Library portfolios
November, 1999 Lisa Denton
[email protected]What's a portfolio?
A portfolio is a meaningful collection of an individual's work which documents professional growth and achieved competence.Why do I need one? Nobody knows your worth better than YOU. It:
Types of portfolios
|
Type |
Description |
Audience |
method |
|
Working |
Portfolio "in the works", holding tank for future permanent portfolio |
Individual and selected others with whom to share |
Selection of best works from a variety of sources illustrating what is meaningful |
|
Professional/ presentation |
Documentation of professional growth and achievement |
Individual, employer, potential employers, award-granting bodies |
Standards, variety of personal and professional material |
|
Display/showcase |
Collection of best works |
Student, teacher, district, state, award-granting bodies, employers, college and universities |
Selection of best efforts, self-assessment and rationale, standards, creativity |
|
Student/assessment |
Document student learning as determined by set curriculum, shows growth |
Student, teacher, pass-along, district, state, parents |
Combination paper/electronic, standards, artifacts, rationale, assessments |
|
Mini portfolio |
Document learning in a specific unit or theme, library-based |
Student, teacher, librarian, district, state, parents |
Paper/electronic, information literacy skills, rubrics |
Librarians can use portfolios in several ways:
|
Use: |
Include: |
|
Personal professional profile |
Job description, standards, resume, philosophy of education, pedagogical statement, artifacts, awards, displays, lesson plans, self-assessment, rationale statements |
|
Library portfolio |
Policy statements, operation manual, collection development, bibliographic instructional tools, strategic planning, lesson planning, assessments, news clippings, artifacts, displays |
|
Student portfolio (mini portfolio) |
Collaborative library-based activities, information literacy standards, artifacts, lesson plans, student self-assessment, teacher and librarian assessments, rationale |
Format storage and collection ideas
|
Paper |
Electronic |
|
Shelf, drawer, box, accordion file, ring binder |
Drawer, file folder, ring binder |
Things to collect:
Photos, lesson plans, student work, videotapes, librarian-made materials, displays, newspaper clippings, certificates and awards, anecdotal evidence, testimonials, formal assessments, professional development
Remember: Less is more ... provide rationale statements ... update frequently ... enjoy!!!
Collecting Data for Portfolios
The data in your portfolio is evidence of your achievement.
It should be:
Valid: Authoritative and relevant
C
urrent: Recent enough to reflect how you are now Sufficient: Include just enough to cover all the topics
A Portfolio is a form of Authentic Assessment.
Data should include:
Performance assessment in a real world context
Self-assessment
Reflective practice
Rationale
Examples to support anecdotal evidence
Compilation