MY GOALS FOR THE DAY (Year/decade)
I get it, I really do. I have a portfolio which I update. I have been working with and watching students create ePortfolios for over 10 years and I have seen the transformation in students that create a "true" ePortfolio, that is a purposeful portfolio that allows time for reflection. These students are open-minded to the potential of an ePortfolio. They may not want to create an ePortfolio, but it's a requirement so they will take the task seriously. Enough about them.
My goals are to share that power; that potential with all 14000+ students at my university. MY hope is that someday soon students will want to create a portfolio to learn about THEIR learning, to reflect on their experiences. Dare I say to want to create a portfolio not so that they can graduate from our university, but as a tool for learning. Ok so that's my lifelong goal.
My goal for the day is to bottle and bring home with me some of the collective knowledge, energy, support, and fabulous ideas of the people at this converence to achieve my lifelong goal.
WHAT I NOTICED & LEARNED:
Answer the following questions:
- What is capturing my attention?
- It's clear that we must radically change higher education. Feeling somewhat depressed about the state of higher education (based on the sessions I attended early in the conference).
- Saturday: Feeling much more positive about our future! The solution, to the myriad of challenges we currently face is deeply embedded in high impact learning opportunities for students and the use of ePortfolios as a mechanism for reflection, improvement, and deep learning.
- What is challenging, exciting and/or annoying me and why?
I am once again, excited about the work that we are doing in our community. For example, Melissa Peet's exciting work with Generative Knowledge Interviewing is spectacular. I want to bottle her passion and energy and add it to the water fountains around campus!
I am excited about learning communities and will take home ideas generated from Mercy College and the University of Minnesota and use that model to increase faculty engagement.
Digication has provided one more option that I can share with my students in my lifelong quest to engage them. I can't wait to "play" with it.
I am motivated to up the bar in terms of showcase ePortfolios and I look forward to watching and learning from Boston College and Virginia Tech.
Liz Clark's use of the gate metaphor was wonderful! That idea that gates indicate you are on a path and have to make an intentional choice to go through the gate. Inspired!
WHAT I AM TAKING HOME WITH ME:
- We live in an era of "doing more with less." In these dire budget times I feel a bit guilty going to a conference. It's costly and sometimes difficult to justify spending the money. BUT....I come home a new/renewed person. I have exciting ideas that I want to implement. I have new friends that I want to play/learn with and most/best of all I know we are on the right path - there are fences and gates but leaping over the fences is empowering and passing through the gates is life changing!