Quentin's e-Portfolio

One topic that has come up over and over again during my MET courses, has been the issue of protecting student privacy and data. In British Columbia, recent legislation titled Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, has made for strigent guidelines regarding how schools, and educators, use and store student data.  However, there seems to be a few parts of this idea that have not been fully thought out.  In ongoing discussions with my PLN via Twitter and my colleagues at work, there are disagreements about whether we are allowed to use Google Drive as the servers are located in the US and thus subject to the Patriot Act.  

However, when we think about how data is stored around the world in cloud-based storage, most data of any kind is likely stored on several severs based in multiple countries.  To create legislation and enforce it in the 21st century is a daunting task.  Moreover, even the new student managements system is run by a US company.  It seems short-sighted to assume that all student data is locally stored.  This is an area that 21st century educators, adminstrators, and policy makers need to think through and come up with realist and reasonable legislation that addresses all of the concerns of those involved. 

I've looked at e-texts here and here.  I'm still intrigued by them. I imagine the future possibilities.  For the 2015-16 school year, I will be using an industry published e-text for my Law 12 class.  Initial looks indicate my greatest fears regarding the design and functionality of the e-text.  However, I am hoping that using an actual e-text will give me greater clarity in brainstorming further ideas to creatively use these resources using sound technological and pedagogical principles.  I also hope to leave some feedback to the publisher after the course.  

As I indicated in my reasons for beginning the MET program, I was, and continue to be, interested in the role technology has within education.  

Over the past few years, I have become convinced that the best model going forward is a blended learning model.  This would be with a regular classroom session supplemented with mobile and online learning or vice-versa.  In either case, I am excited at trying new possibilities with my own courses in the next number of years in pushing the envelope in this regard.  

Mobile devices are used by students every day.  The question is can we leverage that use from social media and gaming to productive use in the classroom?  This has been debated and discussed and it does not seem to be going away.  An article last year in The Atlantic, noted that some schools were selling their iPads because students viewed them more as a gaming device than a learning device.

Furthermore, there is minimal research done in this area with a study from 2009 indicating that mobile devices did not enhance student learning.  A more recent study (2014), with a very small sample size found that teenagers did find mobile devices helpful for learning.  Clearly more research needs to be done in this area and schools need to make informed choices considering their own student populace.