Evaluation Results

Parent Survey Results

1. The use of electronic portfolios "enhanced" the parent-teacher conference.

2. My child actively participated in the parent-teacher conference.

3. Electronic portfolios allowed for more structure in the parent-teacher conference.

4. Having my child involved in the parent-teacher conference was beneficial for the improvement of my child's education.

5. The conference was structured so that it produced enough interaction between the teacher and myself.

6. The time allotted was sufficient.

7. The grade graphing slide helped me to visual my child's progress.

8. I felt comfortable having my child present during the parent-teacher conference.

9. The electronic portfolios created by my child gave him/her a feeling of pride.

10. The use of technology in the classroom is important to my child's future.

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q5

Q6

Q7

Q8

Q9

Q10

Gender of P.

Gender of C.

Computer

P1

4

4

3

4

3

4

3

4

4

4

m

m

y

P2

1

1

3

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

m

y

P3

3

3

3

4

4

4

3

4

4

4

m

f

n

P4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

f

n

P5

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

m

m

n

P6

4

3

4

3

3

4

3

4

4

4

f

m

n

P7

4

4

4

4

3

3

4

4

4

4

f

f

n

P8

3

3

3

4

3

3

3

4

3

4

m

f

y

P9

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

m

f

y

P10

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

f

y

911

3

4

3

4

3

3

3

4

4

4

f

f

y

P12

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

m

m

y

P13

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

m

y

P14

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

m

m

y

P15

4

3

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

m

y

P16

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

m

m

y

P17

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

m

y

P18

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

f

y

P19

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

f

y

P20

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

m

n

P21

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

m

m

n

P22

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

f

n

P23

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

m

f

n

P24

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

f

m

y

P25

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

m

m

y

11 male

14 male

16 yes

Average

3.76

3.72

3.8

3.96

3.8

3.88

3.8

4

3.96

4

14 female

11 female

9 no

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Student Survey Results

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
S1
n
2
2
1
2
S2
n
2
2
2
1
S3
y
2
2
2
2
S4
y
2
2
2
2
S5
n
2
2
2
2
S6
y
2
2
2
2
S7
n
2
2
2
2
S8
y
2
2
2
2
S9
n
2
2
2
2
S10
n
2
2
2
2
S11
y
2
2
2
2
S12
n
2
2
2
2
S13
y
2
2
2
2
S14
y
2
2
2
2
S15
y
2
2
2
2
S16
y
2
2
2
2

7 no

Averages
9 yes
2
2
1.9
1.9

Computer at home?
Enjoy making portfolios?
Did you learn more about technology?
Did you like presenting the portfolios?
Was it ok to be included while discussing grades?

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Focus Group Results

I have chosen to write the information gathered during the focus group in statement format as they relate to each topic.

Portfolios:

  • the portfolios provided a good format
  • I liked the work shown because how do you talk about what they do, if you don't see what they do
  • I liked that you gave specific examples of areas to improve upon
  • I liked the paper portfolios too because you could see what they did in the beginning and this is what he is doing now
  • The kids do not always realize how much they have improved or how much they have learned.
  • That (portfolio) is good- keep through second grade and they can have it to take with them
  • The portfolio structure generated great interaction with the teacher
  • Really liked the paper portfolio to show progress
  • I liked the electronic portfolio as a "icebreaker" to get the conference going
  • Parents also worry about going to the conference, I was a little nervous.
  • Presenting the portfolio was a great self-esteem builder for the kids
  • Most of us do not know how to use the technology that our kids know how to use
  • She tends to get a little shy her presenting it was good for her.
  • I liked that the portfolio included fun stuff and academic stuff
  • The "My Favorites" page was a plus because I found out interesting facts about my son.
  • Presenting the portfolios is great for public speaking- start them young then get them used to speaking in front of people- Parents are such a captive audience!

Free flow of information with student present:

  • The TV-helped me visually to understand the grades
  • The presentation and having the student present was good for his ego
  • I am amazed at what they understand about technology already
  • My son thought the bar graph slide was so cool
  • I liked having the student involved because we went home and he actually sat down and did what you recommended right after the conference.
  • My son also did what you recommended - we went right home and worked on the area of weakness
  • Because they heard it from you they were more likely to do what you said because they hear it from us everyday but its different if "Mrs. Jacobs said"
  • I do not believe it would have made as much of an impression on him if he hadn't heard it from you
  • Students want to do what the teacher wants them to do.
  • I liked that you used specific examples, it helped us and him
  • I really did like having Zach there- it was important!
  • Having the student involved makes them feel like a part of the whole process-
  • They should be here and be able to say this is what I am learning.
  • The student 's involvement is a self-esteem builder- they got to hear all the "good" things

Comparison to a "usual" conference:

  • Thirty minutes long was great.
  • The time frame- and the structure of the power point presentation did not make me feel rushed
  • It is great to have the different times- it allowed for more flexibility

Positive or Negative aspects of using this format:

  • The whole format encouraged creativity
  • We took part of the process home and my son used clip art pictures for a story starter and then added to them.
  • The format allowed them to be Creative and put thoughts into words. That is difficult to do for them at times.
  • The positive aspects were the use of technology ; how far we have come in the field of technology and that our kids are learning these things at the first grade level. They need this exposure to technology or they will be behind.
  • The kids were comfortable with the presentation and took over and became very proud of their product.

Improvements for next year:

  • Give some guidelines such as you can interact with your child and the teacher during the presentation if you have any questions or comments.
  • Improvements- time at the end for issues that need discussed with just with the parents.
  • Have some time where you can discuss other matters - maybe 5 minutes difficult to say in front of the student.

Question asked of me:

As a teacher did you feel comfortable having the student present?

  • My response -there are times in which it is difficult to say some things in front of the student, but I told them all ahead of time the information presented would not be anything they didn't hear on a daily basis. I believe that 9/10 times I felt comfortable.

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Student Interview Results

The students were interviewed by an outside source and produced interesting information regarding the portfolios and technology use within the classroom. The information gathered is listed below in a descriptive format.

 (1) Do you use computers in your classroom? What kinds of things do you do?

  • All the students said that they use the CD programs (Jump start first grade) during centers.
  • "We play games on them"
  • "We play games that you click on the ABC's that's my favorite one and we have a dog one you click on any old one, and there is one with a magnifying glass."

(2) Do you like using the computer in the classroom?

  • All students enthusiastically said they liked using computers in the classroom.
  • "I like to play the games on the computer" 

(3) Have you been doing portfolios in Ms. Jacobs class?

  • all said yes

(4) What did you do for your portfolio: (Continue asking what they did until they run out of things to say)

  • Students explained in detail what they did for their portfolio.
  • They all mentioned that they had a picture and explained the picture in detail.
  • Some said that their portfolio was about them because they are special most said they were special because they loved their Mom and Dad.
  • One student (Matt) talked about the skin and gave details about making the skin.
  • Most of the student's focused on the creative (picture making) component of their portfolios and the fact that they could talk about what made them special.
  • "I made one that I had a park I put a mom and a person and a dog walking down the park. I also wrote my name"
  • "I am special because I love my Mom and Dad"

(5) What did you like about doing your portfolio?

  • All the students said they liked the creativity of making pictures with their portfolios
  • Two students said they liked having control over the mouse.
  • "I liked that I could move the mouse by myself and click"
  • "You get to pick which one you want, and get to put it on by yourself I think the other kids needed help, but I didn't, Ms. Jacobs had to show me first and then I could put the picture in all by myself." (Shelby)

(6) Do you have a computer at home?

(Two of them answered yes)

(The two who answered no said that they were planning to get a computer soon)

(Those who said they had a computer said they played CD games with them).

 

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