Ep 5: Final Reflection Blog
The completion of this ePortfolio project was an eye opening experience. Having certain aspects of the project be graded motivated me to complete the areas required, as well as other areas required for my LeADERS designation completion.
Professional Presence
I personally believe that completing this EP helped me immensely to improve my professional presence. Prior to this project, I did not have an ePortfolio, did not understand the importance of a professional presence, and I was worried about how I would make a site with the little information that I had as a transfer student to ODU. I can absolutely see the importance of an ePortfolio, and how it will help me in the future! I was able to combine information from past years into one site that showcases who I am and how my experiences have molded me into the person I am today.
Most liked aspect of ePortfolio project
What I like most about my ePortfolio has got to be the LeADERS section where I can showcase all of the work that I have done in the past, and all the work I am completing in the year to come! I feel that giving people the ability to physically see the work that I have done and the commitment I had to the project is incredibly important, as it exemplifies my abilities as well as the amount of work required to complete a course of study for a class.
Challenges
I don’t really feel that there was a challenging aspect of the EP completion. I was already familiar with website building and content management, so this was pretty easy for me. If I had to choose one issue, I would say that the implementation of the .pdf viewer was something that gave me a bit of trouble. However, I attended an ePortfolio tutor session and was able to get my issue fixed right away. Having the ability to see other students ePortfolios and gain a general understanding of what was expecting since I am not a Communications Student was such a helpful tool and I feel it absolutely helped me to understand the concept of this project! I knew an ePortfolio was a requirement for the LeADERS program, but I lacked the understanding of the importance of an ePortfolio.
Advice
Some advice I would give future students about the eP is to use the resources that ODU provides for the creation, design, and structure of your website! Their services are amazing and I was so happy when the person that I worked with asked if my site could be featured on their design page! Taking the time to structure your site, and prepare it early for upcoming classes to make the process more streamlines is absolutely important. Especially if you are doing the LeADERS program, as the eP is a requirement for designation. Synthesizing class requirements with LeADERS tasks is so easy, but make sure that your instructor understands that you are a LeADERS candidate, and they should allow you some leeway on the content since you are trying to fulfill multiple rubrics.
Most interesting component
The course project was by far my most favorite part of the course. I really enjoyed taking the case study and analyzing it using the concepts that we learned in class. Picking it apart on behalf of both parties in the case study made the analysis feel more real. With Psychology being my major, behavior is something that I am whole-heartedly interested in, and doing this analysis allowed me to draw on skills I learned in my degree field, as well as this class, and apply them to complete the project.
What did I learn?
Learning how to look at a conflict really was an eye opener. Being able to step back and analyze the situation, understand the perspective of the other individual, and watching which conflict pattern they follow so as to respond better was such an insightful component of this class. Even when Professor Morgan would stop lecture to answer our questions about conflicts we experienced was an added bonus! She made sure we clearly understood the concept and provided ample time for us to ask clarifying questions.
Benefits for future career
It is my desire to become a research psychologist and discover new ways of how the brain functions, and how different factors affect the way people behave. Within that field, there is bound to be conflict of some sort. Taking this course will allow me to approach those conflicts in a professional manner, and work to achieve a cohesive work environment for all. Research requires testing and working with lots of people in order to obtain data, and ensuring that I can effectively communicate while also mitigating any conflicts between them and myself is an important skill to acquire. Conflict will arise in all kinds of relationships, and knowing how to handle the situation when it arises will make me a better researcher and a better colleague when collaborating with others.
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