Why ePortfolio?

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I am building an ePortfolio to compile all of the repetitive questions and information I attempt to provide during my interactions with students. My goal is to empower and inform my students.

The more I listen to Dr. Harapnuik and Dr. Thibodeaux the more I’m seeing that this will also be an excellent resource for me professionally. Now I will have a centralized location where I can keep a continual list of the webinars and professional development I participate with through my professional organizations. Dr. Thibodeaux has inspired me to utilize my e-portfolio to find my voice as I reflect on my learning journey throughout the creation process. 

By utilizing my e-portfolio as a living resume or CV, I can use it to invest in myself professionally because it is often very hard to remember all of the professional development opportunities and experiences I have participated in. After reading and watching the items in this week’s modules, I am beginning to understand that creating and maintaining an e-portfolio allows me to become an active participant in my learning. The Reflection4Learning really helps me understand that I am just “storytelling” or using “narrative inquiry” to “search for connections” which helps me overcome my own sense of writer’s block for my own reflection blogs.

I am also currently lamenting and reflecting on the two faces of the e-portfolios as I attempt to navigate my own process and product; professional and personal; and my growth and learning. 

After reviewing Dr. Harapnuik and Dr. Thibodeaux’s e-portfolios I see that they incorporate many aspects of their professional and personal lives into their posts and discussions. Utilizing real life experiences from their personal life to provide examples and stories to make learning real. I am going to try and use my e-portfolio to connect with other academic advisors, my students, and my administration. I can see how linking my e-portfolio can be an asset at professional conferences and could be the beginning of much larger discussions about how to effectively reach students, improve outreach efforts, and continue improvement for all personally as well as professionally. 

I would like my passion to show through my e-portfolio. My goal is to empower students and to act as an advocate until they learn enough to advocate for themselves. I sincerely care about people and I want my kindness and caring to show through the resources and information I share throughout my e-portfolio. I also want to open myself to being vulnerable throughout my own learning journey. This is an area I struggle with since it is difficult to not feel judged or insecure, but I’m learning through the many resources and links. Specifically, Seth Godin’s advice in “Blogging Changes your Life” encourages me to, “do it for myself.” I feel more encouraged to stop worrying about how to blog correctly but instead just write to explore “how I explain myself” and reflect on my own thinking, regardless of whether or not anyone is going to read it.

I think that it will be valuable to use e-portfolios for active learning, professional development, formative and summative assessments of our own learning and the learning of our students. I am highly encouraged by the “Know Thyself” benefits provided through e-portfolio development and as I progress through the benefits I began to see the purposeful design of the activities we are doing in the ADL Program. I continually remind myself to trust the process.