I am a strong believer in the power of reflection to deepen learning. Just like Dr. Harapnuik reflecting on his son's growth into a proficient bike racer, I have seen firsthand how the process of analysis, experimentation, application, and reflection can lead students to become self-directed, lifelong learners.
In my own reflective ePortfolio journey over the past weeks, I have chronicled my experiments in different layouts and designs for the website, explored growth mindset principles, connected with fellow educators in online communities, and crystallized my views on the learning process itself. Revisiting and refining these artifacts has strengthened the messages I want to convey to my students. While revamping my ePortfolio, I was able to explore additional and platforms, and ideas.
The jewel of my ePortfolio is an innovation plan for gamified blended learning. Early feedback from peers helped me improve both my visuals as well as the timing and wording. Through multiple rounds of recording, editing, and enhancement, I developed greater mastery of the creative software and clarity in breaking down complex workflows. This meta-cognitive approach modeled the fail-forward experimental mindset I aim to impart to my game design learners.
My reflection on Carol Dweck's growth mindset research also has direct classroom applications. After assessing my own fixed tendencies, I developed strategies to praise student effort over intelligence, allow mistakes as learning opportunities without judgement, and set achievable "stretch" goals. By adopting a growth lens myself, I can better nurture my students' motivation, resilience, and love of learning.
In the future, I plan to continue building my ePortfolio - continue to connect the dots, revising previous work, and making connections across learning experiences. This living document will chronicle my evolution as an educator committed to reflective practice and guide me in creating empowering environments where my students can develop self-awareness and reach their full creative potential.
Since first convening in August 2023 as we tentatively created our inaugural ePortfolios and delved into the psychology of mindsets, my accountability group has developed into a supportive learning community. As the weeks progressed in this second session, I sensed our confidence expanding in parallel with our comfort navigating course meetings, Blackboard, and other key platforms. Where uncertainty initially prevailed, assurance now anchors our group as we lean on one another to master new concepts and skills. Though my contributions remain more supplementary than seminal, the open exchanges of encouragement cement my place in this community while benefiting my classmates as much as myself. Moving forward, I hope to shift more toward leadership by proactively identifying potential shared struggles and devising solutions drawing on our complementary strengths. We collaborate in both a GroupMe group and this shared Google file.
The research on learning portfolios confirms that "Go and Show" professional development - where educators immediately apply and demonstrate new skills - is far superior to passive "Sit and Get" workshops. As both teacher and lifelong learner, I embrace the ongoing process of purposeful reflection through my ePortfolio.
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