Learning E-Portfolio's

Let’s hypothesize that I am planning on documenting my progress towards passing the BAR examination to become a lawyer. My audience would be potential employers who may be viewing this portfolio as an extension of my written application. Another potential audience may be family and friends who want to track your achievements see what your status is. Don’t forget about yourself! In my opinion, because it’s a personal goal, the creator of the e-portfolio needs to be satisfied about the way they document their progress. It’d be cool for the individual, after becoming a lawyer, were to revisit their e-portfolio and reminisce about the struggles and joys involved in reaching their goal. The purpose of this portfolio would be to use specific documentation to show progress towards one’s goal. I would mention any course that I have taken at academic institutions that pertain to the field. I would also include transcripts from college where I have decided my major and delved into graduate studies that reflect my interest. Any major projects that I have completed during my stay at these institutions would also complement this part of the portfolio; it would be another way for the audience to interact with my work directly. This would come in the medium of its original product, or it could also vary. For example, if I presented a speech in person and wanted to include this in an e-portfolio there are several ways to do so. I could write a written text that is a summation or reiteration of my words. I could also include a video recording of the event itself. I could also include an audio clip or sound byte. The medium through which I present these “artifacts” would be dependant on the specific audience and purpose that I had for the portfolio. If I were to include several artifacts over the course of a few years, this may be an indicator of growth.
Another way to document growth in a field is to simply explicate to your audience the ways in which you personally have grown as a result of your studies. This could be creative: a simplistic/ humorous cartoon or graphic representation of a linear progression throughout one’s education. You could portray yourself as a character and exaggerate flawed reasoning and growth, ending with a product that is admirable. Another way to do it could be to create a short film where the creator of the portfolio narrated. It could be a documentary, revisiting the specific places where revelations or major academic achievements were made (such as inside the room where you conceived the idea of X, or the setting in which you graduated High School, etc). I think this would be a great way to evaluate and reflect on one’s progress.
Others could reflect on your progress by having the ability to evaluate, encourage, as well as critique your progress through means of comments that could come in various forms. A list may include: email, commenting directly on their page like a blog, or some kind of virtual communication (skype, or visual/audio communication).
Updating the page with insights into the field as well as relevant research projects would be a great way to share your excitement about the subject. You could present videos intermittently that briefly describe some of the latest news in your field, with a personal perspective that you don’t normally get when watching corporate news. This would be a way to document your own personal views in relation to the direction the field is traveling as a whole.

My Practical E-Portfolios

The possibilities of E-Portfolio’s are limitless.
Documenting academic achievements: I envision creating an e-portfolio (or section) that is dedicated to my academic achievements. Once this directory is opened, it would be possible to view all of my academic progress beginning with Elementary School. Because there is not much to be said about the earlier stages of my academic career, this section would be brief. As I narration progresses to higher levels of academic institutions, I would be able to include more comprehensive information, such as grades and awards given in junior high school. In High School and College, I would include transcripts, diplomas, and other various awards. I could take the hard-copy’s that I have at home, scan them in, and post an image of them on my portfolio. For High School and College, I would also include my class schedule and any special interest groups or committees that I was involved in. I think in this field the best way to credential one’s self is to scan in official documents from institutions. I can’t think of how video or audio would help in this field.
Specific Skill Sets: I envision multiple e-portfolio’s representing different skills that an individual has. For example, I am used to be a gymnast for many years. Now I am an acrobatic diver. Within a portfolio dedicated to the subject, I would include the following: Written word about why I got involved with the sport and why I continue to pursue it. Video’s of competitions, meets, etc that would demonstrate to viewers my abilities. These video’s could either be presented in the form of a link or a direct feed to the website. This would be a great way for the creator of the portfolio to establish and credential their words. Also, scanning in any documents or awards that pertain to athletic achievements would be beneficial (High School and Collegiate awards). For trophies and medals, I’m thinking it would be best to select several that are most prized, and photograph them up-close to show whom they are made out to and what the event was for. If this were presented in combination with an event roster/results from that day, I would think of it to be very authentic. All of these would make it seem aspects would help make the viewer feel as though they viewed your achievements in the making and witnessed them first hand!
Teaching others: I envision a portfolio that would teach others about my joy for car mechanics. I am still learning now, but perhaps one day when I have a garage and proper tools of my own, I will immerse myself with extensive automotive projects. Within this portfolio, I could have a directory that would have a list of the various cars I have worked on. Each of these “cars” (whether a generic picture, description, or picture of the one I owned) would be a hyperlink to a separate part of the e-portfolio. This car-specific page would be further broken down into various sections. For example, one page may be a tutorial or explanation for how to remove suspension components in order to repair a sub frame. The explanation would include written text, pictures of the various steps involved, and most importantly video’s of any complicated procedures in case words can’t do them justice). Another page would be dedicated to maintenance, such as oil changes, brake pad replacement etc. People viewing the blog could post comments or questions about any of the procedures or tools involved etc. The directory would ideally be expansive, including several different cars each with different information. I think this would be a really cool way for mechanics or automotive enthusiasts to compile their personal work in a way that is presentable to others, professional, and makes learning a possibility as well because it’s so detailed.

Search for Sample Portfolio's

I did a search for sample E-Portfolio's in a variety of fields. Some of the best one's I found came from both doctors and lawyers. After looking through several, I could definitely find patterns in strengths and weaknesses. The first important thing when looking at an E-Portfolio to me is how the information is presented. On some websites, I was unable to focus my attention onto any particular part of the page. Instead my eyes were constantly shifting around from one tiny blurb of text to another. I was dissuaded from investigating their resume any further! On the good portfolio’s, I noticed that each portion of the web page was dedicated to its own topic: One link that led to educational experience, another went to internship experience, another went to diploma’s/certificates. This made browsing the site very simple, because as a user I was able to choose very quickly what I wanted to view. There was no other clutter on the screen to distract my focus from the subject at hand. Scholarly documents and other various works of art are often presented in the form of a picture or virtual link, guiding browsers to another web page entirely. Not only do the documents contain informative content, but they are organized within the e-portfolio in a way that is very professional. Another strength I found in some portfolios was the way in which they presented their credentials. One example I found had a resume that was broken down into educational achievements (which institutions they graduated from as well as what awards they received while there) as well as their skills summary (which includes what tools they are proficient at: M.S. Word, Photoshop, Excel, etc). This seems to give the impression that the creator is thoroughly experienced in these fields. Another positive attribute I found in some portfolios was the way in which the user’s presented their diplomas. One common trend I like was when the creator’s would scan in their diplomas received from various institutions and include them within their portfolio in the form of a picture. This seems to give further proof that the individual is indeed credentialed. Another thing I liked about some portfolio’s was how the students would list out either their current class schedule, showing how rigorous it may be, or all of their completed courses, showing what they know. All of these aspects help give a better impression of what the student has done and what they are capable of.

Dr. Helen Barrett's FAQ's

One of the FAQ's that I found to be particularly informing of e-portfolio's was question 6: what do I put in an e-portfolio. The doctor responds that the content of a portfolio is largely dependant on its target audience:

"Barton & Collins (1997) have identified four types of evidence that can be placed in an educational portfolio: – Artifacts: documents produced during normal academic work– Reproductions: documents of student work outside the classroom– Attestations: documentation generated about student’s academic progress– Productions: documents prepared just for the portfolios. These productions include: – Goal Statements: Student’s personal interpretations of each specific purpose for the portfolios – Reflective Statements: Students write as they review and organize the evidence in their portfolios – Captions: Statement attached to each piece of portfolio evidence, articulating what it is, why it is evidence, and of what it is evidence. "

This gave me a much clearer idea of what I was to put inside of my portfolio. The way Doctor Barrett introduced the various subjects, (artifacts, reproductions, attestations, productions, and goal statements) made it much more simplistic in thinking of an outline for my project. I'm still having a hard time distinguishing between artifacts and reproductions (From my understanding, they are both reflections of academic accomplishments. The difference being that the former was initially created for an academic institution, and the latter pertains to personal accomplishments outside the realm of such institutions). They seem to be very much intertwined, but that is possibly because I haven't started thinking about these terms with regards to my own personal work.
Knowing this outline, I feel like I am more knowledgeable about both the format and content of an e-portfolio. To start creating mine, I would look for my most prized academic achievements both inside and outside the class room. Then, I would look for forms and documents that back up these claims of excellence, such as transcripts or teacher recommendations. Barrett’s last comment on “Captions” clued me in; this part of the portfolio is meant to back up your evidence. Knowing this, I think that I’ve changed my mind slightly about what an e-portfolio is. At first I thought it was a way for an individual to express their personality and accomplishments in an easy to distribute, easily replicated format. However, now I think of an e-portfolio as a concise and neat way to organize one’s achievements in a way that is recognizable and veritable by others outside your field of interest.
In the next few sections the content will vary based on the intended audience; the creator of the portfolio addresses to viewers their goals and purpose in the future.

Fantasy Museum

The museum would take place within a gymnasium, specifically on the vaulting apparatus. Picture viewing a vault runway from a spring board, at ground level, looking down approximately one hundred feet to where a gymnast stands ready to sprint. In the background, “Sing Sing Sing” by Benny Goodman is playing an intense drum beat, adding to the drama of the situation. A gymnast hurdles down the runway at 15 miles an hour. The runway platform itself is actually composed of sheet music, representing my interest in music and composition, and with each step I take the song progresses. As I proceed closer to the board, the music intensifies. When the gymnast jumps onto the spring board, the music cuts out… Silence! as the audience’s perspective shifts to view the gymnast vaulting over the apparatus. Upon “sticking” the landing, the gymnast stands up to salute the judges. However, upon standing the camera does an about face, and turns to the gymnasts front side, only to reveal that the aesthetic of the gymnast now standing up has changed to that of a prestigious scholar. I think of this scholar as motivated and ready to succeed in the endeavors of college pursuits. I like this particular model because I think it showcases my different talents and the ways in which I structured my lifestyle throughout my educational career. I would always fill my day with music and sports such as gymnastics. These events would give me pleasure and a reason to push myself to the limits. With all of the leftover momentum I had from training at the gym, I could apply that energy to my scholarly pursuits and succeeded in that aspect as well.

Blog Search on Google

I searched www.blogsearch.google.com for quite a while without finding anything interesting or relevant to my interests. I tried to find blogs pertaining to a variety of niche sports and activities, but had no luck. Finally, I searched the word “blog” into Google’s blog-search engine and finally found something worth reading! The site I stumbled across was http://www.tsa.gov/blog/; which contained frequent updates that would inform the public about security changes and new airport regulations. For example, I learned that the Transportation of Security Administration is installing benches before and after security checkpoints, so that airline travelers have a chance to recoup their belongings and feel less stressed out when gathering their belongings. Such a site would be very beneficial to a frequent airline traveler who wants to stay in tune with security updates (such as lists of items, growing bigger everyday, of items not allowed on board planes) that could make packing and planning much more efficient. The blog contains sections dedicated to hot topics: shoes, liquids, lighters, batteries, etc. If a traveler wants to find out any informational updates pertaining to one of the above subjects, they can click on the links and immediately come up with all relevant blog posts. There is even a separate section where blog posts are made pertaining to specific airport updates around the country. I think this particular website is a great idea and is laid out very nicely.
Another corporate blog I found was Google’s. It contained almost daily updates of anything and everything the company is involved in. I see this as beneficial to a Google consumer in the sense that it gives them a better idea of the direction Goggle is heading. Google enthusiasts can also get excited about upcoming events and technologies sponsored by Google. On the other hand, it’s a great opportunity for Google to pick and choose what web users will be reading when they browse the internet. It’s kind of like a way for Google to create their own news, and as a result determine their public image.
Other searches of famous sports teams yielded blogs from avid fans and enthusiasts of the sport. Some web pages had detailed updates on the team: ranging from upcoming game information, team roster statistics and pans, management changes, etc. This blog seemed like it could also be very informative and interesting for enthusiasts; a way to follow up on their favorite teams.