ePortfolios.....Start with the "Why?"

This week focused on the many benefits of the ePortfolio. Some highlights from the discussion thread are as follows: 

Authentic learning with an authentic audience is critical. 

If we expect students to be engaged and motivated and to play an active part in their learning, an ePortfolio is a good place to start. The ePortfolio lends itself well to the COVA model  which in and of itself is a great teaching strategy, but combine that with the authentic audience behind the ePortfolio, and you have a winner. Too often, we assign homework or projects to students which will be graded by the teacher and never looked at again. The ePortfolio provides students with a product that can be shared not only with parents, teachers, and classmates, but also colleges and future employers. I think back to how stressful it was to apply to college and for jobs. It was as if everything I had every done and achieved floated out of my brain. An ePortfolio would have been an excellent way to keep up with these experiences. 

Modeling must be a priority.

​ I learned in 5302 that sometimes I was guilty of expecting my students to be able to complete certain things without ever seeing a true model. If students are to be successful in keeping up with ePortfolios, then teachers must model appropriate use and provide students with the "why" in order for them to see the importance. This will also benefit the teacher in his/her own personal growth. ​However, this must be consistent. Unfortunately, sometimes we begin a new initiative and don't devote the time to fully develop the new strategy. 

ePortfolios are more than digital file folders. 

When I initially heard that we would be completing ePortfolios, my attitude could be described as resigned acceptance. Previously, my only experience with this concept was from my days in college. We had something called Aggie eFolio where we uploaded digital files into a cloud based storage. It seemed like a waste of time, but it did end up being very beneficial for me. I graduated from college in December 2009, and my house burned to the ground March 2010. My computer with all of my files from college were gone....except for those saved in my Aggie eFolio! :) I have since learned that what was missing from that experience was self-reflection and connections. In order to have the true ePortfolio experience, we have to include those key elements.  ​ Purposeful self-reflection doesn't just happen. 

While a lot of the discussion focused on self-reflection, one thread took it a step further and reminded us that self-reflection is more than just describing an experience. There is a reflection cycle that must be following in order to focus on the next steps and actions. Again, this is something that students will have to be shown how to do. They will need practice. They will fail and have to try again. They will get frustrated and want to quit, but must be shown how to persevere. This isn't something that comes easy to students OR educators. However, it is worth extra effort if we truly want to prepare our students for this changing world.  Welcome to your blog post. Use this space to connect with your readers and potential customers in a way that’s current and interesting. Think of it as an ongoing conversation where you can share updates about business, trends, news, and more.