Blog Relection #3

After reading this week's article I'm beginning to see the real impact an ePortfolio can have on learning as well as on assessment. I'm beginning to understand that there is a difference between assessment of learning and assessment for learning and that to be effective we need to approach the usage of ePortfolios as an assessment tool created for learning. I can relate to the reluctant student who feels that it is "something done to them" and who percieves an ePortfolio as just another assignment that has to be done because the program requires it, not because they find it to be meaningful. I believe this is the key...students must see the purpose behind the assignment.

That is why I related most closely with the the Assessment for Learning principal that "AFL should take account of importance of (and foster) learner motivation". The learner must buy into the process in order for it to be a powerful learning experience. That's where the value of a learner-centered environment comes into play. I like the fact that the learner is involved and that success is focused on improvement and progress rather than in comparison to other students. The students receive constructive guidance as they are given an opportunity to tell their individual stories as they prove what they know in very creative ways. Teachers are then able to see evidence of where the learners are, where they need to be, and to assess what needs to be done to get them there.

As an elementary librarian I am still trying to make sense of how I might use this tool for assessment purposes. I definitely see it as a way to develop a place to collect and organize my professional information. The creation and development of my ePortfolio has definitely been a learning experience for me...frustrating at times, but I see that with some practice and a lot of patience, I will be able to perfect a tool that will be valuable as I continue my education. I only wish I had known how to do this when I first began work on my Master's degree. Then I would have a showcase of all the "projects" I've done.