Final Thoughts on Developing an E-Portfolio

Now I would like to share some final thoughts about my experience developing this E-Portfolio.

Firstly, I would like to note that this is not my first E-Portfolio. In January 2011, my employer had sent a colleague and I to a three day workshop called Introduction to E-Portfolio: Train the Trainer with Workplace Education Manitoba. The goal is that we would teach our clients to create E-Portfolios as part of their career development.

At that time, I was only aware of E-Portfolios created in PowerPoint. As you can imagine, I was excited to embark on that new challenge!

Over a period of three weeks with only three in-class days, we created an Essential Skills based E-Portfolio via Career Portfolio Manitoba.

My Professional Page of my first E-Portfolio, Jan-Feb 2011

My Learning Styles Page, Jan-Feb 2011

While that experience seemed tedious at times, I believe that it gave me the foundation to create  'pages'. As a result, it was an easy transition for me to attempt this latest E-Portfolio on Blogger. (Now, it is all the editing that is tedious!).

At this point, I am really proud of myself for creating this current E-Portfolio because it gave me a new way to showcase my career development.

Understanding that career marketing tools (I.e. resumes and portfolios) are living documents, I know that I will continue to adapt this E-Portfolio as I continue to grow in my career.

So, please stay tuned...

Writing for Understanding

Since my early teaching days, before accreditation, I have always had a strong interest in writing and curriculum development.

For the past four years, my writing has changed from developing and adapting resources for language learners to writing for facilitators, workplace training, the web, and post- secondary environments.

In my current position at the Centre for Education and Work, I have been fortunate to combine my talents, interests, and recent emerging technology skills into a beneficial writing career.

Within 1.5 years, I have been able to use my research techniques to create paper-based and electronic learning resources for adult learners.

• Research and develop curriculum, course materials, lesson plans, learning resources, and facilitator's guides;
• Compile project information to create Activity Reports;
• Analyze and synthesize information from focus groups/interview transcripts and various websites to provide necessary information to lead researcher;
• Assist in editing French website and lesson plans as needed;
• Develop activities, introductions, and instructions for e-courses; and
• Write company blog and e-newsletters to inform potential and existing clients of current project outcomes and/or status

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Even my last employer, Manitoba Start, was pleasantly surprised that I was willing and able to adapt, design and format employment learning resources from existing handouts into two comprehensive booklets for facilitators and career coaches to use with their learners/clients. 

In addition, I was encouraged to create mini workshops and presentations for new/existing staff to use in orientations, staff meetings, and other designated times slots. 

Even in my role as a facilitator, I taught my adult learners how to improve their 21st Century Skills, such as 

• how to navigate settlement, employment, education, and professional regulatory body websites;
• how to write career marketing tools (I.e. resumes, cover/reference/ thank you letters, etc.);
• how to fill out lengthy online applications; and
• I even sent them basic computer assessments to encourage them to upgrade their skills in MS Office and accounting software. 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• If you already have the writing bug, then see what creative path you can take to teach in an alternative way. 
• If you don't have the confidence to explore writing curriculum, start small  by adding to an existing lesson plan.  
• Try to observe the structure of learning resources you already use in order to figure out what is effective with your learners.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

• Here's a link to a great website, Smashing Magazine, that has an article/ blog post titled, 50 Free Resources That Will Improve Your Writing Skills by Vitaly Friedman.
• ProBlogger.net is another great resource for those of you who want to start a blog, but don't know where to begin.

Hopefully these strategies and resources will start you on the 'write' path to curriculum and content development.

Practical Experience: The Front Lines Continued...

In my second and final practicum, I was placed at an alternative high school where I taught and developed units for the following subjects:

Journalism: 

• Grade 12--Blogging Unit

English Units:

• Grade 10--Time Management and Aboriginal Human Rights
• Grade 12-- Media Awareness and Sustainability & Environmentalism

Below is a copy of the two page Anecdotal Summative Report that "reflects the student's status as compared to expectations of a beginning professional. Each signatory has observed, discussed and assessed the student's work."

HIGHLIGHTS: You should notice the digital tools and technology, I employed as teaching strategies during this practicum.

Page 1 - Anecdotal Summative Report, 2009

Quote from the Lesson Planning and Implementation section:

"La Donna prepared two units--one for Grade 10 entitled, 'Time Management' and the other for Grade 12 designated, 'Sustainability and Environmentalism'. Her lessons  and units are planned with due research for materials.[...] Her lesson objectives were clear, which at the very outset, she announced to students and how she planned to achieve them. Her strategies included, among others, KWL, brainstorming, discussion, projects, group work, lecture, worksheets, hand outs. She used a variety of tools including computer, LCD Projector, poster paper, YouTube video, dictionary, various articles to make her lessons interesting.[...] All three mentors--Michelle, John, and Dave say, La Donna's both units had a variety of activities for students and incorporated Differentiated Instruction and Information Technology element."

Page 2 - Anecdotal Summative Report, 2009

Quote from the Professional Responsibilities section:

"La Donna has made herself a part of Argyle High School faculty. She has demonstrated creative use of technology in developing her projects and activities and continues to challenge herself with new ideas and approaches to learning, say Dave, John, and Michelle. She communicates well with other staff members and the administration. She attended Professional Development session entitled, 'Understanding By Design' at RB Russell School. [...] She took responsibility for leading the students in their monthly publication of the school's newspaper. This included the selection of stories, photography and captions, as well as layout for publication, says Dave."

RECOMMENDATIONS: 

• Increase your 21st Century Skills so that you can incorporate them into your lesson plans.
• Provide your learners with new ways to understand concepts through the application of technology.

In conclusion, I would have to say that these very different practical experiences helped me to broaden my awareness of teaching, including the ability to be adaptable!

Practical Experience: The Front Lines

Before I became a Certified Teacher with the Province of Manitoba, I worked in a variety of education related positions at the University of Winnipeg--Student Services, EAL Instructor, Marker, and Exam/Test Invigilator.

However, when it came to enrolling in my education program, I knew that I would have to complete practicums in both Middle and Senior Years streams--Grades 7 to 12.

Even though my teachables are English Language Arts and French as a Second Language for Senior Years, you will see that I had to become more flexible in with the subjects that I taught.

My first practicum was at a Junior High school in Winnipeg's West End/Inner City where I taught and prepared units for the following subjects:

Social Studies:

• Grade 7 - 9 (EAL) Canadian Provinces--Quebec
• Grade 8 (Girls) Egyptian History and Middle Ages

French (as a Second Language):

• Grade 7 Food Unit

Below is a copy of my Formative Classroom Evaluation for one of my Social Studies Units which was filled out by my Faculty Supervisor. FYI--"This form reflects the course expectations of practicum courses in Education Year 4/1 AD and Education Year 5/2 AD and is designed to provide constructive feedback to students." 

Summative Evaluation, 2007 - 2008

Quotes from Formative Classroom Evaluation:

"La Donna's lesson demonstrates the ability to develop for unit and long term objectives."

"She is  aware of student behaviours around the classroom and effectively utilizes proactive and reactive strategies when appropriate."

"She is aware of the importance of student assessment and is able to evaluate student achievements in relation to the outcomes of the lesson." 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Understand the importance of assessing your learners  in order to identify the gaps in their skills.
• Find ways for learners to self-identify their strengths and weaknesses so that you can assist them.

Well I have to admit that it was a challenge to teach unfamiliar course content, however I employed my research skills and creativity to make really fun, educational units for these young learners!

My Online Seminar & Prezi

In this post, I would like to reflect on the creation of my Online Seminar/ Webinar.

As an assignment in our Digital Literacy course, we were asked to select a topic about an emerging technology tool or concept in order to present to our virtual classmates via Adobe Connect.

My topic is titled Audacity: Tips for Educators

Originally, I completed my presentation in PowerPoint. Thanks to our instructor, Leslie, she encoraged me to try using a different presentation platform such Pecha Kucha, Slideshare, or Prezi.

I choose to convert my presentation into Prezi. See Below.

Having never used Prezi before, I watched numerous tutorials and existing Prezis to get a better idea of how to use it. (Like me, you will be very impressed by some of them!)

Prezi uses a 'zooming' feature which allows its users to zoom in really close to information. Being able to zoom makes presentations come alive and less linear in style, like MS Powerpoint.

NB. Try not to make your audience dizzy though :)

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Select a theme, metaphor, or image for Prezi. For example, if your topic is about human anatomy, select an image/template of the human body to use as the backdrop of your Prezi.
• Make your information flow from one part of the image to another in a storyline fashion. So if you want to discuss the heart first, don't start your first slide at the head. 

Adding Audio to Prezi

So, it turned out that I needed to add audio to my Prezi because I was having trouble uploading the flv file.

For the online seminar, we presented and recorded our presentations with AdobeConnect. Even though our instructor saved our webinars in flv, I could not upload my video to Blogger and YouTube! So, I took my own advice on Audacity: Tips for Educators, and I rerecorded my presentation using Audacity!

In Prezi, I had to ADD VOICE OVER TO PATH STEP. 

Basically, each presentation slide had to have it's own audio clip...and I have 21 slides. Yikes! 

As a result, I thought I would provide some more tips to educators out there about editing and exporting the audio files in Audacity.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Editing and Exporting

1. Click on VIEW tab and scroll down to SHOW CLIPPING so you can see the clip section you want to save.
2. Use the SELECTION START AND END located at the bottom of your audio file in Audacity.
3. You may also want to ZOOM TO SELECTION, which made it easier for cutting out unwanted audio.
4. Click on FILE, and scroll to SAVE PROJECT AS and then title your Audacity audio clip.
5. Return to FILE, and scroll to EXPORT SELECTION, and then you will be able to convert your audio file to MP3.
6. If you don't have a MP3 converter on your computer, which I didn't, Audacity provides a link, http://lame1.buanzo.com.ar/#lamewindl. 

However, you should be careful that you click on the right download as it can be very confusing with all the ads!! Screenshot below...

Screenshot of Lame Download Page--Click on Lame_v3.99.3_for_Windows.exe

Now you should be on your way to adding audio to your Prezi-tation!

My last words of advice are that you need to be patience when working with audio editing software. It can become very tedious work and sometimes it is best to use trial and error. 

Don't be afraid to experiment and explore!

Personally, I am still learning how to edit audio files more efficiently and I will continue to use Prezi for other presentations in my personal and work lives, and of course for continuous learning!

Who Am I?

An alternative educator who enjoys 

• developing relevant curriculum and training situations that enhance understanding;
• the challenge of sharing information with reluctant learners;
• continuous learning of techniques to add to my tool box; and
• establishing new relationships with learners and peers. 

Currently, I am working as an Adult Learning and Development specialist for the Centre for Education and Work.

In this role, I perform a variety of interestig tasks, such as

• research, compile, and analyze information for projects;
• develop paper-based and e-learning resources;
• maintain and write the company blog;
• present and pilot resources to instructors, stakeholders, and interested parties; and
• design and teach curriculum to adult learners.

Me at the Adult Secondary Education Council's 2011 Fall Conference 
promoting our project/website, Learn the Workplace, to fellow educators.

Me at the same conference showing another educator our interactive website.

As part of my final assignment for an online course, Digital Literacy,  we were asked to create an E-Portfolio that acts as a learning tool for a specific audience and a career development tool for personal growth.

In my opinion, educators need to accept that the world of learning is in constant flux. Armed with this knowledge, it is integral that we develop our skills continuously so that we are better equipped to assist learners with new challenges.

As a learning tool, I would like to target upcoming or newly graduated teachers, in hopes that sharing my varied employment and volunteer experiences will provide examples of how we can 'teach' outside of the box.

In the realm of career development, this Eportfolio will allow me to showcase my experiences working with and assiting learners, especially adults, as we venture towards developing 21st Century Skills.

Please join me and learn how to become an Alternative Educator.

Coordination--Keeping Everyone Happy!!

Trying to make sure that everyone is happy is a challenging task at the best of times!

When I first starting working for the University of Winnipeg, I had an amazing job as a Socio - Cultural Assistant (2000 - 2001) in the EAL programs being offered.

Basically, I ensured that everyone was having fun during meals and activities. It was an ideal job for me because I met a lot of interesting people along the way.  (I still can't believe I was paid for that job!)  

Bottom Row: Me giving 'peace sign' beside the smiling Socio-Cultural Coordinator
Back Row: My fellow assistants

By the second year, I was asked to be the Socio- Cultural Coordinator (2001 - 2004) of three adult summer programs. What a fantastic opportunity for me!
 

Lower Fort Garry:
Me with Japanese students from Toyo Women's College, 2002.

In my new role, I developed many new skills:

• Designed and implemented socio - cultural programming for five week programs;
• Attended weekly staff meetings;
• Managed program budgets ranging from $3000 to $2500; and 
• Organized nine closing ceremonies for an average of 50 people per program.

Examples of the activities I organized with the program budgets:

• Meals at restaurants and university cafeteria;
• Trips to Imax theatre for educational programming:
• Gym or park space for sports;
• Venues for meetings, performances, and gatherings;
• Chartered buses for BBQ at the beach, Lower Fort Garry, plus horseback riding,and  farm visit;
• Unique experiences: horseback riding, farm visit with hayride, fencing, laser tag; and
• Other activities: line dancing, bowling, and movie night

Recommendation: 

• Explore your post-secondary institution to see if you can find similar employment opportunities! 
• Just take a look at some of pictures below, if I haven't convinced you already :)

Intensive English Language Program--BBQ outside Winnipeg, 2002

Fencing with Québécois students, 2003

Lunch at Sorrento's Pizza with Québécois students, 2004

Additional Coordinator positions I held at the University of Winnipeg:

Part-Time/Mature Students' Centre
April 2003 - August 2004; April 2008 - August 2009

Floor Supervisor/CSR at Beyond Words Bookstore
April - December 2008 (Term)

Acting Coordinator of Career Resource Centre
April - August 2007 (Term)
Even though I held these coordinator positions before becoming a Certified Teacher with the Province, I was able to interact and engage adult language learners.

Being with these students reinforced the idea of adults as continuous learners to me. Thus, in the Spring of 2004 and the Summer of 2009, it was my turn to participate in the Five Week Explore Program. 

Looking back, I really enjoyed my time in Chicoutimi, Qc improving my French and meeting people from across North America (US citizens included) and around the world!

Again, I would definitely recommend this experience to new educators, who are interested in teaching languages!