There were several different ePortfolio platforms that were researched this week, and I think choosing a platform greatly depends on the "why" or the purpose for the portfolio. Platforms like Canvas and eBackpack are great for creating assignments and having students submit work, but a platform like Dropbox or Evernote might be better for storing and sharing files. The success of using an ePortfolio, especially with students, also depends on how engaging or interactive it is. Like mentioned in Helen Barrett's TED talk, "true mastery is not possible without fun".
"ePortfolio" - is it simply a place to digitally store data, files, photos, and videos online. Although I've been using Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. for several years now, my eyes were opened to the importance of digital storage this week. Remember when we all used to save our most precious memories and important documents in a safe? Or a fire-proof box? Or at least somewhere safe that could be quickly grabbed in case of disaster or evacuation? In this time, we need to simply have everything stored online. It can't get lost or destroyed. You can simply open or find your files on a new device. As a teacher, I have THOUSANDS of files for my lesson plans. I can't imagine what would happen if my (district-owned) computer crashed and I lost everything. Ugh!
Throughout the rest of the Foundations of Instructional Design course, I hope to become more comfortable with the ideas of ePortfolios. I feel like there is more to the concept that simply digital storage and I'm not sure I quite understand yet where this is going. The reflection and journaling piece is interesting, but I don't think I've seen the vision of its purpose yet. Could ePortofolios also serve a major purpose in SHARING files and ideas, rather than just storing them? I'm excited to see where it all goes! |
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December 2017
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