As I waited for this semester to start, I wondered what this course might contain. Would it just be a time of building an e-Portfolio to demonstrate growth and learning? I suspected that it would have some greater, academic purpose and I was right. Week one began with readings and subsequent discussions about what might be included in an e-Portfolio. The focus was on defining an e-Portfolio, its purpose, possible tools, and the important place of reflection. True to the constructivist nature of the program, this course is designed to scaffold our understanding. We are building our knowledge in increments, with the final goal being a freshly created product that meets the criteria and reflects our learning. But what will make this project more than just a hoop to jump through so I can graduate and get an upgrade to my teacher certificate? What will truly make it meaningful, useful, and a further learning experience?
As educators, we want our students' learning to be authentic, but many of the tasks we assign within the confines of the educational institution are just that, assignments with a beginning and an end, in many cases with no relevance to the real world. This is not the first time I have wrestled with this question during MET. In ETEC565A, we looked at Blogging as a tool. Blogging is of great interest to educators, and is used for a variety of purposes. The questions though is always is it an authentic activity? Educators grapple with whether students are just going through the motions to get a grade, or whether they are authentically engaged in a learning experience.The ability to engage and connect with others through a blog has been cited as a motivating factor and an authentic way to learn (Downes, 2008), however educators then run into the debate over whether students' work should be public or private in a bid to keep them safe. The issues surrounding authentic activities within an institution are complex. I have included my contributions to our class discussion on these issues below.
As educators, we want our students' learning to be authentic, but many of the tasks we assign within the confines of the educational institution are just that, assignments with a beginning and an end, in many cases with no relevance to the real world. This is not the first time I have wrestled with this question during MET. In ETEC565A, we looked at Blogging as a tool. Blogging is of great interest to educators, and is used for a variety of purposes. The questions though is always is it an authentic activity? Educators grapple with whether students are just going through the motions to get a grade, or whether they are authentically engaged in a learning experience.The ability to engage and connect with others through a blog has been cited as a motivating factor and an authentic way to learn (Downes, 2008), however educators then run into the debate over whether students' work should be public or private in a bid to keep them safe. The issues surrounding authentic activities within an institution are complex. I have included my contributions to our class discussion on these issues below.
I personally do not want this capstone project to be just an in-house marked project. I want it to be meaningful both to myself and others. While it is obvious that I am creating this as part of a requirement, I have chosen to focus mainly on my own learning and reflection, with myself as the audience. This will then end up being an extremely valuable exercise. Secondly, I have situated this e-Portfolio in a public space and opened it up to others through Twitter, and through the MET Ning (a closed group) as a way to offer support to the MET community and hopefully spark some discussion. This space has already, in the first week, become a meaningful and authentic assignment.
References, Links, and Key Resources
Downes, S. (2004, Sept/Oct.). Educational Blogging. Educause Review. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/educational-blogging
Fisch, K. (2007, June 6). Blogging: In their own words. The Fischbowl.[Weblog]. Retrieved from
http://thefischbowl.blogspot.ca/2007/06/blogging-in-their-own-words.html
Downes, S. (2004, Sept/Oct.). Educational Blogging. Educause Review. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/educational-blogging
Fisch, K. (2007, June 6). Blogging: In their own words. The Fischbowl.[Weblog]. Retrieved from
http://thefischbowl.blogspot.ca/2007/06/blogging-in-their-own-words.html