Digital Portfolio Parent Orientation

Presented by Emily Valenza, Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Digital PortfoliosWhat IS involved in a Digital Portfolio:

■ Showcase of Best Student Work

■ Outline of Extra-Curricular and Service Learning Activities

■ Approved Content by Teachers and Parents

■ Respectful “Interview” Tone■ Record of Learning and Growth

What is NOT involved in a Digital Portfolio:

■ Online Diary■ Social Media■ Personal Websites■ Networking■ Blogs or Forums■ Casual Tone

Why make digital portfolios?■ Students are already experimenting with the online world, and making

some missteps! This is a teachable moment!

■ We are providing a guided, educational experience in using digital media thoughtfully and safely.

■ Digital literacy is an essential skill- the portfolio project provides authentic learning in digital literacy!

■ Creating, managing, and curating a positive digital footprint is important in the academic world and in the job market.

■ Digital portfolios give students a greater voice in the middle school application process.

■ It’s fun!

Why Weebly?Weebly for Education is:

■ Free■ Safe

○ Managed & monitored by a teacher ○ Password protected (Only accessible to those who have a

password.)○ Functional without use of email

■ Easy to navigate■ Simple, beautiful design options■ Compatible with a wide range of media■ Similar in feel to many other web-based editors■ Viewed as easily on mobile devices as on your computer screen!

SafetyStudents are instructed never to include:

■ Photos of themselves or of classmates■ Their home phone number, email address, or home address■ Their daily schedule ■ Any information they would not want a stranger to have

All students are to follow the guidelines put forth in Kingsley’s Technology Responsible Use Agreement

All fifth and sixth grade students have completed the basic structure of their digital portfolios! ■ The next step, add content to each page:

○ About○ Math & Science○ Language Arts (including Foreign Language)○ Visual & Performing Arts○ Optional 5th page for cultural studies or extra-curricular endeavors

■ Peer edit to ensure a high standard of work

■ Design Choices:○ Clear, legible text- high contrast between background and text○ Appropriate tone○ Organized

Expectations for Students

■ To assist your child in building a digital portfolio, you can:○ Help photograph artwork and creative projects (details on the next slide!)○ Edit text for clarity, tone, and spelling○ Set aside time to work together and set deadlines to complete pages○ Provide constructive feedback and encouragement○ Try weebly yourself to get familiar with the editing platform○ Contact Ms. Valenza for extra support

■ This is an optional addition for students and families to use if they choose. ○ It should not detract from classroom work or add undue stress.

Expectations for Families

■ Use natural light whenever possible■ You can use any camera you have:

○ point & shoot○ iphone or ipad (or any good phone cam!)○ DSLR

■ Do not use flash!■ Crop as close as possible to edge of work■ Use a black or white background■ Edit with photoshop, iPhoto or web editors:

○ pixlr.com○ befunky.com○ picmonkey.com

Documenting Work

Demo Time!■ Let’s explore Weebly together!

■ Log in at: students.weebly.com

Welcome Page

Editing Screen

just drag the gray boxes to the left onto your page!

Editing Tools

this option allows you to add content from many other web-based media sources!

Building Pages

Choosing a Theme

● Choose a theme that doesn’t distract from your content! ● Please note that the photos shown are just placeholders until you add your own content!

Editing Your Theme

customize your chosen theme here

turn these options off

Adding a Logo

you can upload your custom logo here.