ePortfolios for Ed-Tech Professionals

Short URL: http://snipurl.com/green2007

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1. Interactive Presentation
2. Resources
3. Step #1 - Preparing the Application Packet
4. Step 2 - Sharing Your Vision
5. Step 3 - Surviving the Interview

This workshop is intended to make our graduate students aware of what employers will be looking for in their ePortfolos upon graduation. What we would hope is that the ePortfolio will not only show our students’ technical skill, but also exhibit those values characteristic of the best school instructional designers and technologists in the field. If you could help them understand what an employer will be looking for when they walk into the office, ePortfolio in hand (or online somewhere

Source: Dr. Mary Beth Green’s Instructions to Miguel Guhlin

Visitors: Be sure to leave some feedback here.

1. Interactive Presentation

Please sign up for a free educator account via VoiceThread.com and leave audio/text comments/questions on the presentation (DRAFT) below!

This presentation is still in DRAFT. The slides are out of order and the audio is…well…still being reworked.

2. Resources

Dr. Bernie Dodge and SDSU Dept. of Education Professional ePortfolio
4 Tips to Lessen Job Fears - I wrote this article after intensive interviews for a technology integration facilitator. I felt that I had to write down this advice. Unfortunately, the article was never published—except here—but I hope it is useful to you since it represents my thinking on the subject while fresh from interviewing candidates.
Are Blogs the New Resume? with a caution from from Doug Johnson, both of whose words are tempered by the reality of a blog eportfolio by Alice Mercer

Ms. Mercer’s Movie Portfolio

2.1 Links to Audio Presentations from other Educators

Put your links below with your name, your job title, and the link to your advice.

2.2 Dr. Helen Barrett’s Portfolio Links

Helen is the portfolio queen from Alaska. She is just incredible in the amount of tools she’s discovered to make eportfolio creation easy for everyone and for exploring the frontiers of new web-based tools. I encourage you to read all her work!

Web 2.0 ePortfolio Creation Tools - An excellent collection of ePortfolio tools by Dr. Helen Barrett.
Using Google Docs for ePortfolio Creation - Played with Google Docs? This is an excellent, free resource you can use.
Teacher Portfolios - More great stuff from Dr. Barrett
Electronic Portfolios
Dr. Barrett’s Blog

2.3 Building a Network Online

3. Step #1 - Preparing the Application Packet

There are a lot of components I like to include in an application packet. Here are a few. Having an electronic portfolio is critical, especially in a world where there is a clear expectation for us to move away from two-dimensional paper and include audio/video. However, an eportfolio needs to do more than just convey what you’ve done; it needs to share who you are, what you believe, and how all of that works together to impact others you are responsible for supporting or supervising. There are several ways to accomplish that. Everything that I have on the web is a part of my portfolio.

About Me

Curriculum Vitae - When you have sufficient number of publications, use a vitae to share info about yourself. My CV has gotten a bit long, so I now just send my resume, which is shorter. However, the CV allowed me to showcase my work…and I have never found my CV—even when it exceeded the requirement for one or two page resume—to work against me.
Resume
Around the Corner-MGuhlin.net Blog

Sample Letters of Application

In May of 2007, I shared my experiences and advice regarding writing a letter of application via my blog. It received quite a bit of attention from folks. Below are some sample letters that have actually gotten my foot in the door for an interview, and, in many cases, hired.

Writing an Application Letter - This is my blog entry on the subject.
Letters from Other Folks
- Mrs. Durff’s Sample Letter - Presenter at the K-12 Online Conference, known internationally for her work among edubloggers.
- Sarah Chauncey
- Dr. Scott McLeod’s Letter - Author of Dangerously Irrelevant blog, LeaderTalk.org, and winner of multiple awards in 2007.
- Andy Carvin - Works at NPR, nationally known for his work on the Digital Divide, and blogger for PBS.
  - Andy Carvin’s 1st Sample Letter
  - Andy’s 2nd letter

Letters of Recommendation

Always keep 3–4 letters of recommendation in your file at all times and easily accessible. You need to be able to submit letters of recommendation with your application. Sometimes, it’s easy to get those letters from your references, other times, due to the speed with which an application needs to be submitted, it is important to have them on-hand, and even better, online.

Appraisal/Evaluations

I encourage you to remove sensitive information (e.g. Social Security #) from your appraisals before including them in your application packet. I have often seen hiring processes held up because copies of work appraisals/evaluation were requested but not provided. By providing them yourself, you are making it easier for Human Resources to move faster—always a good thing.

4. Step 2 - Sharing Your Vision

Often, you are asked to walk in and present your vision of what you would do in the position as if you already had the position. This is a way of assessing whether you can actually imagine yourself IN THE JOB, in character so to speak. One of the ways to prepare yourself for this step—which is usually a short presentation at the beginning of the interview is to prepare an ePortfolio that aligns your skills, work experience directly to the job announcement. In essence, you’re creating a chart or a narrative of how you fit into the job you’re applying for. One powerful draw of going through this exercise is that it prepares you for the job interview, re-acquainting you with your strengths and potential areas of weakness.

Below are some examples from my own experience of what it takes. In an Ed-Tech position, paper is for the HR office…you must have electronic portfolio. There are different ways to organize your ePortfolio; read this article to see how.

San Antonio ISD Application

Clear Creek ISD Application

Power of One - I was asked to prepare a 10-minute presentation on my vision for the job, what was required, and how I could fit in. I prepared this 60-slide presentation. Rather than see this as just a vision of what I could do, I sought to share a message in as powerful a way as I knew how—using the language of images, sound and text. The lesson here is that you shouldn’t be afraid to share your passion for the position, what you hope to accomplish, and reflect your technical expertise as you do it without being “in your face.”

5. Step 3 - Surviving the Interview

Once you’ve managed to work your way past the online applications, attitudinal surveys, 10 minute presentation, you need to embrace the ambiguity, uncertainty of the interview questions that will be posed. There’s no telling what will be coming at you, but here are a few of the ones I’ve used in my interviews.

Interview Question Bank - This includes questions I’ve developed, borrowed from other places, and contributions from gracious technology directors in Texas, as well as visitors in the ed-tech field.

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He who learns from one who is learning, drinks from a flowing river.

Sep 03, 2010

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