But why an ePortfolio?

ePortfolios (and blogs like this one) are great tools for reflection and connecting the dots in one's learning. In education, there are two types of assessments: Formative and Summative. Formative assessments are little checks of understanding that happen throughout the process of learning and allow for students to show grasps of concepts and allow teachers to gather information on whether they need to adjust teaching strategies, reteach, or dive deeper. An ePortfolio is a great way for educators to formatively assess their own learning. When you actively reflect on the practices that you bring into the classroom and the strategies that are in place, you begin the process of adjusting these strategies, relearning best practices, and diving deeper into enhancing learning through models like COVA (see links above or other blog posts for more information).

Karen Barnstable, author and longtime educator, wrote a list of 41 Benefits of an ePortfolio, and the two benefits that most resonated with me are, "They will understand the important aspect of the process fully and see that the process is just as important as the product." and "They may develop their own goals for their learning." Both of these points tie in with my deep belief in the purpose of education. The "process" being the most important aspect is how I view being a life-long learner. There is no "finished" in education, it is a process, it is a journey. And the other benefit related to developing goals ties in taking ownership in ones learning. When you set the goals for your own growth and development, you buy in to the process much more than if the goals are set by an outside source. Intrinsic motivation drives us to experience the process, rather than the external motivation usually tied with the focus on the "product".

How can we expect our students to make deep connections to material if we, as teachers and educators, do not try to make those types of connections in our own learning and journey in education. Dwayne Harapnuik writes in Making Meaningful Connections in An Eportfolio, "The eportfolio itself is a space that the student creates. Perhaps most importantly, an eportfolio can be used to show a students growth and how they have matured over time and how they have made a connection between their schoolwork and their personal and professional lives." Every teacher with a growth mindset, views themselves as students. Being able to use this blog and ePortfolio to visually illustrate growth, is priceless. We need to make opportunities for our students to experience visualizing their own growth, but it first needs to start with educators and the people in the position to make these opportunities possible.

Resources:

Making Meaningful Connections in An Eportfolio. (2015, May 26). Retrieved from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=5790

41 Benefits of an ePortfolio. (2010, January 08). Retrieved from https://kbarnstable.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/41-benefits-of-an-eportfolio