Digital Portfolio

Explorations I, Spring 2004

Due Date: May 19 (A day) or 20 (B day), 2004 (Seventh graders: If you are on Week 2 Izu, you must turn in your portfolio before you leave.)

This assignment may be revised to clarify concepts.

Overview

Your digital portfolio will be your proof not only of your technology skills but also your ability to learn new technology without having it introduced in a class. You will choose files, documents, and projects that will illustrate your abilities and you will write a reflection for each piece you chose telling why it illustrates your abilities. Although a well-designed portfolio that amply illustrates your ability will allow you to get a waiver from the ASIJ high school technology requirements, it may also be accepted at other high schools as proof of your abilities, although there are no guarantees.

The portfolio is a showcase portfolio, which means it will showcase your best work and it will be clear, readable, and professional in appearance.

This assignment may be revised to clarify concepts and ideas.

Alternatives

The purpose of this portfolio is for you to show evidence of your ability to effectively learn and use technology. As such, you may decide that you have something that would be as effective as the requirements listed below. If so, please discuss it with Mr. Fincher.

Basic Requirements

Display

Your portfolio will be constructed and displayed on the Internet in a protected area. However, your final portfolio should be suitable for public viewing, which means that content is just as important as technology. How you organize your portfolio is up to you, but it must be easy to navigate. ("Easy to navigate" means that a visitor always knows how to find what she is looking for and can always get to the home page of the portfolio.)

Size

You may have a restriction on total megabytes for your portfolio so each file must be optimized. If size is a problem, you may elect to show captured screen shots of the document.

Intellectual Property

Make sure you follow all intellectual property guidelines. See the Copyright Page for information but a general guideline is that, unless you have permission (a license) to use someone else's work and you properly cite the source, you may not use it. This includes downloading images from the Internet, scanning images from books, writing words to songs or poems still under protection, adding music or video from existing sources, etc. Depending on your project, there are fair use exemptions that my apply and allow you to use some of the material without permission. However, get approval in advance.

Reflection

Each item will have a reflection associated with it telling how the piece illustrates your ability and how each meets the requirements below. In each reflection, address one of the student learning outcomes and tell how your item addresses that SLO.

You will also have a summative reflection of what the creation of the portfolio means to you. As you work on your reflections, you should address all elements of the Student Learning Outcomes in the body of your reflections.

Contents (minimum)

The minimum contents of your portfolio, which are explained more fully below, are:

Word Processing (2 documents) with reflection
Spreadsheet with reflection
Imaging (3 images) with reflection
Web publishing with reflection
Overall Portfolio Reflection
Any three of the following five:
1. Presentation with reflection
2. Desktop publishing with reflection
3. Learning Technology project 1 with reflection (must be submitted to another class for the requirements in that class.)
4. Learning Technology project 2 with reflection
5. Learning Technology project 3 with reflection

In addition, the portfolio must be easy to read and navigate.

Each item must meet the requirements below for full credit. At least one of the Learning Technology Project items, and three of the other items must be turned in to another class to fulfill the requirements in that class.

Contents Explanation

Word Processing (2 documents) with reflection

Two documents will show your understanding of word processing by including the following:

sections,
styles,
tabs,
headers and footers,
outline view
automatic generation of table of contents or equivalent, and
three other advanced word processing functions of your choice.

These requirements are not for each document but for the two documents together. One of the documents must also be saved as a linked HTML document so that it is viewable in the browser. Your reflection will tell which of the functions you used in which document, as well as being a general reflection on your learning.

Spreadsheets with reflection

One spreadsheet file that shows your understanding of

relative and absolute addressing,
basic formulas
graphing,
multiple worksheets

The spreadsheet must also be viewable in the browser. Your reflection will tell which of the functions you used, as well as being a general reflection on your learning.

Imaging with reflection

One optimized image of each of the following:

A scanned image that is best rendered as a JPEG,
a scanned image that is best rendered as a GIF or PNG.
a captured screen shot.

You may have some of these embedded in your other documents, but it must be clear where they are.

Web Publishing with reflection

Your portfolio will show your understanding of web publishing as you will be publishing it on the Internet in a protected location. Full requirements for the web publishing portion are available here. Key points are:

First names only
No email addresses other than of the teacher
No other identifying information.

Select any three of the following five:

1. Presentation with reflection

One presentation document that shows your understanding of the advanced features of your presentation software, including

themes,
transitions,
timed effects, and
two additional advanced options of your choice.

This presentation must also be viewable in the browser as a slide show.

2. Desktop Publishing with reflection

One desktop publishing document that shows your understanding of the advanced features of your publishing software, including

Linked text boxes
Flowed text
two additional advanced options of your choice.

3, 4, 5. Learning Technology Projects with reflection

These projects (or project) will show that you know how to learn technology without it being explicitly taught. If the technology is not easily displayable on the web, you may elect to use screen captures, but your reflections will tell what you have learned. At least one of these project must be submitted in another class to meet the requirements of an assignment for that class.

Portfolio Location

You will develop your web in the appropriate subweb under http://discussion.asij.ac.jp/ms/class/exp/s04. The procedure below will allow you to open your web from your home page as well.

In FrontPage,

go to File==>Open Web,
select Web Folders or My Network Places,
create a new folder,
If asked, select the button for an existing network place
then put in http://discussion.asij.ac.jp/ms/class/exp/s04 as the location.

Publish your portfolio to your site on our student web server in the dp sub web. The URL is http://student.asij.ac.jp/username/dp. Don't forget to replace username with your actual username when you publish. Your home page filename must be named index.htm. Location of your portfolio is critical! If it is not at this exact address you will receive a zero since it will look like no attempt was made.

Evaluation and assessment

Feedback from your parents and peers

Periodically during development, peers will assess your portfolio and you will show portions to your parents.

Scoring Rubric

4+ Exemplary Response

Complete with clear, coherent reflections
Has all contents of the portfolio and portfolio is easy to read and navigate.
Shows understanding of the technology concepts and procedures
Satisfies all essential conditions of the portfolio and goes beyond what is asked for in some unique way.
Portfolio is suitable for the student to use to convince others of ability to learn and use technology at an advanced level.

4 Complete Response

Complete with clear, coherent reflections
Has all contents of the portfolio and portfolio is easy to read and navigate.
Shows understanding of the technology concepts and procedures
Satisfies all essential conditions of the portfolio
Portfolio is suitable for the student to use to convince others of ability to learn and use technology at a highly advanced level for middle school students.

3 Reasonably Complete Response

Reasonably complete; may lack detail in some reflections
Has most contents of the portfolio (missing a maximum of two of the required documents) and the portfolio is somewhat easy to read and navigate.
Shows understanding of most of the technology concepts and procedures address
Satisfies most of the essential conditions of the portfolio
Portfolio is suitable for the student to use to convince others of ability to learn and use technology at an advanced level for middle school students.

2 Partial Response

Reflections may be unclear or lack detail
Has a minimum of half the contents of the portfolio
Shows some understanding of the technology concepts and procedures
Satisfies some essential conditions of the portfolio
Portfolio, after modification, would be suitable for the student to use to convince others of ability to learn and use technology at a middle school level.

1 Inadequate Response

Incomplete; Reflections are insufficient or not understandable
Has few of the required contents of the portfolio
Shows little understanding of the technology concepts and procedures
Fails to address essential conditions of the portfolio
Portfolio is not suitable for student to use to convince others of ability to learn and use technology at a middle school level.

0 No Attempt

No reflections
Does not attempt portfolio
Does not address conditions of the portfolio

Last maintained 04/15/2004