The Social Work Portfolio: Planning, Assessing and Documenting Lifelong Learning in a Dynamic Profession.

This book is designed to help social work students prepare a social work portfolio to be used as a learning guide, and following graduation, as a tool to maintain their social work licenses or other pertinent professional credentials. There are independent and collaborative group learning exercises as well as portfolio preparation exercises throughout the book. Chapter 1 introduces the social work portfolio and explores its relationship to learning. Contemporary social work practice is presented in the context of lifelong learning. Chapter 2 explores learning styles and psychological types, including multiple intelligences and emotional intelligence. Chapter 3 presents self-assessment tools to determine social work learning needs by exploring level of knowledge and expertise in content areas most relevant for contemporary social workers. Chapter 4 includes assessment tools for prior learning, general career planning guidelines, and methods to identify an ideal social work position. Resume and supplementary document preparation are discussed. Chapter 5 discusses specific learning goals and objectives and preparation of an individual learning plan. Chapter 6 presents guidelines for compilation and assessment of a portfolio with an emphasis on learning activities during an academic program of study. Suggestions are made for adaptation and use of the portfolio throughout a professional career. Appendices include: a lifelong learning questionnaire; common phases of a professional social work career; index of learning styles; self-assessment of social work knowledge survey; social work interests instrument; sample cover letter; list of action verbs for use in developing learning plans; and a social work portfolio documents checklist. The bibliography lists 109 references. An index is included. (AJ)