(How to Create, 2019)
What an amazing experience to be able to work on improving my ePortfolio! These next few weeks will be a wonderful time of progression, editing, and reflecting. Below, I will explain the thoughts and steps that I will be taking throughout each week. Enjoy my ideas and crazy ways of changing my ePortfolio.
Week One
Show me yours... and I'll show you mine 😂
Welcome to all the NEW students enrolled in this M.Ed. program at Lamar! And welcome BACK to everyone who took the initial courses in March/April with me already. :) I am very thankful to see how this course structure is set-up and excited to continue to edit, arrange, organize, and structure my ePortfolio. I’ve enjoyed the website creation process so far, so it’s refreshing to know that now I have dedicated time to get into the flow. When it comes to the links that were posted here in the discussion for us to view, most of them I had reviewed before; however, one I have continued to find helpful (What is an ePortfolio) due to the fact that many examples are presented and a second that was helpful and also new to me (Getting Started Tips) since it’s a direct introduction to this EDLD 5303 course. II hope these pages can help you with the creation of your sites as well! Drumroll…… HERE is the link to the homepage of my ePortfolio: https://hanmarie103.wixsite.com/teaching WARNING - It’s not made to my liking yet!! I have many ideas for reorganizing and restructuring the look and “feel” of my website. I would LOVE to have initial FEEDBACK from my peers and classmates here, if you have a moment to spare. Do you have any suggestions/ideas for my ePortfolio?? I would enjoy checking your link out too!
WHAT I DID ON MY WEBSITE THIS WEEK -
Checked for UX flaws
Asked for editing advice from friends in real life and also on GroupMe
Week Two
Walking the walk... 💃 not just talking the talk!
That word "yet" is oh so powerful. - I can't play the piano. - or - I can't play the piano yet.
What a huge difference one syllable makes! The same can be applied for making a website, my ePortfolio.
I find myself often speaking poorly about my own accomplishments and "downplaying” things I’ve done and achieved in my life. For example, I said recently to a friend on the phone, “Oh, I haven’t ever had to make many huge life decisions. Instead I tend to just go with the flow and let other circumstances choose for me.” But she quickly replied, “No Hannah. You’re living on the other side of the world. You have paid off your school loans early. You have chosen to pursue business side hustles too. Do you think the world picked those for you? No. You picked those yourself and you should be proud of everything you’ve done recently.” I was shocked because… she was right! And it felt nice to see myself from that outside perspective.
This is a mindset shift I will continue to work on for myself. I have the growth mindset ideas down to a tea and help encourage my middle school students all the time in the classroom, I just need to remember to implement them MYSELF even when I’m left alone with my own thoughts.
Does anyone have any pointers or tips?? How can this be applied to my ePortfolio creation??? I’m all ears. :)
WHAT I DID ON MY WEBSITE THIS WEEK -
Considered switching from Wix to Weebly
Tried using Weebly to construct a page I enjoyed, but did NOT like how it was all coming together
Checked out my ePortfolio website on a mobile device and noticed I have some "cleaning up" to do
Week Three
NEWS FLASH - Are ePortfolios are on their way OUT of style... ? 😳
Breaking News Update! My school just announced last week that we are SHUTTING DOWN the student blogs which were set up a decade ago. I would consider these blogs as “ePortfolios” available for our students on campus. Admission: my students HATED writing and using them. This reflection led me straight into a deep question. Are ePortfolios relevant still in 2021 and a decade (or more) into our future? I think we could all share facts and ideas for both sides of the argument. While reviewing the materials presented for us to complete this weeks discussion post, I noticed the second link “Reflection4Learning” had a rather large references section at the bottom, which is great! But then I noticed the actual references… They’ve cited evidence from articles far back in the year 1988 (before I was born) to as early 2009 (my first year of university). This means that nothing NEW has been explored in the last twelve years. Honestly, twelve years isn’t THAT long in the grand scheme of things. But TWELVE years is VERY long in today’s day and age with technology progressing at this current rate! Hm. I sure would enjoy seeing some recent and relevant studies for comparison. So I’ll open this question up to you all…. Are ePortfolios relevant still in 2021 and a decade (or more) into our future?
Hm.
WHAT I DID ON MY WEBSITE THIS WEEK -
Tried switching the graphics from stock photographs to line drawing graphics
Didn't like the line drawings since it felt too "elementary school" which is NOT the feeling I'm going for with my ePortfolio
Created a few new buttons to make navigation easier
Week Four
Ownership Makes the World Go ‘Round 🌏
So, while working through these courses… Who owns the websites we are creating? Do our teachers “own” them since they are directing our learning? Does our audience “own” them because we know who will be viewing our pages? Or do we have actual control of these sites? Let’s breakdown COVA to have a closer look: Choice - Within the creation of our own ePortfolios, we have the power to choose many aspects, from the basic design to the informational content. It’s fun to choose! Ownership - Each student through this course also has the ability to own and create any projects to add to their online ePortfolio. The world is their oyster! Voice - Our words are our own, so we can structure and explain our learning and thinking however we feel it to be best for the audience we are targeting. So let’s get to know each other! Authenticity - To create an authentic learning environment, it’s also essential for students to remain true to themselves, their teachings, and beliefs. What’s in a name?? Bottom line, we can control everything even if it’s all a bit directed. I am excited to use my growth mindset to make sure I’m learning everything for the right reasons and creating for the right purposes. My ePortfolio is looking better by the day!!
WHAT I DID ON MY WEBSITE THIS WEEK -
Added additional blog posts beyond the assignments required
Completed research into the idea of parallax scrolling and added it to my site! How cool!
Added transitions and "flow" so that words float onto the page while scrolling down
Week Five
Hmm. Websites & ePortfolios?? 💠
Oh dear. I’ve been looking through these examples and I would LOVE to know which ones are your favorites. The undergraduate links are…. Well, interesting. The DLL program links are… Hm. Some don’t work anymore. (Sad day) But they are also a bit… Disorganized, maybe? And so many bad fonts!! Hehehe. And the principal section… Oof. Salesy. “No, I don’t want your eBook, but thanks.” I do hope that my final ePortfolio can somehow remain RELEVANT and focus on pleasant UX. After “researching” these links, I have seen many things I do NOT want to make. And that’s ok!! :) If I had to “choose” one as my favorite, I guess I would go with this link: https://isauraherrera.wordpress.com/ It’s a CLEAN look and easy stream to follow as you scroll around the website. Awesome job, Isaura. Back to working now. I even tried a few new websites to host my webpage, but I still have decided to stick with Wix as the host domain. I am excited to make my website even more amazing. :D
WHAT I DID ON MY WEBSITE THIS WEEK -
Added an "about me" page to restructure my home site
Tried switching up the color scheme of my website and HATED it. Haha
Rearranged a few items throughout my ePortfolio hoping to make the UX cleaner
Provided feedback on all GroupMe members' websites within the class discussion posts
Week Six
How to Rock 'n Roll 🎸
When it comes to having an ePortfolio, the most important part is and has always been relevancy. It's key to any work environment! This is why I am dedicated to continuing to pursue learning more about online improvements I can utilize within my blog.
Allowing myself to constantly change and edit my ePortfolio really opens up so many doors. Since there isn't necessarily be a "final" product, it alleviates a significant amount of pressure from the creation process itself. It's wonderful to know that I can always edit, improve, and adapt my ePortfolio, just like I can with teaching and lesson plans in the classroom. What a wonderful thought that is. Freedom for a never-ending growth mindset!
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback throughout my ePortfolio creation and editing journey. It's been a pleasure getting to know you all.
~Hannah
References
How to Create a Blog in 10 Easy Steps | CreativeHub Well Making Money. (2019, December
8). CreativeHub. https://creativehub.ltd/how-to-create-a-blog-in-10-easy-steps/
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