Why Am I Doing This?

I recently completed a class on Content Literacy and in the process I have gained new knowledge that I want share as to why I am maintaining this site.  Also, what new things that I have learned about myself and why I am pursuing this level of education.

Below are a set of thought provoking questions that I had to answer and realized I needed to share where I have grown. These questions were the result of my having to explain why I wanted to do this site and where I wanted it to take me as I grow more computer literate.
​

1. What do you want to do? I have decided to develop an e-portfolio which will contain my philosophy of education as it relates to my area of emphasis, Educational Technology. It will target the things that I have learned and am still learning as it pertains to literacy for students and adults in an informal setting such as museums and out of class resources.
        
2. Why do you want to do it? The main reason I want to do this is because at this stage of my academic career I have lost focus as to the reason and drive of why I want to continue this pursue.  I feel if I re-evaluate my reasons I will strive to maintain and obtain further knowledge in that field.  Since I have not been in the classroom for more than five years things have changed drastically.  I still work with schools through my part-time job and it would be beneficial to be able to relate to current trends and changes in education.  Besides, I just want to know. My thirst for knowledge only gets greater as I grow older.  It is exciting to see the many changes that have occurred since my leaving the formal classroom.
     
3. How does the project connect to the concepts of content area literacy and/or metacognition? This project will help me to narrow down how my emphasis area can be an instrument for further study and helping teachers in the area of computer technology, which is not the “wave of the future,” it is the “now” of today. It amuses me when I think of how much I’ve seen over my forty plus years in education.  I remember when all the talk was how computers where going to change education and the way children will learn.  But it has also changed the way teachers need to teach.  It is invigorating to watch and stimulating to be a part of. It is my belief that I will be able to develop through this project a sound metacognition that will align with this content and how it applies to students understanding of what they read and do in any content subject area.
     
4. What steps you will use to approach and complete the project? I will build an e-portfolio that will encompass those areas of learning that I would want students to use if they were creating their own e-portfolios.  What I have learned is that it is never too early to start one.It will help give you direction and help you plan for your academic and personal future.  The process of developing and maintaining an e-portfolio will help the individual to see personal growth and show how you have developed as a person and scholar.  I wish this was available when I started my academic journey.  I would have been able to make note of my changes in learning style and understanding of content.This type of written, visual record is perfect for the beginning of any life.  But it can also work as a reminder at the end of a career. 
   
   
5. In reviewing our book Metacognition in Literacy Learning by S. Israel et al they simply broke the word metacognition into defining each aspect of the word from knowledge, cognition, and phenomenon based on John Favell’s definition. It’s the awareness and judgement about an event that is gained through experience.  The e-portfolio is a work in progress that does just that. It shows the knowledge that has been gained by the individual over time and how this knowledge has impacted their lives. I have discovered that far too many youth just let life happen to them with no real plan.  Then by the time they are thirty or so they wonder what happened to all their hopes and dreams for the future. An e-portfolio forces you to make plans and monitor your follow through. The best gift we can give a young learner is the gift of the ability to “read” and to do so with “understanding.” The wonderful thing about this skill it doesn’t matter what subject you teach. Every subject needs this skill. It is the cornerstone of learning.