Troy’s Tech Tips for Teachers

Prepared originally for Holt High School’s English Department as they began exploring how to use digital portfolios in their school, this page will be updated with links to relevant digital portfolio information.

Thinking about Web-Based Design and Content Management Systems

• Web-based portfolios are ones that a student designs from the ground up using an HTML editor and other tools to create his or her own web site, but have a higher learning curve than CMS.
• Content Management Systems are online tools that allow users to add content and offer other interactive features, but don’t allow total control over design like building your own web site would.
• Discussion – Why is this difference important in our teaching and students’ learning?

Tools for Creating a Digital Portfolio

ELGG

• ELGG – a social networking site dubbed as a “personal learning landscape”
• A recent article about ELGG and some of its features
• An ELGG site sponsored by the Education Bridges Network
• ELGG Documentation Wiki

Word Press

• Word Press through Edublogs – Word Press is “a state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform” and Edublogs allows you to create a free blog
• An article by Helen Barrett thinking about Web 2.0 tools for portfolio building
• An example of what a portfolio created with Word Press might resemble (Note: I don’t believe that this is a Word Press Site, but you could do something very similar with Word Press)
• Learnerblogs – the site that you would like have students register with and use to create their portfolios
• A manual for creating your Edublog site
• The Word Press Codex for help and support

Creating a Web Page

• Creating a digital portfolio with an HTML editor such as NVU or Mozilla
• The Web Portfolio Guide Online
• Helen Barrett’s The Electronic Portfolio Development Process
• Learn How To Build Your Web Site Using Nvu

Examples of Student Digital Portfolios

• Mt. Edgecumbe High School Student Portfolios
• Kalamazoo College’s Portfolio Site – Check out Outstanding Portfolios
• Christopher Beall’s Portfolio – an example of a web-based portfolio designed by a student
• Sandra Lorena Rios’ Portfolio – an example of a portfolio created with a content management system

More Resources for Exploring and Creating Digital Portfolios

• Design Principles from Robin Williams – a one page PDF describing four principles of design that you can think about when creating your digital portfolio
• Electronic Portfolios by Helen Barrett – a virtual clearinghouse of information, articles, and links about electronic portfolios
• Educause’s E-Portfolio Initiative – not an ongoing initiative, but one with some valuable resources
• Patrick Dickson’s Homepage – AN MSU Professor and Colleague who works extensively with digital portfolios
• The Carnegie Foundation’s KEEP Toolkit – another content management system for building an online portfolio