The process of becoming a teacher is not one of merely completing a sequence of courses and experiences leading to graduation. It is rather a process of becoming competent in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions (attitudes and beliefs) that result in effective teaching. When this change in perception is fully understood, it is apparent that this is the difference between simply becoming a teacher and becoming an effective practitioner who can successfully motivate students to achieve high levels of learning. That, in fact, is the goal of the Teacher Education Program at Indiana Wesleyan University -- to prepare effective and successful teachers for public and private classrooms.

The purposes of the portfolio development and assessment process are:

1. to provide a method for candidates to document competence in effective teaching acquired throughout the Teacher Education Program;
2. to monitor and assess candidate progress toward achieving the outcomes and expectations of the eight domains of the Teacher as Decision Maker conceptual framework, the INTASC principles, and the content and developmental standards of the Division of Professional Standards.

The portfolio contains two sections.

Section 1: the first section of your portfolio consists of these required elements

• Resume
• Autobiography (the first draft of this paper, "Why I chose Teaching as a Career," is developed in EDU130, American Education.
• Philosophy of Education (first draft developed in EDU130 American Education)
• Statement of Personal Goals (first draft developed in EDU130 American Education)

Section 2: Metacognitive paper for each domain developed in the course. Metacognitive papers have five parts: 1. domain description, 2. exhibit list, 3. exhibit descriptions, 4. self-analysis, and 5. exhibits. Each of these elements is described in more detail below. (NOTE: competent metacognitive papers must include evidence of Faith Integration .)

The second section of the portfolio is organized around the eight domains of the Teacher as Decision Maker conceptual model. It is in this section that candidates provide evidence that they are becoming competent teachers.

The metacognitive paper for each domain contains the following elements:

1. Explanation and summary of domain outcomes and expectations. In this section, candidates will answer the questions "What does it mean to be competent in my discipline (within each domain)?" "What knowledge, skills, and dispositions are possessed by effective practitioners in my field?" At a minimum, outstanding domain descriptions include a summary of all domain expectation statements (found at the web link given above), and a discussion of what it means to be competent within each candidate's own teaching discipline. (NOTE: please cite each domain expectation by number as you refer to it in your narrative. For example, when you refer to the first expectation statement of domain 1, place the number (1.1) at the end of the sentence or section.)
2. A list of included exhibits. This exhibit list will grow and change over time as candidates develop competency. The final list in the capstone student teaching portfolio should include artifacts that adequately cover the breadth and depth of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are described in the domain explanation (section 1 of the metacognitive paper).
3. A description of each exhibit that explains why it is included and how it demonstrates (emerging) competency in the domain. Domain descriptions must include these three elements (NOTE: please cite each domain expectation by number as you refer to them in this section.):
   1. Exhibit description. Provide a brief but thorough description of each exhibit. Don't assume the reader will automatically know what it is.
   2. Why was the exhibit chosen? Include a few sentences in your description about why each particular exhibit was chosen. This helps the reader understand the context in which the exhibit is understood.
   3. How does the exhibit relate to domain expectations? Be sure to make a clear connection between each exhibit and one or more domain expectations. Remember that exhibits are chosen because they show how you are developing competence in the expectations of the domain.

4. A self-analysis of the candidate's current status in becoming competent in each domain. The candidate will view the expectations for competence in each domain, will assess his or her current position relative to becoming competent, and will judge the remaining gap. This section will include a discussion of the learning and experiences that yet need to occur in order for the candidate to achieve full competence in each domain. (NOTE: please cite each domain expectation by number as you refer to them in this section.)

5. Exhibits See http://cas.indwes.edu/Academic-Divisions/Education/pdfs/PortfolioExhibits.pdf for examples of materials that qualify for portfolio exhibits.

Portfolio Development Sequence. The following charts show the portfolio development sequence in each teacher preparation program:

Domain	Elementary	Secondary	Exceptional Needs
Domain 1	EDU355 Social Studies Methods	EDU382 Special Content Methods	EDS381 Methods for Teaching Children with Exceptional Needs (Elementary Majors); EDS382 Methods for Teaching Adolescents with Exceptional Needs (5-12 and K-12 Majors)
Domain 2	EDU130 American Education	EDU130 American Education	EDU130 American Education
Domain 3	EDU491 Student Teaching	EDU490 Student Teaching	EDS494 Student Teaching
Domain 4	EDU271 Early Childhood Education	EDU240 Educational Psychology	EDU271 Early Childhood Education (K-6 Majors); EDU240 Educational Psychology (5-12, K-12 Majors)
Domain 5	EDU290 Elementary Education in a Pluralistic Society	EDU250 Principles of Teaching	EDU290 Elementary Education in a Pluralistic Society (K-6 Majors); EDU250 Principles of Teaching (5-12, K-12 Majors)
Domain 6	EDU356 Science Methods	EDU490 Student Teaching	EDS360 Behavior Management
Domain 7	EDU354 Language Arts Methods	EDU324 Literacy in Diverse Classrooms	EDS324 Literacy for the Adolescent with Exceptional Needs (5-12 and K-12 Majors); EDU388 Developmental Reading (K-6 Majors)
Domain 8	PSY276 Psychology of the Exceptional Learner	PSY276 Psychology of the Exceptional Learner	PSY276 Psychology of the Exceptional Learner

Portfolio Assessment. Candidate portfolios are assessed in the following ways:

1. Course Assessment. Each metacognitive paper is assessed in the course in which it is assigned using the Portfolio Development and Scoring Rubric. Specific instructions are found in each course in the portfolio development sequence.
2. Teacher Education Program Admission. Candidates are required to submit their portfolios for assessment when they apply for formal admission to the Teacher Education Program. Refer to the annual Teacher Education Program Application for submission deadlines and due dates. The Portfolio Development and Scoring Rubric is used to assess these portfolios.
3. Student Teaching. The final formal portfolio evaluation takes place at the conclusion of the student teaching semester. The portfolio is assessed using the Student Teaching Portfolio Development and Scoring Rubric , and is part of the student teaching defense process.

Portfolio Requirements

The Portfolio must be well-organized, neat, typewritten, and error-free. It must possess a Table of Contents. Remember, the Portfolio is used not only as an evaluative tool of the knowledge and experiences gained as an IWU education student, but will further serve as a professional portrait of personal skills and abilities in the interviewing/employment process. eFolio instructions can be found at this link. http://cas.indwes.edu/Academic-Divisions/education/efolio.htm

Definitions:

Conceptual Framework. A conceptual framework is the rationale and organizing principles around which the curriculum, courses, and field experiences of a teacher education program are organized. The IWU conceptual framework is called Teacher as Decision Maker. It is represented by a graphic model, and includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions outcomes and expectations that all candidates must acquire before they can be approved for graduation and teacher certification.

Exhibit. An exhibit is a piece of evidence presented by a candidate to document competence of teaching ability. An exhibit may be a paper written for a class, a certificate of achievement, a lesson plan, a unit plan, a picture or series of pictures, a letter of recommendation, a list of accomplishments, etc. In short, an exhibit is a piece of tangible evidence that the candidate has developed competence in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for teaching competence. Click here for exhibit suggestions.

Faith Integration. Candidates are expected to give thought to what it means to integrate their personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ into their professional practice. Each domain metacognitive paper must include evidence of this thinking. It may occur in part 1, the domain explanation, part 3, exhibit descriptions, or part 4, the self analysis section. There is no specific requirement for what must be included or how it is to be included. The only requirement is that each candidate must think and write about what it means to integrate his or her faith into each domain of the conceptual framework.

Metacognitive Paper. The metacognitive paper is the means by which candidates demonstrate or "prove" that they have developed competence in the standards (outcomes and expectations) that make up each of the eight domains of the Teacher as Decision Maker conceptual framework. A metacognitive paper consists of five parts: 1. a description of what it means to be competent in a domain; 2. a list of exhibits included to demonstrate competence in domain outcomes and expectations; 3. a description of each domain; 4. a self analysis; and 5. the actual exhibits assembled to demonstrate domain competence.

Portfolio. A collection of materials designed to demonstrate the acquisition of competence in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for effective teaching. The portfolio contains two sections. The first consists of required elements (resume, autobiography, philosophy of education, statement of personal goals, etc.). The second consists of the metacognitive papers for each of the eight domains of the Teacher as Decision Maker conceptual framework. The portfolio is submitted electronically, and is developed and revised over the four years of progress through the Teacher Education Program.

Portfolio Development and Scoring Rubric. The Portfolio Development and Scoring Rubric is a matrix that lists required portfolio elements (domain explanations, Exhibit Lists and Definitions, Self Analyses, etc.), and defines levels of performance for each element. Teacher education faculty use this rubric to assess and score portfolios at each stage of the development process. It is expected that candidates will also use this rubric as a guide to develop and assemble their portfolios.