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All of the readings this week gave me a lot of pause. I kept stopping and reflecting on my experiences with ePortfolios in class. As I mentioned before, I have had a lot of ups and downs with them in class. It never really stuck. In all honesty, they were something the kids endured until it was over.
The concept of CSLE+ COVA (Harapnuik, Thibodeaux, & Cummings, 2018) in the reading has been very helpful. They are things I have danced around, played with, tried out and worked with for years. The problem was that the things I was doing was taken from all of the things I had learned and seen, but not with a clear strategy. That has changed this year. Part of it was out of necessity. Part of it is really lucky timing. I tend to be pulled from class a lot for a variety of things. A lecture based format just doesn't work in my class. I have to be there to lecture and lead learning. This year, I gave up even more control than ever before. I did so from day 1, twelve days before our 5303 course started. I know that ePortfolios will play a large role in their success this year. I've was struggling with getting the students to employ methods that helped them move past "enduring" portfolios. In my experiences, I’ve seen the use of portfolios is class be a lot like group work. It sounds good, innovative, and student focused. Too often, it just ends up being a cute idea that is done poorly, doesn’t lead to deeper learning, and is quickly forgotten about.
I have never liked this approach. Unfortunately, I’ve been guilty of it myself. I could tell in the middle of it that I was missing something, and things were not really getting to the point of bringing about a better learning environment. I could never really get a grasp of it and would put it off until I thought I had learned more. Two things have really created a change for me in the last twelve months. First, was our district committee working on starting a K-12 portfolio program. Though my work on this committee, I got a real good opportunity to look at so many other portfolios, research, and talk with other people who were looking for the same thing. I had turned the corner. The second has been this program. These have really given me the tools to move from portfolios as a collection of work and into a learning tool. In the web article, Why Use an ePortfolio, Dr. Harapnuik points out very clearly about learners using portfolios to demonstrate their learning journey and not just a snapshot of the destination. (Harapnuik, n.d.) For an ePortfolio to really be a way to assess learning, students must truly own the process. This sparked an inspiration for me in my class. I have been turning more and more of my class over to my learners each year. This year, I pretty much gave them full control. They are telling me how to grade things, what will go in the gradebook, and when things will be due. To that end, they are also responsible for clearly demonstrating that they have mastered the standards of the course. My students and I have agreed that they are going to use their portfolios to demonstrate this mastery. I’ll be honest. It’s a bit nerve-wracking. I have no idea how things will turn out. We had a conversation today about one of the standards. The students asked me if I had a document that gave a clear definition of it so they knew what to give me in return. I told them that I didn’t have one. Even if I did, I wouldn’t give it to them because I want them to research it and figure it out. Go to Google. I continued by telling them that I would help them evaluate what they find. I have no idea exactly what the next step is. We have agreed to a clearly defined goal for the end of the year. At the same time, they are determining the path. As we move through this uncharted territory, we all know that their portfolios will be key to demonstrating mastery. We have also begun to see that it will be helpful for them to manage the process. They have already started adding in some of their own reflections. There is a team of students that are going to take the lead in guiding the rest of the class through building their portfolios. Reflections of learning is next on my mind for getting them to the higher levels of mastery. So, begging the question… what do you think I need to look out for, or do next, or… ? I’m in totally new territory here. Any advice? Works CitedBarnstable, K. (2010, January 8). 41 Benefits of an ePortfolio. Retrieved from Stable Transitions: https://kbarnstable.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/41-benefits-of-an-eportfolio/ Barrett, H., & Richter, J. (n.d.). Why Reflect?Retrieved September 2018, from Reflection4Learning: https://sites.google.com/site/reflection4learning/why-reflect Harapnuik, W. (n.d.). Why Use an Eportfolio. Retrieved September 2018, from It's About Learning: http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6063 This year, I began my masters degree in Digital Learning and Leading from Lamar University. I am really excited to begin this work. I have put it off for a variety reasons that all have to do with the ability to commit the time to the program. Regardless, I have taken the leap. On this page, you will be able to follow along with my experiences and reflections on what I am learning in this course. The course is a deep dive into the practice and use of ePortfolios as a method of learning. At the start, we reviewed these web articles.
As I read, I kept reflecting back on how we did things in class, how I have done my own portfolios, and how we as a district are moving forward this year. In just a day, my eyes are more open to how to engage my class better. I am excited for this class so that I can make ePortfolios something we do, not something we endure. The biggest take-away for me at the moment was the concept of the portfolio not being a collection of dots, but more of a journey that connects the dots. It really made things click for me as to how to begin making a difference in my class and in my own practice. For now, the lingering question is centered on meeting the district requirements without sacrificing the quality and depth of the reflection. Our school, like so many other schools and states, loves checklists. Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). ePortfolios. [online] Harapnuik.org. Available at: http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=5973 [Accessed 1 Sep. 2018]. Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). What is an Eportfolio. [online] Harapnuik.org. Available at: http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=5977 [Accessed 1 Sep. 2018]. Harapnuik, D. (n.d.). Making Meaningful Connections in an Eportfolio. [online] Harapnuik.org. Available at: http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=5977 [Accessed 1 Sep. 2018]. |
About 5303This course is the second in the Masters of Education in Digital Leading and Learning at Lamar University. The focus of the course in developing and learning about ePortfolios in education. ArchivesCategories
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