My portfolio - finally ready for submission - but not finished!
Posted by Jennie Whitley on Sunday, October 11, 2009
I was going to use the title - My portfolio - Completed, but then I reflected and I have decided that it's not finished. It's ready for submission for the purposes of my university assessment, but now that I have put all this time and effort into it, I would like to keep it as a work in progress for the rest of my career. I can see the usefulness of having and maintaining this site as I now plan on using it as support in any future job applications.
In the meantime, I present my summary of the process of creating this portfolio.
The creation of this web site and its submission is a major accomplishment for me. I did not realise just how much time creating the site would take when I initially made the decision to go electronic. Even though I have prepared this site because of a university requirement, I have definitely benefited from the process. Collecting, reviewing and collating previous submitted assessments allowed me the opportunity of reflecting on just how much I have learnt over the last 5 years. I have been able to see the development of my academic writing skills and have even been able to reflect on how much faster I am able to locate relevant materials for assessments compared to that very first sociology essay I submitted a lifetime ago!
Reflecting as I have on what I have learnt and where I have done placements, I take with me now a desire to pursue more learning in the field of family work. Various theories, skills and practical experience on placement puts me in a great starting position for family work. My first new learning goal is to expand my knowledge on child development.
Overall, this portfolio reflects me. Who I am now, where I have come from, what I have learnt and, showcases my preparedness to serve in my community. I look forward to offering advocacy, counselling and case management to my future clients. I believe the future also holds more opportunity for skills development through supervision and possibly further education and training.
I am happy with what I have created. I have tried to ensure flashes of me are evident throughout, whilst aiming to keep a professional presentation. Creativity has been my goal and something I am further developing since starting to work with children.
If I had my time over, I would begin the portfolio process in my first year of study. The process of collecting materials to include in my portfolio was the most time consuming process. I have had 3 computers during my time at university, which unfortunately meant that I did not have ready electronic access to previously submitted assessments. Fortunately I have kept hard copies of my assessments in a box, which, on reflection, allowed me to sit and read at nights before bed, revisiting all my completed subjects and putting aside those assessments to scan and include on this site.
Finally, I plan to maintain this electronic portfolio throughout my career. I hope that as I grow as a social worker, this site will grow with me and will remain evidence of my professional growth and development.
In the meantime, I present my summary of the process of creating this portfolio.
The creation of this web site and its submission is a major accomplishment for me. I did not realise just how much time creating the site would take when I initially made the decision to go electronic. Even though I have prepared this site because of a university requirement, I have definitely benefited from the process. Collecting, reviewing and collating previous submitted assessments allowed me the opportunity of reflecting on just how much I have learnt over the last 5 years. I have been able to see the development of my academic writing skills and have even been able to reflect on how much faster I am able to locate relevant materials for assessments compared to that very first sociology essay I submitted a lifetime ago!
Reflecting as I have on what I have learnt and where I have done placements, I take with me now a desire to pursue more learning in the field of family work. Various theories, skills and practical experience on placement puts me in a great starting position for family work. My first new learning goal is to expand my knowledge on child development.
Overall, this portfolio reflects me. Who I am now, where I have come from, what I have learnt and, showcases my preparedness to serve in my community. I look forward to offering advocacy, counselling and case management to my future clients. I believe the future also holds more opportunity for skills development through supervision and possibly further education and training.
I am happy with what I have created. I have tried to ensure flashes of me are evident throughout, whilst aiming to keep a professional presentation. Creativity has been my goal and something I am further developing since starting to work with children.
If I had my time over, I would begin the portfolio process in my first year of study. The process of collecting materials to include in my portfolio was the most time consuming process. I have had 3 computers during my time at university, which unfortunately meant that I did not have ready electronic access to previously submitted assessments. Fortunately I have kept hard copies of my assessments in a box, which, on reflection, allowed me to sit and read at nights before bed, revisiting all my completed subjects and putting aside those assessments to scan and include on this site.
Finally, I plan to maintain this electronic portfolio throughout my career. I hope that as I grow as a social worker, this site will grow with me and will remain evidence of my professional growth and development.