Carly Lorntsen
Education 405 Blog Response: What role do e-portfolios play in the process of being a reflective practitioner, and how do you expect to use an e-portfolio once you graduate from your pre-service program?
When we were first introduced to the idea of E-Portfolios in Education 405, I was not sure what they really were at first and thought that maybe they were just a resume to describe your past experiences and accomplishments in a professional manner but as the program has went on, I realized that they are much more than that. I believe that E-Portfolios play a huge role in the process of being a reflective practitioner because they allow you to reflect on all aspects of your life and most importantly, what you have learned along this incredibly unique journey. I really enjoy how you can add to it continuously and you can go back and see how much you have learned and it is a great way to see yourself grow professionally which can also help you find your true identity. It can also give other people this huge snapshot of who you are as a person and what you are capable of. I also believe that the construction of E-Portfolios are a really great way to weave together all of the important concepts and topics you have learned throughout experiences such as in college and university to help you connect, interpret, analyze, and discover so many new forms of knowledge which can help you have a better grasp on things and also giving you the ability to have a voice and opinion about certain topics.
While reading the various articles this week about E-Portfolios, I particularly liked the article where students gave their feedback and opinions about E-Portfolios after completing them. It is always great to see other opinions from students that are in the same type of study as you and have some guidance on these types of things. For example, some students also like me, did not know what an E-Portfolio was at first but realized that they had so much to share in terms of their experiences at different colleges and how these experiences have made them grow as a person. It was also neat that another student found different themes in her academic work and how it all is starting to make sense and how it is a reflection of her as a person which has built her self-identity in many ways. I felt that I could relate to these students in that over the last seven years, I took many different college courses where I felt that I was testing out the waters in what I was really interested in for a career. Ranging from English, Psychology, Biology, Criminology, History, Political Science, Sociology, Statistics and more, they all landed me in this program which indicates to me that they all had a purpose in my learning journey and they have all weaved together to help me be able to adapt and learn even more things and I think that this is why E-Portfolios are so important because they truly make you reflect on how far you have come and grown and how the learning process will never come to an end. Once I graduate from the Bachelor of Education program, I expect to continuously use an E-Portfolio throughout my career because it has already taught me so much in terms of myself and my experiences through education and learning. I believe that E-Portfolios help you stay a life-long learner and it can even take you to places that you never imagined you would be which is always a really good thing.
