NoodleBib Express and E-Portfolios

I had a difficult time choosing just one technology to talk about, so I chose two instead. One of them was a resource for online research, while the other was the concept of using electronic portfolios in the classroom.

Traditionally, I have allowed my students to use KnightCite after they have the basic understanding of how to structure their Works Cited pages. Students find this to be helpful, but still come to me with many questions, wondering what type of source they have, what the database is, etc. After looking at NoodleBib Express, I think I might try using it in my classroom. The neat thing about this site is that it asks the user questions in order to complete the citation. If a student is unsure if his/her source is the one they are documenting, there is a place the user can scroll to get examples of sources that would fall under that category. My students are starting a research project in a month, and I think I will try this site out with them.

As for portfolios, I can see many benefits to using them in the classroom. The seniors in our high school used to complete portfolios of their own their senior year. In these portfolios, they would showcase their best work throughout high school. They would also select a piece of writing from each grade level and write a reflection on their growth as writers. We cut this out about three or four years ago because it took hours for the teacher to organize and file away the papers every student finished throughout the year. It was also difficult for the senior English teachers to cart home several portfolios to grade at the end of a school year. Electronic portfolios would be the perfect alternative to this assignment though. Students could save their papers throughout their high school career on the electronic portfolio. We already use turnitin.com to check for plagiarism. We could just have them take one more step and turn it into their e-portfolios. Once they reach senior year, their papers will be easily accessible. They will also be able to access their papers from home and from any other location, should they move. In addition, students will take ownership of their work, since others could potentially see it, and they will technically be working on their senior project all throughout high school. They will realize that their papers will not only be read once by a teacher, but could be read by other teachers, students, parents, colleges, future employers, etc.

In addition, I require that my students put together a portfolio at the end of each semester. They are to include a copy of every article, layout, picture, or job they accomplish and then write a reflection about each, highlighting what they did well, what they had fun doing, and what they could have improved upon if they had another chance. I find that I learn a lot in this reflection, and they learn a lot too. Often my students complain though that they must waste so many paper printing out their articles, layouts, etc., when they are all on the computer. I always tell them that the portfolios will come in handy later, because they will always have copies of their work and reflections of their work, but I have to admit I agree with the portfolios being a waste of paper, especially since most say they will probably lose them in a half year or throw them away. Using an e-portfolio would not only be less time consuming because students could continue working on it throughout the semester with easy clicks of buttons, but they will also serve as a saving space for their work. If students do a nice job on their e-portfolios, they will be able to share them with future employers, schools, friends, people in other professional settings, etc.

I think the conversion to online portfolios will be a little tricky at first, but not as tricky as one may think. Students are pretty talented at using technology, and they will most likely catch on quickly and with excitement to e-portfolios. I think they will view them as worthwhile projects.