As part of your journey in Teacher Education here at UBC, it is required that you critically reflect on your practice and develop a year-long inquiry into teaching and learning.
One way to record your reflections and share your inquiry is by developing professional blog or an e-portfolio. Doing so can also provide you with a strong artifact of learning and, if you choose to publish it, can provide you with the beginnings of a solid professional digital identity.
View some Google slides to learn a bit more about Creating an ePortfolio
- Are you looking for information on how to set up your Professional Blog or portfolio?
- How to add images, video and other content?
- How to adjust privacy settings and add your instructor?
For answers to these questions and more, I’ve created a ‘Blog Sandbox’ using UBC Blogs WordPress that includes some brief video tutorials. As I get new questions, I add them as posts to the FAQ section of the blog. The Site is set up much like you would set up your own Blog or eP, yet each page contains some information, tips and tricks. Feel free to email with new questions!
In selecting a platform for your blog, website or e-portfolio, it is important that you are aware that the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) does not allow you to upload student work product or photographs to any American based servers. Luckily, UBC Blogs uses a Canadian housed WordPress server and, therefore, if using UBC Blogs, you will be able to utilize media that you collect on your practicum. There are still a few issues involved in protecting student privacy and permissions, but overall, using UBC Blogs will put you in a strong position to develop an attractive and meaningful resource.
TEO recommends that you use UBC Blogs/Wordpress for your professional blog as a teacher candidate in this program. Since UBC Blogs uses a Canadian WordPress server, this will eliminate issues associated with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act with respect to American servers. *Most of the blog options online are American housed. Should TC’s choose to use a server other than UBC Blogs, they may not upload any photos of students or student work product to their blog as this would be in contravention of FIPPA. Using UBC Blogs, there are still privacy issues that need to be considered (as in ensuring you do not post recognizable photos or provide the names of your school, SA or students as this might make content in your blog more recognizable), but TC’s may upload appropriately protected photos, videos and student work product to their ePortfolios.
*There are some commonly used ePortfolio platforms in use in local school districts for K-12 portfolio assessment including FreshGrade and My Blueprint. If you’re interested in learning more about digital portfolio use in K-12, visit the post on this blog: Digital Portfolios: documenting a learning journey
If you have related questions, please feel free to comment and I’ll try to answer or help you discover the answer! View the Virtual Peer Mentor Schedule for synchronous support or for asynchronous support: use the ask a question button on this blog or post to the Navigating the BEd Program Canvas Discussion anytime.
