Final Reflection

FINAL REFLECTION

Research has demonstrated that from assessment, both the learner and the instructor can extract precise information and details about the stage and the next steps in the learning process (Graves, 1992; Hedge, 2000), especially when we are working on a portfolio (Little, 2006). It is considered to be a complete method of assessment, as it allows the author of the portfolio to keep a record of the whole process of learning during a given period of time. It is a way of having all the work done compiled in a single document, keeping a unifying thread and being able to observe the improvements and the flaws of the learning process.

Creating this portfolio from all the activities done during the Master's Degree has been a very rewarding process. We have been able to go through the first versions of our assignments, read and understand the feedback from instructors and then improve our productions. This is a process that really helps to assimilate all the knowledge and the practices that have been involved in our training period as teachers. Also putting all the assignments together in a space with a wide range of personalization options and being able to explain the whole process and the feelings that are involved in it is a motivating experience. It helps to realize that our work has undergone an elaborated process, and has passed a sort of academic 'quality test', which gives a lot of confidence to the author of the portfolio. Everything that we have learned about the portfolio as an assessment instrument can be reflected in the experience I had creating my own. Sense of ownership, autonomy, reflection about the process and eagerness to improve all aspects are feelings that have been present from the very beginning of the process.

This is what we as teachers should be aiming for. To give a feeling of security in the work our students are doing and help them value their productions. Keeping a record of the knowledge they acquire, but most importantly, the knowledge that they can apply and which is tangible can be the most satisfactory experience our students have in the centre. Students have to enjoy what they learn at its maximum.

I believe that my competencies as a student, but also as a teacher, still an assistant, have taken a big step forward. Through this process, I have become aware that every action happening in the classroom has an effect. The organization of the course, the design of the learning units and even the timing of the sessions are factors that trigger different feelings in our students, directly affecting their learning process. This is one of the reasons to value all the detailed work behind every lesson, which should encourage new generations of professionals in the field of education to make the same effort in designing teaching methodologies and helping students become adults prepared for the challenges of the future.