This is a Welcome Note. There are many uses for the Welcome Note feature in Epsilen. For example, you could post homework assignments or information about upcoming tests. Anything that you would want on the homepage of a teacher website could be put in a welcome note in your ePortfolio. Here are just a few thoughts about what you could use this feature for in your classroom.
- Embed Google Docs (see below)
- Embed videos
- Upload documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, etc) and link to them in a Welcome Note
- Post important announcements for students and parents
- Post homework help
- Post you class schedule
- Post images from a class trip
- Post images for student writing prompts
As you can see, the list is really only limited to your imagination and need. I am on a quest to find good examples of teachers using their ePortfolio as a class website. If you know of one, please drop me a Quick Note (see below) with the link or just the teacher's name. I will post it here for others to see.
Here are a few good "ePortfolio As A Teacher Website" sites to get you started.
Julie Pitt is a U. S. History Teacher in Cy-Fair. Be sure to take a look at what she is doing with Voci.
Sonya Smith is a third grade teacher in Marble Falls. She is using many features in the ePortfolio, including the Showcase, Blog, and News. She has also create four custom menu items, Voki News, Demonstration Videos, Student Writing, and Student Technology.
Michelle Glynn is another teacher in Cy-Fair, a second grade Bilingual teacher. This is a "must see." There are too many items on her site to mention here, but be sure to take a look at all of them to get some great ideas.
Gena Worden is a computer repair technician in Weatherford ISD who has really done some excellent work on her ePortfolio. She has embedded videos, Google Forms, some excellent technology tips using graphics, video and even an Adobe Captivate file. This is an excellent example of using the ePortfolio as a website. Check it out.
Staci Tharp is an English teacher at Weatherford High School. She is doing some really excellent things with her ePortfolio. You will see information on her home page that parents and students will find useful. It looks like she has begun using the blog. But what I really like about her ePortfolio is the custom menu items that she has created. Be sure to check them out. Also be sure to check out her use of the Quick Links and Shared Objects in the QuickLinks side bar.
The high points of Suzanne Maulsby's ePortfolio are her home page and the custom menu items. Suzanne is another English teacher at Weatherford High School. She has great course descriptions and expectations for each of the courses she teaches. She also has a custom menu for each of her courses and she is is posting weekly assignments on those page. Be sure to check out her Shared Objects in the QuickLinks side bar too.
Dana White is a Geometry and Calculus teacher in Cy Fair. Her ePortfolio is packed full of Custom Menu items related to each of the classes that she teaches. Those custom menus are full of important information for her students. Great job Dana!
Katrina Willard is a Math Coach and Technology Coach at Owens Elementary in Cy Fair. Her ePortfolio is full of good stuff! She has embedded video, Google forms, a Calendar, and links to great resources that I am sure she uses with her math students. Most of these items live in a Custom Menu.
Keep in mind that a teacher can choose to share info on his/her ePortfolio with just his/her school district, anyone with an Epsilen account, or the entire world. So what you see on these pages may not be all that the teacher has done.
Let these trailblazers inspire you to get started with your ePortfolio. They certainly are inspiring me!