ePortfolios

After reading Dr. Helen Barrett's composition Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning, I was a bit perplexed by her views on the way electronic portfolios are being used in traditional K-12 institutions. Words that struck me were "perversions" and "problematic," and it took me a little while to reign in my defensiveness and allow her real message to develop. I mean, isn't it great that we are saving paper with our electronic data storage, and encouraging learners to try out new technologies and formats? What is so perverse about that?

I've spent several days mulling this over, because my initial thoughts were a little too caught up in the details - I was missing the forest for the trees. My thoughts went something like this: How can you vilify instructors trying to incorporate technology into the learning experience, instructors who are undoubtedly working in a standards-driven environment? By human nature, aren't we inclined to be somewhat competitive, some more than others, and know how we "measure up" compared to others? If we cater to every student's whims and desires, are we gaining some ground but losing other opportunities to teach them life lessons about accommodating others, diligence, and persevering through less-than-ideal situations to achieve a goal?

After much thought regarding Dr. Barrett's philosophical issues with technology-assisted assessment, I decided it was necessary for her to describe this utopian learning experience, the point being that we have to take what we know about the benefits of a student-centered classroom and find that balance between successful learning experiences and the realities of our highly regulated educational system. I know that things work better in theory than in practice, and that our schools and students are full of variables that can not be completely represented in any theory. But I need to be continually mindful that my role as a teacher - and in the context of this article, as an assessor - is to act in a supporting role, keeping the student at the helm. This is why the article's tenet "AFL develops learners’ capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing" was striking to me. In my supporting role as teacher, I should be using technology to give students the skills necessary to make them independent and capable thinkers. I can use technology to save paper, or I can use it to inspire greatness!

God Bless Snopes.com!

Maybe I'm just critical by nature. Maybe something from my no-nonsense upbringing and eight years of journalism training in school actually sunk in. But long ago I grew weary of all of the spam coming into my email in-box, making wild promises or threatening imminent danger for not buying into (and forwarding, of course) the message. Even more frustrating were the email forwards from friends and acquaintances, full of unverified information and hoaxes.

I focus on email, because that is really what I used the most when I was online. Until the end of my college years, I didn't spend a lot of time gathering information or reading news online; I did, however, connect a lot via email. And in return, I got a lot of junk.

It really was amazing what would come my way. I worked for an insurance company after college. When Hurricane Katrina hit, I had to ask my supervisor to have a discussion with another supervisor who was forwarding emails to the entire department projecting the storm to hit our North Texas area at still-hurricane force, and of gigantic snakes swimming through the streets of New Orleans. The office, already anxious about the impending damage and necessary response from our teams, was becoming more and more chaotic with each new "report." Ugh. It irritates me, still.

This is exactly what happens when people don't evaluate what they are consuming. I believe teaching students to be critical thinkers is critically important. I believe our kids now are living in an information age, and they will be encountering a greater quantity of information than we ever did. I also think it's not particularly more important a skill than it was, but maybe just more necessary in this world than it used to be. Consider that traditional informational sources such as newspapers and encyclopedias - sources with which digital immigrants are more familiar - have a built-in system of checks and balances, such as editors, publishers, and the like. On the flip side, anyone can post just about anything on the Internet.

That said, I think we might be getting a little too anxious over our roles in making sure kids can digest all of the information coming their way. Don't shoot. I don't mean that we shouldn't be vigilant about protecting our kids, or shouldn't shift our classroom priorities to make sure kids are coming out of school prepared to be successful in today's world. What I am saying is that I believe these digital natives will surprise us with their "natural" ability to assimilate information. Additionally, I believe that the evolution of the Web to a more collaborative environment will foster critical thinking in this new generation, as they see information being added, deleted, and corrected - an online world with constant motion of thought.

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Other Week Two Reflections:

I've been strictly working from home, but now that I'm taking on a teaching position in the fall, I can see that Delicious will be a great tool for being able to access my favorites on-the-go. I especially like Google Reader, something I hadn't looked into before this class. I like things to be streamlined, and this fits the bill. After this class is over, I plan on using it to follow some other preschool teachers for ideas.

I'm most excited about my wiki, which I will use as a tool mostly for communicating with my student's parents. This is one thing that the directors were concerned about during my interview, and I'm proud to be starting off with a possible solution to this problem. I've begun my wiki, and I'm just working on trying to figure out PBWorks.com and the options available.

This Is How I Roll...

If there is something in between a digital native and a digital immigrant, that would be the best descriptor for me. I remember not having a computer in the classroom... but just barely. I remember what it was like to not be connected at all times with a cell phone... but I did have a really awesome pager in high school! I have used a typewriter for homework assignments, I had to take a keyboarding class in high school, and I am still quite private in the midst of all my over-sharing Facebook friends. But, I'm quick to tell those friends "OMG! TMI!", I have a website and blog for a small home business I started, and my five-year-old will tell anyone who speaks a question aloud, "Just look it up on the Internet!"

My educational philosophy as it relates to teaching in the 21st century...

The formal education system gives all children opportunities to learn and grow to be productive members of society. We want to increase each child’s potential to be successful and to contribute in a positive way to our communities, by increasing literacy, communication skills, and giving them other valuable competencies.

With that in mind, I believe that the most effective learning happens when a student and teacher find balance in the learning partnership. I see it as a co-dependent, or mutually beneficial relationship; an educator’s success is the student’s success. A teacher is as responsible for connecting with each child on an individual level as he or she is for being knowledgeable of subject content. As an educator, my degrees, my knowledge, my plans are all for naught if I fail to create learning experiences for each of my students, based on what I assess during those connections.

Educators need to realize that kids are receiving much more information than they used to, and they will start tuning out sources they feel are irrelevant. If I want to continue to be a trusted resource for my students, I have to find ways to engage them, understand them, and connect their school experiences with their extracurricular experiences.

21st century learners are growing up in a world without “borders.” We should use this world to teach our children, not limit ourselves to the materials contained within our brick and mortar classrooms. Further, we need to understand our students ability and need to connect to other people, and use that as a guide ourselves in creating a network of support for each child, fully reinforcing the notion that we are providing them skills to be lifetime learners and drawing the family and community into this new era of digitally enhanced learning.

Even as the methods and trends change, it is still important to maintain measures of etiquette, treating others in the school or wider community with respect and expecting that in return. In an ever-changing world, I believe that balance and moderation are critical, and I will remember that students learn an abundance of things by observing my actions. Mostly, I hope to instill a sense of satisfaction and worth in my students by challenging them to grow while providing them opportunities to succeed.

While examining my own education and the experiences I found most enjoyable or effective, I realized that these moments are not necessarily over the content, but during the connections. It is important to note that digital technology is especially geared toward improving connections - how could you not want to embrace that in a place of learning? By understanding my experiences and values in education and putting it into a statement, I now have a springboard for relating to other educators and students, and for identifying my strengths or areas where I may want to pursue additional knowledge or abilities. And, I am amazed and excited at the possibilities for the generations of students that I will see come through my classroom. When used thoughtfully, technology is allowing us to teach outside the box, to personalize education, and to authenticate learning and relate it to what students experience outside the classroom, in the communities in which they will be living and working as adults.

While I get most excited talking of the possibilities of digital technologies in the classroom, I was alarmed at a thought Alan November provided in his article Creating a Culture for Teaching and Learning. He states, "If we do not invest and move technologies and capacities to the home, I fear that unwittingly, unconsciously, schools will actually be contributing to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer." Wow. I have encountered topics such as critical thinking skills, getting tech-resistant teachers and administrators on board, and privacy. But I had not considered how socioeconomic status might play into this shift in teaching and learning. I wonder what his ideas are for "building capacity in the community for learning."