The concept of a teacher's
e-portfolio is an interesting yet frightening one, as explored in chapter 11. More
and more, teachers are expected to maintain a number of relevant skills, and an
understanding and familiarity with technology is foremost among them. It's an
increasingly competitive field, and all aspiring teachers have cause for
concern if their technology-related skills are not up to snuff. Building an
impressive résumé was already a fairly daunting task; for someone just breaking
into their profession, presenting a blank portfolio to an employee can be a worrisome
experience. Perhaps these skills will soon be taught not only in
technology-oriented courses, but as part as the general curriculum in K-12
grades.
The idea of democratic schools and
classrooms, also discussed in chapter 11, seems rather appealing from a
student's point of view, and perhaps certain teachers. I've always believed in
more specialized education so that students may focus on areas in which they
naturally excel, rather than being corralled into courses which will negatively
impact their overall performance because they lack an aptitude for them.
However, many issues come into play. At what age is a student mature enough to
decide that they will only focus on certain subjects? Should they change their
mind at a certain point in the future, they would likely have fallen severely
behind.
Chapter 12 focuses somewhat on
similar topics from previous discussions, particularly the subject of
technological inequality as it relates to a person's racial/ethnic and
financial background. Children in higher-income households have a marked
advantage over those who have no access to the Internet or technology of any
kind from their home. Thus, in an increasingly technological world, students in
low-income homes invariably lag behind and have greater difficulty succeeding
in their 21st century studies. That may prove to be one of the greatest challenges
for teachers of the next generation. As we integrate technology into our
classrooms, we must challenge ourselves to also expand the knowledge of those
students who lack access from home.
Resources:
Maloy, Robert,
Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park
(2013). Transforming Learning with New
Technologies. 2nd Edition.
Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Hopefully, the teacher webpage/ePortfolio won't seem as frightening after your own experience in creating one for this class. Furthermore, if we introduce it in our classrooms, our students may find it to be a natural step when they need to create one for their own professions. :)
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