When I was hired as a non-certified TTOC a few years ago, I was overwhelmed with the vast amount of information that I was gathering. In my first couple of days, someone told me that some teachers use websites to store all their information and then they can easily access it no matter what classroom they were assigned. It sounded like a great plan, so I started building one, and yup, it still exists – I just checked… http://mrssaramcmanus.weebly.com/  (I should probably figure out how to delete that!)  I wonder now if those teachers were using ePortfolios in their everyday teaching?
I love the concept of creating a platform throughout my teacher education program where I can showcase my growth and collect resources for my future. I also love that once I am certified and begin to spread my wings as a practitioner, I will continue to have somewhere to reflect and digitally accumulate the artifacts of my career.
I was disappointed in the Edutopia Blog Do I Need a Digital Teaching Portfolio? where Edwige Simon wrote, “leave out any irrelevant or personal information pertaining to your hobbies or family,” as it is in direct contrast with a modern teaching philosophy like Parker Palmer’s “we teach who we are.” If my ePortfolio is not about me, if it does not showcase who I am and the things nearest and dearest to my heart, then my ePortfolio will not be an accurate reflection of the teacher I am.Â
I loved the connection between the University of Waterloo article and our EDUC 421 class regarding “making learning visible.” ePortfolios really do have a unique way of taking a student’s way of learning and placing it onto a platform to be presented in a format that can be uniform yet unique to each learner. Although all portfolios aim to showcase a collection or body of work, ePortfolio can add depth and personal reflection similar to a journal; they can allow for two-way communication by commenting on posts/blogs; and they can always be edited as the perspective of the student changes.
Understandably, teachers who were not trained with ePortfolios may not jump right onto the bandwagon, but now that I am beginning to have a depth of understanding of how helpful the process of reflection is in my practice and how I could adapt it to be a useful tool, I am confident that my ePortfolio will stick with me long into the future.