Date

Hours
Spent

Title/Topic

Reflection

5/11/2015

3 And so it begins

My journey ends here. Or does it begin here? Standing on the shoulders of giants, I took
some inspiration from past student portfolios and set up my framework for the website. I
wanted to get this out of the way promptly so I can focus on the meat of the portfolio and not
get caught up doctoring the potatoes.

5/13/2015

3 Connections?

Today's goal was to build a chart with all of the course descriptions of my journey so far.
From then, I wanted to see if there were any specific learning connections that jumped out
at me for further reflection. I think I may have something there, but I need to chew that fat a
bit longer. Next learning goal: write a proposal for Daphne.

5/17/2015

4 Artefacts round-up.
Emerging
Themes?

Today, I collected all of my artefacts into a matrix so I can see emerging themes from my
course work. This was a very worthwhile exercise I highly suggest everyone going through
this process. Next learning goal: write a proposal for Daphne.

5/20/2015

4 Themes Emerged!
Concept Map
designed!

Today I sat looking at the course map and the artifacts associated with each course. Three
emerging themes seem to b jumping out at me: Pedagogy, Leadership, Digital Literacy.
From there I focused on the envisioning subthemes. The concept map brought this all
together. Okay, now to send this to Daphne for approval.Next steps: wait for input from
Daphne and build next steps from there.

5/26/2015

2 Reflection on
Daphne's
comments

All in all, not a bad first kick at the can. I submitted my proposal to Daphne as a page on this
website. She suggested that the proposal not be included on the site (well, I can leave it
here for the class presentation coming up Friday, May 29), though elements of the proposal
can be re-worked into my site structure. This being said, I split up the proposal into the
Program of Study and Synthesis: Concept Map sections of this site. Next, I will create a
video to walk viewers through my portfolio plan. Next Steps: Portfolio proposal video

5/26/2015

3 Portfolio Concept
Map Video

Well, today has been productive! Thank goodness for unemployment! Taking a hard look at
my concept map, I scripted the narration of the concept map presentation. Who knew that 2
pages of single spaced text is about 9 minutes of speaking?! One of the great things about
the Web 2.0 app Popplet is that you can mind map your ideas and then go into
"presentation mode" to visually move through each thought bubble (a "popple", in Poppletspeak). So, concept map explained, recorded, and uploaded to YouTube. Now we wait for
Friday's presentations. Next steps: Start to pull ideas together and collect literature for the
Pedagogy theme.

Date

Hours
Spent

Title/Topic

Reflection

6/3/2015

4 Leadership theme:
Let's get started...

Sometimes the hardest part of any writing process is getting started. I spend quite a few
hours reviewing the portfolios of previous UOIT M.Ed students to find inspiration. One thing
I noticed is the breadth of approaches to the portfolio. Not one was the same as another.
So, with a bit of inspiration from the shoulders of giants, I collected some new articles to
review and began hammering out an introduction to my subtheme of leadership for change.
Next steps: Flesh out the subtheme,leadership for change, and start to build connections
to the subtheme of staff development.

6/6/2015

3 Leadership theme:
from professional
development to
professional
learning

My introduction to the Leadership theme and the sub-themes of leadership for change and
professional development is starting to take shape. Today I focused on how professional
development is not the ideal definition for 21st-century learning.Martin et al. (2014) state
that over the course of time, professional development has become closely linked with the
top-down, training model of in-service based on the assumption that teachers need direct
instruction about how to improve their skills and master new strategies (p. 7). This model of
continual learning does not fit well with 21st-century learning as we need to seek ways to
engage the learner in authentic, valuable experiences. Professional learning takes form as,
ownership over compliance, conversation over transmission, deep understanding over
enacting rules and routines, and goal-directed activity over content coverage (p. 147). I
followed this up by listingEastons (2008)twelve qualities of professional learning. I'm close
to moving to my reflection on my course artifacts. Chugging along. Next steps: Polish
leadership theme intro, move into artifact reflection.

6/9/2015

3 Leadership Artifact One in the

Bag?

Today I think was good. I looked over my leadership theme page and I believe it's in good
shape. It ends a bit abruptly so I'll need to revisit it at some point. Today's focus was on
Artifact One which is my paper from Dr. Pinto's EDUC 5205G Leadership and Technology
course. I created a slideshow and recorded an intro that explains what the paper was about
and the findings within. I walked away for a bit to think about it a bit more. I was reminded
that while learning in the 21st-century demands change and leaders willing to be change
agents, often our goals and our results are mixed at best. Why? Perhaps the lead change
agent of any organization needs to be the head of the institution. If we are under a leader
that is not a change agent, are we doomed to failure? I finished the day by recording a short
"check-in" video for Daphne to see. I'll wait for her response and see if I'm on the right
track. Next Steps: Reflection on Artifact Two

Date

Hours
Spent

Title/Topic

Reflection

6/11/2015

8 Leadership: Artifact
Two

Creating this portfolio is an interesting exercise. I'm looking at the work completed and
seeing connections to my professional life. I guess that's the idea of praxis; taking theory
and putting it into practice. I forgot how much the work I completed in the program (in this
case, Dr. Robertson's EDUC 5203G Staff Development and Supervision course) helped me
with making critical decisions in the workplace. The work on Artifact Two took a bit long than
I expect Over 2 days I spent eight hours working on my thoughts. I'm not sure if this the
normal process? Maybe the more comfortable one gets with reflecting on their work, the
more connections they see. Next Steps: Artifact Three in the Leadership theme.

6/12/2015

3 Artifact Three
underway

Today I'm feeling burnt out. I didn't think so much reflection in such a short amount of time
could be so exhausting! Exhaustion aside, I'm seeing more connections between the M.Ed
courses and my professional life. I'm synthesizing! Today I pulled my original presentation
out of Popplet, downloaded a high-resolution image of the presentation, and recorded a
brief walk-through. I'll try and start getting some words onto paper next. So tired. Next
Steps: Create a written reflection of Artifact Three

6/16/2015

3 Prose, not notes...

Daphne received my video walk-through of my progress so far and had some suggestions
that may be significant as I move forward with the portfolio. While I'm generally on the right
track with my reflections, they read too much like notes and not enough like prose. I've been
using too many bulleted lists and need to scale back on that. So, I went back and altered my
entries so far to read more like a story and less like dot-jots. This helped as I finished my
reflection on Artifact Three.Next Steps: Write an introduction to the Digital Literacies theme.

6/16/2015

3 Digital Literacies
Theme moving
along...

Completed today: digital literacies theme written and posted. Navigation elements and
artifacts added to pages.Next Step: Artifact Four

6/18/2015

3 Artifact four posted

with reflection

Yesterday I had the awesome opportunity to sit on the Danforth in Toronto at a pub,
watching the people walk by. I believeit's critical to the writing process to change your
surroundings. I spend a good chunk of the afternoon thinking about Artifact Four and how it
connects to my overall synthesis of the grad program. Since having Daphne's feedback last
week, suggesting I make my writing seem less like notes and more like prose, I'm trying to
let my writing flow. Though, I need to return to this reflection at some point to include more
research-based support for my findings. Next Steps: Artifact Five

Date

Hours
Spent

Title/Topic

Reflection

6/23/2015

3 5 days off....back to
the grind

This past June 19th was our last official check-in session with the whole class in
attendance. I'm glad I'm in similar company as it comes to our progression through the
portfolio. As we work through our portfolios, new themes emergeand alternative artifacts
become more appropriate. Today, I polished off my reflection of Artifact Seven and now
need to revisit Artifact Five. Originally, Artifact Five was a video presentation from Dr.
Barber's Authentic Assessment course, but I've switched that out for a paper I completed in
Dr.van Oostveen's Learning with Technology class. I think my analysis of Popplet using the
HCHI Model will better fit the subtheme of Tools for Learning. We will see. Next Steps:
Artifact Five reflection with new artifact

6/25/2015

4 Intro to the
Pedagogy theme

So between yesterday and today, I completed my introduction to my final theme of

Pedagogy.Reflecting on my journey through the MEd program at UOIT, the theories of
leadership, critical digital literacy, and pedagogy have developed into the lessons I present
in my own classes and the professional learning sessions I deliver. Though, this practical
application of theory (praxis), could not have happened without a strong foundation in
educational theory.Critically examining my own assumptions in relation to class, gender,
sexuality, ability, ethnicity, language, culture, faith, socioeconomic status, and race; and a
willingness to reflect upon how these assumptions have shaped my pedagogical and
educational journey, it became clear that ones environment has as much to do with learning
as theory. Okay, four artifact reflections to go. Next Steps: Artifact Eight reflection

6/29/2015

5 Learning Theory
Subtheme

The last few days I've been reflecting on my time in Dr. Hunter's EDUC 5001G Principles of
Learning course. While all my courses to mydevelopment, Principles of Learning truly was
the foundation for my studies throughout the MEd program. I have been able to call up
knowledge acquired in this course numerous times. Next on the chop block, the Social
Contexts of Education subtheme. Next Steps: Artifact Ten reflection

7/2/2015

5 Why culture
matters to
pedagogy.

I intentionally left my reflections on the social and cultural aspects of education to the end of
this portfolio. For me, someone who has spent most of my career in educational technology,
I see the benefits of the technical side of 21st-century learningthough it's not the whole
picture. Understandingpedagogy involves understanding the whole child. Here I go....I hope
I can do it justice. Next Steps: Artifact Eleven reflection (last one, yippee!)

Date

Hours
Spent

Title/Topic

Reflection

7/6/2015

5 Reflections
complete. Time to
consolidate

Interestingly, I changed Artifact Eleven three times! Initially, I chose the course Wiki from Dr.
Earmer's EDUC 5005G for reflection. I decided to change this as I had already reflected on
the course Wiki from Dr. Hunter's EDUC 5001G. You know, change it up a little bit. Looking
back on my EDUC5199G Computer-assistedLearning course, I decided my essay on
virtual worlds would fit the subtheme ofculturally relevant pedagogy, but then found the
artifact too brief to reflect upon. So, I decided to use my autoethnography from EDUC
5005G Social and Cultural Contexts of Education. I should have started there, being one of
my favourite assignment in the whole MEd program! Next Steps: Edit artifact reflections.
Draft consolidation.

7/7/2015

5 Edit, edit again, and Today's task...EDIT!!! I sometimes have difficulties with reflective pieces as the language is
edit some more.
foreign to me. Time to scrub up my writing to make it presentable.Next Task: Consolidate
this portfolio!

7/9/2015

5 Consolidate this!

Well, it looks like I am rapidly coming to the end of this portfolio. After a suggestion from
Yadvinder, who finds my portfolio 'text-heavy', I screen captured my final thoughts into a
video. My only concern is my consolidation has similarities to my concept map video. But
maybe that's not a bad thing? Shouldn't the concept of how the portfolio will unfold be
represented in the consolidation? Like an essay, the synthesis is the opening paragraph and
the consolidation is the conclusion. One should refer to the other. Well, I sure hope so! Next
Steps: Review and offer suggestions for other students on theirportfolios

* Please note that the total hours listed in this portfolio do not include in-class sessions, reading of new material, or time spent with
other students reviewing our portfolios.