This presentation is the result of a full year implementation and study of student digital portfolios. This work concluded that young students can and do become more reflective about their own work and themselves as a learner through the use of portfolios and reflective protocols. I included this paper presentation as an example of the type of technology-rich work that I prefer to design for students and the ways in which I design research surrounding that work. (Note: Please click on the title of the presentation for a pdf of the paper.)

This presentation was the result of research by Dr. Scott Warren into the results of a course redesign. I participated in interviews of subjects, transcribing and coding the interviews and writing the paper. The concepts in this paper are important to me as I would like to investigate power issues with young students. This work, along with several other pieces, has given me a foundation in that area. Further, the discussant at the presentation felt the connection between power and play was especially compelling for further research. I agree and would like to continue this line of research with younger students. (Note: Please click on the title of the presentation for a pdf of the paper.)

This presentation is scheduled for May, 2008. I did feel that it was a strong component in my portfolio because of the way this research married a proven strategy for fluency with technology. The results were very positive, with struggling students gaining a year in their comprehension within the ten-week study. Also, during interviews, the students noted that the most important part of this project was listening to their podcasts; a feature that is unavailable when technology is not used. Finally, I believe this is a strong example of my commitment to the field as I am moving beyond the technology centered conferences and presenting at important subject area conferences. (Note: Please click on the title of the presentation for a pdf of the proposal.)