MY e-portfolio--Putting the Pieces to Together

       One thing I have both appreciated and feared about the COVA approach is the freedom I have been given in the creation of my e-portfolio. However, the fact that I have such freedom is what has helped me to not only own my work, but also spend a great amount of time making sure that my voice is heard when people look at my e-portfolio.  Voice plays a huge role in how I want to be seen as well as the information I want to include. I am already seeing the value of documenting my educational journey, and I know that I will be able to look back in a year and be able to see what I have learned, as well as how much I have grown professionally and personally. 

      Over the course of the semester I have gained a whole new perspective on building an e-portfolio with purpose and creating it to be a living entity that will continue to grow and change as I continue my educational and professional journey. Not only will I continue to utilize my e-portfolio to document my educational journey as I progress from this program into my doctoral program, but I also plan to include my e-portfolio on my resume as I seek employment as either a digital specialist or an assistant principal. My e-portfolio will give prospective employers an in-depth look into who I am and what I can offer, which is much more than what is listed on my one-page resume. 

      Looking forward into next semester, I plan to use my e-portfolio as an example for my own students. As I have said in previous posts, I feel like I approached the teaching of the e-portfolio all wrong. Furthermore, I have come to realize that showing my students what I have built will help them get a feel for the content they might want to include, as well as the ways they can customize their siteto reflect their own style and voice. Additionally, they will see that I am not asking them to do anything I have not already done. I feel I am a much more confident and competent Google Sites user, and I will be able to guide them, piece-by-piece, in navigating the construction of their very own e-portfolio masterpieces! 

      Thus, I plan to start the new semester by re-introducing the e-portfolio with the COVA approach, which will allow my students to have more freedom to build it in a way that not only makes more sense to them, but also in a way that will be for FUN for them! Furthermore, I hope that I can teach my students the value of building and maintaining a portfolio that they can use in high school and beyond.

         FINALLY, I have included the link to my e-portfolio below. I hope you will take time to look it over, find some great information, and get to know who I am a bit better. Any feedback you have on my portfolio is welcomed and appreciated. Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

www.digitalshoe.org

Portfolio Show and Tell

       One thing I love about looking at other  portfolios, is that I get to see all the cool and creative ideas that my colleagues have come up with. The best portfolios I have seen are the ones that make me feel like

I have gotten to know their authors a bit better. When I feel a connection to the author, I tend to want to read more or dig deeper into their content. Furthermore, it gives me confidence to know that I am on the right track with my own portfolio. Another thing I have enjoyed about looking other portfolios from the DLL program, is that I get a sneak peek at what is expected from the remaining courses that I will take. 

     Being part of a program that fosters a highly collaborative environment is great because, isn't collaboration what we want to teach our students? I believe that more we learn to collaborate with each other, the more effectively we are able to teach our students to do the same. As a future administrator, I will be able to move my campus forward by facilitating the implementation of e-portfolios, as well as speak to the different ways they can be used as faculty not only build their own portfolios, but also teach their students how to begin building theirs. 

    As I have progressed through this semester, I have also gained a totally different perspective on what an e-portfolio should look like, as well as how I should approach it when teaching my students how to build one of their own. Furthermore, looking at various portfolios has helped me gain a better understanding of COVA and the freedom that comes with embracing its concepts. As I continue to organize and finesse my portfolio, I am confident that it will grow into something I will be proud to share with friends, colleagues, and prospective employers. With that being said, I welcome any and all feedback on my portfolio. I have included the link below. 

https://sites.google.com/view/digital-learning-and-sel/home

Who owns your e-portfolio?

     
  My first thought in answering this question is absolutely yes, it is mine! I feel that if I put the work in, then I should own it. However, after I read the articles, I realized that it really depends on what kind of information you are including in your portfolio. If I am simply working from a template or completing assignments that do not require original thought, then I would say that the teacher is the one who owns it. However, if I want my students ownership of their portfolios, then I must give them some control over what they include in their portfolios as well as the design of their portfolios. Rikard (2015) says it best when he states, "giving a student ownership over data means nothing if it doesn’t allow them to determine that data." While I do believe my students need a rubric to work from as well as a list of assignments required by our campus (i.e. the data tracker), they need the freedom to design their portfolio in  a way that  makes sense to them. 

      One of the ways I can help my students take ownership of their portfolios is to have them reflect on their learning in each class on a weekly basis. Reflection can take many forms, so having them explore their options  is a great way to help them figure out what works best for them. For example, one week I

could have them create an infographic that highlights their learning in science and how it will impact their lives.  The next week I could have them create a PowToon video that discusses their learning in Social Studies and its impact. They also should be exposed to blogging, which is a great platform for journaling and giving feedback to each other--much like we do in this discussion board. The great thing about all of the examples I have mentioned, is that I can show them personal examples of each of those. As Harapnuik (2019)points out, "[effectively modeling] what we expect our students to do with their e-Portfolio by showing them ours" makes the feedback we give them "much more valuable and more openly received." I also think that being transparent about our own struggles with the trial and error of designing our own e-portfolios gives our students permission to ask for help from others, which can lead to healthy collaborative discussions about how to build their own portfolios. When I hear my students having these kinds of collaborative discussions, I get a sense that they are beginning to take ownership of their work. 

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References

Harapnuik, D. (2019, May). Who Owns the portfolio? Retrieved November 30, 2020, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6050

Rikard, A. (2015, August 10). Do I Own My Domain If You Grade It? - EdSurge News. Retrieved November 30, 2020, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-08-10-do-i-own-my-domain-if-you-grade-it

My WHY for keeping an e-portfolio

  At the beginning of this school year, I decided that I would go 100% digital, and my students would keep a digital notebook--an e-portfolio. I took every online professional development course that the digital learning department in our district had to offer and became a Level 2 certified Google educator. I could not wait to impart my newfound wisdom to my students! I even created a Google resources and tricks site as one of my PD projects, so I could share it with my students and colleagues. My goal was to help my students become experts in the Google world, and help them create a digital presence that they could be proud of, and that my principal would be proud of as well.  I worked diligently to design a couple of different formats for my students to use, thinking they could simply duplicate one  and make it their own.  They added their own classes, but I told them how they needed to set it up. I told them what they needed to add to each page. I treated it like a traditional three-ring binder, which is totally the wrong thing to do.  In other words, I did not REALLY give them ownership of their portfolios. In fact, most of them are just regurgitated versions of the original portfolio template. As we are nearing the end of the semester, it is no small wonder that my students see their e-portfolios as just another assignment they have to keep up with.

       Now that I have had the opportunity to begin building my own e-portfolio through the Ed. Tech Leadership program, I have finally realized that I have done a great injustice to my students. I have taken AWAY their agency and creativity instead of facilitating it.  I have essentially taken the fun out of building their own portfolios, because I have not  allowed them to use their own voices.  As I was preparing to write this post, I was drawn to this quote: "An eportolio helps teachers see learning through the eyes of students and through effective feedback helps learners become their own teachers." (Harapnuik, 2019). By this time of the year, I should be seeing more of my students in their portfolios, and, although I have been giving my students a grade for doing what I have asked of them, I have not been interacting with them the way I should have. More importantly, my students are not interacting with each other's portfolios at all! I have become painfully aware that I have completely missed the mark on teaching my students the why behind the e-portfolio. 

        I tell this story as a part of my own reflective process, because "part of the reflective process is to have students tell stories about their experiences which brain research shows can help students embed these experiences into their long term memory. " (Barrett, n.d.) I have discovered the joy of blogging--of telling my story of growth and self-discovery.  It is through this candid reflection that I have realized the gross error in my initial approach with my students. Furthermore, realizing that I have taught something incorrectly to my students is perhaps more valuable to me than always reflecting on the stellar lessons. 

 

        NOW, as Paul Harvey would say, is "the rest of the story..." I have now decided that it is time for my students to scrap their e-portfolios and start at the beginning. I must teach my students the WHY behind keeping an e-portfolio, and WHY they should care about continuing to keep one long after they leave middle school. Although there are many great benefits to maintaining an e-portfolio, the one major idea I want to convey is "they will learn and begin to practice a process that will be used in life long and life wide learning pursuits." (Barnstable, 2010).  Beyond that, it is imperative that my students discover their own "why" behind creating an e-portfolio that they are proud to share with the world.  For me, I intend to use my e-portfolio for many years to come. I have already added it to my curriculum vitae so that those who are reviewing my doctoral application can  get a sense of what I have learned, who I have become, and what I have to offer. I have also added the link to my resume, so that potential employers can get a better picture of who I am and what I can bring to a campus as an assistant principal. I also designed my e-portfolio so that I can use it to collaborate with my colleagues. I have also created space where colleagues can go back and review professional learning that I intend to share in PLCs.  

        Ultimately, the time has come for me to share my e-portfolio with the scariest audience of all-- my own students-- and allow them to provide feedback, to create a dialog for learning, and to set them on the path to discovering their own "why" for building an e-porfolio one piece at a time. 

Why keep an eportfolio?

 Since I started this program a little out of order (EDLD 5389 and THEN 5302), I was a little confused and intimidted about the idea of creating an eportfolio for all the world to see. I then realized that this was exactly what I was asking my students to do. This brought me to the thought, "If I expect my students to maintain an e-portfolio, why not me as well?" This thought has really opened my mind to not only keeping my portfolio updated, but also sharing it with my students so they can see that I am sharing this journey with them.  As I read through the material for this week's discussion post, this quote  really jumped out at me: "A purposefully designed learning portfolio, ideally in the form of an electronic portfolio or eportfolio, would give students a platform that they could show future employers what they have done, what they are capable of doing and perhaps most importantly how they learned how to learn" (Harapnuik, 2015).  Because one of my main passions is figuring out ways to connect my virtual learners with my face-to-face learners, I designed my eportfolio to be a working portfolio that teachers can use to revisit learning modules that have been presented in PLCs. My hope is that my portfolio will become a place where teachers can come to glean ideas and plans, as well as share their own thoughts and ideas. I even have a page that is labeled Share Central for just that purpose. I wonder, however, if I am on the right track, or if I need to take my portfolio in a different direction. I guess that is the beauty of this course... we get to experiment with it and get some great feedback! 

Harapnuik, D. (2015, May 26). Making meaningful connections in an ePortfolio. It's About Learning. Retrieved November 19, 2020 from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=5790

Lessons learned about COVA, growth mindset, and the importance of keeping an e-portfolio

 I have gained  a lot from my learning in Ed Tech Leadership program so far. I have been able to use the lessons, projects and assignments to facilitate conversations with my students as well as colleagues on my campus and within my my district. We have been learning about growth mindset in my classes, and the fact that I can share my own educational journey with my students has been both powerful and empowering. I have actually incorporated some of the assignments I have created in this program into my own lesson plans, and my students have responded very positively to the fact that we are all learning together! In fact, I cannot wait to write this next week's blog post, since I will be including some great insights from my very own students, and some seem to be SUPER impressed that I am an actual blogger! 

   

 

   

             Furthermore, because I have gone completely digital this year, I have asked my students to create their own e portfolios, in lieu of the traditional binder. Being able to show my students the practicality, functionality and--quite frankly-- the necessity of building an e portfolio has inspired me to continually update my own. I have found that when students can wrap their heads around the "why" of keeping their  e-portfolio, and experience the freedom of customizing it to fit their own needs and personalities, that they, too have begun to invest more time into creating something they can not only look back on and see their own progress, but also something they can truly be proud of. 

            Another reason for keeping up with my e-portfolio, is that I can include it on my resume as I apply for administrative positions, and on my curriculum vitae as I prepare my application for admission into the Educational Leadership doctoral program. I have found that an increasing number of employers are asking for e-portfolios either in addition to or in lieu of a traditional resume; therefore keeping my e-portfolio current is imperative as I look to move into other leadership positions.

         Utilizing the COVA model in my own personal learning has been both empowering and terrifying at the same time. I love the fact that I have the freedom to create an e portfolio that reflects not only who I am as an educator and professional, but also as a person. The fact that I am not merely creating a portfolio and checking items off of a list to receive a good grade is the part that has me feeling a little uncomfortable (one of my fixed mindset triggers). However, as I have become more comfortable with being uncomfortable, I have begun to invest more time into the "personality" of my e portfolio, so that it accurately reflects who I am and what I believe.

          Finally, one of the most important lessons I have learned thus far, is that I can give myself permission to allow students to exercise their own creative license as they complete assignments for me. Just today, one of my students asked me if she could use a different format to complete an assignment. I said yes, and I could just feel the confidence rise within her!  I have also learned that it is okay for me to share my failures with my students, which teaches them to embrace the process and discover the lessons in the mistakes they make as they travel along their educational path. It is exciting to hear them ask, in my opinion, one of THE most important questions--- what can I LEARN from this mistake, and HOW can I do better next time? The second most important lesson I have learned so far, is that, by helping them develop a growth mindsets as well as my own, I have been completely blown away by how quickly some of them have embraced it. Moreover, when I ask them to show me how brilliant they are, they DO just that! 

   If you are interested in experiencing  the  brilliance of  my students, be sure to read my blog post in Adventures of a Classeteria Teacher this Sunday, as I will be sharing some of their responses to this week's growth mindset question!

Why Personal Learning Networks are important

 I love being part of groups that can help me grow in my field. As an AVID teacher, I belong to the official AVID website, which provides me with lessons and the curriculum I am to follow.  Being part of a learning community also helps me with networking and, quite often, leads me to others who can help with specific problems.  It also gives me confidence in helping others with similar issues, and I am able to pass on helpful hints and shortcuts to my colleagues, as they need help. As AVID Coordinator, one of my responsibilities is to provide teachers with AVID resources, and I have been sharing these resources  so they can be used digitally. 

TCEA has been a great resource as well, especially now that I am having to  teach virtually and face to face at the same time. They have also been sharing resources that address social emotional learning, which has been very important, given the current pandemic and the amount of students who are learning virtually. Additionally, John Sowash and Matt Miller have been invaluable resources for me, as I continue to stay committed to teaching 100% digitally this year. 

To further my personal interests, I watch bella coco to learn new crochet patterns and digital drummer because drumming is a passion of mine. I have  found that having hobbies is just as important as perusing professional forums. This keeps my brain fresh and helps me relax.

 

my.avid.org

https://tcea.org/

AVID Educators group https://www.facebook.com/groups/136575486926149

https://ditchthattextbook.com/

I also follow John Sowash on twitter  and youtube. He is a great resource for Google tutorials

https://bellacococrochet.com/ 

http://www.digitaldrummermag.com/

Got any interests or people you follow? Leave them in the comments below. I would love to check them out! 

The COVA Approach

COVA — is a learner centered active learning approach that gives the learner choice (C), ownership (O), and voice (V) through authentic (A) learning opportunitiesMy growth mindset voice LOVES the COVA model. (Harapnuik, 2018)

 I love to create new projects for my students to try. and I love the idea of being able to create projects that  are relevant to my own teaching. I am very right brained, so this idea of being given the creative license to complete projects with limited specifications makes my growth mindset voice very happy. However, the fixed mindset voice that has been trained to follow the guidelines to the letter so I can get an A in my class, really derail my productivity. It is this voice that makes me want to doubt myself and the validity and quality of my finished product. IT is this voice that longs for the proverbial checklist that I can check off to make sure I have followed the specifications of a particular assignment, so I can get the A. I have to tell myself that there are very few ways I could get it wrong, because the COVA approach to learning allows for creativity, ownership, my own authentic voice.

Because I have this conflict that swirls within my brain at times, I feel it is vitally important that I start using this COVA approach with my students now, so that they can avoid these kinds of fixed vs. growth mindset arguments that take place in my head on a regular basis.  I can become overwhelmed by having so much freedom to choose how I want to complete a project, that I sometime have a hard time getting started--that fear of making a mistake that will cost me the A. Once I wrap my head around, I am usually good to finish. I want to help my students AVOID this kind of anxiety by exposing them to the COVA model, starting with smaller projects and working up to the bigger ones. My goal is to help my students gain confidence in their own agency by giving them credit for the process, even if their final product is not exactly what they intended it to be. By sharing my own experiences with trial and error, and showing them that I make mistakes just like they do, I feel like it gives them permission to do the same.  I used to be afraid to make mistakes in front of my students. Now, I see that there is tremendous value in owing my mistakes and allowing the students to help me correct them. 

Source:  http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991

Growth Mindset Plan

Growth Mindset and Universal Design Learning

 Because I am teaching in the cafeteria this year (fondly referred to as the classeteria), I found it wildly important to go 100% digital. So far, it has worked well, with lots of grace and patience extended to both students AND The teacher. I do my best to maintain a growth mindset, especially with how we have had to start the year; however, I have noticed that there are some things that make my tiny "fixed mindset" voice rise up and scream in protest--like grading procedures and the idea that I don't have to grade EVERYTHING my students do. Fortunately, my growth mindset  voice wins in the end, and keeps me on the right track. 

    I love the idea of Universal Design Learning, because it helps students to understand the "why" behind the lessons. So often, teachers focus so much on content that they forget to stop and explain the reasoning behind what they are learning. Over the last several years , I have done my best to explain to my students WHY we do some of the more complex things we do, the way we do them. I have found that when I do this, my students are able to focus better on competing their work. Conversely, when I tell them they have to do it a certain way "because I said so," fewer of my students will engage with the lesson or the work. Like most people, they just want to know that they are not just wasting their time by doing busy work.  

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

 For more years than I can remember, I have lived by the motto, "Improvise, adapt, and overcome."  This school year, more so than the last 20 years, this motto has served me well.  As a coach and a teacher, I have tried to teach my students that "I can't "  should not be part of their vocabulary; but over the years, I have learned that simply adding the word "yet" to the end of that sentence has made all the difference in their motivation for improvement. Over the years, I have seen those students who really grab hold of the "yet" work their way from lower level middle school sports teams to varsity level high school teams--a few even to college teams. This growth mindset is what I try to instill in every one of my students. 

     As I have gotten older, I have discovered the NECESSITY of maintaining a growth mindset. Without it, I just don't think I would have survived this long as an educator. This pandemic  has changed the face of education, and I have watched teachers with a fixed mindset panic, cry, and even quit. Those who continue to improvise, adapt and overcome, still get frustrated ( and maybe cry a little), but they keep pushing through, finding solutions to the problems they run into, and working collaboratively with others to help them along the way as well.