By: Lauren Huffman
(August 26, 2009) With the opening of the ePortfolio lab this semester, teacher education majors will have the opportunity to use a brand new, cutting edge facility to enhance their professional teacher education portfolios. The lab, which uses LiveText exclusively, is open to teacher education majors and faculty for workshops and assistance with the program.
The lab's opening gives students access to a variety of new equipment and computers, including digital cameras, dual-platform Mac computers, printers, and scanners. All of this equipment supports the LiveText program that teacher education majors are required to use in order to craft their professional portfolios. LiveText is software that allows users to document their coursework and qualifications. It is accessible from anywhere once a subscription is purchased.
The lab hosts the fundamentals workshop that is required for Gateway One in teacher education. In sessions with a class size of 15, instructors teach teacher candidates how to download their portfolios and submit documents. Other workshops are also available to increase teacher candidates' knowledge of the software. View all ePortfolio workshop offerings.
"We want to provide the students with all of the tools they need to make a professional portfolio and to make them stand out to employers," said ePortfolio specialist, Melissa Christofero. This includes encouraging students to take pictures in the classroom and upload them into their portfolios in order to promote professional development.
"Every single teacher education major comes through here, which is kind of cool," says Christofero. She encourages students to update their portfolios frequently, and to include their social and extracurricular activities. "All of these things affect who you are as an educator. A portfolio is a great way to see how far you've come."
The lab will support those on- and off-campus, including grant groups and university supervisors. It is also used at the university level to document accreditation and to keep track of tenure. 386 course sections use this lab, including 199 different instructors and 3,200 students. The lab, in DeGarmo 52, is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with lab technicians available between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Later this semester, an open house will be held, allowing those on campus to see the new facility and get a glimpse of the services provided. For more information, visit the ePortfolio Help Website.
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