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!