"Ugh. I need to retire!"

Now on to digital portfolios... sometimes I think all this technology is overwhelming. Just when you think you are getting reasonable current there is something new that you have never even heard of and younger teachers are asking where have you been. For others out here blogging that need a definition, a digital portfolio is a vehicle for both teachers and students to describe, narrate, analyze, and reflect on their own learning as a function of electronic media(Hicks, Russo, Autrey, Gardner, Kabodian, & Edington, 2007). This is a "technology-rich" process that fosters inquiry based learning while completing learning tasks and collecting artifacts as part of the portfolio construction.

This is a different type of composing process that includes hypertext and multimedia along with putting work out there for the world to see. This technology can be very motivating for both students and teachers. It is much more compelling and exciting to put ourselves in front of many different audiences. This form of technology can take otherwise boring classroom activities and bring them to life by allowing feedback from a variety of sources such as students, parents, colleagues, administrators and the general public. Portfolio design decisions can be individualized allowing for differentiation in learning styles and ability levels. This process allows for a level of autonomy offering unique opportunities and insight that might not be realized in a more traditional learning situation.

However, like other forms of technology, teachers need to learn how to use it to be able to then teach their students. That is where the "Ugh, I need to retire!" comes in. Many teachers believe they just don't have the time to learn how. Sadly, many feel defeated before they even try, thinking they could never accomplish something as great. This is 21st century learning and we all need to buy in and seek out the support we need to get to the next level. We are all aware the difficulties teachers face in today's society. My favorite quote from the article read on digital portfolios is when a younger teacher affirms these difficulties that help to create the digital divide by responding, "As a teacher in the trenches, I couldn't agree more, though I hope I can help her learn"(Hicks et al., 2007, p.453).