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The portfolio, a two-credit independent study
(E695), provides students in the TEFL/TESL program the opportunity
to demonstrate development as a TESL professional while fulfilling
option B toward graduation requirements. In the portfolio,
students can explore connections between their academic classes,
teaching and other professional experiences. With advisor
guidance, the student selects/produces representative samples
of his/her academic achievements and teaching artifacts reflecting
the student's range of knowledge and growth as an ESL/EFL
professional.
A portfolio, by definition, is a collection
of well-documented evidence of a person's professional ability.
As such the portfolio independent study should represent the
student's breadth and depth of understanding/practice in the
TESL field. The portfolio independent study will culminate
in an oral defense of the portfolio with the student's graduate
committee.
Portfolio Goals:
- To personalize the process of the student's
development as a TESL professional.
- To serve as a catalyst for critical thinking
and to stimulate habits of critical evaluation.
- To integrate materials from academic classes
with practical experiences.
- To develop writing skills in a variety of
professional genres.
- To develop professional exchanges with faculty
and peers.
- To demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships
between and among theory, research, and informed pedagogical
practices.
- To provide practice in orally presenting
the portfolio as representative of the student's professional
growth in the TESL field.
Portfolio Contents:
The following documents are required components
of the portfolio:
- Table of contents
- Overview of Portfolio Contents
- Curriculum vita (including education, teaching
and related experience, professional organizations, publications/presentations,
community service, supervisory experience, computer expertise,
etc.)
- Statement of teaching/educational philosophy
- Statement of current and future professional
goals
- Substantial documentation must be included
to provide evidence of growth in each of the following areas.
For each area, a commentary of supporting documents should
describe/analyze/explain how the component demonstrates
development as a TESL/TEFL professional. Specific exemplars
within each area are selected in consultation with the graduate
advisor.
Pedagogical Products:
- Sample syllabi of courses the student has
developed.
- Materials the student has developed for learners
of ESL/EFL.
- Tests the student has developed for learners
of ESL/EFL.
- Video tape with written analysis of the student's
teaching.
- Reflective teaching journals.
- Analyses of teaching based on class video
or audio tapes.
Academic Products:
- Course papers or projects revisions based
on feedback from the instructor.
- Reports based on original student research.
- Publishable professional paper.
- An annotated bibliography of articles and
books that have significantly influenced the student's growth
as a TESL/TEFL professional.
Assessment:
- Peer, supervisor, self, and/or student evaluations
of courses taught by the student with the student's commentary.
- Peer or supervisor observations with the
student's commentary.
Professional Development:
- Published book reviews or articles.
- Handouts from papers the student presented
at conferences.
- Paper reflecting on conference participation.
Timeline for Portfolio Development:
- Initial overview of the process presented
by faculty at the fall orientation.
- Delineation of requirements with exemplars
presented by faculty at the first fall colloquium.
- Overview of the process of selecting
a committee and completing the Graduate School GS6 form
at the final colloquium of the fall presented by faculty
and second year students.
- The student selects a committee and
develops a portfolio plan with the committee chair in the
student's second semester of study.
- The student gathers portfolio materials
throughout the program.
- The student circulates the portfolio
to the graduate committee early in the semester in which
the student plans to graduate.
- The student orally defends the portfolio
to the graduate committee.
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