Portfolio Assessment

I believe that portfolio assessment is valid to some degree, as it shows the individuals beliefs and offers insight into their attitudes, much as a resume does.  However, as with a resume I believe that assessment of an individual should not reside with one form of presentation.  Most jobs require interviews in addition to resumes, and I believe that portfolio based assessment should also include interviews.  To some degree a portfolio is much more sophisticated then a resume because it can include resume information, but also video clips and show the individuals ability to use technology.  Overall I believe that portfolio assessment is as valid, if not more so, then resume based assessment.

21st Century Teacher

As a future teacher I definitely have mixed feelings when asked if I see myself as a 21^st century teacher.  On one hand yes, I believe that I will integrate technology into my classroom, actively engage the students to participate, and focus my curriculum on the students and their needs rather than the material that will be covered.  I plan to use activities such as wiki links where students learn research skills while having fun.  I intend to use music, video clips, pictures, and activities in my classroom instead of reducing history to reading the textbook and taking notes during lecture.  I will focus my curriculum on what my students individual needs are rather than on the information that I would like to cover.  

However, I do not believe that 20^th Century teaching skills should be cast aside merely because they are old.  Some aspects of education such as using maps and learning about important figures and events in world history remain crucial aspects of history that students should learn about.  It is an embarrassment when the country is at war with Iraq and Afghanistan and many students cannot locate either country on a map.  While these facets of history are important and should be included in a curriculum (in my opinion) students should also learn about the modern world in history class.  The conflict against Islamic Extremist Terrorist organizations should be understood, but so too should the events leading up to the modern day conflict, including the culture and history of all major groups involved.  Students need an understanding of past events so they can comprehend what is currently happening in the world and why it is happening.  

This understanding is applicable to the real world as well.  For example, the company McDonald’s should have known that opening a restaurant chain in India would be poor business.  The majority of the people in India, Hindu’s and Muslim’s, do not desire to eat at a McDonald’s restaurant.  Hindu’s do not eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork and McDonald’s did not make adaptations to their menu until it was too late.   These religious beliefs are present throughout India’s past and crucial to understanding its present culture.  If the corporate head of McDonald’s had paid more attention to world history perhaps they would not have made this corporate blunder.