One of the primary assignments of this class is to begin an educational leadership portfolio. A learning portfolio of this sort accomplishes at least two things. First, it provides a space for you to collect examples of your best performances, as well as resources more generally, in religious education. Second, it provides a way for you to track your own growth and development in learning in this area. This portfolio needs to be something that you save, and return to in future education classes at Luther (Ed2 if you're an MDiv student, or your core concentration courses if you're an MA student).

You can work on the portfolio in a variety of media. Some students have used a 3-ring binder with folders as a place to collect materials, others have set up an e-portfolio through the state site (which is available for free to any student enrolled in an institution of education in Minnesota). What you need is a place/way to collect materials, and a method for organizing them that you'll find generative. For EL at Luther, and thus for this class, we ask that you have at least these five sections in your portfolio.

For EL1515 online, fall 2009, you can meet the portfolio requirement by building a portfolio that includes the five sections identified above. Section one and section five will have material specific to this class, while sections two through four will be based on the sections listed above.

In section one, please include in your portfolio a short reflection on your own involvement with your small group. Where did you feel that you were particularly helpful, where did you feel that you caused problems (if any), and what number on the rubric would you attach to your small group work? This reflection should be no longer than one page. You may choose to include, along with this reflection, any materials you developed on behalf of your group, any weblinks you discovered to share, and any pertinent sections you might have written for your small group. Please make sure to give me the link to the review you wrote at Feautor.org, as well as the link to the contribution you published there.

In section five, answer at least the questions posed in the main portfolio instructions.

If you are a CYF student, you can utilize material from your CYF 6.7.8 competencies work, and even use your CYF portfolio, if you wish. In that case, you'll probably create a section in that portfolio that is directly focused on educational leadership, and you'll include the five elements specified for the EL portfolio, in that section.