Portfolios

The portfolio for the College of Education is due today. I have no idea if mine is good enough, but it has everything in it that I'm supposed to have.

I have 16 artifacts, 4 more artifacts will be added to the portfolio during my student teaching next semester, for a total of 20 artifacts. This means that there are two artifacts for every one INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) standard.

Each artifact has to have a rationale, stating what the artifact is and the context in which it was created, an analysis of what was learned, and an explanation of why this artifact demonstrates our competency in this INTASC standard.

I ran into some problems here and there because there were some classes that I took in Gillette instead of here at BHSU, so I didn't have the required artifact for a certain standard and had to come up with my own self-selected artifact. The final one was really a pain last night, and I hope what I put in will work.

I just need to get two signatures from my science teacher for 2 late artifacts (we haven't completed the assignment yet that I want to put in the portfolio), and I think I'll be ready to turn it in. Oh, and I need to get back an assignment for a grade, then correct anything in there she wants corrected, and put it in the portfolio, as I already have the rationale written up for it.

Sounds like a bunch of gibberish, doesn't it? Well, it kind of is, and most people, even some of the faculty members at the College of Education think it's something we shouldn't have to do. It's too much work for something that employers aren't even going to look at. That's what I've heard from many people, anyway. I mean sure, it makes us think more about the work we've done in classes...but still, it's just too much.

Well, wish me luck on this; I have to recieve at least a "Basic" in every INTASC standard's rationale in order to be able to student teach next semester. If I don't get at least that, I have two weeks to resubmit the artifact or rationale that was found faulty by at least two out of three portfolio reviewers.

Yikes. I'm nervous about this. I think I have everything I need to turn it in, besides some white out in a place where I wasn't supposed to sign yet. And the math stuff and signatures, but I'll get those this morning.

School wasn't cancelled again today, like it was yesterday, but they did start it two hours late, at 10am, so we'll all be missing our first class, Reading Methods, but still have our second class to go to, and then I can hole up in the computer lab and work on other assignments. Wooo hooo!