When deciding which graduate certificates I should pursue with my Masters of Education, I was intrigued with the concentration of Online Teaching & Learning. One of the areas that was of focus was electronic assessment. I've learned through CEP 813 that there are many different ways that students can be assessed. Besides the teacher, students can be tested by peer and self-assessments. Using all three can provide a balance approach when trying to understand what a student has learned.
Before this program, I've created several portfolios for student teaching and to market myself for employment but I have never created a digital portfolio. Through CEP 813, I was able to learn about the history of assessment, explore online tools to help students learn, create a digital portfolio and share my work with my classmates and colleagues via twitter. Having students display their work online can help spread their work beyond the walls of a local school. David Niguidula states that “digital portfolios can serve many purposes: showcasing students' best products; proving that students have mastered expectations required for graduation; and communicating with parents and other audiences about what students are learning” (2005, p. 45).
One issue with digital portfolios is with student privacy. Students will sometimes feel vulnerable with putting their incomplete work online while they are working on an assignment. Students should know that their rough drafts are works in progress and one of the main concepts of putting everything online is to show their growth. Having a talk with students about the process behind creating a digital portfolio will hopefully relieve some of their concerns. In fact, having everything posted online will give them an idea of what is being asked of them. According to Kevin Fahey “students have a clearer understanding of the standards by which they are evaluated. Because students have seen many examples of student work and have publicly evaluated the work many times, there is little mystery left in the evaluation process” (2011, p. 467). Having the teacher and students on the same page will help increase their quality of work.
When exploring through content management systems this past semester, I decided to use Schoology because of its mobile app, easy Facebook layout and the ability to collaborate with the school community. Through its email, groups and sharing, Schoology makes displaying work online easy. This upcoming year, I plan on integrating digital portfolios into my lessons by having the students post their homework assignment links onto their time lines. This will allow myself and other students to click on the links and view their work. Once posted online, I can comment on the work and give students feedback almost immediately.
Fahey, K., Lawrence, J.F., & Paratore, J. R. (2007). Using electronic portfolios to make learning public. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(6), 460-471. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/New%20User/Downloads/eScholarship%20UC%20item%207653s2n7.pdf
Niguidula, D. (2005). Documenting learning with digital portfolios. Educational Leadership, 63(3), 44-47. Retrieved from http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/images/d/d8/Niguidula.pdf
Before this program, I've created several portfolios for student teaching and to market myself for employment but I have never created a digital portfolio. Through CEP 813, I was able to learn about the history of assessment, explore online tools to help students learn, create a digital portfolio and share my work with my classmates and colleagues via twitter. Having students display their work online can help spread their work beyond the walls of a local school. David Niguidula states that “digital portfolios can serve many purposes: showcasing students' best products; proving that students have mastered expectations required for graduation; and communicating with parents and other audiences about what students are learning” (2005, p. 45).
One issue with digital portfolios is with student privacy. Students will sometimes feel vulnerable with putting their incomplete work online while they are working on an assignment. Students should know that their rough drafts are works in progress and one of the main concepts of putting everything online is to show their growth. Having a talk with students about the process behind creating a digital portfolio will hopefully relieve some of their concerns. In fact, having everything posted online will give them an idea of what is being asked of them. According to Kevin Fahey “students have a clearer understanding of the standards by which they are evaluated. Because students have seen many examples of student work and have publicly evaluated the work many times, there is little mystery left in the evaluation process” (2011, p. 467). Having the teacher and students on the same page will help increase their quality of work.
When exploring through content management systems this past semester, I decided to use Schoology because of its mobile app, easy Facebook layout and the ability to collaborate with the school community. Through its email, groups and sharing, Schoology makes displaying work online easy. This upcoming year, I plan on integrating digital portfolios into my lessons by having the students post their homework assignment links onto their time lines. This will allow myself and other students to click on the links and view their work. Once posted online, I can comment on the work and give students feedback almost immediately.
Fahey, K., Lawrence, J.F., & Paratore, J. R. (2007). Using electronic portfolios to make learning public. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(6), 460-471. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/New%20User/Downloads/eScholarship%20UC%20item%207653s2n7.pdf
Niguidula, D. (2005). Documenting learning with digital portfolios. Educational Leadership, 63(3), 44-47. Retrieved from http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/images/d/d8/Niguidula.pdf