Using E-Portfolios to Foster Community and Collaboration in an Elementary Writing Pedagogy Course
Abstract: All Liberal Studies majors (preservice teachers who plan to teach grades PK-6) at Longwood University (Farmville, VA) are required to take ENGL 483: Writing Theory and Practice in the Elementary Classroom. In this writing-intensive course, students are expected to produce a significant amount of text as well as to evaluate and provide feedback on the work of their peers. Longwood’s chosen learning management system, Canvas, provides ample opportunity for these preservice teachers to examine, extend, and expound upon their own and their classmates’ ideas. This session will explore how to use eportfolios to encourage collaboration and community among preservice teachers. We will discuss the evolution of course assignments throughout the semester, and how students increasingly use writing and eportfolios to foster community, both in their current University classroom and by establishing a sustainable professional network of innovative educators. We will look a sample student writing, interactions, and collaborations. We will discuss how this variation of the professional learning community can impact the way new educators communicate and support one another.