1.  Preparation: First, collect all your work in a 3-ring binder. We will help you turn this into a reflective portfolio. Then you will answer a set of questions designed to get you in the mode of self-evaluation.  Take the online eval survey linked to your syllabus (usually in week 9) if it is assigned.

Portfolio strategies: Your portfolio should contain all your work, including teamwork. When you print out your online posts, be sure to include the header so we know Who posted them and When..

There are two common approaches to organizing a portfolio. In a representational portfolio, you emphasize select pieces of work that fairly represent the overall quality of your work this quarter. Tab these pieces independently, and explicitly reference them  in your cover paragraph for that section. Make clear to the reader their significance in the context of that section and of the overall program.

In a developmental portfolio, you contrast weaker earlier work with stronger later work to show how your understanding has grown. For example, you could show how your early difficulites with algebra developed into increased fluency in the powerful language of mathematics. Or you might contrast an early essay with a later one to show how you have learned to eliminate technical errors, synthesize complex thoughts clearly, and support your understanding with arguments and evidence from texts.

Concreteness strengthens your portfolio and helps your reader focus. If you SAY you have an especially good understanding of  the use of myths for maintenance of sociopolitical power, or of the existence and nature of dark matter, for example, then SHOW it. Illustrate your claim to understanding with a concrete case from your own work, and explain it in your own words.

• Make a table of contents and a cover page summarizing what's included, and why.
• Tab and label each section of your portfolio.
• Write one paragraph to introduce each section, as described below.
• Include three copies of your self-evaluation (at the end of the quarter) - one to leave in your portfolio, and one to give your prof at the eval conference, and one for your transcript.
• Include  the evals you wrote for your teammates (and the evals they wrote for you, if you have those).

CHECKLIST: Your portfolio should include sections such as these, and others as appropriate.

Evaluations of self, teammates, and faculty. (include extra copies for your prof to keep) Completed prep sheets or checklists Program description and schedule  Seminar PIQs, essays, and responses Workshops (Kepler's laws, spectra, etc.)

essays online postings Homework, quizzes, exams observing journal, field trip notebook, etc. research project

If you would like to make an e-portfolio, write a web page that meets these guidelines. Link all your work, and clearly annotate it.

3. Cover paragraphs: This is the important reflective part of your portfolio.

Now that you have assembled all your material in an orderly way, go back and review each section.
Write a  paragraph to introduce each section, summarizing the most important work in the section and how it represents your learning.
Reflect on what you did, how it contributed to your learning, and how it integrates with the program themes.
What should your reader focus on? Tell us, and help us find the most important parts.
Each cover paragraph (say, for your Seminar section) should call attention to at least one specific assignment that clearly illustrates your good work. Use labeled tabs so you and your readers can easily find your most  important pieces of work.

    Once you have completed these steps, it will be easy to write your self-evaluation. 

4.  Drafting your SELF-EVALUATION: (turn this in with your portfolio)

You can probably use some of the material from your cover paragraphs (above) directly in your self eval.  Go back and look over your cover paragraphs, and underline the sentences that you'd like to include or revise for your self eval.

This quarter is an important chapter of your intellectual history at Evergreen.  Your self-evaluation should synthesize your learning experiences in this program, and show your progress with one or two concrete examples. Edit your self-eval to focus on concise insights about your growth and learning. Instead of merely claiming to understand a topic, choose a concrete example to demonstrate your understanding concisely and vividly.

One way to get started is to just copy the cover paragraphs that introduce each section of your portfolio, since you've already summarized your work there. Don't stop here though - next, reshape your self-evaluation into a coherent synthesis that meets Academic Advising's guidelines as well.

Finally, edit your self-eval down to one page or less.

Spell-check and proofread carefully! You want your self eval to represent you fairly and well.  Have peers proofread your self-eval.  Read it out loud. Academic Advising and the Writing Center have also good self-eval workshops.

You may rewrite your self-eval even after you have turned in a draft with your portfolio.  Bring an extra copy of the polished redraft to your eval conference for your prof to keep.

5. Evaluating your teammates:  (email these evals to your prof the week before conferences.)

You may have had teammates for seminar prep, research, and other program activities. For each teammate, write a couple of sentences:

Did they come to every team meeting?
Did they come prepared, having read everything and taken notes?

Were they reliable contributors to your group work, for example, articulating and posting key points and significant questions about each week's readings, and doing their share in workshops and team presentations?

Did they give you thoughtful feedback on your essays?

Did you all work together effectively to prepare for seminar, improve your writing, do workshops, and deepen your understanding of the program material?

6.  Also write an eval of each FACULTY member in your program.

Faculty members can contribute to your learning experience in diverse ways, including lectures, workshops, conversations, seminars, and more.  How did your professors contribute to your learning? 

Comment on your own personal experiences with each faculty member, not on your perceptions of classmates' perceptions. How did profs help you in workshops, in seminar, with observing, etc.? Constructive suggestions about what works well or what could be improved can help us decide how to structure future programs. Refer to the expectations in the program covenant.

Give your faculty evals to a program secretary (Pat and Ruth, Lab II Rm 2250) on the day of your eval conference.  Write an evaluation of your seminar faculty member every quarter.  Write an evaluation of any faculty members that will not be in the program next quarter.  Write evals of all your faculty if you are leaving the program.   All faculty members welcome your evals, even if you were never in their seminar group.  Secretaries will hold on to your evaluations of faculty until their evaluations of you are processed.

Faculty members will not read your faculty evals until all their evals of students are done, unless you ask them to. Anonymous evals carry little weight. 

You are encouraged to visit Academic Advising to get their guidelines on writing evals, or attend their workshops on evals and portfolios.

What happens in eval conferences?

   Dr. Zita will review the work you turned in on time, to write a draft evaluation before your conference.   In your conference, tell Zita about your best learning in the program, and discuss your academic plans and goals.  (Do not dwell on incomplete work or excuses.) Demonstrate select evidence from your portfolio. Zita will read your self-eval and give you feedback on it.  She will never require you change your self-eval, nor will she sign it - your self-eval is your formal representation of your learning.  She will often give pointers on strengthening your self-eval and highlighting your best work. You will give Zita a brief tour of your portfolio, using your cover paragraphs and tabs to hit the high points.  Zita will give you a copy of  her draft eval  of your work, and you will have an opportunity to discuss it.  She may or may not make changes based on the conference, and will then take some time after you leave to finish it up. 

Your professor will give your eval to program secretaries by the end of the week, and they could take months to return it to Zita on the official form for her signature, depending on how busy they are. (So if you are anxiously waiting for your formal eval, ask Ruth or Pat about its status.  Their phone number is 360-867-6102.)