Reflection 4

I recall the first time I heard the phrase, “change is constant, and so is learning.” I was working at a law office at the time and the senior partner was making changes in our work duties.  I wasn’t too happy about the changes, even though I would be working on and learning something new.  Of course, much time has passed since then, but one thing has remained the same, change is still constant and so is learning.  However, I have come to welcome and accept change as I get older.

The articles I’ve read on e-Portfolios, including “Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning,” are interesting pieces of reading. They’ve helped me to understand what an e-Portfolio is and why its importance in our lives, including educationally and professionally growth. I’ve also come to understand the difference between Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning, which is, basically, about the changes in learning.  I feel I grew up in the era of Assessment of Learning.  Learning was non-negotiable. I was told what I needed to learn and how, period. I’ve been learning about Assessment for Learning since I began my pedagogical studies when I first entered teaching. And grant it, this manner of learning is a much better way of learning for all of us. Here, learning is purposeful, it is motivating and concentrates more on guiding, improving, reflecting, self-managing our learning.  The beauty of an e-Portfolio is that it helps us recognize where we are in the learning curve, where we need to be and how can we get there. The main idea is that e-Portfolios are an assessment for our learning and not an evaluation of our learning. I like that!

I think all ten of the research-based principles of Assessment for Learning are needed for a well-rounded assessment for learning for any of us. I do not see one principle having more impact upon or for learning than the other.  But, one principle of Assessment for Learning that I can most relate to is that it should be regarded as a professional skill for teachers. Before I can impart this learning (about e-Portfolios, for instance) upon students, I need to be knowledgeable about it.  I need to know what it is, how it works, what it does, where it goes, etc. I need to have practiced it and feel pretty comfortable about using it, before I even attempt to teach about it in the classroom. I feel as teachers of Assessment for Learning we need to undergo annual professional development in this area so as to get a better grasp on its concepts and continue doing so for the duration of our tenure for the full benefit of our students. Hearing about it (Assessment for Learning) and working with it once or twice is not good enough for me. My learning in this area, and any other area of interest to me, needs to be constant. I need to feel growth in the learning.

I am finding out that e-Portfolios have existed for quite some time. Prior to my knowledge of e-Portfolios I would have considered it a wave of the future, but, whoala, the future is now!  My husband is a photographer and years ago he purchased a huge folio from a local art store. In the folio he keeps a sampling of his studio work (prints) which he displays at interviews. After viewing these prints several times over he sees in some of them what he could have done better and he jots down notes for the next time. Clearly I see the correlation between his prints folio and the e-Portfolio I will be working on for my major. I am excited to display a visual of my learning, growth and reflection not just for others to see but so I (and others) can assess my work for learning.