From ePortfolios to iPortfolios: The find, refine, design, and bind model

During the past two decades, educational institutions around the world began formalizing the process of collecting student work as a means of showcasing student accomplishments and ultimately providing students a forum for reflecting on their accomplishments. In this article, the authors propose a redefinition of the electronic portfolio development process in a way that supports 21st century learning in which students FIND, REFINE, DESIGN, and BIND materials in the virtual "cloud". The authors believe that by incorporating Web 2.0 tools educators will have the opportunity to technologically integrate the students' school work into their general work flow, their entertainment flow, and ultimately into their web-based curricular work flow. Integration will hopefully reduce student resistance to portfolio development as an add-on activity and allow portfolios to become more personal, providing a richer connection between the students' lives, their education, and their paths to knowledge.