Portfolios

I may be getting a little ahead of myself in the wrong direction, but I have made a start on the readings for ETL507. From the Barrett (2008) article I learned the following:

- A good structure for tying the Portfolio together (direct quote):
* What? (The Past) What have I collected about my life/work/learning? (my artifacts)
* So What? (The Present) What do those artifacts show about what I have learned? (my current reflections on my knowledge, skills and dispositions)
* Now What? (The Future) What direction do I want to take in the future? (my future learning goals)

- I suppose I knew this to a degree, but hadn't thought about it too much... This article highlighted for me that technology adds to/enhances a portfolio, it doesn't just look fancy/different/impressive. It's not just about showing your abilities to use technology, but it can be used to make all your abilities more obvious.

- That storytelling can be an effective part of the portfolio process, particularly to support the learner through their journey - storytelling being a 2-4 minute video clip. This is something that I have not tried before, and honestly the idea scares me somewhat (I am one of those people who hates the sound of my own voice when not hearing it from the usual perspective), but I wouldn't mind giving it a go at some stage to see if it is as effective as this article claims.

I did not find a section entitled 'showcasing' as was suggested on Interact, but I have thought a little about which 'artefacts' I would include in my portfolio:
- The pathfinder wiki I created for one of my subjects last year - I can see this being applied, and it shows that I am capable of using technology as well as supporting learners and teachers in accessing resources.
- The pathfinder I created in Children's Literature during my Bachelor Degree - I would put this into digital form - this shows my passion and depth of knowledge of childrens books and would be something that encourages reading and which students would use.
- Some samples of my blog - showing that I understand the important role that technology can play in learning and reflection.
- Perhaps some other examples of learning and relevant tasks completed during subjects.

I am not entirely certain that this is what was meant by 'artefacts'; If anyone can clarify, please do.


Two blogs in one day! And not because I am trying to catch up all at once. So far my motivation is staying high, as are my hopes for a good semester. Let's see if I can keep this up.