Coming from the position of an inexperienced college student, I had no prior introduction, professional experience, or even knowledge of the concept of an ePortfolio. Developing an ePortfolio as a platform to showcase all of my accomplishments, credentials, experiences, and interests has afforded me a “leg up'' as I prepare to enter the world post graduation in spring 2022. My ultimate professional goal is to become an Attorney after attending law school and acquiring specialized internships. My goal is easier to visualize now that I've constructed a professional presence utilizing the ePortfolio as an easily accessible and straightforward tool to promote myself to potential employers and universities.
The two features of my ePortfolio of structure and theme, I have come to embrace. During the construction process, It was imperative to make it simple, unique, and truly representative of me. One of the most appealing aspects of the ePortfolio was that there was no right or wrong approach. While we were given templates, we were left to our own devices and given complete creative control. During the design process, my goal was to incorporate my favorite colors, as shown in the baby pink with grey accents. I also toyed with the idea of a marble design, so formatting all three in a dramatic yet subtle way that didn't detract from the ePortfolio's content was beautiful in its final state.
Channeling my creativity into an instrument that both represented who I was and demonstrated the professional I aspired to be was the most difficult component of the process. Considering I began from a place of inexperience, it took a few attempts and modifications to get to the point where I saw a balance and felt confident in the end product. It was also quite a challenge to synchronize the pages so that the attachments, links, and photos functioned perfectly in a collaborative way.
The advice I would provide to students regarding the ePortfolio, specifically if the concept is new, is to not be afraid of failure. To put it another way, take the risks associated with being creative, and don't be hesitant to receive or embrace the feedback from your professor as all of this will make a difference in your ePortfolio's final outcome.
The most stimulating aspect of the course was the media references and dialogue that it would generate. These two concepts undoubtedly help me understand the ePortfolio process even more. I've always been a visual learner that is able to comprehend material placed in front of me rather than only hearing words hurled at me. It also helped that the media references were usually popular television sitcoms like "This Is Us," "Scrubs," and "How I Met Your Mother," which featured identical descriptors for the topic that we were learning about.
The most important lesson that I have learned from the conflict management style analysis was that everyone utilizes varied conflict styles depending on the relation, context, or history. There were very few instances where a person adopted the same style for every conflict they encountered. Prior to the conflict management style analysis, I was someone who identified avoidance as a preferred conflict resolution strategy yet I discovered that, in addition to avoidance, I frequently used accommodation, collaboration, and, in certain situations, compromising. As I look back, I will say that usage of the case study assisted to identify and translate class topics into real-life relationship scenarios and this proved to be quite a venture for me as I had difficulties finding a balance between the two. Finally, I will admit that the case study method gave me the opportunity, much like trial and error, to provide my best effort and evolve.
In my opinion, this course would be useful to anyone to easily incorporate into their daily lives and relationships. As a matter of fact, in light of my chosen career, it has given me the confidence to speak up for myself. Recognizing that assertiveness does not imply rudeness; I can be outspoken without becoming aggressive or negative. As an aspiring Attorney, awareness of the nuances of communication is useful because conflict is unavoidable in the profession, even when it is justified, such as while representing a client. To effectively represent those that request my services, I must be able to communicate my point of view without jeopardizing my standing in the law community or my relationship with an employer or coworker. I have gained the knowledge that I can get my point across by establishing a logical, rather than a personal, argument.
- kdoug006