They not like us: ePortfolios vary based on individuals

When I think of the voice of my ePortfolio, I think about what makes my ePortfolio stand out from others in my course. We all have included essentially the same things blogs, our work, a page that tells you about ourselves, and how to contact us. But what truly makes our profiles stand out from one another besides the color choices and different careers that we based the assignments on? According to Yancey (2009), voice in an ePortfolio is what gives it authenticity and individuality, helping the creator communicate their unique identity. When I was making my ePortfolio, one thing that I wanted my audience to see is, firstly, that I am an educated Black woman. One thing that I learned about myself over the years in the professional workforce is that work can get done in a professional manner but doesn’t have to be “stuffy” (Barrett, 2010). One of the differences I’ve noticed between my peers and me are the titles of the assignments. I noticed that while my titles have an urban headlines they let you know exactly what the blog is about. The voice of my ePortfolio is one of an educated, urban Black woman that has a sense of humor. I’ve even quoted Django in one of my assignments. As Vu, et al., (2016) notes, engaging ePortfolios invite readers into a narrative rather than overwhelming them with static content. When viewing other ePortfolios, some are so engaging it makes you want to learn more about the individual and their values, while some others have an overwhelming amount of information that becomes an eyesore and makes one want to leave their page. If my audience were to view my page, my goal is for them to see that it’s easy to navigate, the urban voice is not hidden but celebrated, and my love and passion for advocating for those with special needs is front and center.

Creating this ePortfolio has had its challenges. Initially, it was nothing but tears. Learning new things with technology can be difficult for me, which is something Cambridge (2010) highlights as a common struggle when building digital platforms for the first time. Initially, creating this ePortfolio was anything but seamless. Once I realized that I was overcomplicating things, but there are others willing to help and I didn’t have to do this alone. Well, surprise surprise things immediately became better for me. I was able to reach out to peers and ask for help or solutions to roadblocks when they occurred. The solution was either simple or something that everyone could learn from. Although my personality is one that prefers to work alone and not need help from others, it has proven helpful not only for the development of the website but also for myself as a leader (Barrett, 2010).

References

Barrett, H. (2010). Balancing the Two Faces of ePortfolios. Retrieved from http://electronicportfolios.org/balance/

Cambridge, D. (2010). ePortfolios for Lifelong Learning and Assessment. Jossey-Bass.

Vu, P., Meyer, R., & Cepero, J. (2016). Digital portfolios in teacher education: A tool for promoting reflective practice. TechTrends, 60(4), 366–372.

Yancey, K. B. (2009). Voice in ePortfolio Development. The International Journal of ePortfolio, 1(1), 1–9.