THE ROD CLASS
Innovation Proposal
Academic Yearbooks
Dear teachers and administrators of Sam Houston Elementary,
We saw the need for technology heavily increase in the spring of 2020. The standard model of education went from face to face learning to students learning while watching their teachers on screens. What we also realized in the near future is that our students’ needs were not being met. With that in mind, many of them did not progress very much or progress at all during the spring of 2020 and fall of 2020. However, as students and teachers have now become more familiar with integrating technology in their classrooms through the use of Google applications, Microsoft applications, and various features of websites/extensions, students are now more capable than ever to create and present their own learned skills. E-portfolios are a way for students to demonstrate what they have learned and how they have progressed throughout a certain amount of time.
Documenting Progression
Education was forced to change in the spring of 2020. The standard method of handing a student back a test or worksheet with the expectation that they will share with a parent or hold onto something they could proudly display does not seem as much as a reality these days. It seems even more unrealistic if that graded assignment coming home is not a passing score. With e-portfolios students will be expected to document progress with assignments thus being able to track how they have improved or what is needed to improve their performance. By students being able to see a graph or data chart it is less difficult for them to understand where they stand according to the learning outcomes. Students who take assessment grades home may never pull the paper out of their backpack and may not know their progress in the class. Children with a fixed mindset want to succeed, however students with a growth mindset will continue to stretch their ability to succeed and progress even further. (Dweck, 2008) By students being able to document their process of learning skills, it can be seen as something motivational rather than a comparison to the rest of their classmates.
Web Building Skills (Future Working Skills)
Currently students are more fluent in technology than ever before. They are given access to smart devices before they are able to walk or complete a sentence. Most students who are in the classroom now have had some form of technology readily available to them and even more so now at schools. Students learning to build their e-portfolio through a Google site provides opportunities to learn and apply skills that are not just part of their academic curriculum. When students learn to think about websites and applications, they can build and design them for personal use and possibly help them in the future with future careers (Sharma, 2018) By providing opportunities for students to design and edit their e-portfolios, we will be encouraging them to implement the computer skills that are being taught in technology classes and helping them build on the skills that they will continue to need and use not only through their years of school but through their future careers.
Student Learning and Ownership
One of the many questions that teachers receive from their students is “Why?”. “Why?” is a very valid question from students. Students need to know the purpose of the activities and skills that are being learned in the classroom. When they realize a purpose for what they are learning, they are much more willing to practice to make progress. E-portfolios can be used as a way to reflect what students are learning and what skills are emerging after being taught. E-portfolios serve as a primary tool for students to improve their learning that would display the learning process over a certain amount of time. (d’erizans & Bibbo,. 2015). Students do not learn skills the same as others. However, by providing opportunities for them to display their knowledge through the use of slideshows, podcasts, recorded videos, graphics (collages, drawings, etc.) and displaying them to their e-portfolio, students are able to prove comprehension of what they have learned during instruction. (d’Erizans & Bibbo. 2015) say that to be a true story of learning, the learning must provide evidence and it should be told in their own voice. As more choices and opportunities are available for students to display their learning, the more involved they will be. Allowing students to choose and take ownership in how they present what they have learned will allow them to push towards a more growth mindset, where they seek to think further and present more information rather than remaining in a fixed mindset where they believe they can only elevate to a certain point of intelligence.
Conclusion/Plan of Action
As a plan of action, I suggest that teachers are first given a refresher course and/or beginning of year training on building their own and implementing e-portfolios into their classroom. As many of the teachers are expected to have classroom websites, e-portfolios can be added to their teacher websites prior to the setup of student (3-5) e-portfolios. As technology is readily available to all students on campus, students/teachers should have opportunities built into their weekly schedules to edit, upload, and document on their e-portfolios. I am also suggesting that our weekly technology class make use of the fifty-five minute instruction time to review Google and Microsoft applications, and other free websites such as Flipgrid and Seesaw to present what they have learned. Most importantly, e-portfolios can be seen as an Academic Yearbook. We are familiar with yearbooks from our middle school and high school years as they give us opportunities to reflect on our memories through photographs with friends and activities we participated in. E-portfolios will give students the opportunity to not only revisit memories of previous years but also view how they have grown academically throughout their time in Galena Park ISD. Thank you for your consideration.
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Sincerely,
Patrick A. Rodriguez
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References
Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset. Ballantine Books.
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d’Erizans, R. & Bibbo, T. (2015). Time to Reflect: E-Portfolios and The Development of Growth Mindsets.
Sharma, V. (2018). What Benefits Students Will Get From Creating Their Own Website?
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Additional Video Resources