Digital portfolios can foster opportunities for students with disabilities to showcase their growth in academic, social, and vocational domains. When integrated correctly, they can also provide meaningful ways for students to reflect on their work and progress in a variety of traditional and non-traditional domains, as well as take ownership over their work. Most importantly, digital portfolios provide a starting point for student led discussions with peers, staff, family and in vocational settings!
Students with special needs are often discussed, and not part of the discussion. Digital portfolios allow these students to not only enter the conversations, but lead them, by connecting home, school and community skills.
Jessica Gardner has been a special educator in NYC for 10 years, focusing on advocating for students with moderate and severe disabilities in New York City. Her primary interests include giving students the tools they need to succeed in school, work and in the community, as well as improving the meaningful integration of technology into curriculum, and she has presented on this topic across the US. When she's not teaching, she loves building her own tech gadgets, and running through the city!