Blog as Portfolio

George Couros’ session on “Blog as Portfolio” brought my initial web 2.0 goals full circle. Creating an eportfolio was at the top of my web 2.0 goal list over a year ago. For better or for worse, it fell straight to the bottom. I understood it; I found it necessary, but I just wasn’t ready to develop it – there was still too much to learn. I  had my reliable paper copies of my resume, professional statement and accompanying documents to fall back on. I am now, however, looking forward to working on that skill and pulling that goal out from the bottom of the pile.

The suggestions and comments made by George and the participants of Leadership 2.0 have helped focus my thinking and have triggered the planning stage. A blog portfolio can be seen as the blue print for a new design – a starting point, or a carefully developed replica of what you are working to complete. In my case, it has ended up being a replica I will work hard to create! 

First, it was important for me to become comfortable in this new medium of social media, interacting, engaging and sharing with others across the nation and globe. Second, I learned that finding my voice through blogging and tweeting took practice and time. It is a unique type of writing; it honors individuality, but can lead to collaboration when interests among your PLN begin to interact.

Blogging, for me is a focused reflection. It is not simply putting thoughts on paper, but centering those thoughts around a specific experience, belief, idea, value, goal, project…… using those thoughts as a self-brainstorming session in order to improve my own craft, and hopefully improve my contributions to the field of education, within my immediate community or beyond. Equally important, twitter provides a forum for engaged conversation – dialog as opposed to a personal narrative blog. Twitter provides the opportunity to question, support, clarify, explore and have fun! Of course, I am still a novice. I know there are limitless forms of expression out there, using info graphics,  Pinterest, and tumblr. for example. The pile is large, and I won’t get through it! However, as I explore I will find the applications and means of expression that best fit my own needs and learning style while simultaneously meeting and exploring with other educators. I look forward to integrating my blog posts, twitter reflections and any up and coming skills into a conceptualized blog portfolio.