Why I Use an ePortfolio: A Platform for Growth, Reflection, and Professional Purpose
- Thomas Robinson
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 26
Building an ePortfolio is so much more than just putting together a digital showcase, it's really about creating a space that genuinely reflects who I am, what I care about, and where I hope to go next. After finishing EDLD 5302 at Lamar University, I started to see just how powerful an ePortfolio can be even though I had not begun to build or write it yet. It’s not only useful for organizing my work and sharing it with others, but it’s also a tool that helps me grow, stay focused on my goals, live out the beliefs I wrote about in my Learning Manifesto, and of course make me a better teacher in the long run. At its heart, an ePortfolio lets me reflect on my journey and keep learning along the way. In EDLD 5302, we talked about how learning isn’t just a box to check off; it’s a lifelong process that needs curiosity, feedback, and honest self-reflection. My Learning Manifesto talks a lot about being creative, finding ways to really use what I’ve learned, and trying to become more than I am today. Having an ePortfolio gives me a place to show how I’m doing that, not just in theory but in real life. Batson (2011) calls the ePortfolio a new genre in education because it weaves together the personal, academic, and professional sides of learning and I feel that’s true for me. From a career standpoint, my ePortfolio pushes me to think carefully about how I present myself and my work in school and in my classroom. Instead of just piling up projects, I try to pick out what each one says about how I’m growing, what I believe in, and what I still want to get better at of course while keeping a growth mindset while I'm doing it. That kind of reflection really helps, especially as I look toward leadership roles in the future. Crompton (2017) points out that ePortfolios let educators demonstrate mastery, reflect on learning, and showcase their digital competence. If you want to be a leader in education today, being able to tell your story online like this is almost a must. But it isn’t just about personal growth—ePortfolios can help others, too. When I share my projects and reflections openly, it creates opportunities for people in my field to pick up new ideas or offer advice. According to Morgaine (2018), ePortfolios help us trade knowledge and spark conversations across different schools and even fields. In a profession that depends on relationships and shared learning, this kind of openness and exchange can make a real difference. Honestly, having an ePortfolio is like having a secret weapon for whatever comes next. When I'm teaching my class, presenting at a conference, or even just connecting with new people in my field, I love being able to point someone to a space online that really shows who I am and what I can do. It’s so much more than a list of skills or a transcript—it’s a story, told through my projects, reflections, and growth, and these blogs. Administrators and collaborators don’t have to take my word for it; they can see firsthand how I think, what I’ve achieved, and how I’m always working to get better. Khan (2019) put it perfectly: an ePortfolio makes learning visible in a way that a resume simply can’t. On a practical level, my ePortfolio is where I keep everything that matters to my journey—my resume, leadership philosophy, classroom work, tech projects, and honest reflections. It’s all in one place, easy for me, and others, to revisit, update, or draw inspiration from. I’ve found that organizing my work like this gives me a real sense of pride and ownership, just like I want my own students to have when they begin to build theirs. This isn’t just something I did for a class or because I had to. It’s mine, and I get to shape it as I grow and share it with others. That kind of freedom fits perfectly with what I believe about lifelong learning. Keeping my ePortfolio updated has pushed me to regularly pause and think—What did I learn here? How did I grow? What should I try next? That kind of self-check keeps me moving forward while also helping me appreciate how far I’ve come. The University of Waterloo (2025) notes that this kind of intentional reflection isn’t just useful for grades, it’s huge for figuring out who you are as a professional and where you want to go. In the end, my ePortfolio is way more than a course requirement. It helps me grow, connect with others, get ready for new opportunities, and bring what I have learned from it into my classroom. Most of all, it stands as proof of what I believe: learning never really ends, it’s deeply personal, and it matters most when it’s shared. As I keep building and adding to my site, I see it as something alive and growing, a place where I’ll keep discovering, connecting, and growing well into the future.
Reference
Batson, T. (2010, January 06). ePortfolios let me count the way: Campus
Technology.
Crompton, H. (2017). ISTE standards for educators:
Learner. ISTE. https://iste.org/standards/educators
Kahn, S. (2019). Modeling high-impact ePortfolio practice: A review of Catalyst in action: Case
studies of high-impact ePortfolio practice. International Journal of ePortfolio, 9(1), 55-58. https://www.theijep.com/pdf/IJEP323.pdf
Morgaine, W. (2018, February 5th ).
The ePortfolio field guide: The AAEEBL framework and its use in practice. Association
for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning.
University of Waterloo, Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2025). ePortfolios explained:
Theory and practice. University of Waterloo.
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