I am looking into this further and I have contacted NCATE http://www.ncate.org/ to see if they can shed some light on this subject for me. Here is the info I found interesting, stating that portfolios are NOT required:
Does NCATE require digital portfolios?
No. The NCATE standards do not require the use of digital portfolios; however, they do make effective use of technology in instruction a central requirement for teacher preparation programs for both faculty and teacher candidates. NCATE Standard 6 requires that the teacher preparation unit provides adequate campus and school facilities to support candidates in meeting standards. NCATE Standard 1 requires teacher candidates to demonstrate that they are able to “facilitate student learning of the subject matter…through the integration of technology.” (One way to demonstrate this could be through artifacts in candidates’ teaching portfolios.) NCATE Standard 5 requires faculty to demonstrate that they are able to integrate diversity and technology throughout their teaching. Regarding the school of education’s facilitation of professional development, Standard 5 also mandates that “the unit provides opportunities for faculty to develop new knowledge and skills” in areas including technology.
Also, according to NCATE Standard 2, institutions are expected to use technology to maintain their assessment systems, though how complex an undertaking this is varies with how many programs are in the unit. Some institutions are moving toward electronic portfolios in which candidates can demonstrate their mastery of proficiencies. Also, more institutions are making some or all of their exhibits for the Board of Examiners (BOE) visit itself available electronically. This facilitates the work of the BOE team when they can begin viewing exhibits before the visit actually starts, and devote more of their time on campus observing classes, interviews, etc.
(from http://www.ncate.org/standards/NCATEunitstandards/FAQAboutStandards/tabid/406/default.aspx#faq11)
Walden is also accredited by:
The Higher Learning Commission http://www.ncahlc.org/Information-for-the-Public/public-information.html
Check out the overview of standards. The only thing I could find was:
2a. The institution realistically prepares for a future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends.
2b. The institution’s resource base supports its educational programs and its plans for maintaining and strengthening their quality in the future.
2c. The institution’s ongoing evaluation and assessment processes provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for continuous improvement.
2d. All levels of planning align with the institution’s mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that mission.
For further information about accreditation in the North Central region, write or call the appropriate Commission office.
For institutions of higher education:
The Higher Learning Commission 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400 Chicago, Illinois 60602-2504 (800) 621-7440 or (312) 263-0456 Fax: (312) 263-7462; E-mail: info@hlcommission.org http://www.ncahlc.org
For further information about institutional and specialized accreditation (including names and addresses of accrediting bodies) write or call:
Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) One Dupont Circle, Suite 510 Washington D.C. 20036-1136 (202) 955-6126
Fax: (202) 955-6129; E-mail: chea@chea.org http://www.chea.org
CHEA http://www.chea.org/
**I ask Walden students, do you feel the portfolio is an accurate demonstration of what you have learned through your Walden coursework or would the course assignments (papers, discussions, wikis, podcasts, prezis, VoiceThreads) provide a more accurate picture?
**Also...do you feel the directions for the ePortfolio, found at: http://waldenu.edu/experience/resources/eportfolio gave you a clear idea of what would be expected of us? NOTE: The description continually says "Coursework" but this is not the case...everything we do is OUTSIDE of our courses for the portfolio.Track Your Progress and Achievements
Collect and store all your course assignments and papers conveniently online with Walden’s ePortfolio. This electronic portfolio can help you organize coursework so you can track your progress within your program as well as share assignments easily with others.
With ePortfolio, you can:
- Submit your coursework to faculty members for assessment.
- Share your best work with classmates, colleagues, and supervisors.
- Create presentations to showcase your knowledge and skills for career advancement.
- Refer back to submissions so you can track your continuing professional development.
The ePortfolio service is available in select programs and is included in the cost of tuition.
To find out whether ePortfolio is included in your program, please contact an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336 or request information.
I thought we were told we HAD to have one source per paragraph? In doing our lit review... Correct??? Or am crazy?!
ReplyDeleteI sent an email to our Proff of that class and asked.
Thanks!
I also was looking back at our information from that class. I am trying to find it in BLACK and white we needed information for our Action Research.
http://www.professorarnold.net/educ6733/AvoidthePitfalls.pdf
ReplyDeleteWhen we took that class in July the directions said we needed to only have ONE source per paragraph. Looking at her website today, that has been updated and removed. Luckily, I still have the file in my downloaded files on my computer. I just emailed you the original "Avoid the Pitfalls" and posted it in my current class as well as a warning for those who have not yet submitted. I also emailed a copy of it to the person who docked my score twice (once in the Lit Review section, and once in the APA for the same reason according to our discussion on the phone).
ReplyDeleteMindy,
ReplyDeleteYou pose a great argument. Now that I think about it, social change is something that has not been addressed in any course. I sincerely hope that they take a long thorough look at your letter and realize that they are in the wrong. Now, back to my coursework! ;0) Keep in touch.
Stacy Martinez
Love your pics at the top of the page, by the way!
ReplyDeleteThanks!! :)
ReplyDeleteComplaints Against an Affiliated Institution
ReplyDeletePeople who are concerned about conditions at or decisions made by a college or university sometimes address their com- plaints to the Commission. If the complaint relates to a dispute between a student and a faculty member, or a faculty member and an administrator, or even students and administrators over such issues as billing, grading, financial aid, termination of employment, and contract interpretation, the Commission considers it to be an individual dispute between the parties. Such disputes are best resolved by the parties through a
campus ombudsman or grievance process or, failing such resolution, through a private mediator or the legal system. To help further resolution of such individual disputes, the Commission will, with the consent of the complainant, forward the complaint to the institution but will not conduct any formal inquiry or follow-up subsequent to forwarding the complaint. A complainant is best served by bringing allegations of criminal conduct, such as fraud or conspiracy, to the attention of the state attorney general or the local U.S. attorney, who has
the legal authority to conduct an appropriate and thorough investigation and bring criminal charges if appropriate. As a private agency the Commission has no such investigatory or prosecutorial authority.
In some cases, the complaint may indicate problems in the aggregate with organizational behavior or policies. If the Commission determines that such problems appear to be related to its expectations of an accredited or affiliated institu- tion as outlined in the Commission’s accrediting standards and its policies, the Commission will conduct an inquiry, asking the CEO of the institution to respond to the broad issues, to describe its own internal inquiry into the matter, and to outline any remedial actions it has undertaken. With the complainant’s permission, the Commission will forward the complaint and supporting documentation to the institution as a part of its inquiry.
The Commission encourages anyone considering filing a complaint to review the Commission’s Web site for more information about the appropriate steps for filing a complaint and alternative strategies for resolving a dispute with an institution.
Great study process, really admire you. I enjoy studying by flashcard. One of my favourite app is Superflashcard. It supports for me much experience and many diversified topics. Especially, it helps me save time and money for downloading.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous-I'm confused by your comment. Is this in regards to the portfolio mandated by Walden University's Masters in Education program???? If so, please help me to understand.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the NCATE lady I spoke with on the phone, NCATE does NOT require portfolios for accreditation.
ReplyDeleteIt was confirmed that the statement made to me by the Associate Dean was not true, and that the purpose of accreditation standards is in fact to protect students, and are used to determine whether or not the university or their program is meeting certain criterion. (I had asked how the portfolio was used for Accreditation purpose and Walden could not give me an answer. When I asked if it was to prove the effectiveness of their program I was told "I caution you in thinking the purpose of standards for higher education have the same purpose as standards for K-12." Again, another vague and empty answer-but she suggested that the purpose of the standards was not used to assess the quality of the school/program but once again, this was false information.
I asked the accreditation lady if they would support the portfolio process if the assessments were unrelated to our coursework. She said, that there is no way NCATE would support this. She gave me some links to double check the accreditation standards and then contact information in the even that a formal complaint needs to be made.
Walden has great arguments at times...for example, the final portfolio reflection on social change. They claim it is in Walden's missions statement and is discussed throughout each course. Last week I contacted each of my previous instructors and they all verified that Social Change was not a topic in any of the resources or a focus of any assignments. Once I stated why I had asked them and that I had been in contact with the accreditation agencies they quickly replied with almost the same response as the administration had given me. .....seems very suspicious and crooked to me.