September 2020
Enrolling in Lamar University’s Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) master’s in education program has enhanced my knowledge about technology and provided me with an opportunity to implement innovative solutions into my classroom. Additionally, I have been able to perform independent research which ultimately allows me to own my learning. One of the benefits of the program is the opportunity to review former students’ work and use it understand the requirements of various courses and also as a model of how I can create my site as well as content I would stay away from.
For starters, as I attempted to review some of the other ePortfolios, I realized that not everyone maintains their site or even keep their site and I can understand why. I believe it is pretty challenging to work on a site in addition to other activities people may have going on in their lives. Additionally, with all that is happening in cyberspace, some people may decide they no longer want a presence online. This is fairly common as people are deleting their social media accounts as well as maintaining a “ghost” presence online. I am not sure how to go about this, but it would be nice if there were a way to protect one’s privacy but also be present in cyber world.
Please see my overview of the different ePortfolios I was able to review.
Judy B. Cornelius Real Learning 4 Kids
After reviewing the ePortfolios of other DLL students, I was extremely impressed with Ms. Cornelius’ ePortfolio and it truly resonated with me because I have a family member with the exact name. The first thing I noticed about the site is that it is easy to read. Ms. Cornelius’ site instantly connect visitors and we can identify what the site is about within a few seconds. The site has clear visuals and prompt calls to action. Ms. Cornelius invites the visitor to join her on a learning path about technology and its importance in education. I now have a clearer understanding on what my visitors may be looking for when visiting my site.
Roselyn Verwoord Portfolio: Roselyn Verwoord
Ms. Verwoord is a PhD student and her ePortfolio focuses on various highlights of her career and learning path. The portfolio was not as impressive to me as other ePortfolios even though it was simple, it was still considerably basic and did not offer a clear vision nor calls to action. Nevertheless, the site is easy to read and easy to navigate. When visiting the site, visitors can quickly locate what they need, but will more than likely not stay and browse the site. In my opinion, if a person spends time to create a site, the goal should be to keep the visitors engaged. However, since the site is primarily a place to offer resources, visitors are probably busy professionals are there for the sole purpose of obtaining information. I do not believe this is how I want my site to evolve. Information is great, but I also want engagement.
Isaura Herrera My Digital Learning and Leading Journey
The final ePortfolio I reviewed was by a 2nd year teacher, Isaura Herrara. When I clicked on her site, I was drawn in by a picture of a dog. I would like to assume it was her dog as the picture is fairly large. As I continued to peruse the site, I found it very engaging. I did not have to go far to find out information about the author. On the first page, there is a visual that provides a snapshot of the author’s journey through grad school. I was drawn in because it was relatable. The site also had clear visuals and was quite easy to navigate. Overall, I would consider this site to be the one that I am most impressed with during my site reviews.
After reviewing various ePortfolios, I have come to realize that quality is better than quantity. Having the proper information is much better than having an ePortfolio with a lot of information that is irrelevant to the visitor. As I continue to work on my ePortfolio, I realize that I need to do all I can to engage visitors and allow them to feel like they can come in, take a seat or simply browse. However, I also need to be certain that the information the visitor is seeking is easily found and relevant, creating a seamless experience.
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