Final Reflection

 

My Accounting I professor had asked me to develop an ePortfolio back in May of 2006; that was the first time I created an ePortfolio. When I first heard the word “ePortfolio” I didn’t know what it was, then my professor explained it was similar to making a web site. I was excited when I heard that because I always wanted to make a web site but I just didn’t know what to make a web site about.

The reason we had to develop an electronic portfolio was to broaden our technological skills and neatly lay out what we’ve learned in class. I think the reason this portfolio had to be electronic was because lately everything is done using computers, and also it’s neater. If everything was done on paper you would risk losing some pages or disorganization. By uploading everything onto blackboard, your documents are secure and everything is nice and organized. An electronic portfolio has more advantages than a paper portfolio.

Overall this scholar’s ePortfolio was medium in difficulty; the hardest part was probably writing the “about me” essay. I wanted to include all of the elements required in the ePortfolio writing guide while trying to keep it short. I don’t think I succeeded in making it short but I did succeed in answering all of the about me questions.

When creating this portfolio I started off by making the banner and template. Making a banner and template is usually the most fun part of making an ePortfolio. Originally I had a blue banner with an animated gif and the background was completely white. After a month I decided to change it because I knew I could do better graphics than that. I used Adobe Photoshop 7 to make the current banner and Macromedia Dreamweaver to make the template. Making the form for the “contact me” page was surprisingly easier than I thought. I never knew how to make forms until I tried it with Dreamweaver. This template did go through a few changes because the font was probably too small for the audience so I changed it from 10pt to 13pt. I wanted to make this portfolio look as professional and enjoyable to the audience as possible. Putting the assignments and content in was pretty easy because most of my work was based on my accounting portfolio. I did end up having to write a lot of essays, but it was beneficial since I was able to improve my writing skills.

This whole ePortfolio experience was a learning experience. I learned to stick with deadlines, organize my work, how to use Macromedia Dreamweaver, how to make an image map, and how to make a web form. I think this ePortfolio required plenty of dedication and hard work. I started this portfolio in October and completed it near the ending of November. I learned that hard work and dedication can make anything happen if you wanted it to. I didn’t think I would be able to complete this portfolio in time but I proved myself wrong.

For anyone starting an ePortfolio I would advise them to just have fun with it. In my opinion making an ePortfolio is much more fun than writing a research paper. This portfolio is beneficial in many ways. In my CEP121 class I had to do a mock interview; since I don’t have much work experience I showed the interviewer my ePortfolio and it made up for everything. So another piece of advice I would give to students creating a portfolio is to make it professional so you can use it for job interviews.

Honestly I enjoyed creating this ePortfolio; it has helped me in many ways and I’m very pleased with the results. Hopefully the judges will like my portfolio as much as I do.

 

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