Digital Portfolios and Blogs: Use Authentic Technology, Not Technology Made for School

Currently in my district we’ve had some preliminary talks regarding if/how digital portfolios could be implemented on a wide-scale. Of course, while the focus shouldn’t necessarily be on the technology, one of the first questions asked by everyone (both in and out of district) always involves what type of platform we have in mind.

While these portfolio talks are only in their infancy, and we currently have no certain idea what will actually happen (in regards to what technology is chosen and with the portfolios in general)…I do strongly feel that, if possible, we should always be looking to use an authentic tool (e.g., self-hosted WordPress or WordPress.com) as opposed to one that has been made for school (e.g., Kidblog or Seesaw).

Source: Digital Portfolios and Blogs: Use Authentic Technology, Not Technology Made for School

I’ve always been a fan of using open source technologies such as WordPress to support students. My argument has been mostly a monetary one, but I can also see that we want students to use the tools they will be using once they graduate.