Portfolios are an important tool within the realm of education. Portfolios can be used to assess a number of things about students and their learning. Using portfolios is an easy way to see if students are advancing in subject areas or if they are falling behind and needing extra help. The best thing ibook that I chose deals with the idea of digital portfolios. Traditionally portfolios are done in manila folders or a binder with paper stuffed into them, this method can be successful with lots of organization and making sure that the portfolio stays neat. The idea of a digital portfolio is that students get to create their portfolios using different apps, pictures, videos, and blogs to make their portfolios what they need to be. Digital portfolios can be very useful in the classroom and can enhance the technology skills of ever student in the classroom.
While reading this blog I learned a ton of information that could help me implement this into my future classroom. The sections that explain the rules of the blog were very insightful, she had rules such as the students can not post pictures of their faces, and everything must be approved by the teacher these few but necessary rules are for the protection of the student in the classroom, the internet can be a great creative place for the students but it can also be a dangerous place. Next section of the book speaks on which host to use for your students, I have used both of the options that she gave for using in the classroom. She gave edublog and kid blog as good examples to use in the classroom. The rest of the book speaks about what students can add to their portfolios and the ways that they can do it, it also gives explanations as to why those add ins are important to the portfolio style blogs.
This book has given me a lot to think about then deciding on how to use portfolios in the classroom. Reading this book has given me a real insight as to how to keep my students safe all while making sure that they are creating quality portfolios for the classroom. Another way I would use this information would be to send it out to parents so they know what is going on in the classroom, also so the parents are able to know what their students are doing in the classroom. This information will be useful in the classroom because students would be able to have a new way to use technology while creating a portfolio that they can continue to update for years to come. All in all this was a great read and I hope to incorporate the digital portfolio in my classroom one day.
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