What I would do differently

I’ve been reading the portfolios and grading them.  On the whole there are some that excel as archives and some that are weak.  The weaker ones show neglect, and confusion about what the portfolio really needs to be.  So here are my recommendations to myself.

•  help students make the blog focused on a few key artifacts, and also a few key themes.  Example: questionnaires:  what do they tell about a person’s ability to do quantitative or qualitative research.  The portfolios should be skill or expertise focused, rather than focused on artifacts.
• have a good example of a successful portfolio available
• do more regular workshops in how to create categories and organize information
• create templates for expnanatory notes and the reflective essay
• show how the reflective essay can focus the whole portfolio
• have students read and comment on one another’s portfolios

How to use Pages

Here is a procedure telling how to set up separate pages for your categories of documents. 

 How to Create a Page

1.  Log in to WordPress and click on Site Admin

2.  Select the Manage tab

3.  Select the Pages tab

4.  Click on the Create New Page link

5.  Type in the Title for the new page.  Titles can be categories of posts, such as emails, original documents, docs you edited, or whatever.  Think in advance about how you want to organize your postings, and put up a page for each category. 

6.  Click on the Publish button.

7.  Click on View Site to see the page.  On my blog the pages are listed on the right-hand side of the page. 

You can create one page for your reflective statement (your summary of your learning in the class), and then separate pages for your other types of documents or evidence. 

How to use Pages

Here is a procedure telling how to set up separate pages for your categories of documents. 

 How to Create a Page

1.  Log in to WordPress and click on Site Admin

2.  Select the Manage tab

3.  Select the Pages tab

4.  Click on the Create New Page link

5.  Type in the Title for the new page.  Titles can be categories of posts, such as emails, original documents, docs you edited, or whatever.  Think in advance about how you want to organize your postings, and put up a page for each category. 

6.  Click on the Publish button.

7.  Click on View Site to see the page.  On my blog the pages are listed on the right-hand side of the page. 

You can create one page for your reflective statement (your summary of your learning in the class), and then separate pages for your other types of documents or evidence. 

Thursday’s workshop

I noticed that a numbe of students were setting up their blog sites today in class.  This is a good sign, because it’s a way for us to build knowledge with this technology.  In case you weren’t aware of it, this is the way many innovative companies work.  Here, for example, is a web site devoted to “swarm creativity” a method of working adapted from our six- and eight-legged friends. 

 http://www.swarmcreativity.net/

I would like class members to send me the links to their blogs.  You can do this by email, or you can put the link in a comment to this document.  Either way,  let me know where you’re starting your blog/portfolio. 

Gathering Addresses of Student Blogs

You all seem to have taken to the idea of using a blog as a way to 1) discuss your work in the class, and 2) upload files as evidence of your industriousness.  I have not doubt that the majority of class members are working hard on the project, and that some who aren’t would be if they could figure out what to do. 

At any rate, what I’d like to try in class sometime soon is a best practices workshop, where those who are successful using WordPress can share their techniques and skills with others. 

 There are a few skills I’m seeing:  how to upload and link a file, how to make a menu of links to others’ blogs, how to change the appearance of the blog.  These are the kinds of things we can share. 

Drafts of portfolios are due October 25.  I’m adding addresses to this list:  http://www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/barker/3367/students.htm

My first entry

So this is where I might create notes and other descriptive elements of my portfolio.  I hope I can upload files, too.

Enough for today.   A sample document

TB