Caffeine and Cadenzas- an ePortflio reflection

This post is proudly brought to you by Dr. Pepper and an embarrassing number of Canva drafts. What started as "just another class assignment to complete" has transitioned into a journey of self-discovery. For those of you who don't know- a cadenza is a virtuoso solo passage inserted into a movement in a concerto or other work, typically near the end- usually this is where the musician can pick and choose their tempo and ways to express themselves- which is exactly like these blogs!

Building my ePortfolio wasn't just about posting articles or artifacts that I have created; it became a space where I could find my voice. As both a teacher and a life-long learner, I have realized that this space reflects my work, as well as who I am. Spoiler alert: I'm still trying to find my path, but I have found harmony in the process!

Discovering My Voice and The Journey from Blank Page to Personal Platform

My ePortfolio hasn't always been something I was excited about. When we first learned about it I was really overwhelmed, because I didn't feel comfortable putting together a website, unless you count Xanga or Myspace! I am an opinionated person (too opinionated, honestly) but I felt like anyone who already knew me knew my opinion on basically everything. However, as we went through this experience, I realized that this was an opportunity to define my voice in an academic and leadership setting. Creating and using my academic voice has made me more confident in who I am. It has also helped me reflect on my learning and deepen my understanding of the world around me (Harapnuik, 2018). Additionally, I realized that this was a chance to work on my academic writing style- which is only mildly intimidating since my grandfather was an English professor at UTA and my dad is a novelist! I definitely have some big shoes to fill in the writing world. By reading blogs on how to enhance my academic writing style, I feel like I also helped myself refine my academic voice in a way that engages and impacts my readers (Kelly, 2024).

Another goal for this ePortfolio was to be a place where I could persuade schools to accept me into their doctoral programs. I am hopeful to earn a doctorate degree in some of kind of educational technology program. I would like to use this degree to move into the field of curriculum writing or digital learning. Similarly, I also wanted this to be a place where future employers could be dazzled by my stunning personality and work ethic!

Furthermore, since I did love Xanga and Myspace back when I was a teenager, I used that inspiration to design my ePortflio. While I didn't get to select my top 8 friends or choose my music for my page, I was excited to select my memes and pictures on my blogs. I also liked being able to pick and choose what artifacts went into this blog. I enjoyed being able to mess around and make things pretty, and learn all of the different design aspects Wix has to offer. This was one of my favorite aspects of the entire project!

The ePortfolio as a Tool for Digital Leadership

I feel like this is a Troy McClure moment from the Simpsons. "I'm Troy McClure and I'm here to tell you about what kind of leader I can be". However, in all seriousness, I am hopeful that this ePortfolio positions me well for an upcoming digital leadership role. I am hopeful that it showcases my innovation through videos like What Would Mrs. Frizzle Do, Take Chances, Make Mistakes, and Get Learning! I also hope that I am modeling digital professionalism and that I have created a place where I have been able to model my learning philosophy. As we move into the rest of this program, I plan on updating this blog and website with any professional development that I create. I am hopeful to be able to use this to network with new colleagues and build my collaboration skills.

Finding My Voice, Reaching The End of The Movement

A symphony is divided into movements. Each movement is a musical chapter. Similarly, while this Eportfolio is the end of one chapter, it's only a pause before the next one begins. Through this journey, I have learned more than just how to showcase my work and put a blog together. I have learned how to find my own academic voice, and I have created a space that truly represents who I am both as a student and as a teacher. Like any well written symphony, this moment of reflection has been both personal and powerful. While the score may say fine, I know this symphony isn't over. I'll continue growing, updating, and sharing, one movement at a time.

References:

Groening, M., & Simon, S. (Executive Producers). (1989–present). The Simpsons [TV series]. Gracie Films; 20th Television.

Harapnuik, D. (2018, July 14). COVA. It’s About Learning. https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6991

Kelly, N. (2024, March 29). How to improve your academic writing style. MDPI Blog. https://blog.mdpi.com/2024/03/29/improve-academic-writing-style/