As I reflect on the final Creating and Sharing Your ePortfolio assignment of the second course of the ADL program, I have re-read and reviewed my notes from our final class discussion and the submission page within the Learning Management System (LMS) and what I’m understanding is a compilation post (or page) leading to everything outlined is the expectation. “Quickly summarize everything you’ve done and what has been accomplished through your ePortfolio experience” is what I find in my class notes.
I am curious what others heard and understood because I know that as humans we have a tendency to interpret words and meanings differently based on our experiences. Now that I’m looking at learning and influence I think this would help with my concerns about email communication.
How do I get to the point and still relay sincerity? I guess this is where digital content would be beneficial. I could answer questions and give tips where non-verbal communication would be evidenced. Hmm, food for thought.
Reflecting on this ePortfolio course my second of the ADL program, I can say with confidence that I worked throughout the semester to be sure I read all of the assigned materials, watched all of the accompanying videos, and followed the subsequent links. I would sometimes ask about a link deep down the links trail to find that not everyone link dived as deeply as I. It took a while to create a systematic method to go through the material to avoid getting lost. I am doing my best to adapt the skills, knowledge, and information I learn into my ePortfolio development and personal learning. I revised all assignments and reflected on being deliberate with the choice of content on my ePortfolio by taking complete ownership of my authentic experience, which helped me develop my voice.
I believe I helped build our core group by reaching out via course mail after our first class meeting. A few classmates contributed to the class conversation and just had a generally positive perspective that made me want to collaborate with them. After a few days of coordination, we formed our core learning community. Having worked in a learning community in the first course, I quickly jumped on creating a GroupMe channel for our group and set up a google drive so that we could share documents and collaborate. I made a “getting to know one another” ice breaker type document within the google drive to allow group members to share and start building relationships. We had cute short bios, including photos that allowed us to connect on a personal level. We gave information about ourselves, our ePortfolio platform, and our innovation strategy. Our core group was great about contributing to weekly group discussions and provided commentary on each other’s thoughts. As we discussed weekly content, we explored further our thoughts, our learning, and our ePortfolio development, leading to additional ideas, blog posts, and blackboard discussion posts. We each worked to give one another timely feedback on discussions and our ePortfolios. I created weekly to-do list to help our learning community keep track of course content, readings, discussion posts, group discussions, and blog suggestions from the weekly modules.
Sharing two classes with my learning cohort allowed us to get to know one another through class discussions. The last two weeks of discussion posts were the most collaborative our cohort has been. It was amazing to see the class come together to help one another with ePortfolio feedforward suggestions. The part that I think I could do better would have been to offer group collaboration sessions regularly for the whole class. I did post in the student lounge that I was interested in mentorship and mentoring opportunities. I connected with several classmates via course mail in the first few weeks of the course, but none grew into the mentoring/mentorship type collaboration I envisioned.
Learning Community Key and Supporting Contributions
I was able to take leadership responsibility in my group in various ways. First, by creating communication avenues and a place to collaborate, as previously described. Then, as the most experienced member of our group (which is quite humorous considering I had only completed one course at the time), I provided feedback on my learning communities’ innovation coursework.
I set up weekly zoom meetings for Tuesdays at 7 pm immediately following the class meeting. I contributed to all learning activities and opportunities and actively participated in the meetings and discussions. Through our group discussions, I was able to dive more deeply into the content of the weekly modules and reflect upon my learning process.
I attended a literature review information session hosted by the Mary and John Gray Library. I informed my learning community about it since I knew they were working on that component in their innovation course. I shared my thoughts, feelings, and struggles with my learning community. Their support through having a peer group discuss content, vent about frustrations, celebrate victories, and with whom to share the learning experience with has been valuable. I only wish for more; more collaboration, more discussions, and more interaction.
I still struggled to keep up with discussion posts once I had added mine to the LMS. However, I eventually figured out how to subscribe to the discussion posts and was able to respond in real-time to my classmates’ posts. I even created a discussion post in the student lounge and a blog post, hoping to help current and future classmates who struggle with this aspect. Had I figured this out earlier in the semester I may have experienced more real-time dialog about the course material.
I find myself re-reading the COVA book and reflecting on my ePortfolio experience and my first semester in the ADL program. Before starting the ADL Program, Dr. Harapnuik’s digital story, Not Suited for School but Suited for Learning, resonated with me and my personal learning experience.
I was in grade school in the 80s in a tiny town. I remember going through diagnostic testing at school, but I couldn’t begin to tell you what any of my diagnoses would have been. I believe my small-town American school was more concerned with hiding my struggles than helping me with them. I definitely adopted the label and the identity of being learning disabled.
I didn’t read my first complete sentence aloud in school until the third grade. In hindsight, I feel Ms. Leffler was an innovative teacher as she was the only one to finally get through to me. I remember how excited and proud she was of me/for me that she took me across the hall to read to my 2nd-grade teacher (undoubtedly after a whole school year of trying with me). Throughout every public school level, I spent many evenings sitting at the kitchen table, crying my eyes out in frustration, just simply not understanding a given subject or assignment. I truly felt I was also not suited for school, and I felt unsuited for learning.
It wasn’t until I transitioned from community college to university that I realized that I was taking classes and accumulating knowledge for my own benefit. I could not only select the days and times of my courses, the electives I chose, and research topics related to my personal interests. I picked a major that I was interested in learning more about and finally freed myself of some of the labels I let define me through high school and community college. As I watched John Hattie’s Visible Learning, I realized what an impact those labels had on my learning (Bell, 2011, 3:38).
If only someone had instilled a growth mindset through the power of yet, as described by Carol Dweck (Stanford, 2014, 4:34). If only I had the opportunity to learn in this constructivist way in my early education, I would approach challenges with excitement. Just as Carol Dweck explained, “learning a growth mindset [transforms] the meaning of effort and difficulty. [What] used to mean they were dumb, and now it means they had a chance to get smarter” (Stanford, 2014, 7:48).
I am very grateful to have this opportunity to get smarter and reevaluate my learning.
Chapter 4 Quote “When you add the notion of Collin’s (1994) Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) to Finks table you provide your learner their destination in this stage of their learning journey. Fink’s ideas also align with the mapping analogy because he encourages us to think in terms of who the learner will be or where the learner will be at the end of the course. This type of thinking is analogous to the final destination in our map/travel discussion above but the BHAG perspective adds the affective factors that address why the learner will want to go there. Similarly, the learning outcomes are the stages or landmarks along the way.”
Let me correct that. I have not yet gotten the hang of gardening per set, but maybe some of the reason behind gardening.
Looking at the flower garden this Spring, I thought surely the perennials in our pollinator garden were overtaken by the carpet grass, weeds, and other pretty little wild blooms of assorted varieties.
However, as I pulled here and yanked there, I would find I kept finding my little foliaged friends, growing and spreading under the cover nature provided. I found myself welcoming them back and legitimately feeling happy they were back.
Accessibility is something that is very important to me. As I develop my ePortfolio I am really trying to learn and incorporate as many features and functions as possible to ensure that all my students and visitors are able to view my content. I will admit that I have a lot of work to do on this aspect of my online presence after feedback I received on my final project “An Invitation to Innovate Advising.”
Little did I know that citations for images looks very similar accessible descriptions. I’ve been lazily avoiding adding my descriptors for fear that I would also need to add accompanying image citations. However, as I take greater ownership of this
To begin familiarizing myself with how to best add descriptive captions to my images, I began doing some additional research into best practices.
I always do my best to shine a little light, encouragement, and love with those willing to connect. Tonight, I stopped at the local drug store. The employee was having a rough night, and I asked how much longer her shift was (10:30 pm with 7 am return).
My husband picked up chocolate peanut butter ice cream, and she said she would come over to cry and help me eat it. She said something about being a hug person, and I lamented how much I also miss hugs.
As I was preparing to leave, I asked, “can I give you a hug?” She accepted and met me at the end of the counter for a genuine hug.
My favorite days are the days I get to hug strangers. I’ve missed it so much.
As I said goodbye to my classmates Tuesday night (our last class meeting), I had to say out loud that I would miss seeing many of them next semester (accelerated post coming soon). Some will be graduating by December, and our classes no longer overlap. Tonight, I reflected on our one-two sessions together, our growth and vulnerabilities.
Then I realized that some of them will walk at the commencement ceremonies. I volunteer at those events and hug strangers at those events. Surely, I will get to meet some classmates at graduation! I started to imagine the next two years! Three ceremonies a year, potentially meeting the people with whom I will undoubtedly grow so much.
Who will we be after completing another class? What about two classes from now? Four?
Can you imagine looking at our final projects, reflections, innovation plans, and these digital babies (our ePortfolios)?
How much will they/we change through the evolution of this program?
How are you feeling?
Have you taken a good deep breath lately?
Have you hugged a stranger? (Okay, I know that the last one’s not for everyone)
Seventy-one! That is how many discussion posts I made this weekend. How do I know? Because I finally found this handy little trick that allows you to subscribe to discussion posts in Blackboard.
If you have also had a difficult time keeping up with discussion posts that are made/added after your last review, then maybe this little trick will prove helpful to you too.
Update!! (June 2022)
Now that the Blackboard System has updated to Ultra, the subscription feature is no more. However, there is still a way to be notified when new discussion posts are made.
Option 1: Blackboard App
Open Blackboard App
Click Settings
Push Notifications
New discussion responses >
Toggle on/off
Option 2: Desktop version
As of 06/28/2022, this option did not work for me, as I do not have discussions messages in my list of notification settings
As I was creating these screenshots, the inquisitive and experimental nature that is encouraged through the ADL program is paying off. I noticed the “list view” and wondered what that feature might do. *click*
Turns out the tree view may be really helpful in determining which threads have not yet been reviewed or commented on previously.
There is a search feature as well.
Do you have any favorite Blackboard tricks you can share in the comments section?
As I move toward the final culmination assignment for the ePortfolio course in the ADL Program, I cannot help but feel that I have been a bit selfish. I am reflecting on the process of making decisions about what to include and how to relay my genuine care for my students. Finding my voice. I will admit there have been times that I allowed myself to become bogged down in my own crisis of self process. It is not easy reconciling my choices, taking ownership of my learning and figuring out how I can assist in my students’ learning; finding my voice; while maintaining an authentic learning experience.
I keep hearing Dr. Harapnuik’s voice encouraging students to “make it real” and saying “don’t try to fake it” from our weekly class discussions. This course has provided such an opportunity to explore within the ePortfolio itself. The call to action in front of us through our ePortfolio course is so compelling. I just keep hearing the voice of Dr. Harapnuik sharing his wisdom:
“most importantly, make this your own. This is your ePortfolio. This is your opportunity. Take advantage of the choice. Take advantage of the opportunity to take ownership. Find your voice. Embrace this opportunity to find the courage that it takes to find your voice. And embrace this ePortfolio this authentic opportunity that you can you can use for years even decades to come to make a difference in your world and to share that with your colleagues and more importantly with the learner that you have influence over as well.”
I just feel so grateful for this opportunity to grow and learn through the COVA/CSLE experience provided by this program.
The Advisor That Cares 