ETEC 590- Graduating Project

 There is a good reason they call these ceremonies commencement exercises.”  Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning. –Orrin Hatch

 

 “This course is an elective in the MET program, designed for students who wish to meet the requirements of the Teacher Qualification Services in the Province of British Columbia for a  ‘capstone research experience’ in their program. This is a requirement for BC teachers who wish to qualify for salary category six.” UBC, MET Program.

I am so excited to be in ETEC 590! I have never created an ePortfolio before, so I could hardly wait to get started. Also, it is so close to the end of my path and earning my pearl!

ETEC 590 is a good example of a constructivist designed course. Learning is scaffold, layer by layer by the structure of the design and by our very supportive professor, Dr. Franc Feng. He is a wonderful mentor who facilitates our learning by gently guiding us through this process.

Understanding the theory behind the relevance of ePortfolios is critical before beginning the eP. The what, why, and how are questions that form the basis of this project. Making meaning from this journey, including this course supports reflective practice that fosters critical reflection for adult learners. 

“Much of what we learn involves making new interpretations that enable us to elaborate, further differentiate, and reinforce our long-established frames of reference or to create new meaning schemes” (Mezirow, 1998).

Reading about Habermas and Mezirow has enlightened me to the theory behind adult education. I first read about Habermas in ETEC 531 and his critical theory of adult education. Each of his three domains of learning are significant but the one explained well by Mezirow is perspective transformation. It is “the emancipatory process of becoming critically aware of how and why the structures of psycho-cultural assumptions has come to constrain the way we see ourselves and our relationships, reconstituting this structure to permit a more inclusive and discriminating integration of experience and acting upon these new understandings” (Mezirow, 1981). My MET experience has helped me make new schema that has transformed into practice.

What I appreciate about the structure of ETEC 590 is the collaborative element. There has been group work, as well as peer reviews. I find reviews very helpful as critiques from peers supports one’s scholarly focus on synthesis, analysis, and reflections. Personal narratives weave threads of our learning and our metaphor throughout the eP. This demonstrates transformation of our learning into practice. It has been a most enlightening experience. I am very pleased with how my ePortfolio has transformed into a reflective tool.

My learning in the MET will soon be celebrated formally at the Graduation Ceremony. I am ecstatic! This signifies a milestone and the beginning of another path in my lifelong learning. My pearl is nearly complete.

A very helpful resource guide for those who are considering creating an ePortfolio, whether for personal or professional reasons is linked here. It is a suggested reading of ETEC 590, (Graduating Project) to support the building and creating of our Capstone Graduating Project.

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy and creative expression and knowledge.”- Albert Einstein

Resources

Costantino, P. M., De Lorenzo, M. N., & Kobrinski, E. J. (2006).  Developing a professional teaching portfolio: a guide for success. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

http://sites.google.com/site/orientationtoonlinelearning/Resources

Habermas, J. (1981).The Theory of Communicative Action. Vol. 1: Reason and the Realization of Society. Boston, Beacon Press.

Mezirow, J. ( 1981). A Critical Theory Of Adult Learning And Education, Adult Education Association of the USA, Washinton, 1981. 32(1), p.3-24.

Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice. New Directions For Adult and Continuing Education, no.74, Summer 1997, Jossey-Bass Publishers. Retrieved March 23, 2012 from http://www.graham-russell-pead.co.uk/articles-pdf/critical-reflection.pdf.

Mezirow, J. (1998). Fostering Critical Relection in Adulthood. A Guide to Transformative and Emancipatory Learning. Sage Journals, Adult Education Quarterly, Spring 1998. vol.48, no.3 185-198.

 

Click on the image below to return to the MET journey page.