The Portfolio

Some of you know, and others may not -  but this semester I decided to return to IUPUI in hopes of finishing my degree.

I had always said that I would go back after both of my kids were in school and I no longer had the obnoxious expense of daycare or all-day kindergarten.  With my daughter in first grade now, and working from home, I decided now was the best time as any to return to school.

So back in the fall, I re-applied  at IUPUI and got accepted.  I set up time to talk with an advisor and figure out where I was since leaving a decade ago and where I wanted to go.  With just over 50 credits under my belt already, I was incredibly close to an Associates degree and about half way to my Bachelors. 

This gave me an immense amount of motivation to get started.

My advisor suggested a class within the OLS departement where you spend the semester putting together a giant professional portfolio that you submit to faculty directors for credit for your experiential learning, or learning outside of the classroom.  After reviewing the requirements, I felt that I would be a great candidate for the class, especially with my experience over the last nine years at HP.

I talked to the professor and she agreed, and gave me permission to enroll in the class.  It all became a reality when I got the bill for the class just before Christmas... but I was so thankful for the opportunity and apprehensively while crying gladly wrote the check to the bursar and ordered my books.

The class is primarily online, but has met three times this semester to view examples of prior portfolios that have been submitted.  Apparently, the maximum credits that you can get is 24, and a minimum of 0.  Here's how the class works (because I know you all care! HAHHA!)

So, i paid for the 3CR class like any normal class.  If i turn in everything by the due dates (which is all in preparation for the portfolio - so like Extended Resume, Learning Matrix, Reflective Essay/Narrative, Reading Forum Feedback, etc) - I will get an A+ in the class.  So the worst case scenario is that i go through this whole semester, get no credits for my experiential learning and leave with an A+ in a 300 level OLS class and go on with my portfolio and continue my education.

The best case scenario is that I am awarded credit for my exepriential learning.  You pay the faculty $100 to review the portfolio and then like $25 per credit hour you are awarded.  (sure beats $250 /  credit hour or whatever it is for taking the class, eh?) and you move on with your life.

Here's the catch - after this summer's session, the OLS399 class will go down to 1 credit hour and will have to pay enormously more money for each credit hour + $100 per class you are writing for credit!  So... all of these changes further confirms the fact that I made the right decision in going back when i did.

So, back to my story, since this is my blog, and it's all about me :)  HA!  JK, kinda.

So, I'm writing for 21 credit hours in 7 different classes:

     -Leadership in Operational and Service Organizations
     -Self Leadership
     -Leadership in a Global Environment
     -Training Methods
     -Project Management
     -Meeting Management
     -Managemeent of Change

For each of those classes, I had to put together a "learning matrix" that showed 6-10 different learning outcomes to basically prove that I learned at least 70% of what I would've learned while sitting in those very classes (as a side note, i pulled the syllibi for each class to determine the course completion goals - that's how i landed on thsoe classes).

Sooooo - in my narrative/reflective essay (which I'm in the process of completing the rough draft by the middle of next week) - I have to speak to each of those learnuing outcomes to tell the faculty 1.) What I learned 2.) how I learned it 3.) what would've happened if i didn't learn it and / or what i learned from mistakes I made in the application of the learning).  This is all according to Bloom's Taxonomy - if any of you are familiar.

Sooooo anyway.  I'm already on page 7.... and havn't even begun writing to any of the learning outcomes, so far I've just outlined my personal, professional and volunteer background.  I can already tell that my portfolio will be more like a binder!

However, at the end of this semester, I will know how many classes I've been awarded credit for and can start building the rest of my academic plan from there.

The nerd in me is secretly enjoying this whole class.

...and I'm pretty sure - this might be one of the most boring posts any of you have EVER read.

:)