Workshops in Mexico

I just finished conducting two three-day workshops in Monterrey and Mexico City on implementing electronic portfolios for English Language Learners (to replace the TOEFL requirement). I put together a Google Site to support the training:
https://sites.google.com/site/eportfoliostec/
Here are my slides:

Google apps2013workshop from Helen Barrett

Using Schoology to facilitate online course communication

During the first cohort of my online course, Introduction to K-12 ePortfolios, I used Edmodo as the environment for discussion. The normal process in conducting distance classes is usually through a structured course management system, such as Blackboard or Moodle. These systems are very instructor-centered. I wanted to use more student-centered tools, so why not use a social network? There are many available, including Facebook and Ning. Since this course was for K-12 teachers, I selected a tool that can be used in K-12 classrooms. Therefore, the primary social network was Edmodo, with some use of Google (Groups, Plus).

my Schoology Folders (Intro to K-12 ePortfolios course)

While Edmodo was easy to use, and looked like Facebook, it did not have true threaded discussion. While I could post a question, and the participants could reply to a post, there was no ability to reply to a reply. I also found it difficult to scroll back through all of the posts to find specific entries...the organization was chronological, not thematic (no one used tags). I tried setting up age-level groups, but they were not used by many of the participants. As a social network for schools, I think it is a great tool, but I was not happy with using it to facilitate my course. So I went looking for another online service.

Years ago, I used NiceNet, so I opened a new account, and set up a course, but I was not happy with the text-only nature of the website (it is a voluntary effort that hasn't changed much in the last ten years). I'm also not sure it does the type of threaded discussion I am seeking. I have taught courses using Blackboard, so I opened a course under their free CourseSites service. I know Blackboard supports the kind of threaded discussion I want. I have also used Moodle, but I'm not sure I have the time to find a reliable free hosting site.

While in Canby School District in early April, I asked about recommendations for a learning management system and was told about Schoology. So, I signed up for an account, and spent most of today setting up my course. I am impressed! I was able to set up folders and organize all of the course activities for each lesson within the appropriate folder. I could hide some of the materials on the site, giving participants a simple interface shown here. I even copied a lot of the content from the course Google Site, so that most of the course information is in one place, but it retained the links to the resources in my Google Site. I also like the Calendar, where I can announce our live events to be held using Google+ Hangouts.  Oh yes, it also has an iOS app!

Schoology course calendar

The next cohort begins May 1, but participants in the first cohort can also join this group. I have also changed the time frame for the course. Participants can proceed at their own pace through the course materials. I will conduct weekly Hangouts for the course participants as online Office Hours, where I will respond to individual questions and learning needs. Register by April 30, 2012.

Revised course plans (and travel plans)

Never again will I plan an international trip over Skype. Since before November 7, when the proposal was submitted, I have been working with the State Department's English Language Specialist Program to spend several weeks in Vietnam in March, because of the interest of a few English faculty members for training in electronic portfolios. I was told that the proposal was approved in February (but March was too soon to travel). Since then, I have been frustrated because I have not been able to get the details about my travel or the status of my visit. Until April 10, I was assured that they were waiting on final approvals, first from DC, then from a supervisor in Bangkok. A week ago, I applied for my travel Visa. Then, late on the night of April 10 on Skype, I was informed that an administrator in the Consulate has cancelled my trip. Still more approvals needed and paperwork to complete while classes are ending in early May. Oh, the bureaucracy! Now I need to figure out what I'm going to do for the next couple of weeks. Plant a garden? (posted to my Facebook account)

Instead, I spent some time last weekend revising two online course outlines:

• Introduction to K-12 ePortfolios
• K-12 ePortfolios with GoogleApps (I am also using this site for my workshops at the SC Midlands Google Summit in June and my ISTE 2012 Workshop in San Diego.)

The major change I made to both course sites was to provide an alternative to creating an Implementation Plan: creating a Professional Portfolio using the same course lessons:

1. Overview (What?) Define the context for developing your portfolio and assess your readiness for developing a professional ePortfolio, including your technology skill level.
2. Purpose (Why?) Identify the benefits (and your motivation) for creating your own professional portfolio and write your ePortfolio purpose/audience/vision statement.
3. Collection/Archive (How?) Create an online space to store your artifacts and identify the artifacts you have collected in digital form and how they will be organized in your portfolio. Identify the primary audience for your showcase portfolio.
4. Reflection/Blogs (How?) As part of this course, you have already established your own blog (learning portfolio/reflective journal). You could also develop a reflective digital narrative video to add voice to your portfolio (digital storytelling).
5. Presentation/Showcase (How?) Create a hyperlinked website as a showcase portfolio, organized thematically. By now, you should have selected the appropriate presentation portfolio tool. Options are blog pages (WordPress or Blogger), Google Sites, Weebly, Wikispaces, Mahara, etc. Reflect on each category of artifacts plus provide a reflective caption on each artifact.
6. Assessment/Feedback (How well?) Write your own self-assessment of your portfolio in your blog. Select one of the rubrics to guide your self-assessment. Share your portfolio link and ask for feedback.

Registration for the next cohort of my facilitated Introduction to K-12 ePortfolios course is open now and collaboration begins on May 1. Once a paid member of a facilitated course, participants are not automatically dropped from the course Google Group and may choose to continue learning with subsequent cohorts.

Google Sites Navigation & ISTE Workshop

I discovered the horizontal navigation bar for Google Sites that includes a menu with drop-down links. I developed a Google Site on Using GoogleApps for K-12 ePortfolios, which was adapted from my "generic" Introduction to K-12 ePortfolios course site. I was not going to make the GoogleApps site open to the public, since I added supplemental course information on my ePortfolios with GoogleApps site. I forgot that I used that URL in my ISTE proposal, although I have been receiving requests for access to this site. So, I just opened up the website today, but with major revisions.

I recently saw a very interesting website on Working with GoogleSites, developed by an Iowa technology consultant, that incorporated drop-down menus. After a little experimentation in the Manage site menu, I was able to move the Navigation bar from the left side to horizontal tabs across the top of the site. It gives me more screen space, and longer descriptions in the sub-page links. But on the downside, I have to manually manage the menu items,  adding each new page. On the other hand, I can control the order of the menu and sub-menu links (no more being restricted to alphabetical order when I "Automatically organize my navigation" in the sidebar). I like it!

English Language ePortfolio Development in Vietnam

I got the word last night: my trip to Vietnam has been approved by the U.S. State Department's English Language Specialists program. I will be there in April, helping faculty and students use technology to demonstrate acquisition of English language skills. I will start out at the university in Dalat, and then will probably work with ELL programs in Ho Chi Mihn City (Saigon) and Hanoi. This will be a new adventure! I know I will learn as much from them as they will from me!

I have already started a Google Site to provide both a framework for an ePortfolio (based on a Google Site Template that was published by City University of Hong Kong) and some strategies for using technology to document receptive skills (reading and listening) as well as expressive skills (writing and speaking). I will be building this site further over the next two months before I leave on this trip.

Worldwide online class

I am pleased with the registration of my first public online class: Intro to K-12 ePortfolios. The participants are primarily from North America, although I have students from Europe (The Netherlands, Germany, Italy) and Asia (Hong Kong, Japan). In the U.S., I have several groups of 3, 4 and 10 from school districts! The majority have signed up as "singletons" so I will be developing some groups for collaboration. Any group of four or more will qualify for a private one-hour live teleconference via Skype or GoToMeeting. Deadline for registration in this cohort is January 16, so I will have the final number next week. The next cohort begins in April.

This online class has many new elements for me: using Edmodo instead of threaded discussion in a course management system like Blackboard or Moodle; posting the course content online in Google Sites; doing live conversations in Google+ Hangouts. I team-taught an online course last fall using Edmodo for student discussions, and I have been using Google Sites for years. I picked Edmodo because it was a social network that can be used in schools, and has some features that make it more user friendly than a CMS. Maybe in the future I will use Google+ Circles for asynchronous conversations in the class. However, using Google+ Hangouts is new for me. I have the option to use GoToWebinar, but that tool is very instructor-centered. I really want us to have more of a conversation.

Online course announcement

The course content of the first course of the E-Portfolio Academy is online as both a self-paced and facilitated course:
Introduction to E-Portfolios in K-12 Schools
https://sites.google.com/site/k12eportfolios/

The facilitated course is open for registration through Paypal or school purchase order: http://electronicportfolios.org/academy/register/intro.html

The content of the two versions of the class is the same. There are three differences between the self-paced and facilitated classes:

1. The facilitated class has a cohort of students who go through the content together and carry on a facilitated asynchronous discussion.
2. I will be directly involved in the private discussions and will lead the cohort through the content, including live events.
3. The self-paced class is free; there is a charge for the facilitated class.

The discussion schedule will be provided only to members of the facilitated class through the Edmodo group. The discussion will be asynchronous, so there are no specific times to be online, but I will be scheduling some Google+ hangouts which will be synchronous (live), but not during the first couple of weeks.

The course interaction will be facilitated through an Edmodo group (private educational social network), Google+ Hangouts, and email group. Be sure to sign up for Google + and an Edmodo (teacher) account. Right after the New Year, I will also send invitations for the private groups to all registrants. The first facilitated course cohort will begin between January 2 and January 16. The next cohort is scheduled to begin in early April.

I was asked about the approximate number of hours per week that one can expect. Here is my response:

There are six lessons in the course. In the facilitated course, we will have a slow start: the first lesson will last two weeks (January 2-16) to give everyone a chance to get used to the course tools and the course process... and some are just getting back from their Christmas Break. To answer your question, this facilitated course is not your traditional academic course measured by "seat time." You will get out of the course what you put into it...within the schedule with the other course participants.

In each lesson, there are four process elements:
Inputs: Readings and videos
Outputs: Discussions/Group Reflections
    Implementation Plan Component(s)
    Personal Reflections (your blog entry)

How much time each person takes will be highly personal... some people will skim the readings, some will read them thoroughly plus all of the supplemental readings. Some will write extensive discussion posts and responses, some will write brief entries, and no responses. Some will write extensive blog entries, others won't write much each week. The weekly discussions and blog posts are only "required" for those taking the course for college credit (and there is a rubric in the course content that outlines the credit course requirements). If you are not taking the facilitated class for credit, you can get caught up on readings and reflections once your other class is over.

I realize most participants are teaching full time. I will be posting the schedule for the discussions for the facilitated course in the Edmodo discussion group. We can take the "fast track" or the slower approach to covering the course lessons. In other words, we can take one week or two weeks per lesson (7 to 12 weeks). My preference is to let the participants make that decision, although I need to finish the course by the end of February. 

Frameworks for ICT & ePortfolios

THE UNESCO ICT COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHERS - Version 2.0 has just been released.

	TECHNOLOGY LITERACY	KNOWLEDGE DEEPENING	KNOWLEDGE CREATION
UNDERSTANDING ICT IN EDUCATION	Policy awareness	Policy understanding	Policy innovation
CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT	Basic knowledge	Knowledge application	Knowledge society skills
PEDAGOGY	Integrate technology	Complex problem solving	Self management
ICT	Basic tools	Complex tools	Pervasive tools
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION	Standard classroom	Collaborative groups	Learning organizations
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING	Digital literacy	Manage and guide	Teacher as model learner

This new matrix provides another framework for training teachers. I have been working with a university in Vietnam to develop a proposal under the State Department's English Language Specialist Program. We have developed a project for me to work with English teachers in Vietnam to use ePortfolios to demonstrate English Language Learning. (I am keeping my fingers crossed, that I can spend the month of March in Vietnam!)

I just read an interesting post in the ePortfolio Conversations Google Group (Australia), on how to "help those students who feel they need some preparation before the bigger tasks ... a set of intro skills could help them feel better prepared and equipped to tackle e-learning and having a presence online":

• Step 1 without a doubt - Email and how to use it effectively as a communication tool and an organisational tool
• Step 2 - Social Networking in SOME form (Forums / blogging / Facebook / Twitter - establishing themselves as a resident - or at least a regular visitor SOMEWHERE online)
• Step 3 - blogging - the why, where, how and when (also what a learner can expect to receive in return for their investment of learning how to blog)
• Step 4 - Eportfolios.

Coach Carole responded with a more elaborated version in a follow-up post:

1. Communicate and Network online (include gmail and how to make that work for you smartly) (include skype and BbC for real time communication) (include disussion forums for anytime discussions)
2. Learn and collaborate online (include access and share learning resources in cloud based learning spaces, accessing and navigating learning spaces online, learning to be self-directed/self-managed learners)
3. Reflect and Connect online (include blogging and other online writing skills, curating and researching online, reflecting on learning, connecting with wider cohorts of online learners)
   Then after 3 short courses like these (maybe a month each) - engage learners in something like the epcop mooc over 2 months. 
4. Collect and Present online (focussing on e-portfolio approach to learning)

This looks like a logical progression, although I have been writing about the role of blogging in ePortfolio development. As I am putting together my book, I am incorporating some great examples of K-12 educators using blogs as portfolios.

Intro to Electronic Portfolios in K-12

The first self-paced course of the REAL ePortfolio Academy has been completed and is posted online:
https://sites.google.com/site/k12eportfolios/
By January, there will be supplemental modules available for Implementing ePortfolios with GoogleApps Education Edition, WordPress/Edublogs, or iOS/Android Mobile Devices.

Any non-profit/educational institution is free to use this open courseware content with colleagues in a school and and teachers are encouraged to become a member of the free Google Group for open/free discussion:
http://groups.google.com/group/eportfolioacademy

I am starting the first facilitated version of this class in January 2012. If you want to be part of this first facilitated class, register on this website in December:
http://electronicportfolios.org/academy/register/intro.html
I am in the process of getting approval for professional development college credit through Seattle Pacific University for those who need it, and registration information will be available upon receipt of the facilitated course enrollment.

Rather than using a highly structured course management system, we are going to use social networking strategies to facilitate interaction in the facilitated class: email through a private Google Group and collaboration in the Edmodo or Google+ social networks.
https://sites.google.com/site/k12eportfolios/syllabus/facilitated-course-communication

Mobile Devices for Student Use

Last week I facilitated a two-day workshop on implementing electronic portfolios using Google Apps for the Richland Two School District in Columbia, SC. The participants were teachers, building-level technology specialists, and district-level curriculum supervisors. We explored how they could use their new Google Apps adoption to support their emerging 1TWO1 computing program. They have been very proactive in implementing technology in their schools, along with other educational initiatives, such as Schlechty's Working on the Work model of student engagement. We also worked on building a district-wide and school-based implementation plan for integrating electronic portfolios to support student learning.

One of the most interesting activities that I observed on my last morning, before flying home, was a meeting with high school and middle school administrators, to look at a variety of Mobile Device Options. They had the following devices on display: Apple iPad, Lenovo Android Tablet (with keyboard), Samsung and Asus Chromebooks, and Lenovo Laptop Thin Client (Windows Thin PC). A group of teachers identified the priorities for these devices (on a scale 1-5):

• Internet research/browsing [4.8]
• Long battery life [4.8]
• Easy to set up (teacher) [4.7]
• USB port and/or card reader [4.3]
• Flash sites (videos, games, etc.) [4.2]
• Google Docs collaboration [4.2]
• Google Sites (e-portfolios) [4.2]
• Web 2.0 sites (Glogster, Wordle, Prezi, Wall Wisher, Voice Thread...) [4.2]
• Content management and creation (Blackboard, Edmodo, etc.) [4.2]
• Apps [3.8]
• Games/simulation [3.4]
• Notetaking (word processing) [3.3]
• Video editing [3.3]
• Video conferencing (Skype, etc.) [3.3]
• Podcasting [3.2]
• Reading e-textbooks and e-books [2.8]

There were other requirements that they assessed, without ratings: Multimedia (video, audio, files); Notetaking (handwriting recognition); MAP testing possible using VDI;  Presentation design (Google Docs or free resources); Office productivity; Photo editing. As they looked at each of the four devices, and how well each one could meet those required features, the scores were very interesting: Chromebooks and Lenovo Laptop Thin Client were virtually tied in the lead, with Android tablet next and Apple iPad last. I borrowed an Asus Chromebook for an evening, and I was able to do everything I wanted to do on GoogleApps, or any Internet-based activity. I'm now trying to find a Chromebook to push to its limits! It was obvious that the iPad scored lower because of its challenges with both Flash and Google Sites.

(Written while watching MSNBC's Education Nation...very different from last year. We heard from teachers this year! Great dialogue about the issues, and a great story from a 4th grade teacher including a homebound student in his classroom using Skype...and his students blog!)

Google+ or Edmodo for online course support?

I am starting to develop the online courses for the REAL ePortfolio Academy for K-12 teachers, and I want to use tools that model strategies that K-12 teachers can use with their own students. While some are using Moodle, few are using Blackboard or many of the course management systems used in higher education. I found an interesting blog post on Selecting Appropriate Technology for Online Learning. The author used Bates and Poole’s SECTIONS model: Students, Ease of use, Costs, Teaching and learning, Interaction and interactivity, Organizational support, Novelty (newness), Speed. These are interesting factors to consider as I develop an environment to support collaboration in these online courses.

Last week, there was a very interesting Edmodocon, with educators from around the world presenting about the use of Edmodo in K-12 classrooms (recording now online). I used the tool several times this summer in workshops, and it has the look and feel of Facebook. I like the ability to set up private groups and sub-groups. From the online conference, I saw how teachers are using this environment for collaboration. The most interesting presentation was on Game-Based Learning and how to set up and award badges in Edmodo. The system keeps track of Students, Teacher Connections, Library Items and produces a Sharing Score. It would be easy to see the level of participation by individuals in a course.

I received my Google+ invitation in the first few days, but there wasn't a lot of activity for me to follow. I recently listened to a whole series of podcasts called, Google+ Today and I've also been following This Week in Google podcasts. I have set up my Circles (Friends, Family, Following, ADE, Ed Tech, ePortfolio Colleagues) and Sparks (android tablet, iOS, educational technology, reflection in learning, digital storytelling, electronic portfolios). I posted a question (about using Google+ as a tool to facilitate communication in an online class), and received some very interesting responses (notice the length and depth of the last response). I haven't tried Hangouts yet, but it looks like a really interesting alternative to Skype and Google Voice, especially with groups of 10. (I could care less about Games right now in Google+; I have enough games on my various devices to keep up my procrastination level!)

What about other social networking tools? A lot of schools block Facebook, and I am finding I prefer using that tool for personal networking with close friends and family. I also don't think Facebook has the tools for online courses (although they are adding Skype for one-to-one voice chats). My other favorite social tool is Twitter, but the 140 character limit, and the public nature of tweets, contributes to short conversations, but not to the rich dialogue that I experienced in my recent Google+ post. I find that Twitter is good for announcements and what Chris Betcher calls, "tiny bursts of learning." Until I started following Sparks in Google+, I was using Twitter instead of RSS feeds, to read what other people are reading and posting.

What are the differences between these tools? Edmodo is called "Safe Social Networking" that can be used in schools. Google+ restricts membership to those over 18. For that reason alone, I should focus my efforts on Edmodo... but I am intrigued by Hangouts: could they be used for collaborative discussions? It seems like a great way to create small, like-minded groups to support each other through the process of implementing ePortfolios. I want to be able to record these Hangouts, though, so I have more research to do.

mPortfolios Workshop

Iste mobile2011

View more presentations from Helen Barrett

These are the slides from my workshop on Saturday at the ISTE conference in Philadelphia. I am finding that mobile devices are ubiquitous at this conference!

REAL E-Portfolio Academy for K-12 Teachers

I found a name and developed a logo for my latest project. Every portfolio needs an adjective to describe its purpose.  REAL stands for Reflection, Engagement, and Assessment for Learning.

I blogged this title in 2005, and haven't had an opportunity to put it into practice until now. So, when I introduce a series on online courses this summer, they will be under the umbrella on an online academy -- more like a learning community, although there will be more structure than the average online community of practice.

I have received over 129 responses to my online form, so far. I am surprised with the number of inquiries from outside the U.S. To date, 60% of the respondents have already set up a GoogleApps for Education account, and 75% indicated interest in students using mobile devices to support e-portfolio development! Tomorrow I am visiting a school where 3rd-5th graders are using a few mobile devices and Evernote to capture their learning and share with their parents. Stay tuned!

Online Courses under Development

I am working on the following course outlines to be available in the Fall Quarter 2011:

1. Overview of Student-Centered Electronic Portfolios  (generic, no specific tools, an overview of the different purposes/tools, with an emphasis on collection, reflection, and direction/goal-setting) - 1 credit - 3 weeks with six lessons or 6 weeks with six lessons (20 hours) - 3-week version of course offered twice a quarter
2. Implementing Electronic Portfolios in K-12 Education with Google Apps (Docs, Sites, Blogger, YouTube, Picasa, Digication, Teacher Dashboard) - 3 credits - 10 weeks, 20 lessons (60 hours) Prerequisite: Overview class
3. Classroom-Based Research on Implementing Electronic Portfolios in K-12 Education - 1-3 variable credit - 10 weeks (may be repeated twice?) (20-60 hours) Prerequisite: Implementing class - This class is meant to support teachers the rest of the school year.
4. Adding Voice to E-Portfolios with Digital Narratives - 1 credit - 3 weeks, six lessons or 6 weeks, six lessons (20 hours) (with a focus on reflection in e-portfolios through multimedia)

I want to pilot the Overview course (#1) before the ISTE conference in June, and offer it officially by September 1. At the same time, I want to get started on designing the Implementation class (#2). I will work on the other two in the fall. As of tonight, 100 people have filled out my online form indicating interest in the course... in 8 days. I guess there is some interest!

A Worldwide E-Portfolios-in-K-12 Community of Practice?

I am working on a plan to develop a worldwide community of practice to support the design and implementation of electronic portfolio processes in K-12 schools. The primary audience for this Community of Practice (COP) will be K-12 teachers and Technology Coordinators, providing the following professional development through online course content. The initial courses would focus on  GoogleApps/Digication/Teacher Dashboard and a few other Web 2.0-based tools and mobile devices. The COP will be formally announced at ISTE 2011 and the first online course will begin in August 2011. Here is a preliminary outline of the activities that could be supported by this Community of Practice.

• Clarify a Vision for implementing electronic portfolios with students in your classroom
• Using GoogleApps for Education domain with support from local school or district ITS
• Identify different tools available to implement electronic portfolios for both teachers and students
• Support a pilot study with students to test out the different free electronic portfolio tools, based on Internet connectivity (Digication, Google Sites, etc.) and mobile devices or 1-1 laptops
• Provide professional development in electronic portfolio development knowledge and skills, using either face-to-face or online strategies, to be able to:

• Capture & store evidence in a variety of multimedia formats and Web 2.0/mobile tools
• Reflect on Learning - “reflection = the heart and soul of a portfolio”
• Give & receive feedback as part of formative Assessment FOR Learning
• Plan & set goals as a lifelong learning strategy
• Collaborate using Web 2.0 tools
• Present showcase portfolio to an audience
• Evaluate portfolios used for summative Assessment OF Learning

• Share strategies for using reflection to support student learning, both “capturing the moment” during the learning process and retrospectively as a culminating activity
• Develop a long range plan for implementing electronic portfolios in classroom/school/district
• Determine success criteria for electronic portfolio implementation
• Support classroom-based research on the implementation of electronic portfolios in K-12 classrooms through community of practice and guidance on gathering data, publishing results
• Provide a Certificate of Excellence in E-Portfolio Practice to teachers upon publication of classroom-based research after two years of implementation
• Graduate-level credit available at an additional fee. Professional Development Clock Hours also available with nominal assessment fee (based on individual district/state requirements).

These are the initial ideas. This COP could provide a great opportunity for collaboration among graduate students who want to study K-12 Electronic Portfolio Development for a Masters or Doctoral degree through their selected graduate programs. I have served as an external examiner on multiple dissertations and theses that are focused on electronic portfolios, with another one planned for July in the U.K.

There would be three levels of support in this Community of Practice:

• Self-paced: a website with course content and readings, which will be free, but no communication with instructor or other participants
• Collaborative: a collaborative space for dialogue and feedback throughout the year, which will require a one-time membership fee
• Credit: participants in the collaborative space may earn university credit for full participation in the courses, for an additional credit fee (I am working on finding the right university to offer graduate credit for these online courses)

I posted a form online to collect indications of interest, and have received more than 70 responses in five days, although some of the respondents are from higher education. I plan to keep the form up until the ISTE Conference in June.  In a later post, I will elaborate on the online courses that will be offered and a tentative schedule. Feedback is welcome.

NCCE Workshop and Presentation

Here are my slides for my hands-on workshop this morning (Creating ePortfolios using GoogleApps) and presentation this afternoon (GoogleApps ePortfolios) held in Portland at the Northwest Council for Computer Education (NCCE). I was disappointed that they scheduled my workshop during the same time as the keynote address by Dr. Yong Zhao, which took place during the latter part of my workshop time. I noticed that about half of the participants left my workshop after the break... I hope it wasn't a reflection on the workshop, but the last half was mostly hands-on time)! If I had not been leading the workshop, I probably would have left as well! I heard the keynote was very good.

NCCE workshop11

View more presentations from Helen Barrett

NCCE mar11

View more presentations from Helen Barrett

Selected tweets with #NCCE2011 hash tag:

• Creating another Google Site with Dr. Helen Barrett at the NCCE Conference 
• PORTFOLIO: ePortfolios with GoogleApps, http://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioapps/
• PORTFOLIO: GoogleDocs - Create a Document to describe our own portfolio
• PORTFOLIO: Level 1 Workspace: Collection of Artifacts in the Cloud
• PORTFOLIO: 3 steps in setting up an efolio: 1. Storage in GoogleDocs, 2. Reflect in Google Blogger, 3. Presentation GoogleSites
• 10 Ways Technology Supports 21st Century Learners in Being Self Directed, http://tinyurl.com/6dldns8
• PORTFOLIOS: GoogleApps for Education is awesome. It's free. Can take up to 6 weeks to get it set up, though
• PORTFOLIOS: Great Article! Keeping it real. Ideas for Schools, Educators, and Students, http://tinyurl.com/68x95cc
• PORTFOLIO: Balancing the two faces of ePortfolios, http://electronicportfolios.org/balance/index.html <-- VERY COOL GRAPHIC :)
• PORTFOLIO is both process and product
• PORTFOLIOS: students need to reflect in multiple formats, not just print.
• Helen Barrett shared two stories: 1. Students burned upon graduation 2. Student offered a $50 reward for her lost portfolio Hmmm
• Power and Portfolios: Best Practices for High School Classrooms, http://tinyurl.com/4eyloe6 GREAT BOOK!
• The more structured the portfolio the less ownership students have
• ePortfolios help the learner find their voice
• ePortolios should be more about talking not telling. A CONVERSATION OR DIALOG!
• Helen Barrett at TED Talks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckcSegrwjkA
• Dr. Barrett... hyperlinking leads students to a deeper understanding 
• Using The Renzulli Learning System to Support Differentiated Instruction, http://tinyurl.com/4wjpfh4
• KNOW THYSELF this was carved at the temple at Delphi
• PORTFOLIO: Is it a structured assessment portfolio? a learning portfolio? etc. Decisions need to be made FIRST!
• Ask the question what the purpose of the portfolio. There are many purposes. Ask, 'who owns the portfolio?' Who keeps it?
• Portfolio 3.0: http://www.scribd.com/doc/34463843/ePortfolio-3-0
• ePortfolio in 21st Century: Introduction to e-Portfolios from JISC's Lis... http://slidesha.re/bvkzBz
• ePortfolio Definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_portfolio
• Is this the first Portfolio? Leonardo da Vinci: http://www.foliosociety.com/book/NOL/notebooks-leonardo-da-vinci
• Portfolio: One Word, Many Meanings - definition depends context
• Simon Sinek Profile: http://www.ted.com/speakers/simon_sinek.html
• Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action, http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html
• Helen Barrett quote: "Reflection is the heart and soul of ePortfolios not the technology"
• Another good eportfolio resource http://goo.gl/kxuu 
• Check out this SlideShare presentation : Aaeebl slc feb11 http://slidesha.re/hEUf8Z
• Oregon is the first state to adopt GoogleApps for all k-12 schools.
• Dr. Barrett is THE expert of portfolios - so lucky to have her presenting at #ncce2011
• Helen Barrett's slideshow: http://www.slideshare.net/eportfolios
• Morning Session: HA73 - Create ePortfolios using Google Apps, http://tinyurl.com/4p6svuo

I am impressed with some tweeters who add value to my presentation, adding additional links and information! Thanks!