Purpose

The portfolio of advanced technology competencies is an indication of the preservice teachers' ability to apply their technology skills in areas associated with teaching. The successful completion of the technology portfolio is required for teaching licensure in North Carolina.  The various components of the portfolio address North Carolina's five major categories of advanced competencies and their sub-categories. The purpose of the portfolio is to help preservice teachers to integrate their technology skills and to display their best work in a manner which represents their abilities to use technology effectively.  If you would like to see other universities in North Carolina web pages on the Advanced Technology Portfolio, go to http://www.unca.edu/education/edtech/ncunivhome.htm and you can click on various universities.

General Content

Portfolio content can include printed copies of work, electronic files of work, samples of preservice teacher students' work, and video and/or audio tapes of lessons delivered using technology. One piece of evidence can satisfy more that one competency. For example, a well designed unit plan can incorporate competencies from each of the five categories. Sample evidence can be found in the sample portfolio located in Zageir Hall 128. Collaborative works are acceptable if team members are acknowledged.

General Layout

The technology portfolio may be submitted electronically (via a web-based electronic portfolio or on CD) or the technology portfolio may be submitted in a three ring binder - you may include electronic media (e.g., floppy disks, zip disks, CD), where appropriate. It is suggested that students put all their work on a zip disk.  You may wish to then copy these files to a CD.  A CD-writer is available for this purpose.  Contact one of your professors about this option.  The media should be securely attached, in a clipped manila envelope or a special three ring holder or plastic pocket.  Media should be labeled properly with your name, platform (Windows or Mac), software used (e.g. Hyperstudio 3.0), a list of filenames and file descriptions.

For the hard copy of the technology portfolio, use subject-divider tabs for each of the five major categories of the advanced competencies.  Place the salmon-colored sheets from the Technology Portfolio packet, which can be purchased at the UNCA bookstore, under each of the appropriate competency categories.  These salmon-colored sheets contain a list of the technology skills for a sub-category of the major category.  Put evidence for the sub-category skills immediately following the associated salmon-colored sheet.

Students can choose to put all or part of their technology assignments (evidence for an objective) in an electronic portfolio that is posted on a web site.  Beginning in the Fall 2001 semester, students in Education 310 began to create an electronic portfolio and to post all their technology-related assignments on their own web site.  Students are encouraged to use the electronic portfolio approach, especially if starting the program by Fall 2001.

An example of the electronic portfolio can be found at http://rocky.unca.edu/education/edtech/elecportfolio/portfolio.htm .

Copies of the divider sheets (sometimes referred to as the salmon-colored sheets) for the hard copy portfolio can be found at http://rocky.unca.edu/education/edtech/portsheets.doc.
 

Specific Content of the Portfolio

1. Title page that includes the following information:

•  Preservice teacher's name
•  School (UNCA)
•  Major
•  Area(s) of licensure (grade level)
•  University supervisor
•  LEA supervisor and school
•  Date of submission

•  Dividers for each of the five Advanced Competencies (for hard copy).
•  "Salmon-colored" sheets for each of the sub-categories of Advanced Competencies
•  A rational statement in which you explain in a sentence or two why the evidence meets the specific technology objective.  The rational statement should be written on the salmaon-colored sheet (for hard copy) or on the web page for the objective for the web-based version.
•  Actual evidence for each competency. Or, if evidence has been used to satisfy another competency and is located elsewhere in the portfolio, indicate where it can be found. The evidence should be placed directly behind the salmon-colored sheet for which it corresponds (for the hard copy version).  For the web-based version, a link will be created for the evidence for each technology objective.

Steps for Constructing Your Technology Portfolio

The steps for creating the electronic (web-based) technology portfolio can be found at http://rocky.unca.edu/education/edtech/oldeportfolio/.

For the hard copy, follow these general instructions:

1. Be sure that your technology portfolio includes a title page, as decribed above..

2. Organize the portfolio with labeled dividers for each major category.  Place the salmon sheets in numerical order for each category.

3. After each salmon sheet, put evidence supporting the skills for that particular salmon sheet.

4. For each supporting evidence, you must write your rationale for including the evidence in that section.  On the salmon sheet (somewhere in the middle), please tell us what your evidence is and why you think it meets the skill for that section.  Please write legibly.

5. If you have more than one piece of evidence for a skill (that is, for one salmon sheet), then for your rationale on the salmon sheet state that the rationale for evidence 1 is such and such, the rationale for evidence 2 is such and such.  Then, so that we can be clear about which evidence is one or two, write at the top of the page of your evidence either Evidence 1 or Evidence 2.

6. For each evidence, include a hard copy and/or a software program.  Put the hard copy following the salmon sheet and put your software (spreadsheet, PowerPoint presentation, HyperStudio project, etc.) on a floppy disk, zip disk, or CD.

7. On the salmon sheet, indicate the type of software (e.g., MS Works spreadsheet, ClarisWorks word processing, PowerPoint, etc.) that you used and the file name (if it is a file necessary for someone to access in order to evaluate your work, for example, a HyperStudio program that would not be appropriate to print out).

8. If your evidence is a web page, you should print out your web page(s), but also please write on the salmon sheet the URL for the web page and state why this web page meets the skill objective.

9. Do not use plastic folder sheets to put multi-page papers.  Plastic sheets do not need to be used, but if you use them, put one page per plastic sheet.
 

Grading criteria

•   Match of evidence with competency
•   Completeness and quality of evidence including proper citations and documentation for external sources
•   Indication if work done as part of collaborative team and names of team members
•   All evidence judged at or above standard

The assemblage of the technology portfolio should begin during the first education course in the UNCA's program.  In Introduction to Education (EDUC 310), students will receive directions from their professors on what is expected in the technology portfolios, how to get the portfolios started, and all other expectations and deadlines concerning this state requirement.

The advanced technology competency skills are integrated into UNCA Education courses. Hopefully, all of your portfolio will be assembled before student teaching.  The completed copy of your portfolio, with associated media, must be presented to your supervising teacher two months before the end of the student teaching semester.  If possible, include appropriate evidence from your student teaching experience.  Your supervising teacher and your cooperating teaching will evaluate the completed portfolios against a set of standards. If sections of a portfolio is missing or below standard, students will have until approximately three weeks before graduating to resubmit.

Schedule for Submission of Portfolios for Preservice Teachers Seeking Licensure
 

• Fall 2003 - Submit your final technology portfolio by September 12, 2003
• Spring 2003 - Submit your final technology portfolio by February 7, 2003

This document can be found at http://www.unca.edu/education/edtech/portfolio