Lamar Discussion Board 5

1. What are some ways ePortfolios could be used for learning? Describe other ways in which you could use an ePortfolio?

ePortfolios are a great way to learn because we learn best by seeing what others have done. I think the first portfolio was back in the caveman days when one caveman started a garden and the other cavemen thought “That’s way better than hunting all day.” Today’s ePortfolios are the same way. I can click on another person’s work and compare and contrast with the work I’m currently doing or work I would like to attempt in the future.

At Klein ISD our students are instructed to create and maintain ePortfolios. I found a classroom website for one of our Intermediate Schools and the teacher, Ms. Pippin, instructed her students about all sorts of digital learning opportunities like Youtube, ePortfolio, Blackboard, and checking their GMail account. Ms. Pippin began in January guiding her students to learn about ePortfolios with the due date at the end of May. By February her students needed to have a minimum of 11 pages. This is an ongoing project and the teacher wanted the students to learn how to create and maintain their ePortfolio.

Another way to use an ePortfolio is to get a job. As Klein ISD advances toward our district motto of “Future Ready,” it’s important that the teachers model the same lessons for students. A teacher who has an updated ePortfolio is more likely than not to be selected for a teaching position. A survey from the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that 80% of employers said that "an electronic portfolio would be useful to them in ensuring that job applicants have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their company or organization."

ePortfolios help keep a record of information learned and allow students of all ages to build upon that knowledge.

Ms. Pippin Classwork Homework Tests. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://classroom.kleinisd.net/default.aspx?Ms. Lexi Pippin/ClassworkHomeworkTests

It Takes More than a Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success: Overview and Key Findings. (2013, April 10). Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/leap/presidentstrust/compact/2013SurveySummary

2. What sources do you refer to for reliable information on integrating aspects of technology in education (from hardware to software applications)?

To answer this question I went to an expert to see if someone shared my belief that educational technology should be grounded in research. A contributor to Edutopia thought the same thing in her article “What Edtech Can You Trust?” (Willis, 2014)

What’s interesting and wonderful about today’s Edtech culture is that it’s mostly free, on demand, and easily accessible. Students today can bring their own device and continue the learning after school. Teachers and parents should scrutinize every app on a student’s digital device to make sure that it will help with their education and not waste their time. The author lays out that the scrutiny applied to education is less rigorous than the medical community. The author cites useful example of credible validity models that can build a user's consumer savviness about analyzing edtech products.

I think the best way to see if your information is reliable is to be super critical about new learning ideas even if you decide to implement them.

Willis, J. (2014, November 18). What Edtech Can You Trust? Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-edtech-can-you-trust-judy-willis

3. What are your professional goals for your career beyond your program of study?

My professional goal is to take this degree and be ready for the next phase of education. We have a couple of people in our Klein ISD Instructional Building who manage digital learning. They’re responsible for digital books, digital classrooms , digital certificates, and real degrees.

One coworker that I’m aligning myself with is our “Distance and Online Learning” area lead by Mark Evans who also has a Master’s Degree. This program offers students to take up to three classes online. I think if the State of Texas expands this then it would open up new avenues for me to expand my love of Digital Learning and Leading. I currently work as a video production specialist but my eye is on moving up to be a coordinator, then moving up to be an officer. Along with being well paid, I think it would provide me the avenue to use my creativity and passion for a great job. I know it will take about five to seven years but I want to prepare myself now for when the right job comes available. I originally wanted to be in news. I loved the fast paced atmosphere of a newsroom and I loved the ability to see my work displayed for a large audience. Unfortunately today’s newsrooms do not provide the right environment for my life of stability and avenue for growth.

Having a stable yet rewarding job is my ultimate professional goal. Our Houston economy fluctuates and I don’t want to leave to chase dollars in the oil industry when I know it could turn back down. I would rather build myself up as an exemplary digital master and pass that knowledge to future generations.

Distance and Online Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kleinisd.net/default.aspx?name=DOL.home