Running header: PORTFOLIO PROCESS REFLECTION

Reflection on Portfolio Process

Kayla Zobel
M.Ed. Candidate 2016

PORTFOLIO PROCESS REFLECTION

The portfolio process, while quite comprehensive, provides only a brief snapshot into our
experience throughout the SDA program. As we frequently discuss about our students experiences,
we want to provide our committee with a holistic understanding of our experiences. Keeping this in
mind throughout the process assisted with artifact selection, the development of the narratives, and
even the incorporation of personal aspects on the site. Being intentional about the components on the
site actually furthered the reflection process and required that I evaluate takeaways and learning from
each possible artifact.
After writing the learning outcome narrative on areas of growth, I have come to realize that
there are a number of competency areas in which I need to improve. Describing tangible ways in
which I could enhance this learning was challenging, which may mean that additional research needs
to be done on professional development opportunities. Observing the growth via my selfassessments using the NASPA/ACPA competencies was encouraging and something that would be
beneficial to reassess periodically as a professional.
While having the links to former students portfolios provided greater context for the various
components of portfolio, I found it challenging not to compare my own experiences and portfolio to
those I was viewing, which leads to my third takeaway: everyones portfolio is extremely different,
just like everyones journey through the field is different. Focusing on how we are making meaning
of these experiences is more important than solely collecting experiences arbitrarily.
Overall, I found the experience quite formative due to the challenges. The learning outcome
narratives were a new way to evaluate growth based upon the SDA learning outcomes and required
more depth than breadth in regards to reflection. Additionally, I was challenged to integrate all my
experiences, which has not been incorporated in other parts of the program. It provided an additional
opportunity for us to make meaning of the overarching experience.