Millenials, and Bobos, and Portfolios...Oh My!!

When I began the chapter on Shape-Shifting Portfolios, it immediately brought me back to Gee’s chapter in Alvermann on Millenials and Bobos. These adolescent resumes are becoming a staple in the educational journey of many middle to upper-middle class teens today. As far lower class students are concerned, portfolios may serve a different purpose than they do for many of the millennial youth who strive to become a part of the “elite group” in society. As in the case of Mario, he was simply trying to connect with his Mexican heritage.

My twenty-something cousins, who are obviously millenials, have extensive portfolios. The experiences that they have had in their young careers never cease to amaze me. Clare spent a semester traveling around the African continent, at times living in less than ideal dwellings, absorbing a culture sometimes far removed from her own. Her sister, Sarah, spent two semesters abroad, one in Italy and the other in Ireland. I am in absolute awe of how self-sufficient these young women have become.

After reading this chapter, I see that their portfolio increases in size and experience in all that they do throughout their college careers and well into their first job experiences. Clare, like Katie, is seeking work that will be fulfilling as opposed to seeking a high paying job. I thought the section of the chapter titled ”The Shrine” was a bit too much. While I think that establishing a meaningful portfolio will be helpful, I think that putting all one’s accomplishments on display illustrates arrogance.

I liked the example of Thomas who was opposed to the idea of portfolios until he became engaged with his schoolwork. I found it interesting that it wasn’t considered cool for boys to be smart. Who makes these decisions? But Thomas eventually quit sports, so that he could join the academic decathlon team. He became so invested in his learning that he made it his top priority.

Even though Mario, the last boy in the chapter, shared a very different story than the other two, he still was building a portfolio of knowledge and experiences that he felt were crucial to his life. Since reaching the status of the elite group will most often be out of reach for many lower class millenials, as the chapter states, it is our job as educators to guide our students towards experiences and knowledge that will help them achieve their goals in life.