Quick thought of the day:
Wordle.net is a website that takes your random works and “jumbles” them into what the website calls “word clouds”. Spend two minutes on wordle.net and put down every random thought that comes to mind in the word jumble box. It’s great for opening a presentation or just clearing your mind. Life’s sometimes better when spontaneity dominates.
Try it. Have a great 4th.
Jen
As you begin to experience the hot, muggy, summer days at Clemson University during your orientation…take a few minutes to forget everything else that is overwhelming and unfarmiliar and think about becoming a better learner…
So you’ve come to Clemson to graduate in four, five, or maybe six years with a degree, right? In order to walk across the stage in Littlejohn in what may seem like centuries from now, you have to complete a little, tiny, painless, and very enriching thing called the ePortfolio.
As I have told Clemson students before, the ePortfolio is not the easiest assignment to get started. You can’t really churn it out as smooth as butter the night before it’s due. Procrastination on the ePortfolio has practically become a job for many upperclassmen. Do me a favor and don’t listen to anything they say that’s negative about the ePortfolio.
I’ll say this simple…from past experience, the best way to complete your ePortfolio is to get started early. Getting started early helps you make it your own…that’s all that really matters in my book.
To get started:
-Pay attention to assignments in your Fall classes that you think would “fit” the competencies listed at this website eportfolio.clemson.edu
-Ask your teachers! Contrary to popular belief, they really care if you succeed in their class, and success in life is no different to them.
-Email me at eportfolios@clemson.edu or Dr. Gail Ring (ePortfolio Director) at gring@clemson.edu
-Go to the Daniel Studio (1st floor) for one on one help from students like you who have all been there before…
Welcome to Clemson University!
Jenna
Listen up…Tiger to Tiger advice coming at full speed…without all that academic wording.
Myths about completing your Clemson ePortfolio.
1. If you’re a senior (i.e. under the ’06-’07 curriculum) and you’re graduating in Dec. ’09 or May ‘2010 you HAVE to do an ePortfolio…
2. If you’re a freshman, sophomore, or junior…yes, you have to do one too.
3. If you’re a transfer student, pick 17 of the 22 competencies at eportfolio.clemson.edu to fulfill…any that you feel you have artifacts for.
4. If you started you’re ePortfolio in BlackBoard a while back, you can still use it as an interface, but you have to tag using eportfolio.clemson.edu. All you’re will be automatically transfererred over by the ePortfolio fairies in the Computer Science department.
5. So big myth busting here…many people think that once they graduate they loose things like email and webserver space. That’s not true…email and webserver space stays, so that means that you really can use it to get a job. Check out CCIT
6. So…just because its a general education ePortfolio, doesn’t mean that you have to use work from just those classes. Feel free to use blogs, images, pictures, essays, videos, data, etc. from any of your classes or experiences throughout your Clemson career as an artifact. Remember, make it your own.
7. As far as the interface goes (the actual ePortfolio), you can create it in any program. GoogleSites, iWeb, or any other program like that is great. Just make it public through your U: drive. Definitely contact CCIT on how to do that…
Basically…there are two components of your ePortfolio…You’re artifacts that are housed in eportfolio.clemson.edu, and your actual ePortfolio in which you personalize based on your major, your purpose with the ePortfolio, etc. Make sure to link your general education competencies to your ePortfolio.
8. It’s really not as bad as you think…just get started and see where it leads you. Who knows, it may inspire you to shoot for something you never imagined.
Questions? That’s great because it means you’re thinking about it. email me at eportfolios.clemson.edu about anything.
This past Monday and Tuesday, I was asked by Dr. Gail Ring, Clemson ePortfolio Director to accompany her to an ePortfolio conference in D.C. Prior to working with Dr. Ring on my ePortfolio I was completely against the entire idea of completing one. I didn’t understand it’s purpose, goals, objective, nothing made sense to me. I embraced in bashing the idea with my fellow peers who are REQUIRED to complete one for graduation.
So context is…I was the premier ePortfolio rebel at Clemson University. Until I had what I like to call my “aha” moment. Before you think I am getting paid to say this…I’m not and it really happened. Ok, yea it really hurts like a paper cut to get started. Having to look at all your documents from THREE years ago, and reflect…what a drag huh? I thought I would just tag some documents two weeks before graduation until I really began to work on my assignment. What I found was that my “assignment” turned reflectionary, personal, life-long-learning tool. As I started tagging my work and really seeing how my learning has progressed over my college career, I stumbled upon an old essay I had written to appeal denial of admission into Clemson. Yes…I was denied admission…but the beef with Clemson admissions is a different story. I realized that while fulfilling my requirement for graduation, I was also reflecting upon some of the best years of my life. I could not only graduate with a Clemson degree by doing this ePortfolio, but I could use it to get a job, showcase my professional work, and let it serve as a creative outlet long after I leave Clemson.
So thats when I started to realize that…ePortfolios are good, but they just get a bad rap. I could now spend most of the rest of this post commenting on how much I learned about implementation, experimental learning, or any other ePortfolio jargon. But I really learned that I can use my “aha” moment t o my advantage and help other students get there. I learned that Clemson’s ePortfolio program’s got potential in the way of reflective learning, and all we have to do is stop arguing and do it.
Let’s get started.
Jenna here. I am currently entering my senior year at Clemson University, and like all seniors, discussing the endless possibilities of what life has to offer. This blog will serve as a place for personal reflection on many different levels, and also allow my peers to gain advice on completing their general education ePortfolio. Stay tuned for reflections and advice on life, ePortfolios, Clemson, and anything else my crazy life lets me experience.
Jenna White: Confessions of a Former ePortfolio Rebel 