a founder of ePortfolio Australia™, a consortium of educators supporting professional development and research into portfolios, and she has written numerous reports and professional papers, including a chapter in the Handbook of Research on ePortfolios ((2006). Elizabeth is also an honorary fellow in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

 

 

 

Maureen Morriss is a 30-year teaching veteran and an author who has held leadership positions in the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association and the Australian Literacy Federation. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in 1977, and later served as a principal, curriculum consultant, and staff developer. Maureen has also worked as a tenured lecturer in Australian universities. In 2000, she joined A.U.S.S.I.E. Inc., a leading provider of customized professional development services for K-12 schools in the U.S. and abroad. She has worked extensively providing instructional literacy leadership support to teachers, coaches, and administrators in New York, NY, Montgomery County, MD, Hartford, CT, and Fairfax County, VA. Maureen created BLISS (Balanced Literacy Informational Seminar Series) for principals, now in its fifth year of use, and has acted as the regional leader for A.U.S.S.I.E. for New York City’s Region 7. Her passion is, and has always been, to make a difference in the lives of children through her work with other educators.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Corwin Press; 2nd edition (December 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412949300
• ISBN-13: 978-1412949309
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,094,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too broad, too little guidance, January 4, 2008

By 

George M. Nickles III (Cullowhee, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Digital Portfolios: Powerful Tools for Promoting Professional Growth and Reflection (Paperback)

This book provides a very surface level look at using digital portfolios as a professional development tool for teachers. The chapters covered the use of portfolios in professional development of educators (very broad and jargon-y), the need to have a digital portfolio (5 pages to say what you could in one paragraph), defining a personal vision (useful), specific steps in creating a portfolio (best part), covering the technology used to create portfolios (woefully lacking in detail), presenting your portfolio to the world (some good parts, especially on including material by children), evaluating the portfolio (lacking in detail), "sharing the knowledge" (not sure what the main idea was of this chapter), and the potential for development through portfolios (sketchy vision).

Another problem I had with the book is the references used to support it. Several appear to be non-peer reviewed reports posted on websites (typically on the author's website). Others only weakly support the point made in the text (in my opinion). There were many statements in the book that I hoped would be backed up in some way (by references or logical argument), but were not. Does all this mean the authors are wrong? No, but it means support for some claims they make is weak.

The paperback itself is workbook sized and fairly sturdy. The larger page size is a good call considering the frequent use of tables and figures. So, the physical book is good quality.

I can't really recommend it as I'm not sure who it would be useful to. It's not detailed enough for practitioners and I assume researchers would already know all this.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars While the presentation is tailored for educators, all levels of business professional will learn, October 5, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Portfolios: Powerful Tools for Promoting Professional Growth and Reflection (Paperback)

Experts in the field provide educators and libraries catering to both educational professionals and businesspeople with an excellent survey to creating a digital portfolio which accurate communicates professional goals and achievements. While the presentation is tailored for educators, all levels of business professional will learn from a survey of how such a portfolio is developed from scratch, from the basics of selecting and highlighting material to using digital technology to its best advantage.