Making the Case for the Use of Web-Based Portfolios in Support of Learning to Teach
Lucy Avraamidou
Carla Zembal-Saul
Pennsylvania State University
Abstract
Portfolios have been used in teacher education in different formats, in a variety of ways and for different purposes. Portfolios can be used as evaluation tools, to illustrate good teaching, to demonstrate progress, to integrate collection of work, to share work, and to support reflection and professional growth. In this paper we demonstrate through a review of the literature how portfolios have been used in teacher education and we discuss how hypermedia portfolios have been gaining popularity among teacher educators due to their potential to overcome the limitations of the traditional paper portfolio: failure to capture dynamic and complex processes of teaching and learning, danger of a portfolio becoming a mere exhibition, photocopying and storage problems. We argue that portfolio development, hypermedia authoring, and the Web-based forum combined has the potential to provide a powerful learning tool for prospective teachers. We propose a model of Web-based portfolio in service of supporting reflecting thinking and learning to teach at the elementary school. This model includes two main components: (a) three versions of a personal, evidence-based philosophy about teaching and learning developed and revised over a semester, and (b) a collection of evidence consisted of course assignments.
About the Author(s)...
Lucy Avraamidou is a Ph.D. candidate in the area of Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in Science Education at the Pennsylvania State University. She did her undergraduate work in Elementary Education at the University of Cyprus, Nicosia and her masters in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Science Education at the Pennsylvania State University, State College. Her professional interests are in the areas of web-based portfolio development, software scaffolding and argumentation in science. She can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Dr. Carla Zembal-Saul is a former sixth grade science teacher who specializes in elementary science education. Her research agenda focuses on science teacher learning, in particular, the development of prospective and practicing teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge for scientific inquiry and science learning. Zembal-Saul also explores applications of technology designed to scaffold science learning and learning to teach science. She is involved in the Penn State – State College Area School District Elementary Professional Development School Partnership Program, providing leadership in technology integration. She can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
