Upcoming Discussion on Micro-credentials and Online Portfolios

Colleagues,

Beginning July 13th, 2015 the LINCS Technology and Learning community of practice will host a discussion on Online Portfolios and Micro-credentials (also referred to as digital badges). The discussion will be cross-posted in the Program Management and Career Pathways communities. Special guests will discuss examples of digital badges and other micro-credentials, as well as online adult education portfolios.

Guests include:

Jeff Carter, formerly Director of Adult Education Initiatives with Digital Promise, now Executive Director of the National Council of State Directors of Adult Education, who has worked to highlight promising practices that use technology to improve access for adult learners;
Branka Marceta, Coordinator, Technology Projects, OTAN, who has worked with California teachers on a multi-year e-portfolio project;
Judy Mortrude, Director, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), who was instrumental in the development of the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment in Minnesota when she was a State Program Administrator with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development;
Sharon Ram,  ESL Instructor & Distance Learning Facilitator, Fremont (California) Adult and Continuing Education, who has experience with digital badges and e-portfolios; and
Jen Vanek, Education Consultant with the Minnesota Literacy Council, who developed digital badges for the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment.

I hope you will join us the week of July 13th, and that you will forward this announcement to your colleagues, so together we can explore how online portfolios and micro-credentials are being used in adult basic education (including English language learning), and how they can be useful tools for developing career pathways programs.

If you choose to forward this post, here are some directions to register on LINCS and join the Technology and Learning, Program Management, and/or Career Pathways communities.

1) Go to http://lincs.ed.gov/

2) In the middle box, select "Join the Community".

3) In the light blue strip at the top of the page, select "Log in/Register"

4) Choose "Register for a New Account" and complete your registration information. (Check the box that you agree to the Terms and Conditions, and select "Submit.")

5) Within two days you will be notified by email that your registration has been approved. Then you can go to https://community.lincs.ed.gov and log in with your email address and password.

6) Choose "Groups" from the dark blue menu at the top of the page, then join the public groups that you wish to, and choose if you would like emailed posts or how frequently you would like a digest of posts.

You can read the discussion posts from your email if you have chosen to get discussion posts by email; however, to reply to a post, it is best to log in to the LINCS website, so keep your the email address you used to register and your password in a secure but handy place.

David J. Rosen

Moderator, LINCS Technology and Learning and Program Management Communities of Practice

djrosen123@gmail.com