Metaphor 

“And the music of the pearl drifted to a whisper and disappeared.”
– John Steinbeck, The Pearl, Chapter 6

After much reflection, I have chosen the “path of the pearl” as my metaphor for my ePortfolio. Path reflects journey and the pearl represents the seeds of our soul. It is the strength that comes from within that helps us to make the highest and best choices for ourselves.

A book that has great meaning for me is Kelly, M. O. ( 2002), Path of the Pearl.

It has helped me to understand and gain knowledge of the pearl metaphor. Olsen writes, “Path of the Pearl “ celebrates the life of the pearl as a metaphor for our own lives, sharing wisdom garnered by absorbing and transforming the bumps in the road of life, (Kelly, M.O. 2002).” An oyster makes a pearl by coating the surface of a small irritant or a grain of sand that get into the shell with a pearly nacre. Each layer is scaffold upon the last. The layers are microscopically thin and they are applied in sections that are overlapped on the edges. This process is so refined that it produces a satiny smoothness. This is the transformative process of the oyster.

My MET journey is similar to the layering process of the pearly nacre as it produces a scaffold effect, liken to a transformative journey that changes challenges into successes; thereby becoming a thing of the beauty. Meaningful connections to the pearl metaphor will be synthesized throughout my ePortfolio. They will take the form of reflections with a look at specific artifacts collected from each course. This is my enlightenment, my transformation.

The MET program is a scaffold construction of knowledge building. I progressed through it by layering interactions asynchronously and synchronously to transform my experience into my teaching pedagogy. The constructivist paradigm is at the heart of the MET program and it is metaphorically parallel to the construction of an oyster layering nacre to produce a treasure. My journey is a transformation that has produce a personal treasure.

I graduated years ago with a B.ED. degree. When I went back for another year in 2007 I considered challenging myself by doing my Masters of Education. Since technology was the focus of my 5th year and a fascination to me, the MET was the obvious choice. I have worked as hard as I could, consistently and fully committed to reaching my goal, my pearl. Now, I will hold that precious jewel with pride, not to be put on a shelf to admired, but to be used (worn like a pearl necklace) to make continous meaning and application of what I have attained in my teaching.

Path of the Pearl– refers to pearls of wisdom – All power comes from within.

I like the essence of the “Path of the Pearl.” It summarizes that…..”We claim our power. We reach inside, past all the layers of daily life, and connect with that essential light, that shining pearl, which glows within.”

http://youtu.be/HeqtLl4313M                                                                                             

“Removed from human experience; that they had gone through pain and had come out on the other side; that there was almost a magical protection about them.”
– John Steinbeck, The Pearl, Chapter 6

 References

Kelly, M.O.( 2002). Path of the Pearl. Discover Your Treasures Within. Beyond Words , Publishing Inc. Hillsboro, Oregon, USA.