Welcome to Digication
Scholars Conversations.

I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.

In this episode, you'll hear Part
Two of my conversation with Matthew

Gomes, an EVP Systems Analyst at
Bunker Hill Community College.

More links and information about today's
conversation can be found on Digication's

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Full episodes of Digication Scholars
Conversations can be found on

YouTube or your favorite podcast app.

I love that you got the whole
kind of campus involved in

doing the audience choice, too.

Because even just having that
opportunity for other people on

campus to open those portfolios and
see what other students have done.

I think would be inspiring for those that
may not have created their own ePortfolio

yet, or maybe working on one, but might
need to see what other people are doing.

And also for the faculty members
too, to see how students are using

this technology, whether it's
something that they're already

using within their classes or not.

Um, and to use it as an opportunity
to really celebrate those students

and the work that they put into
their ePortfolios, I think it's a

wonderful way to get visibility around.

The project and to celebrate
the student success with that.

And then it sounds like the, um, for
the in-person event, that's when you're

kind of providing the actual rewards
to the students that, um, received

either the top scores from the.

Judges that were invited, um, but
also those that accumulated kind

of the most votes or points from
those that, um, around the campus

were impressed by what they did.

So that's, that's really fantastic.

And do you find that the students when
they're in that, um, you know, in this

kind of content contest phase or feeling
excited about the fact that other people

are going to have a chance to see what
they do and what their skills are or are

some students kind of nervous about it...

what what is that
experience like for them?

Uh, Good question.

So we've gotten an array
of reactions and sentiment.

Um, one of the winners
was so hard to track down.

Cause I was like, I wanted to do the,
the silly, maybe you saw that on the

ePortfolio, but we have these giant
cardboard checks printed, really,

you know, cheesy, but it was fun.

Yes, I saw it!

And one of them was so hard to track down.

I had to stay till 7PM.

on campus, and I found her, like, in a,
uh, event that she was doing over here.

I'm like, I've been trying to track you
down and give you the, uh, your prize.

Um, but, okay, so, uh, general
sentiment and, uh, are they

anxious or anything like that?

Yeah, it's a mixed bag.

So some of them, uh, we've
gotten some that are, Hey, so,

so when are we going to find out?

When are we going to find out?

You know?

Uh, Oh, it's not until December.

Oh man.

You know?

Um, but then other people
are like, okay, good.

Uh, now I have time to kind of, you know,
relax or whatever, something like that.

Um, so, I don't know, it's a unique,
um, of like excitement or maybe anxious

or something like that, kind of mixed
thing, uh, like that, we had one student

that wasn't, um, I guess when they found
out they weren't, they didn't win, they

weren't super thrilled, um, but on that
same token, we had students who were like,

oh, uh, This makes me motivated to try
next year, or when are you doing it again?

That was another one that surprised
me, where students were like, when

are you going to run it again?

Even faculty were like, oh, if I knew,
oh, and I'm like, well, you sent out a

million emails and you know, it's, it's
tough these days, you know, especially

post pandemic, you know, many departments
and many emails about many things.

And it's like, yeah,
you got to prioritize.

So, so I get it.

Um, it's.

Really tough when everybody's trying
to promote their, you know, whatever's

going on in their areas as much as they
are, um, for them to notice our thing.

Um, which is fine, but yeah, just a, a
vast array of, of reactions like that.

People were like, yeah, essentially,
Oh, well, when are you running it again?

Are you going to run it in the spring?

Are you going to run in the fall?

And I wanted to do it in the spring.

I, I, I did, but it was, uh, again.

We wanted to kind of gradually
adjust, um, to doing it and adding

that on to everything else going on
in our department and everything.

And I didn't want it to be, I
don't want it to ever get to the

point where it's watered down.

You know, that's one of the things
that I It's especially, oh man, this

September is so hard to do, um, obviously,
uh, you know, and every other college

knows how brutal September's can be.

Um, it's the first month back on the
fall and, you know, it's very, very busy.

And so, I saw, um, little things
started to kind of dip or whether it's

promoting or whether it's, uh, you
know, getting priorities change and

people want to join their classes.

I can't join because my Webex link
won't work and things like this.

And that becomes the new problem.

And we have to, within our department
aid, we're trying to figure out,

okay, what are the solutions
to that and things like this.

And so you focus on that and then.

You know, the one other person in my
department that's helping me work on

the contest and ePortfolio topics,
even he gets, um, you know, taken away

with other things and then it's like,
Oh, wait, we got to bring it back.

We got to bring it back.

Let's plot a meeting for next Monday,
you know, and just to make sure that

we're on top of it and we're not
forgetting and we're not losing it.

So that's the thing I, I found to
be a bit challenging, um, last year.

And again, this year, even though this
year we had more time to plot things out.

It's still.

Um, you know, one thing, I don't know if
it's a Higher Ed thing or Academia thing,

or maybe just community colleges, but no
matter how much you plan, um, you know,

things, there tends to be just things that
come out of the sides and out of nowhere.

And it's almost like a life thing.

Yeah.

That too.

For sure.

Absolutely.

Um, but it's so, the strangest
thing with that is, um, It's

almost like every semester.

There's a topic if I were to
go back to every semester.

There's like a thing that like
That like colored that semester.

So like if I looked back at least
for again for Bunker Hill Oh, we

had the the great the great 'Single
Sign On' issue of 2019, you know,

or the great WiFi, WiFi crisis of
Of fall 2020, you know what I mean?

Like it was, and obviously 2020, 2021
are obvious as a pandemic and everything.

Um, so there was always
like a thing that colored.

And so I find that it's almost
like, okay, what's going to be the

thing this semester and like plot
and plan for that and say, okay.

Knowing that there's a thing that's going
to happen, let's not schedule as many like

of this and webinars and things like this
and, you know, do a little promotion and

things like this and really refocus how
we're going to do because it's almost like

we're planning for it to definitely happen
sometimes, you know, not to be pessimistic

about it, but it's, it's a reality and
it's inevitable, especially these days

with, you know, the whole cybersecurity
things going on and, and all of that.

So really trying to.

Uh, stay on top of that while
also staying enthusiastic with

things like the contest and making
funny videos and stuff like that.

So.

Yeah, and I was curious, too.

So you shared a little bit about
the, um, perspective of the students.

What was the process like for the
judges, and have you had some judges

that wanted to return this year
because they enjoyed that process?

Yes, actually.

So, um, much like the students, the judges
shared a sentiment at first, something

like, Why is the process like this, like
the first one or two, but then after

doing three, four, five, four, four,
he's like, Oh, this is really easy.

You know, it's just, they had to
get into a flow of the, the way that

we built out the process of judging
because we use a few different things.

Um, we have a, um, now we have
a Microsoft SharePoint page, but

it was a Word doc the first time.

So I'll just go with the Word
doc for simplicity, but so

imagine a Word document with.

The steps written down in a couple of
screenshots, not too wordy, not too

big, no more than two pages, really
try to keep it as simple as possible

and as to the point as possible.

Um, so you have that process and then
you have, so those steps kind of map out.

Okay, step one, click into the
Digication course and we have

the link to it right there.

They click it, they view the submissions.

Next.

Look at the list of submissions
that anybody with the right status,

that means they have a submission.

So you have to explain
the logic of it to them.

That means they have a submission,
click the button and click this view.

ePortfolio submission button as well,
but make sure you click the latest

one and not the previous one because
students can submit multiple times.

You can see the date time stamps listed.

Click that.

So there was multiple steps.

So the, the faculty at first were saying
I, you know, one of their, we did a

survey and got feedback from them and
everything and some of the things that

they were saying was, oh, what's the um,
I'm wondering if there's an easier way

to go about, well, now that we did like
10, 20, 30 ePortfolios and, and reviewed

them, I, we understand why it was like it,
but in the beginning, we were like, ah, I

wonder if there was an easier way you can
use this or use this feature or use this.

So really it was just sort of
the logistical of how to judge

that was, um, a little in flux
in terms of sentiment for them.

Um, overall they.

I think for some of them, well, one
of them, like, it came right up to me

and she was like, yeah, ask me again.

I'd love to do it again.

Um, you know, actually two of them, uh,
two of the six from last year said that,

um, but I wanted to get maybe two repeat
judges, but then maybe three new ones.

I wanted to get new, new judges too.

And so there was overall enthusiasm.

They loved the portfolios.

Um, Some of them, they were like, oh,
well, this student submitted a screenshot.

And obviously, that wasn't, you know,
this one was a submitted screenshot.

And it's like, oh, maybe they
didn't read the instructions, or

maybe they didn't quite understand.

Maybe there's a better way that you
can, like, have the instructions laid

out for them, or maybe there's a way
to turn off settings, whatever it

is, to make it a little easier and
to the point for them for submitting.

Fortunately, now it is, because
the submit button's built in

and everything, so it's great.

Um, built into the portfolio.

So, yeah, so it was generally, um, some of
that sort of sentiment we got from them.

Overall, they were just really
enthusiastic about, um, the types

of ePortfolios they were seeing.

Some of them, I remember hearing
from other faculty saying, Oh my

God, I taught that student, you
know, cause, uh, there were some

that I've done e portfolios for, um.

That were in a class that I did ePortfolio
trainings for and they submitted to the

contest, but that professor had no idea.

And then in the, uh, when doing
their training this year, I was

showing some of the winners.

Here's a couple of example winning
portfolios that, you know, uh, for

you students to check out and look at.

And the professor goes, Oh
my God, that was the student

from my last year semester.

Oh my God, I didn't realize you won,
you know, and Uh, so it, it, it just

adds an extra layer and then it builds
on the enthusiasm of like, Oh, like,

yeah, I think I'd like to be a judge.

And they're like, Oh, I don't
know if I have the time.

And then one of them that originally
said they didn't have the time,

they're like, you know what?

Yeah, I'll, I'll do it.

I want to do it.

And I'm like, Hey, good.

Cause it's not that bad.

Once you get the momentum going, I think
for the way we built out the judging, you

just get one, two, three in, you're good.

And you just keep flowing through it,
stick to the rubric as much as possible.

Um, And yeah, generally they'd be fine.

Yeah.

And I'm thinking, you know, hearing
about the process too, with, um, the new

Digication KORA courses that that judging
process will probably be even easier

for the judges be able to just kind of
move from one submission onto the next.

Then.

Um, so I'm excited about that too.

And, you know, in looking at the
showcase, uh, or the, the winners that

the judges chose, um, and also those
that were the audience choice too,

I mean, the quality of the work that
the students were sharing in there.

experiences were so inspiring and I know
there was one that I read who was, I

believe he's a, uh, economy or economics
major and was talking about how, you know,

his background and kind of family history
and what's led him to what he's studying

today is, you know, really driving his
passion for, uh, Working in the community

and helping those that, um, are in
marginalized and underserved communities,

and that's why he's studying what he is
today, and then, I think you mentioned

Cleo earlier, creating her own kind of,
I think, her own Literary, magazine, uh,

just, you know, these students are just
remarkable and I'm sure every opportunity

that people have to, you know, just kind
of celebrate who's in their community

and the work that they're doing is a time
for everybody just to kind of reflect on.

You know, what makes Bunker Hill
Community College what it is and the,

you know, the success of the students
and in turn the success of the faculty

members there and people like you that
are working hard to support everyone

and all of their different endeavors.

Um, so a huge congratulations
really to, to all of you and I hope

that you feel very proud about.

What you've done in your role
for everyone, and all of the work

that you're doing in creating this
opportunity for students to celebrate

what, you know, what they've done
and the success of their peers.

It's, it's really remarkable.

Yeah, thank you.

I really appreciate that.

And, um, yeah, I think,
yeah, we're definitely proud.

We're definitely happy.

Um, you know, we, one of the things
again, we, we just want students

to one, understand what they really
have with ePortfolio and to, um, like

really appreciate the concept of it.

Um, Such that they're, you know,
it, it's not necessarily this

obligatory thing that you have to
do, like in a class or homework.

Yes, you might, you're getting
a grade on it in some ca...

classes, but, um, the utility
of it is, the more you put into

it, the more you get out of it.

And I, I, from what I've seen, um, I'll,
I'll throw this example at you too.

Um, there, there was an
early childcare student.

I used to go around to a lot of those
classes as well, and they, they've.

Blended out a place where they're
using one template for all

their classes, which is great.

Um, and so there, uh, one student heard
my whole spiel, my whole sentiment.

And they were like, you know what?

I actually want to try.

And they like, you know, added the
backgrounds, added banner, whatever.

Made it really, really nice.

Um, Life for me, I, I, I might have lost
the portfolio, but, um, maybe I'll reach

out to the teacher to find it again.

But, um, anyway, they applied
for a job in the field that

they were going to school for.

And the Wednesday of that next
week, they got a job in the field

that they were going to school for.

So for me, yeah, exactly.

So for me, it's, I kind of
view it as like a cheat code.

Um, it's like, I mean, so, and I, I've
gone, I've been in search committees.

I've been, I've hired
people in our department.

And.

You know, I, when you have a stack of
20, 25, 30 resumes, um, or applications

and white page with black text, it
might, it gets kind of dry after a

while, but I see one, and this is what I
encourage students to do too, I see one

with the name at the top, the address,
phone number, and then they have.

The word website or they have the word
portfolio colon link pasted next to it.

And I'm like, Oh, cool.

I actually get to look at
something now and I can look at

it and I see two eyes, a smile.

I see them doing choir with a group
of 20 people like that has implicit.

It implies.

I get along with people.

I've worked long, medium to long term
with a group of more than two people

to make one thing happen and create
something like all that's implied.

What image, uh, picture's
worth a thousand words, right?

So.

All of that utility is, is great.

And I think over time, students are
understanding this more and more.

And so, yes, I think we are, our
department is very proud of ePortfolio

and very proud of, you know, what
we've been able to do and, um,

build enthusiasm for students.

And, you know, we're only looking to grow
it even more on the next coming semesters.

You know, our department's a little
behind or our school's a little behind on

getting KORA going, but I'm really excited
for January when we, when we launch it.

So it's going to be great.

Yeah.

We've got your back there.

Awesome.

I know you, you all do.

You guys have been so helpful
and I thank you, all so, so much.

Well, we love working with your community,
and, you know, we know that, um, as

technology changes and transitions and
upgrades happen, some, sometimes some

schools need a little more time, and
we're really excited to see how you, um,

put these new, these new tools to work.

I think it'll, Really fall in line
very well with the way that you're

already using the platform and open
up some more streamlined ways to do

your, uh, assessments for, for sure.

Um, I can, you know, directly see how it
would support some of the judging and.

Um, viewing these
submissions for the showcase.

Um, but I think it'll have a lot
of power in the classes that you

have using the ePortfolios also.

So I'm, I'm thrilled.

Yeah, totally agree.

Thank you.

I'm so excited.

I can't wait.

Good, good.

Well, thank you again,
Matthew, for joining me today.

It was really wonderful to have
a chance to connect with you.

And I get just so close to this kind of,
um, 15 year, uh, reunion of sorts, our

anniversary of, um, beginning our time
working with your, uh, school, just doing

wonderful things over this time and very
excited to continue that collaboration

and excited to share your, your story
and your experience with others.

Great.

Thank you, Kelly.

Appreciate it.

This was great.

Great.

Take good care.

Bye.

You too, Bye...

Coming up next, we'll be chatting
with Sharron Huang, recent

graduate of Stony Brook University,
where she received a B.A.

in Linguistics, an M.

A.

in Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages, and an M.

S.

in Speech Language Pathology.

Here's a quick preview.

I do genuinely think that college is
absolutely what you make out of it.

And that's a life lesson for
how much, like, life, like, you,

life is what you make out of it.

You know, the opportunities you take,
the risks you take, the people you meet,

and the connections you make, right?