ePortfolio Learning

When I first started learning about ePortfolios, I knew that it was going to be something that I not only enjoyed but something that would help guide my learning. It was always on my list of "to-do's", but I didn't really know how to begin. It was different from the teacher influencers on social media that I had been following from Teacher Pay Teacher. Well, little did I know exactly how much I would learn!

Finding a platform proved to be a challenge. There were so many choices! I settled on the new Editor X option from Wix. Learning to use Editor X was somewhat of a struggle, as it was more complicated than the other version of Wix, very similar and an alternative to WordPress. However, I pushed through and learned not only how to make it functional, but also attractive and pleasing to the eye. Working through the experience of learning a "new-to-me" website-building software has taught me a lot and I grow more adept at using this platform, I am sure to use Editor X for other things in the future.

In order to synthesize all the rapid, deep, new learning from two accelerated classes, while also being a mother and an educational leader in my school district, I was really thankful for all the time spent on developing and practicing a growth mindset (and coffee!). Growth mindset is a hot topic in the field of education. Throughout my career, I have been encouraging a growth mindset as I teach and work with teachers and students. Doing this project has really helped me experience a growth mindset from a more personal perspective. I have enjoyed being a learner and experiencing personal growth in the areas of ePortfolios, Disruptive Education, and the digital tools that I’m using along the way.

Growth does not mean easy. In fact, it means quite the opposite! I had to work through several challenges and many productive struggles, but I found the more I worked on learning, the more the learning became mine. It no longer was a project for “ADL 5303”, but it was MY ePortfolio that I looked forward to spending time with. I naturally extended my own learning beyond the requirements of the class. It has been a long time since I’ve been appropriately challenged as a learner. As a returning adult learner, lots of things have changed for me since being in college. (Hello APA, 7th edition!); and I’ve had to adjust and correct learning misconceptions. I found myself leaning on my collaborative learning group and referring to my learning facilitator’s ePortfolio many times to learn, relearn, or find a source for an idea.

As a learner, I also was able to experience a true learner-centered, project-based, blended learning environment. While learning information about best practices in ePortfolios, I was given creative freedom and choice to actively construct an ePortfolio to host my Innovation Project, blog posts to record my thinking and hold space for further learning down the line. I learned to customize and embed different types of video files, search bars, navigation menus, pictures, tags, labels, anchors, etc. and this is just the beginning!

It is such a foundational place to begin this journey in Applied Digital Learning. I found it interwoven so completely with my corresponding class that I found it difficult to separate. The more I learned, the more I added or revised. It became clear that my learning would be incomplete without it.

The ePortfolio is a more powerful tool than I realized. It is a protected space to share who you are, your thoughts, and your learning contributions. It’s a place to explore ideas and connect with others. It’s a place where communication is boundless, as words, images, audio, and video are all able to be hosted. It’s a place for learning to not only be held and referred to--but also to change and revise. It's a place to create and contemplate. The more I participate in using this tool, the more my curiosity gets the better of me as I find myself thinking “I wonder…”, and I can’t wait to continue!