A Simple Powerful Portfolio Reflection Tool

Improved Essays
Six-Word Stories – A Simple, Powerful Portfolio Reflection Tool

Introduction
The legend of the six-word story goes back to a challenge issued to Ernest Hemingway to author a story in six words, Hemingway met the challenge with the story “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Today you can find examples of six-word throughout the Internet. A project of note in the six-word community is Michele Norris’ “The Race Card Project” Ms. Norris uses six-word stories to explore and dialogue issues around race challenges in this country.
Portfolios and their use within education settings predate the “Hemingway legend” thinking about artists maintaining their portfolios during the Renaissance. In the In 2016 “e-portfolios” (the digital offspring of “portfolios”)
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This helped Native participants of all ages to learn how to extend through technology the valued Native tradition of story telling for sharing wisdom, healing, and remembering ancestors.

Connecting Six-Word Stories, Reflections, and e-Portfolios
Often individual e-portfolios and their associated reflections are envisioned as large-scale “museums of self” with tens of artifacts showcased across multiple pages and sections. An example from UAA is Osama Abaza’s e-portfolio available here - http://bit.ly/2yJz8xD . In the context of our six-word story work however, an e-portfolio is a much simpler undertaking and includes: the six-word story, an image, and a short reflection (some story details) – that’s it! Here’s an example:

The “power” of this simple portfolio is only “unleashed” though when it is thoughtfully shared with family, friends, fellow students, and/or as directed by faculty, staff, or advisors. It is through this sharing that we have witnessed students develop deeper and more thoughtful understanding of their individual
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These sessions emphasize active participation in experiential learning activities. The course includes and requires daily 30-minute personal homework in compassion meditation. Each student will also be required to create 6-word stories in an ePortfolio to reflect and evaluate their learning and to share in the last meeting with students and invited community members. At the last meeting participants will select a personal 6-word story from their ePortfolio to in a community sharing and celebration.
The completed e-portfolio consisted of three pages (or tabs) with each page housing their six-word story assignment. A sample of the stories can be viewed here (the above image is included in this site) http://bit.ly/2y8pd5d .
Based on class evaluations, students valued and found meaning in the class - success. Our e-portfolio service provider, Digication, who works with schools as diverse Stanford and LaGuardia Community College frequently showcase this work on a national stage – a nice endorsement for UAA portfolio

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