Portfolios...Pros & Cons

Although I have not totally bought into how the PLP portfolio will benefit during inital interviews for teaching, as a teacher begins to gain experience and comfort with their personal field of expertise I see great potential for "Showcasing" personal talent with digital lesson plans, video examples, and Evidence Based Articles within the resources to support a particular instructional style. The ability to introduce yourself and answer many of the basic questions during an inital interview through an electronic portfolio seem wonderful especially during these difficult economic times when traveling just for an interview is not always cost effective. I approached creating a portfolio of learning standards met in Reading Ed 430 with skeptism, but found that once I established a rythmn in the format I liked the finished product much more than I believe I would have a hard copy.

As a special education instructor I see portfolios as a great venue for documenting progress and nontraditional assessment products through video, digitally preserved classroom work, and compact collection of IEP resources and documentation. The legalities of how to protect individual information is the only downfall I see, simply because there is no presidence on the topic at this time. Here would be an excellent place for professional instructors to be proactive and help administrators place protocols into action before events ever occur.

Lastly, I like having a timeline of professional development and growth that would could be established using a portfolio, with the multitude of informational venues which can be stored in one location. A professional would be able to record their grow, assess, and reflect on their skills independently.