An eportfolio is exactly what I imagined it to be based on the title: It is a learner’s digital evidence of meaningful connections. (Minimalist Definition of an Eportfolio) As I think about how I will create and maintain my eportfolio, I was pulled toward two specific foci:
Creating an eportfolio that is a reflection of me.
In Dr. H’s ePortfolio, I noticed the specifics of why, what, how, and regarding the effects of eportfolios as a reflection of learning. I must have an onus of the eportfolio – and therefore of my learning. It is also important that I reflect on my learning to make meaningful connections. I will demonstrate my learning through that reflection.
Thinking about how I will create something that is a reflection of me and my learning, I like Dr. Helen Barrett’s definition of a working portfolio compared to a presentation portfolio. A working portfolio documents the learning process. A presentation portfolio is, “organized around a set of learning outcomes, goals, and standards for specific purposes and audiences.” For graduate school, our goals, purposes, and audience are our professors. However, I prefer to consider my portfolio a working portfolio as it will be a more organic reflection of who I am and what I am learning that I may continue to use it to further my career.
Maintaining an eportfolio throughout my career.
My biggest takeaway regarding maintaining a portfolio comes back to onus. If I own the learning and the work, I am more likely to maintain the portfolio well into my career. In Dr. H’s How to Create Your ePortfolio, I notice that Dr. H truly believes that WordPress is a superior eportfolio choice for this purpose. To be clear, he is not that he is saying our web choice will determine our grade! He is simply saying that WordPress is a more widely used and more sophisticated technology for a long-term portfolio. He also suggests the pay option simply to maintain ownership of your domain from the start.
I initially created my eportfolio in Wix. After reading this information, I purchased a membership to WordPress. It has a much larger learning curve, but since I’ve paid for it I am moving ahead in this direction.
What are your thoughts?
Do you prefer a working portfolio or a presentation portfolio? Do you think that will change throughout your career? Which web service do you intend to use?