E-Portfolio Proposal

This afternoon's post is a proposal for my ECMM 470 E-Portfolio proposal. It is a quick look at what I hope to accomplish in my E-Portfolio, a mock-up of the main page, as well as some concerns that I have about the project.


ECMM 470 – E-Portfolio Proposal

Why have you chosen to complete an e-portfolio?

My choice for an e-portfolio is three-fold. I have always been interested in creating one as a way to create a digital resume. I think that the idea of “personal branding” is important today, with job markets as competitive as they are. Having an online personal portfolio, I think, will be a benefit to personal employers.

Secondly, I think that it could be an interesting way for students to showcase their work and submit their work in a classroom setting. Parents could then log in to see their child’s work, and administration could take a look to see what students are doing. It would be a way to switch up the regular classroom portfolio of work.

Lastly, I have chosen the e-portfolio to make the best use of my time. I have to create a portfolio for my Assessment class with Deborah Roger and wanted to do a digital version of it. By choosing this option for 470, I will, as the old saying goes, “kill two birds with one stone.”

What professional uses does an e-portfolio have for you?

Professionally, an e-portfolio sets you aside from other possible people applying for the same job. A resume doesn’t need to be passed around the office if all people evaluating it can just click onto it online.

It serves as a location to put information online, whether it is part of a Personal Growth Plan, or just research that I am interested in, and allows others to peruse my work. Continually adding to an e-portfolio as part of a PGP plan makes it accessible to administration that would want to check up on me, as well as others who might be interested in the same research, and allow them to contact me, and perhaps work together with me.


What content do you plan to include?

I plan on including the following sections:

- Personal – Including interests, specialized training, perhaps some photographs, and my Artistic portfolio – I’d like to put in some examples of things that I’ve done with photography, technology, and video production in this section.
- Professional – Teaching philosophy, some project samples
- Research – because I’m using this portfolio to double for another class, I will include in this section an evaluation of different assessment strategies.

What graphic design considerations have you taken into account for the look of your e-portfolio? (Include a drawing, sketch or layout to show what you pages may look like.)

I’d like to keep it simple, user friendly and to the point. It will be stylish, but not flashy. I’m planning on going with earth tones, such as shades of brown, tan, red, orange, and black. I would like to use a set of links across the top, to allow for easy navigation.

I have in included a rough mock-up of what the base page might look like:




What concerns do you have about the process? How do you plan to address these concerns?

I am slightly concerned with issues of uploading a resume online, and whether it might have issues with personal privacy. I’m not sure how I will address this yet, but I am looking into it. I hope that it will lessen the issue if I just send the address out to people, rather than linking to it from other sites.

I am concerned about being able to upload all of the content that I am interested in adding to the site (i.e.: photos, videos, PDF). I will remedy this by looking to online tutorials and perhaps seek the collegiality of my fellow classmates.

I am unsure whether I will need to incorporate frames to get my links to go across the top, or if I can just duplicate the main page layout and change the content. I do not have any experience with creating a page with frames, and will look to the guidance of the web, peers, and Dr. Wilson for guidance.

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Difficulty Focusing

Wow. The weather is beautiful.

Studying, however, is not.

Too bad the two do not go together right now.



As Robbie and I walked across campus to get lunch at Louis' today, we discovered that spring, for however short of a time, has graced us with her presence.

Unfortunately, the other things that have "graced" us with their presence are midterms, papers, presentations, and projects. Sadly the two do not coincide. Especially as the majority of our work means that we need to be inside, plugged in, staring at a screen.

If it was dry outside, this would not be AS big of a problem. We could head outside, find a nice shady tree to lean against, get out the Macbook and go to town. Maybe complain a little bit that it's hard to see the screen with all of the sunshine around. But when there's still snow to inhibit the outdoor use of electronics, but the temperature is ridiculously warm, I find it terribly difficult to study and focus, when all I'm thinking about is getting outside.

Robbie and I had contemplated emailing a mass email to all of our profs to alert them that because the weather was so nice, we would not be finishing all of our work on time, and hoping that they would understand. We would also recommend that they ditch their marking and planning and spend some time outside.

But we gave that idea up in lieu of going to the third floor computer lab, which, coincidentally is really awkwardly hot. The sort of hot that you wish you had flip flops, shorts, maybe a little fan and a spritzer. But, alas, it's just us, a room full of heat-generating computers and a handful of other stressed out students, wishing they could be outside too.

Perhaps this would be the time to buckle down and get some work done. I guess this break is over. I should go do my work.

Or maybe Robbie and I will go build a snowman. We'll see what happens.

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Adventure Blogging

SO. Today's blog is a list. You might call it a "life list", or if you are into movies as much as Robbie, you might call it a "bucket list". BUT, an adventure bucket list. Check it out. It's exciting.

I'm all about the outdoors and adventuring. I camp. I kayak. I canoe. SO, I'm compiling a list of adventures I'd like to have during my life. Why do you care? I'm not sure, BUT, perhaps it will inspire you to go adventuring, OR, maybe you'll come along.

1. Canoeing. Nahanni River, NWT.
Note: They only allow a limited number of people into the park each year.





2. Skydiving. Wherever. With Bryan McCrea. Perhaps flying in a wingsuit.
Note: Perhaps as a grad gift to each other.



3. Scuba Diving. The Great Barrier Reef. Australia.
Note: Submit photos of dives to magazines.






4. Drive to Alaska
Note: Inspired by "Into the Wild". Maybe try to live in an abandoned bus.



5. Hike the Incan Trail to Maccu Picchu. Peru.
Note: Carrying my own bag.



6. Safari. Africa.
Note: Not the touristy safari. Something real.




7. Hike the West Coast Trail. BC.
Note: Prior training will be necessary.




8. Kayak. Gauley River. West Virginia.
Note: "Do not die". - Nichole.


SO. There's the adventure list. I'm sure it will have more added to it. Perhaps some high adventure geocaching. Perhaps some sort of intense world travel. Perhaps a few more snow sports. It's always growing. I'm excited. If you have another "must-see" spot, let me know!

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