I have tried to perfect the student eFolio for elementary students. Students are so proud to display their work online! It is a great motivator. Finding time, however, to teach html skills, digital photography, design, is the difficulty I always face. Trying to maintain a class’ focus while teaching about the best practices for using tables and hyperlinks is about impossible. This year I plan on going back to the basics and minimalize student web work.

Teaching fifth grade, I find my students are proficient in certain software. Microsoft PowerPoint and Word are the two most common applications they use from kindergarten through fourth grade. Students can do amazing things with all the bells and whistles PowerPoint provide. They like using PowerPoint. This year we will be using PowerPoint to maintain a student eFolio. We will then us the Print Screen option to capture an image and create a thumbnail within a web site, that will open the larger, more detailed eFolio reflection piece.

The PowerPoint template gives students the opportunity to reflect on work that they have completed. My student’s eFolios are works in progress. Some students post many more pieces than others. The image shows the basic layout. Students insert an image of their work or project, then reflect on what the assignment required, what they learned, and how they will use the skill again in the future. Within PowerPoint the notes section is to be used as a blog. Students can go into further detail if they so choose. Students can then format the font, slide style, background color to their liking.

Once the slide is complete, students will start their slideshow. When the desired slide is on the screen, students will use the “Print Screen” feature built into most keyboards. This is a great tool for students to use. Within Microsoft products, image cropping is allowed so image editing is really easy. Students love WordArt. With “Print Screen” students can manipulate the on screen image and then capture it, pasting it into another project.

To use “Print Screen,” have displayed on the screen what you want to capture. Then hit the “Print Screen” key on the keyboard. Now open the program you wish to paste the screen image into. Use your paste shortcut (CTRL-V) to paste the image into the program. Now edit it using various cropping and resizeing techniques.

The PowerPoint template allows students to create an image that displays an image of their work and their reflection. Once the screen is captured using the “Print Screen” tool, we save the image to our clipboard to use in the next step… the student’s web page!

At our school we use SharePoint Designer to edit web pages. Included in the file package is a student folder. This folder, along with the PowerPoint file need to be distributed to each student. The student folder is titled “student000.” Once distrubted you will need to have your students change the file name to a unique number (student001, student002). This number is important when setting up your efolio page. To the right is a picture of my “Student Web Pages and eFolios” launcher page. Within my web page file structure I have a folder titlted “efolios” that holds all the student folders (student001, student002). When a student updates his or her eFolio, I drag their folder into the “efolio” folder, because it has the same name, it overwrites the previous files. On the launcher page I have each student create an avatar and scan them in as the launching link to their individual web pages. Once I add the link information it should not change because the student keeps the same folder name (student001, student002).

Students will need to open their site, which includes an index.htm file that has a layout pre-established (avatar cell, name cell, and contact cell). As students add images they will use the Auto Thumbnail feature. I plan to teach students how to adjust the Auto Thumbnail settings to create a 300 px wide image that links to the larger image for easier viewing. I will suggest that they title each subject section to maintain organization. Also included in the web site folder is an “images” folder. Students can practice organization by keeping image files in the “images” folder.

The minimal steps will allow students to create an easy electronic portfolio. PowerPoint is a breeze for most students. Many students have PowerPoint at home too, so adding eFolio content can be done in and out of the classroom. “Print Screen” is a great work around to picture editing. If “Print Screen” is too difficult for the younger students, you can also export PowerPoint slides as an .jpg image, too.

I hope this is a helpful way to create an online eFolio for your students. Next year I will reflect on how this actually goes and make any tweaks that are necessary.

Steps for Students:

1. Open and maintain PowerPoint. Adding assignments by copying the original slide.
2. Export slide image or use “Print Screen” option.
3. Open web site, create name in WordArt, use “Print Screen” option to insert name image, add avatar that your teacher has scanned, insert image of slide, title the subject area.
4. Save file and let your teacher know you are ready to upload.
5. Continue to maintain PowerPoint, adding new pieces weekly.

Files: eFolio_Tepley (Right click and Save Target As to save and access .zip file. File inlcudes PowerPoint Template, Student eFolio Web Site Template, Student eFolio Example)