Purpose of the Portfolio

The portfolio represents a summation of the Undergraduate and M.A.T. candidate's work spanning the entire period of the program with special emphasis being placed on the internship experience. The portfolio is a practically oriented research paper or thesis that chronicles the intern's experiences and demonstrates the degree to which he/she understands and can apply the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Principles. The INTASC Principles are the standards used in both the undergraduate and graduate (M.A.T.) portfolios. Developed by the Chief State School Officers (State School Superintendents) and several professional organizations for colleges of teacher education, these standards are to represent the knowledge, dispositions and performances of a beginning teacher. The Portfolio is one of the exit requirements for the Department of Teacher Education and Administration and must be presented for program completion. Additionally, the Maryland State Department of Education has recently identified Technology Outcomes for Beginning Teachers that have been incorporated into the Morgan portfolio process, as well as several courses required by the Morgan students.

The Portfolio contains artifacts (lesson plans, unit plans, photographs, video clips, student work, etc.) and rationales or reflections that illustrate the INTASC principles at work in the classroom and school placement. The Portfolio becomes a valuable document that the candidate can use when interviewing for a teaching position. The portfolio can also be used as evidence of professional growth and development.