On this, my class portfolio...

I kind of didn't realize how much we had worked on in this class until I looked back...the vlog, the podcast, the wikis, RSS feeds, tappedin... we covered a lot of ground.

I feel as if I have learned a lot, and I feel as if I have a much better idea of how to use technology in my classroom. I have done film making, film studies and media studies units, and I have even done web pages and blogs in the past, but I never even thought of vlog, pod casts, and wikis.

I really enjoy having students create portfolios, though.

When I have done portfolios in the past I have required students to included both a variety of their work and the work that they were proudest of. Sometimes I've done a tic-tac-toe board syllabus where students do all of the assignments, but only have to include in their portfolio three assignments what can "win." This gives them choice while still giving me control (although takes a little time to plan).

I think the advantage of using a blog or a wiki as a portfolio beyond improving a students technological literacy is that its easy for kids to get excited about it. I've seen it work. Students equate the assignment to a sort of school My Space account. They really enjoy getting creative with it. It becomes a place of their own, a place where they have control. And student choice is a huge element in engagement. Of course it can be a struggle to keep it classroom appropriate.