Manual Arts High School

English & Technology

The Web Portfolio
by
Josephine Zarro
English & Intro to Technology - Grade 9

Standards | Competencies | Relevance | Context | Unit Components | Student Samples

Fundamental Understandings

In this unit students create a set of web pages that reflects their personality. They will write about themselves, their education in high school, their role models, and reflect on their first year in high school. During this process students learn about different technologies by focusing on the content of their portfolio. They write short essays, word process, research the internet, create web pages, and use a scanner and digital camera.

National Standards:

5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

Technology (ISTE) Standards

1.Basic operations and concepts Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems. 2.Social, ethical, and human issues Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software. Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity. 3.Technology productivity tools Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, preparing publications, and producing other creative works. 4.Technology communications tools Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences. 5.Technology research tools Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

Workforce Competencies:

  • Information Manager
  • Students locate, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, maintain, and apply information, concepts, and ideas found in literature, symbols, and computer files in order to perform tasks and/or for enjoyment.
  • Effective Communicator
  • Students communicate in English and other languages using information, concepts, prose, symbols, reports, graphic displays and computer-based programs.
  • Creative and Critical Thinkers
  • Students use creative thinking skills .to generate new ideas, make the best decisions, recognize and solve problems through reasoning, interpret symbolic data, and develop efficient techniques for lifelong learning.
  • Ethical and Responsible Workers
  • Students display responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity, and healthy decision-making.
  • Cooperative Workers
  • Students work cooperatively to successfully complete a project or activity.
  • Effective Leader
  • Students establish credibility with their colleagues through competence and integrity and help their peers achieve their goals by communicating their feelings and ideas to justify or successfully negotiate a position, which advances goal attainment.

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Relevance

This learning should assist students in the process of learning about themselves as they enter the high school scene. It should assist students in acquiring and enhancing their research and writing skills, and help students use their technological skills for informal verbal expression, written communication, and web publishing. Finally, this learning should improve the collaborative learning experiences of students.

Context:

New high school students have a high degree of likes and dislikes and a low degree of reflective skills. This unit will tap into their personal ideas about themselves, enabling them to articulate what they stand for and what they can look forward to in the future. It will also help shape their personality, give them workable skills in using technology, and enhance their written expression.

 

Components of the unit:

  • Lesson 1: Students are introduced to the unit, and write their first section, an autobiographical sketch.
  • Lesson 2: Students prepare the rest of the components for the portfolio: Favorite Assignments, My Role Model, My First Year in High School, Log of Book & Stories Read this year.
  • Lesson 3: Students create their web portfolio, copy and paste their text onto newly created web pages, search and select