The Portfolio Group

I read the letter from AERA and I was disappointed and then after sleeping on it I decided maybe this was a great opportunity for our group to do some reflecting on direction, vision, and goals. I would like to get input from the group, but I was thinking maybe at our meeting next Wednesday we could look at the reviewers' comments and see how that can inform our work for this year.

Your thoughts????

Excerpt from the letter
It is with sincere regret that I must inform you that your submission
entitled "A Long View of Teachers' Experiences in a Comprehensive School
Reform Movement" was not accepted for presentation at the 2006 Annual
Meeting. We typically have an acceptance rate below 50% and we again
had a large number of exceptionally high quality submissions this year,
competing for fewer program slots than we had last year. Therefore
some paper and symposia that might have been accepted in prior years did
not make it into the program this year. Your proposal was sent to at
least two reviewers. Comments and recommendations made by the reviewers
will be available on line for your review by Nov. 10th.

Please note that copies of all program related email correspondence is
available online in the "message center." This link is available below
the "track proposal" link found on the main menu page of the All
Academic system.

I encourage you to seek outlets for the work you submitted and continue
to submit to AERA in the future.

Sincerely,

Co-Program Chairs, SIG Portfolios and Reflection in Teaching and
Teacher Education

Happy Thanksgiving (late Canadian and early American)

We met at our new spot the Daily Grind. It has really great coffee selections and the cake is fabulous. Attending were Gayle, Allison, Tim, Ron and me.

We opened with a connections, Allison had a wonderful heart warming story to share that made us all aware of how much we have in our lives. Ron shared stories of trying to work in the system. Tim talked about the upcoming TAR meeting and I shared about the discpline in the classrooms, especially during a full moon. (Gayle I already used your 'wording' for misconduct slips and it was perfect)

Gayle asked for a consultancy on an upcoming decision she was contemplating. It was very divided among the group on what path she should consider. It was a great discussion and many different perspectives were brought out in the open. Gayle can't wait the hear your decision.

Allison brought us back to the opening theme and how we are working towards this "How can we learn from other people?"

Allison said she has been listening to others more.

Gayle said she is paying more attention to others' motives.

Tim was working with others to ask the right questions and how to ask the questions to not get answers you don't want.

Ron stated he was learning to work more collaborativey with others outside of the school environment.

I said that I have learned from others that just because you are meeting does not mean you are learning.

For next meeting - choose one area and gather as much 'data' as possible and we will look reflectively at it in December.

See everyone in December!

Come to the Children's Museum tomorrow to hear ASU professor Tom Barone. Topic: "Re=imagining the Educational Imaginary: Visions of the Ideal Student."

Download file

Hope to see you there!