edTPA Technological Trouble Shooting
Lessons Learned from the Pilot
Problem
I don’t know my
authorization key.
Description
The Chalk and Wire edTPA portfolio
requires a Pearson Authorization Key
to transfer the portfolio for review.
I can’t get my
instructional materials
within the 5-page
limit.
The instructional materials component
of the planning task restricts the
candidate to 5 pages. The quality
materials that candidates develop or
adapt do not typically fit in the 5-page
limit and often are not in the .doc;
.docx; .odt; or .pdf formats accepted by
Pearson.
When candidates attempt to cut and
paste materials together to upload them
in a single document as required for
the instructional materials and
assessment components of the edTPA
they often become frustrated because
the orientation, margins, fonts, etc. are
not aligned and therefore the
formatting is lost.
There are specific requirements for the
video clip(s) in edTPA including time
lengths which necessitate candidates
knowing how to edit their clips.
My instructional
materials and/ or
assessments are in a
variety of formats and
won’t paste together
into a single
document.
I don’t know how to
edit my video.
My video wouldn’t
upload.
There are specific requirements for
video format and file size that may
prevent uploading for transfer to
Pearson.
Resolution
If you have not already registered you will need to do so at edtpa.com. If you have
already registered for the edTPA you can access your authorization key at
edtpa.com. You will need to log in using your original email and password. Click
“current registrations” and “manage edTPA portfolio.” Click “edTPA Platform
Provider.” Acknowledge and confirm. Then you will see your authorization key. It
should also be emailed to you.
Do not feel that you need to include all of your instructional materials. Key pages or
sections of key materials should suffice. If your instructional materials are
copyrighted (as part of a textbooks, workbook, other source) you can simply list the
references and page numbers. You can also capture screen shots of your
presentations and paste them as pictures within a word or pdf document.
Scanning documents of varying formats together into a single pdf is typically the
easiest resolution to this problem. Less sophisticated scanners may not be able to
perform this task. The scanner at the reference librarian’s desk in the Niagara
University Library will, and a library staff person will assist you. You must go
during normal staffing hours (before 1am Sun-Thurs and before 7pm Fri-Sat). You
can also capture screen shots of your presentations and paste them as pictures within
a word or pdf document.
Before making any edits to your clip you should know that the final clip needs to be
continuous. That is, there cannot be any edits within each clip you submit. It is best
to save a copy of the original video and make edits to the copy. The most common
video editing software is Windows Movie Maker for PCs and iMovie for Macs.
There are many online tutorials to help you use this software.
Before attempting to upload your file be sure that it is in one of the following
formats: .flv; .asf; .qt; .mov; .mpg; .mpeg; .avi; .wmv; .mp4; .m4v
There are many conversion programs available for free online that will assist you in
converting to one of these formats.
If your file is in the correct format but still will not upload it could be that the file
size is too large. You can use this video conversion guide to help you reduce the file
size: https://ep.chalkandwire.com/ep2_niagara/fs/353/Artifacts/cfoote/Af_2217.pdf
edTPA Insights
Lessons Learned from the Pilot
edTPA Task
Overall
Task 1: Part A: Context for Learning
Task 1: Part B: Lesson Plans for Learning Segment
Task 1: Part C: Instructional Materials
Task 1: Part D: Assessments
Student Comments
 Be sure to use Arial 11-pont type.
 The glossary of terms at the back of the edTPA handbook was really helpful.
 The edTPA handbook is very big but really it’s the task overviews and rubrics that were most helpful in
guiding me.
 Dedicate a lot to this in your first placement so you don’t need to worry about it in your second placement.
 After you successfully transfer in Chalk and Wire you’ll get an email from Pearson with next steps. You have
to complete these steps or it doesn’t actually get submitted.
 You have to download the form and fill in the blanks.
 It’s pretty simple and straightforward.
 Could easily be done in the first week of the placement because it’s the kind of thing you should be speaking
with your cooperating/associate teacher about anyway.
 I didn’t know whether they wanted me to just put an X in the [ ] or write a sentence in response when they
were asking questions about the type of school I was in.
 I didn’t have any students with accommodations in my class. I was teaching honors 12th grade science so I
really couldn’t put anything in the chart about student learning needs. I explained why this was in the
question about special features of my classroom setting.
 It was very unstructured as to the format of the lesson plan.
 We could pick the format we wanted.
 They tell you to use the format that your institution requires but our handbook gave multiple options.
 They do tell you to be sure the plan includes state standards and/or common core state standards, learning
objectives, formal and informal assessments, instructional strategies a and learning tasks that describe what
you and the students will be doing, supports for diverse student needs, and instructional materials/resources
that engage students in learning.
 It’s weird because they want the key materials in a separate file but you also need to identify them in the
plan.
 The lesson plans are all in one document but you need to clearly label each lesson within the single document
(Lesson 1, Lesson 2, etc.).
 Even if you deviate from the lesson plan when you teach it you need to include just the original plan in this
section.
 You’re VERY limited in what you can include…only 5 pages.
 You’re also limited in the types of files that are supported (.doc: .docx; .odt; .pdf).
 I couldn’t enter the Powerpoints and Prezi’s that I made in their original format.
 It’s difficult to put them into a single document when they are all different formats.
 The scanner in the library will get them all into a single pdf.
 Just put in the key materials.
 You can take pictures of your materials and paste the .jpg into a word document.
 You aren’t limited in page numbers on this one.
 You’re still limited in the types of files that are supported (.doc: .docx; .odt; .pdf).
 It’s difficult to put them into a single document when they are all different formats.
 The scanner in the library will get them all into a single pdf.
Task 1: Part E: Planning Commentary
Task 2: Part A: Video Clip(s)
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Task 2: Part B: Instructional Commentary
Task 3: Part A: Student Work Samples
Task 3: Part B: Evidence of Feedback
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Task 3: Part C: Assessment Commentary
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Task 3: Part D: Evaluation Criteria
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You can take pictures of your materials and paste the .jpg into a word document.
I wasn’t thinking of my warm-up activities and homework as assessments but those count.
The glossary at the back of the edTPA Handbook was VERY helpful in this section.
It begins to feel very repetitive as you go on.
My answers started to look the same.
The rubrics helped me to develop my response a little more because they told me what they were looking for.
Let students know ASAP that they may need to convert the video to one of the approved formats (flv; .asf;
.qt; .mov; .mpg; .mpeg; .avi; .wmv; .mp4; .m4v).
Draw their attention to the conversion guide.
Lighting was a problem.
Can’t see the entire class or the overhead.
Just start your first lesson videoing.
I wish I had videoed more.
Video everything and then you have more to choose from.
You’ll need lots to choose from because something will go wrong during the one you want to use (a bee flies
into the room, students start dancing for the camera, someone doesn’t realize you’re videoing and starts
speaking loudly and off topic next to the camera, etc.).
I wish I had done some easy video editing before I got to this point.
Practice using Windows Movie Maker or iMovie before you need to do this.
I used the cameras from the student teaching office.
I used a Flip camera.
Download the video ASAP so you don’t lose it. I lost my best one.
Watch your video a few times so you know exactly what they see and don’t see, and include any information
about what they can’t see in the commentary.
Be meticulous.
Refer to the rubrics to see what they want you to really say.
White out the student’s names.
You need a different file for each student and they have to be in the right format (.doc: .docx; .odt; .pdf).
Scan each student’s work into one pdf. That’s the easiest way.
It’s easiest just to give them the feedback written on the actual assessment.
It felt weird not putting anything additional here so I gave my students each a conference so I’d have
something to enter.
It was pretty straight forward.
I wasn’t sure about how to support my explanations “with principles from research and/or theory” but I went
back to my assessment textbook.
After being so precise throughout the entire thing this section was so vague.
I got some help from the glossary when I looked up “evaluation criteria.”
I put in my checklist and scoring/answer sheet.
I put in a narrative about how the points were distributed.
I entered my rubric.