Developing Online Teaching PortfoliosA developing resource for Wayne State English instructors

Contents

Why develop a teaching portfolio? Potential platforms Components of teaching portfolios

Why develop an online teaching portfolio?

Prepare for the job market Manage materials for promotions, renewals,

scholarship applications Make your experiences accessible to others

(administration, potential employers, mentees) Reflect on your teaching experiences and set personal

goals

What might go into an online teaching portfolio?

Curriculum vitae and academic biography Teaching philosophy Course information (including course rationales,

syllabi, lesson plans, use of technology, and sample student work)

Teaching evaluations (including SET scores, student comments, and excerpts from observer’s written record)

Potential PlatformsJared Grogan created the following page describing potential platforms. In the coming weeks, you should see more developing portfolios populating the Teaching Portfolios page on our program site.

http://teachingportfolios.pbworks.com/w/page/75831497/FrontPage

SET Scores and Student CommentsJule Wallis developed the following slides and suggestions regarding compiling SET scores and student comments.

SET ScoresInterpreting SET Scores

● Mean (average)● Median (middle value of scores)● Q1: “How much have you learned in this course?”● Q2: “How much have you learned in this course?”● Q24: “How would you rate this instructor’s teaching in the

course?”

● The mean of the course ratings for each course taught throughout the year was averaged and represent a higher than average course rating score.

Side Box for Average Class Rating for Each Course Taught:● Required courses with a score of 12 or higher are

exceptional marks. My course ratings for both Intermediate Composition (ENG 3010) and ENG 6010 are above 12.

Student Comments❖ Choosing Student Comments:

➢ Overwhelmingly, my courses are judged by students as difficult (around 75%) or moderate (around 25%)

➢ Therefore, I wanted to represent student comments that spoke to the level of work in my class, but that were also represented in a positive light:

❖ This class was fast paced and quite rigorous. Even so, the course taught me a lot about teaching and tutoring. I plan on working in the writing center as a volunteer next year. That is how valuable the tutoring component was for me as a teacher.

❖ Always enthusiastic and more than willing to sit down with students or have individual conferences. I thought the course was the hardest course I have taken yet, but I am glad I did.

❖ We were always given chances for revision. We had to work for it, but it was worth it. I increased my grades and I really learned how to write. I never knew writing was something you learned to do until now.

❖ The course is very rigorous. It has a lot of work, but it is understandable that a research based English class would be this way. The professor made it manageable and the style of teaching she used was very helpful and helped us all learn in a fun way.

Student Comments❖ Choosing Student

Comments: ➢ Representative of you

Teaching Style➢ How you grade and

comment on papers➢ Student Growth➢ Student view of course

❖ Ms. Wallis was the most enthusiastic teacher I have had. She was always there for her students and really wanted her students to learn and apply their knowledge to teaching.

❖ Always had multiple steps for assignments and constant feedback. Impossible to fail this class if you worked HARD and completed the assignments.

❖ The teaching was great, as was the curriculum. The focus of this class will help me with writing in the future and in my own profession.

❖ Feedback time was amazing! I don’t know how she managed to give us feedback usually two days after an assignment was due, but she did.

❖ Gave us in depth feedback on drafts. She meant what she said when she defined writing as “works in progress.”

❖ Grading was more than fair. Jule gave quick feedback and grading. The comments made about my writing were very helpful and made my work much stronger.

❖ I really enjoyed this class and learned skills I will use for the rest of my life. Jule Wallis was an incredible professor and was very kind.

❖ This course taught me a great deal about writing in my field. Each project taught me something new and each project logically followed each other. Although I do not particularly enjoy writing research, I now know it is an integral part of my future career.

❖ This class taught me pedagogy and how to APPLY pedagogy to different areas of teaching. I had never been given this background. I always created hypothetical teaching assignments without any real reason for why I created them. Now I feel that I can create assignments that matter

Use of SET Scores and Student Comments in Teaching Philosophy Statement

❖ Remember that your SET Scores and your Student Comments are only PART of the entire story➢ Make sure your Teaching Philosophy Statement draws upon and further

develops your SET Scores and your Student Comments➢ Go through your SET Scores and Student Comments to find trends, strong

examples of teaching, feedback, student growth and investment, etc. ➢ Group this information and reflect upon what this information SAYS

ABOUT YOU AS A TEACHER. This will help to contextualize and provide key examples to draw upon for your Teaching Philosophy Statement

➢ Remember, your Teaching Philosophy Statement should not only be a philosophy or belief of teaching, but the additional material in your portfolio should BACK UP match your claims in your statement

Course Information: Syllabi, Assignments, and Lesson PlansAdrienne Jankens presented the following examples of how to potentially incorporate syllabi and course rationales, assignment descriptions and sample student work, and lesson plans for projects into a portfolio or teaching site.

Note integration of evidence of teaching with technology throughout the lesson plans.

Course Information

Course rationales and syllabi: http://adriennejankens.wordpress.com/courses/syllabi/

Sample lesson plans: http://adriennejankens.wordpress.com/courses/sample-lesson-plans/

Sample assignments: http://adriennejankens.wordpress.com/courses/sample-student-assignments/

Academic Biography, C.V., and Teaching PhilosophyNicole Varty presented the following suggestions about developing an academic bio and teaching philosophy and presenting your c.v.: portfolio workshop.docx