Natalia Arias

WOW. I can't believe that my 7th course in the Educational Technology Leadership program is almost finished. When we started this course, I thought "This sounds like we are taking the same class over again." I was bummed but also wondering what I was missing. What I didn't realize then was that I would grow so much over the 5-week intensive course. Each week, I learned more and grew more in my understanding of the portfolio and the power it can truly hold.  Dani Fry, a classmate and member of my cohort, said something in our initial group meeting that I have not forgotten. She said that she has been using her ePortfolio for several years and that each time she has used it for an interview, she has gotten the job. She said that several of the people on her hiring committees have told her that her ePortfolio is what set her apart. This was powerful for me to learn from her.  As I move forward through this program and in my career, I want to leverage my ePortfolio and my...

As I reviewed the ePortfolios of prior DLL students, I couldn't help but feel less confident in my own. I have stuck to Google Sites because that is what I am comfortable with and what I know best. I felt that by sticking with what I know best I would be able to better highlight my achievements and projects. Now, I am not so sure. The one thing that was evident in every ePortfolio I previewed was that the students that created them OWNED THEM. This stuck with me after last week's discussion. Through these ePortfolios, I am able to tell who these students/individuals are, what is most important to them, and what their professional strengths are. I know that one thing I need to improve is my blog. I have struggled with this component, but I think this may be a very effective way to leverage my ePortfolio.  I did notice in some of these ePortfolios, though, that a blog component was missing. This also makes me wonder if I will truly utilize the blog once I am finished with my cour...

The concept of an ePortfolio has been around for several years, and it is something that I have always thought sounded great in theory, but ultimately seemed hard to accomplish - especially in a K-12 setting. The reason it has always felt unattainable is that there are so many factors to consider, and our students and teachers live in a world that revolves around standardized tests. Shifting the digital portfolio from compliance to ownership would be challenging. In reading Rikard's thoughts on the subject, the one line that stood out to me was "Gaining ownership over the data is vital—but until students see this domain as a space that rewards rigor and experimentation, it will not promote student agency" (Rikard, 2015). I, myself, have struggled with this exact concept as a student. It is difficult for me to see my ePortfolio as truly "mine" while it houses my assignments for my courses. I don't want to showcase my blog while it contains only pieces I have ...

The readings for this week were another reminder of how important it is that we embrace, as learners, what we expect our students to embrace as learners. However, when Dr. Harapunik said, "Grades simply do not reveal skills, knowledge and abilities. Students need to be able to show potential schools or employers what they can do and an eportfolio is one of the tools that many organizations will be looking for to see this evidence of learning and abilities" (Harapnuik, 2015), it also brought to mind the fact that ePortfolios in the world of standardized testing is novel. I love the idea of an ePortfolio and have truly valued being able to build it as I have moved through my graduate work. However, when I think about applying the concept of an ePortfolio in a classroom I struggle to think outside the box. I know that the COVA learning approach has been valuable to me and I know my students gave me their best work in the classroom when I gave them voice and choice in their own l...

In week one of my most recent course, Applying the Concepts of Educational Technology, I had the opportunity to meet with some of my classmates and it was my most favorite activity since I began the Educational Technology Leadership program at Lamar.  Adrian, Dani, Alyssa, and Randrick are all classmates of mine that began this program at the same time I did. We have had every course together so far, so we have had opportunities to collaborate through discussion posts in each course, but there are no words for the amount of value that has been added to our educational experience by being able to meet virtually with them through Google Meet.  In our meeting, we spoke candidly about how things were going in our respective jobs and lives at this time. Dani recently got a promotion at work, so we celebrated her accomplishment. Alyssa's school has been struggling in the remote learning environment, so we offered some advice to help her out. It was a great conversation and a breath ...