HOW DO I GET STARTED?

 

All of the documents you will need to compile your portfolio are available on-line in the Portfolio Resource Library linked on the Education homepage.

 

Review the entire set of competencies and indicators. Take some time familiarizing yourself with them; these are the guidelines for you to achieve licensure. The better you know them, the more easily you can achieve them.

 

In many education courses, there will be opportunities for you to demonstrate proficiency in given indicators. Listen in education classes.  Think about activities and assignments in these courses and ask yourself,  "How do these fit with the competency/indicator system?"  Ask one of your education professors to explain indicators you don't understand.

 

Select a specific indicator for which you have demonstrated your competency. Gather artifacts that truly demonstrate your competency in this area. Remember, artifacts can be papers, assignments, lesson plans, unit plans, management plans, observation feedback, practicum feedback, etc. Don't be mechanical in your thinking.  If you are really familiar with the indicators, then the selection of appropriate artifacts comes naturally.

 

For each artifact that you decide to include in your portfolio, complete a Reflection on Entry form. On this form, type in or copy all the requested information: your name, the specific competency and indicator, description of the artifact included, etc. If you completed the artifact as a part of a course requirement, include the course title and instructor's name, as well as a description of the assignment.

 

The most critical component of the Reflection on Entry Form is the rationale. This is your opportunity to express your understanding of the indicator and your capability in this area. The rationale should clearly articulate why you chose this particular artifact to demonstrate your proficiency on this indicator.

 

Once you've completed the Reflection on Entry Form, attach the artifact and ask a current education or methods instructor to provide feedback and sign the form. If the artifact was completed as part of an education or methods course, the instructor of that course should be the person asked to sign the form. (If the artifact was the product of a group assignment, ONLY the instructor who evaluated that assignment may sign the form.)

 

After you've obtained a signature on the Reflection on Entry Form, you can place that artifact with the Reflection on Entry Form in your Competency Portfolio.