Part B:

    Matters of the Heart:

     As a lower elementary school teacher, we are often encouraged to authentically assess our students. However, assessing by mere observation can prove quite difficult when all of my students learn and show knowledge differently. My students learn through art, music, journaling, there are so many ways that they absorb the lessons I give them and to put them all into the same box when assessing would be an injustice on my part. I want them to be passionate about what we are learning and to do that, I need to give them ownership and freedom.

     These students have the technological world at their fingertips and I don't foresee that changing any time soon, only growing. I want to give my students the opportunity to explore and use their creativity to show what they know. That is where my why, how, and what comes in. Through the use of ePortfolios in my classroom, I can give students these authentic learning opportunities that we are often asked to create. Dr. John Kotter said "We must win over the hearts and minds." I think by allowing my students to use the COVA approach (choice, ownership, voice, and authentic), is going to inspire them to create authentic projects.

    Sense of Urgency:

     As an educator, it is my job to foster and provide a learning environment that my students feel they can be safe and be themselves. In that same regard, I should create my assignments and other work with that same mindset. My students need to be passionate about what they are working on otherwise they often provide lack luster effort. If a student is authentically engaged and passionate about what they are doing, it creates a sense of urgency, they want to do the work and put in the effort!

     Call to Action:

     The plan is for my colleagues to also participate in ePortfolios for their students, but how do I get them on board? I can talk to them until I am blue in the face about how this can benefit data collection and the student's overall engagement, but I think many want to see the end result. I will provide a showcase of ePortfolios and show them how I collect data within this innovation plan in order to get them to join me. I think that ePortfolios are so beneficial and I want to share that with my campus. 

  

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Dr. John Kotter. (2011, March 23). John Kotter - The Heart of Change. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKti9MyAAw&feature=youtu.be