Ive received questions from instructors and students about the use of PDFs and the new artifact cover page in portfolios. Here are the current policies.

         Students are encouraged to use PDFs when adding a new artifact. PDFs are especially superior to Word and PowerPoint, because those file formats are changing with Office 2007 (this summer).

         Students are encouraged to include an artifact cover page for any new artifact.

         Students are not required to change the format of existing artifacts or add cover pages to existing artifacts. However, PDFs and cover pages will enhance the quality of a portfolio. Students with nothing better to do could tinker with existing artifacts, but no authority is telling them to tinker.

         Through at least Spring 2009, PDFs and cover pages wont be required for an Acceptable portfolio in EDUC 400. Starting in Fall 2008, an Exceptional portfolio will include mostly/all PDFs and cover pages. However, either an Acceptable or Exceptional portfolio leads to the same diploma and same teaching license.

         Individual instructors may adopt the PDF and cover page requirements (as I have done in my sections of EDUC 381).

FYI, my staff and I in the Portfolio Studio can help with PDFs and cover pages. :-)

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Kym Buchanan
Assistant Professor of Education, U Wisconsin Stevens Point

http://KymBuchanan.org | Facebook
Phone: (715) 346-2906 | Fax: (715) 346-4846
School of Education (457 CPS)
2100 Main Street
Stevens Point, WI 54481