ePortfolio Checkin Blog Post
The ePortfolio journey has definitely been a learning experience. As a Millennial, I never had the opportunity take dull advantage of the access the internet had to offer. My preference when it came to learning was reading using traditional tangible books, taking notes using a notepad and pencil. My learning as a whole consisted of sit and get, mixed with a little independent practice. The more I embark on this ADL journey, the more I learn about me. The learner, I was and the learner I will be after this program are one in the same but with far more skills and resources to build on.
An ePortfolio and the Innovation Plan
There are so many benefits to having an ePortfolio that I never thought of before joining the ADL program. Honestly, being an educator for the past few years has proven that to be the best educator I can be, I have to remain open, flexible, and teachable. The COVID-19 pandemic came with its educational curve balls that forced educators to honestly figure out digital learning. We didn't have time for training on how to use digital platforms or even know how to adequately use them ourselves, but through the trials and tribulations, we still managed to provide learning to the best of our ability given what we had at the time. Now that we know better, our job is to do better. The Tech-ing TEKS: Blended Learning Initiative, will combine the intentionality of integrating purposeful technology, with the required state standards to enhance student learning.
One of my favorite features in creating the ePortfolio is the customization and ease of the navigation menu. Initially, when I created my site using Wix, the navigation menu served as a challenge. I could not figure out how to add pages into the drop-down mode and wasn't quite sure how to link them all cohesively. It took a few YouTube videos, some encouragement and resources from my collaborative classmates to help me troubleshoot the problem to have a successful navigation menu up and running. One of my favorite features included on the menu are the blogs. I love the ability to share my thoughts ad interact with others! As an educator and a lover of learning, this helps me to be more open-minded and view concepts from different perspectives.
Navigation Structure
ePortfolio Progress
I began my journey in the ADL program during the 2024 summer on the accelerated program. Two courses didn't seem like much in the summer and although they came with their challenges, 5302 and 5305 both provided me with essential information I needed to help me build my foundation in the ADL program. When I created my initial site I attempted to use WordPress which turned out to be an epic failure. I was not able to figure out how to navigate the site properly in time to get my assignments published and graded. Lucky for me, I have the habit of creating every document on a Google Doc and transferring the information after. With suggestions from my classmates and some research online, I decided to create a Wix website instead of WordPress. Wix is easy to naivete and had much more information available to help me troubleshoot problems I encountered while creating the site.
