I spent some time reading about using blogs as student portfolios. It does seem like a cool way to showcase student work. The two obstacles that would hold me back are: 1. I don't feel comfortable enough yet about blogging to be able to teach the kids. 2. Not all families have computer access and would be able to check out their child's blog. While I know the latter is only a handful of families, public education needs to be accessible to all. So, if I did use blogs for portfolios I'd need to find a way for those families without technology in their homes would be able to participate and share all the great things their child is doing.
At first I was concerned about making the blogs public. Not all students/families would necessarily want their child's work online for the world to see. Is there a way to limit access to a student's blog online so only their family could see it?
I also spent some time reading about the Framework for 21st Century Learning. It's pretty incredible to list of skills our students/children/grandchildren need to be successful in this century. Things we could not have imagined when I was a student.
You bring up a good point about public education and the need for equal access.
ReplyDeleteWe've (4th grade) decided that our blogging assignments will be done in school, thinking that this provided equal access to students. One volunteer project will be for parents to read and comment on student blogs.
Our team hasn't discussed the impact to students or families without computers. This gives us something to think about.