Comments on: Teacher as Passionate Portfolio Freak http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/ The life and times of an English teacher in Mexico City Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:59:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Aaron Nelson http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-248 Wed, 03 May 2006 09:10:50 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-248 Hi Daniel, So you keep your portfolio to yourself. I find myself nodding in agreement with the whole "self-censorship" issue. I have found myself teetering on the edge of telling my fellow teachers about this blog, and I've told a few, but in general I refrain precisely for the very reason you gave: I may have to curb my ideas in some way. How interesting this is. How do you go about getting your students into portfolio work? Hi Daniel,
So you keep your portfolio to yourself. I find myself nodding in agreement with the whole “self-censorship” issue. I have found myself teetering on the edge of telling my fellow teachers about this blog, and I’ve told a few, but in general I refrain precisely for the very reason you gave: I may have to curb my ideas in some way.

How interesting this is. How do you go about getting your students into portfolio work?

]]> by: daniel http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-233 Sun, 30 Apr 2006 05:39:35 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-233 i decided a long time ago that sharing my blogfolio with students was not really a good idea for me. a)i don't think that they'd be genuinely interested and b)it might restrict my writing/thought process when it comes to reflecting upons student behavior, comments etc. i decided a long time ago that sharing my blogfolio with students was not really a good idea for me.

a)i don’t think that they’d be genuinely interested
and

b)it might restrict my writing/thought process when it comes to reflecting upons student behavior, comments etc.

]]> by: Aaron Nelson http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-212 Wed, 12 Apr 2006 13:54:51 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-212 James, Thanks for your thoughts on this stuff. Modeling is kind of obvious isn't it? I mean, if you aren't actually doing a portfolio yourself, how in the world will you be able to lead someone into one? That's a basic leadership quality: you don't tell other people to do stuff that you aren't already doing, or willing to do yourself. In this case, teaching is also leading. On a wide audience blog: that's a sticky wicket isn't it? Not to "dumb down" as you say, but to make what you write worth the while of a broader audience - namely your students. I think I find myself in agreement with EFL Geek on this one: Maybe a different blog is in order? I know I swing on this a little: blogs that stay on topic vs. blogs that cover a wide range of stuff - but I tend to prefer blogs that stick to their content specialty. I know I'll get good x content from this blog. I dunno. It's a strange area. What I'm trying to say is that if you widen your blog to make it more accessable to students, maybe you're doing yourself a bit of a disservice at the same time. I blog for professional development mainly. I think that if I were to widen the scope, or make it more...ummm...not so focused, maybe I WOULD lose out. On the other hand, widening the scope of your blog could force you to explain concepts you're working on in a more understandable way. That could lead to deeper learning for you, because when you learn something with the purpose of teaching it to someone else, you often soak it in much better. I ramble. I still don't know about that one... James,
Thanks for your thoughts on this stuff. Modeling is kind of obvious isn’t it? I mean, if you aren’t actually doing a portfolio yourself, how in the world will you be able to lead someone into one? That’s a basic leadership quality: you don’t tell other people to do stuff that you aren’t already doing, or willing to do yourself. In this case, teaching is also leading.

On a wide audience blog: that’s a sticky wicket isn’t it? Not to “dumb down” as you say, but to make what you write worth the while of a broader audience - namely your students. I think I find myself in agreement with EFL Geek on this one: Maybe a different blog is in order? I know I swing on this a little: blogs that stay on topic vs. blogs that cover a wide range of stuff - but I tend to prefer blogs that stick to their content specialty. I know I’ll get good x content from this blog.
I dunno. It’s a strange area. What I’m trying to say is that if you widen your blog to make it more accessable to students, maybe you’re doing yourself a bit of a disservice at the same time. I blog for professional development mainly. I think that if I were to widen the scope, or make it more…ummm…not so focused, maybe I WOULD lose out.

On the other hand, widening the scope of your blog could force you to explain concepts you’re working on in a more understandable way. That could lead to deeper learning for you, because when you learn something with the purpose of teaching it to someone else, you often soak it in much better.

I ramble. I still don’t know about that one…

]]> by: EFL Geek http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-209 Tue, 11 Apr 2006 16:32:06 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-209 James, I have one class of students blogging. In the teacher blog I write about what we are doing in class, but I also add some blogging entries about my personal life, such as books I'm reading or things that I did to make it more than just a classroom blog. The students seem to find it interesting even if it is the kind of writing that I would never include on my regular blog (which students don't know about) I also think that having your own portfolio will encourage students to get into it. When I have the opportunity to use portfolios in teaching I will definitely create one of my own. James,
I have one class of students blogging. In the teacher blog I write about what we are doing in class, but I also add some blogging entries about my personal life, such as books I’m reading or things that I did to make it more than just a classroom blog. The students seem to find it interesting even if it is the kind of writing that I would never include on my regular blog (which students don’t know about)

I also think that having your own portfolio will encourage students to get into it. When I have the opportunity to use portfolios in teaching I will definitely create one of my own.

]]> by: James Matthew http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-208 Tue, 11 Apr 2006 15:16:56 +0100 http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/04/11/teacher-as-passionate-portfolio-freak/#comment-208 Thanks for this post. I agree that modelling is a genuine and real way to teach. If we expect our students to value something and do something, then we should be doing it as well. My hat's off to you on that one. I have been wondering similar things around my whole push for student blogging---ie should I be blogging more accessibly to students. I blog around ed related issues, ones that students generally don't seem interested in. I have been wondering if I should be making my entries more accessible or student friendly in their approach and delivery. Not dumbing it down, but making the topics covered more approachable. The problem is modelling adds another thing to your plate. Not only do you have prep time and planning and forecasting and marking, but now you have to get in there too! yikes Thanks for this post.

I agree that modelling is a genuine and real way to teach. If we expect our students to value something and do something, then we should be doing it as well.

My hat’s off to you on that one. I have been wondering similar things around my whole push for student blogging—ie should I be blogging more accessibly to students. I blog around ed related issues, ones that students generally don’t seem interested in. I have been wondering if I should be making my entries more accessible or student friendly in their approach and delivery.
Not dumbing it down, but making the topics covered more approachable.
The problem is modelling adds another thing to your plate. Not only do you have prep time and planning and forecasting and marking, but now you have to get in there too!
yikes

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