The Digital Mirror: How an ePortfolio Reflects Who I Am

When I first heard I have to complete an ePortfolio, it sounded like another task to check off a to do list for grad school. Once I began the process of creating one it became quite fun. Not only was I increasing my skills on something I had minimal knowledge of, but it became a interesting challenge. I realized that an ePortfolio was not just another assignment but a tool that helps me see myself as a learner and professional. It may make you skeptical at first, but it actually helps you grow, not only in your coursework but in your career as well.

An ePortfolio is more than a digital resume, it’s a space that truly represents you as an individual. It reflects you, your values, experiences, goals and growth over time. It challenged me to think deeply about what learning truly mans to me. After finishing 5302, I realized how an ePortfolio connects to your learning manifesto. Not only does it have a collection of what you learned throughout the program on one site that is easy to navigate but it shows intentionality. It documents what you have done, how you have grown, and a trajectory to where you’re headed. It professionally evolves as you do. The blogs give you a chance to not only humanize yourself and work but gives you a space to reflect on your work and develop your voice as an educator and leader.

According to Batson (2011), ePortfolios promotes reflective thinking and helps learners see the connections between theory and practice. For me, it’s been just that. It's helped me get clear on my goals, see what I'm actually good at, and explain what I've learned in a way that feels real, authentic, and meaningful. Sharing my ePortfolio allows me to connect with peeers, colleagues and other professionals. It’s a space where people can see how I work, get where I’m coming from, and maybe even grab a few ideas to use in their own way.

This process gave me transparency I didn’t know I needed. We all have our own grandiose idea of our skills and experiences but organizing them in an intentional way helped me see how far I’ve truly come. According to Lorenzo and Ittelson (2005), ePortfolios support lifelong learning by encouraging reflection, integration, and goal setting. I started to connect the dots between the courses, projects, and real-world applications. I began sharing my portfolio not only to my professors, colleagues, but also peers and future employers. As a speech therapist that works with a diverse range of students and constantly seeing new strategies, having space to reflect was quite beneficial.

Having ePortfolios is beneficial in other ways too. I was able to look at other portfolios and their offered insights about classes, collaborations, and other ideas that I haven’t even imagined. My looking into classmates’ ePortfolios helped me grow and reflect in other ways I haven’t fathomed. I’ve shared my eportfolio with colleagues who were curious about certain instructional strategies I use. Instead of just telling them, I could show them: “Here’s what I tried, here’s the reflection, and here’s what I’d do differently.” That kind of openness builds trust and creates conversations about improvement.

Another thing I should mention about eportfolios? How therapeutic the whole process would be. When life gets hectic and the deadlines are piling up, it’s easy to lose sight of why we’re doing this work in the first place. Sitting down and reflecting on steps, reminded me that growth isn’t always linear, and that's perfectly okay.

References:

• Batson, T. (2011). The ePortfolio and Liberal Education. The Association of American Colleges and Universities.

• Lorenzo, G., & Ittelson, J. (2005). An Overview of E-Portfolios. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative. https://www.educause.edu/eli