This paper explores a connection you can make online to discuss portfolios in your schools. ****Discussion Board***** Name: Portfolio Palace Location (Directions): America Online (AOL), Electronic School House (keyword ESH), School to School: LINKS, Portfolio Palace. If you want to share ideas, ask questions, let others know what you are doing with portfolios--this is the place. This board will be monitored to insure that only postings related to the topic of portfolios are uploaded. Materials must be practical as opposed to theoretical and not be offensive. Your monitor-guy is me (Martin Kimeldorf). I have two primary qualifications. I have authored a student workbook and teaching guide called "Creating Portfolios For Success in School, Work, and Life." I also once was a milk monitor. ****Library of things you can use**** Name: AOL, ESH, Project Lessons and Resources Library, All documents begin with the acronyn PP Related to the bulletin board located in the Portfolio Palace folder you'll find a library where you can upload (or download) portfolio samples, curriculums, worksheets, lessons, book reviews, lists of resources, notices about items you have uploaded for others, anything which might help people in their royal quest to use portfolios in education. In essence, this library becomes a kind of large portfolio created by teachers. Some artifacts or samples you might in find or wish to submit are: * Lessons, worksheets, curriculum guides * Portfolio samples from kids (drawings, HyperCard stacks, summaries, database samples. Be sure you have written permission from the student and guardian. Include notice about permission. Otherwise you must fictionalize the piece by changing all names, places and references to specifics. You are liable for what you post when it belongs to others) * Samples from adult portfolios (perhaps your own?) * Criteria used in grading or assessing portfolios * Guidelines or rubrics you use with visitors who review portfolios * Essays summarizing your experiences with portfolios * Surveys of what others are doing * Research results which have practical application. I will begin by uploading the following three documents which you may find of use. 1) (PP) Portfolio Planning And Design Guide This text file is based on my workshop and books about student portfolios. The materials illustrates in 5 steps how to design a portfolio program in your school or classroom. This document is adapted from my Portfolio Design WORKSHOP. In the workshop participants engage in three valuable planning experiences. First, participants are given the opportunity to acquire a new confidence and expertise in portfolio instruction by developing their own sample portfolio (learning by doing). The second major task involves thinking about specific skills which must be taught to students to help them develop successful portfolio habits and quality end products. The third part addresses specific questions related to planning programs and courses. This document can be read by any word processor on any computer. After downloading, sure to open it (load it) in your word processor and not AOL software. 2) (PP) Portfolio Samples from Special Needs Student. This is a five page document written in MS Word for the Mac. Each page summarizes what went into an individual high school student's portfolio. 3) (PP) Life-Career Portfolio Curriculum Guide. This 15 page packet was designed to provide graduating high school students with a sequence for creating their own life-career portfolio. This document was designed to provide a meaningful culminating school-to-work culminating experience. This kind of portfolio contains samples of the student's overall talents (including experiences both in and outside of school). The second half includes materials the student selects related to interests in post-secondary training or job seeking. The sequence is based on cross referencing two of my books (one on job finding and the other on portfolios) plus easy-to-use, commercially available career interest tests. Additional lessons are included which are not found in existing books along with tips for special learners. This material has not yet been field tested, so I welcome your input. Written in MS Word for Mac.