What is the topic of your article?

How the use of ePortfolios and blogging foster student accountability, reflection, and authentic learning. 

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Where do you plan to submit (consider 2-3 options)

Tech Notes (TCEA) https://blog.tcea.org/

The submitted post should be between 500-800 words.  A short one to three-sentence bio and at least one high-res photo related to the post should also be included.  

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International Journals of ePortfolios https://www.theijep.com/

Include the manuscript with the title. Do not include authors’ names or their affiliations. Include an abstract of 100-200 words. Length varies based on type of manuscripts which range from 10 -25 pages. Bio needed only for approved manuscripts.

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Edutopia https://www.edutopia.org/ 

email a detailed, original outline, 80-word bio detailing your role in education, and links to other publications (if any), disclose any commercial interest, and Twitter handle

 

What is the connection to your innovation plan or initiative?

Our innovation plan is student ePortfolios and how they encourage choice, ownership, and voice through authentic learning via blogging. 

 

How can this information help others?

The information provided in the journal will add to the contextual resources available for the advantages of incorporating ePs in a middle school setting. 

 

Lessons learned are hoped to learn?

We want to highlight the usefulness of student accountability and engagement in the assessment and process of their learning through blogs and contributions to the learning community.

 

What digital resources will be included in your article? Briefly describe.

The resources we will use are our example ePs, assessment data charts, mini-podcast episodes, and student interviews. 

 

Since we focus on how the incorporation of ePs enhances student accountability, authentic learning, and voice, we want to share examples of how our students use ePs and reflect on their experiences using blogging. We will also use data charts created in Adobe Express or Canva to showcase assessment results. Lastly, we will use platforms like Anchor or TrapSound to record mini podcasts and or student interviews. 

 

Wix.com - Wix is a free, user-friendly website-building platform. Students with greater knowledge of web design will use Wix to create their ePs. Wix also has a blogging add-on that will allow the students to add a blogging page and manager to their sites. 

 

Google Sites - Google Sites is Google's website builder. It is simple to use and offers basic templates and customization options. Although Google Sites has its limitations, it is still a great option for websites, blogs, and internal intranets. 

 

Padlet - Padlet is an online noticeboard. It gives teachers a blank slate to customize their own platforms and add numerous media resources like videos, images, helpful links, a classroom newsletter, fun classroom updates, lesson material, answers to questions, and more.

 

As a classroom bulletin board, students can use it as a reference for a lesson topic or look back at daily lessons, keep up to date with school events, or access it as a class document hub.

 

It is a one-stop sharing platform between students and teachers, offering cooperative creation, high levels of security and privacy, and plenty of sharing options.

 

Think of your audience, digital presence, and the message you hope to communicate. 

Our audience will be middle school educators and administrators looking to integrate ePs into the lending learning classroom while also creating a significant learning environment. The message we hope to communicate is how valuable ePs can be when properly integrated into a secondary classroom. EPs can shift how students learn and connect with their peers and teachers/facilitators. Eps are an exploratory academic process and are designed for deeper understanding and higher-order thinking.