ePortfolios as a Reflection Tool

September 19, 2019

When I was first introduced to the idea of ePortfolios last year in my first year as a teacher candidate at the University of Northern British Columbia, I was intrigued by the idea.  As someone who has grown up in the age of social media, I have become quite accustomed to the idea of using social media as a platform tool.  (Check out my twitter! @Olivia_RBruce)  Expanding my skills from the realm of personal use to professional use is something that I have only begun to explore as an artist with my professional art portfolio (Check it out! https://olivia3bruce.wixsite.com/artist).  The thought of using a social media platform to portray who I am both professionally and personally as an educator really got me thinking.  Next I needed to learn what a professional ePortfolio should and should not include as well as how to use one.

This past week I had the opportunity to participate in an online web chat with a principal named Ian Landy from Powel River, British Columbia.  Ian’s presentation outlined ePortfolios in a meaningful way with a focus on using them as a reflection tool.  Ian discussed how to use the blog to report on your professional life as an educator and how, if executed properly, over time this can show growth in your professional life.  Now, how does one go about expressing growth in their professional life? Well Ian explained by using his own ePortfolio as an example, that using your blog can be similar to writing in a traditional journal.  As a professional, you need to be conscious about what you are posting and expressing how failures can be turned into learning opportunities.  The blog is a great way to discuss experiences related to your professional life as well as new ideas learned.  ePortfolios are also a great way to showcase archives of learning and doing.  Ian discussed that as you grow as an educator you need to have proof of this.  By capturing snapshots of learning and doing as well as short writeups, you can give people an idea of who you are as a professional educator.

As I continue to grow as an educator on my professional ePortfolio I hope to keep the First Peoples Principle of Learning “Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place)” in mind.  I think that this connects on several levels to the things I have learned from Ian Landy in this past week.  Ian discussed out these ePortfolios should be authentic and personal while remaining professional. To do this, I need to use personal experiences and be able to relate them to my professional character.  I have learned a lot this week about ePortfolios and am keen to expand my knowledge and use of my own as I grow as an educator.