Beginning with the Fall 2005 Semester, the Watson School of Education Requires That All

Special Education Portfolios University of North Carolina Wilmington

WSE TaskStream Requirement The Watson School of Education requires that all education majors enrolled in methods courses maintain active accounts on TaskStream, a web-based curriculum builder and portfolio toolset. Please maintain that account for the duration of your program with the Watson School of Education (www.taskstream.com). Students use TaskStream to generate Professional Development Portfolios. Faculty and intern supervisors evaluate the portfolio products to document progress toward meeting exit requirements and professional standards.

Professional Development Portfolio Ed Lab and field experience courses prepare students for internship, which serves as the capstone activity for developing the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. The purpose of this project is to enrich and complement the Ed Lab courses, field experiences, and finally the internship. During these courses, students reflect on their classroom and laboratory experiences, analyze their significance, and link theoretical knowledge to teaching practice. The final product is a Professional Development Portfolio for continued growth. A periodic review of the evidence by professors, university supervisors, and partnership teachers may affect course and internship grades as specified in syllabi.

In selecting artifacts and writing reflections, the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. While reflecting, consider the following questions: o Why is the standard important for special education? o How have you progressed toward meeting the standard? o What experiences and knowledge support your professional growth? o What are the next steps toward continued development?

There are two options for reflecting on your progress related to the standards: o Using the directed reflections accompanying each standard o Creating your own reflections that address each standard explicitly (If you select this option, organize your thoughts according to "strengths" and "areas of improvement," specific artifacts, or using another logical framework to reflect on the standards)

Special Education TaskStream Requirements p.1 Directions for Creating a Portfolio on TaskStream 1. Log into taskstream.com 2. In the left column of tools, click once on “Web Folio Builder” 3. In the purple “Presentation Portfolios” section on the right, enter Special Education Portfolio and your name in the “Create a New Presentation Portfolio” box 4. Click the “Create It” tab 5. On the next screen, scroll down until you find the “Adapted Curriculum” or “General Curriculum” template, click in the circle, and then click the “Next Step” button 6. Using the explanation tabs at the top, click “Choose a Style” 7. Select a style and click the yellow “Next Step” button 8. Enter your assignments in the standards section on the left

Uploading Evidence to your Special Education Portfolio 1. Log into taskstream.com 2. Click on “Web Folio Builder” in the left column 3. On the right, scroll down to your Special Education Portfolio and click once on it 4. Click on a standard in the left menu to see the specific indicators, explanation of standard, and course assignments that may be used as evidence for the standard 5. Click on the “Content Field” for directions on how t0 enter your evidence for the standard in your portfolio 6. On the right, click on the “edit” button to enter evidence for a course 7. Click the “attachments” tab on the top and give your project a title 8. Click on the “browse” button, locate your document to be attached, and click on the document 9. Click on the yellow “Add File” button, and your file should be attached 10. Click the “Main Text” tab, write your reflection for this assignment in the box, and click “save” 11. Repeat the process for additional projects

If you need help, you can call TaskStream toll free at 1-800-311-5656 A real person will help you on everything from purchasing an account to uploading evidence

Special Education TaskStream Requirements p.2