My Life Portfolio

When I found this book, it reinforced my current life choices about pursuing my purpose and passions after my official retirement... a concept they call re-wirement!
Life between the ages of 50 and 75 are the years that were once relegated to "winding down" or retirement. This book proves they may be among the most productive and passionate of a leader’s life... 
I believe that all portfolios need to include three forms of reflection, focusing on the past, present, and future. These questions are:
• What? (the artifacts that I have collected from the past)
• So What? (what these artifacts show about my learning at the present time)
• Now What? (my future learning goals)

So, here are my future goals. I am using this portfolio to help me reflect on my strengths and how that will contribute to my future professional direction.

My Purpose:
Helping People Implement Electronic Portfolios to support Lifelong Learning

I am interested in continuing my research on electronic portfolios in education with an emphasis on exploring and changing the predominant paradigm:
  • from an institutional focus to a more family and/or individual focus
  • from a metaphor of “portfolio as test of skills” to “portfolio as story of deep learning”
  • from institution-centered data management systems to more individual-centered Web 2.0-based, lifelong/life wide interactive personal learning environments
I am interested in conducting research that will extend the knowledge about electronic portfolios and Web 2.0-based tools that would allow learners of all ages to:
  • Create digital archives of personal and professional development (collection)
  • Maintain purposeful journals/blogs that document the learning journey (reflection)
  • Present selected works for a particular purpose and audience (selection/presentation)
  • Receive feedback on portfolios to support lifelong learning (collaboration/assessment)
I have developed a page of my most significant e-portfolio resources.

Here is my 2010 TEDxASB presentation that looks at how the boundaries are blurring between electronic portfolios and social networking.


This blog will showcase my efforts in this area. I will structure an additional page to reflect my progress on achieving this purpose.

My Passion: Digital Storytelling

I want to encourage "baby boomers" and senior citizens to use digital storytelling to preserve their memories and life stories for future generations; a mission statement: "using today's technology to tell yesterday's stories to tomorrow's generations." The current popularity of scrapbooking and genealogy all indicate that there is an interest to preserve these memories. But those who study genealogy know that we can find the dates and facts about a life, but stories that are not preserved are lost forever. Everyone has a story to tell. Digital storytelling is one way to preserve and share our family legacies.

Perhaps I can also work into the process a "retirement transition" focus, using digital family stories as a way of finding a new purpose in retirement after a very busy working life. Learning to share digital stories could become a powerful transition activity. And in the process, new retirees could learn technology skills that they might have missed in their professional careers.

Here is an opportunity for schools, as well, to bring this digital storytelling process to their communities, to match young people who have the technology skills with older people who have the stories to be preserved. Then, we can truly become a community of lifelong learners who share our knowledge and wisdom with each other.

I will continue to blog about my Digital Storytelling activities, and structure an additional page to reflect my progress on pursuing this passion.