Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/embracing-technology-with-e-portfolios/5020926/
Last year we began the process of moving to electronic portfolios for our program. Technology can sometimes be a frightening tool for early childhood educators, but we can use it to our advantage as well. Our journey toward embracing technology for our portfolios was one of triumphs and obstacles.Why e-Portfolios?
My daughter’s developmental portfolio from her preschool and kindergarten experience is a three-inch thick binder sitting on a shelf in our home collecting dust. As an early childhood educator, I truly appreciate the evidence of her development, the work invested by her teachers, and the growth that took place during that time. However, as a person who values the environment, and a cheapskate at heart, I am discouraged that each child in our program has one of these at home. Inside these time capsules are plenty of photographs, using gallons of ink from printers, gobs of paper, and the plastic that makes up the binder. It is also fragile: the artwork is easily ripped out, the photos are easily bent, which makes it impractical for my daughter to revisit her experiences on a regular basis. All of this led me to consider electronic portfolios in our program last year.
We ...