Degreeconomics

Chapter: Your Best of Show Portfolio by Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick

Your Best of Show Portfolio-Public Portfolio: Mission, Design, and Format
RACCE College Senior Portfolio Process
Connect-Express

Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick
Copyright 2002

Now on to building your Best of Show Portfolio! This portfolio is used to introduce
you and your accomplishments to perspective stakeholders in your futures. This portfolio is used during interviews for employment, post-graduation internships, graduate school, scholarships,

The Best of Show Portfolio consists of the personalized presentation of the Reflective Portfolio. The personalized presentation should provide the best information for educating others on your talents, skills, and achievements.

RACCE College Senior Portfolio Process Detailed Grid

Instructions for the CONNECT section for your Best of Show Portfolio
R Reflect Reflect: Mapping Your College Learning Self-Assessment Instruments

Reflective Portfolio
A Assess Assess: Conduct continuous assessment

Self-Assessment + Faculty Assessment+ Peer Assessment+ Stakeholder Assessment Reflective Portfolio
C Collect Collect Evidence of Your Learning

Reflective Portfolio
C Connect Connect Your Learning: Develop the Mission, Design, and Format
Portfolio to tell your College Graduate as Citizen Leader Story

Mission: What is the purpose of the portfolio?
• Employment
• Graduate School
• Internship
• Scholarship
• Entrepreneur

Design: Will the reader understand your learning story? What is the best table of contents for your learning story?
• Establish Credibility
• General Skills
• Specific Academic Major Experience

Format: What is the best delivery of your portfolio?
• Paper Portfolio
• Electronic Portfolio
CD/DVD

Design your public portfolio using:

Mapping Your College Learning Self-Assessment Instruments:
1. Workbook Reflection Exercises
2. University/KSU Resources for College Seniors Learning
Spreadsheet
3.General Education Learning Spreadsheet
4. Micro-View of Learning Experience Spreadsheet
5. Macro-View of Learning Experience Spreadsheet
+
Supporting Evidence Files

Format: What is the best delivery of your portfolio?
• Paper Portfolio
• Electronic Portfolio
CD/DVD
Best of Show Portfolio Design your public portfolio using:

Supplies Needed:

Three Ring Binder with plastic insert for Front Cover

Three Ring Plastic Sheet Protectors

Three Ring Tab Dividers

Three Ring Plastic Photo Holders

Three Ring Plastic Disc Holders

Three Ring Plastic CD Holders

CD/DVD to create E-Portfolio

Create files and tabs for:

Section 4: Connect: Best of Show Portfolio

Mission

Design

Format

E Express Present Portfolio to Public Best of Show Portfolio

Connect: Develop the Mission, Design, and Format of Your Best of Show Portfolio

To create your Best of Show Portfolio you must identify the mission of the portfolio,
create the design of the portfolio, and decide on the format of your portfolio:

1. Mission of the Best of Show Portfolio:

• Showcase your learning history
• Establish your credibility
• Present evidence of your skills and expertise
• Present a consistent work ethic
• Connect you successfully too post-university plan: employment, graduate school, and military service, creating a business.
• Use career profile designed for your resume as your career mission

2. Design of the Best of Show Portfolio:

• Create a design that best showcases your credibility, progress, and accomplishments

• The first section of your portfolio should establish your credibility
by including your resume, transcripts, letters of reference

• Create a portfolio that supports your dedication to productive citizenship

• Create the main sections of the portfolio to showcase your main dedication
If your main focus was education, lead with that information
If your main focus was professional work, lead with that information
If your main focus was community service, lead with that information

• Create your portfolio to showcase your goal. Design it for employment, or graduate school, or military service, or starting your own business.

• Consult the Public-Speaking Survival Kit chapter in this workbook for ideas on how to design a persuasive presentation. The same principles used for public speaking are also used for designing your Best of Show Portfolio. To be persuasive, Aristotle suggests we use ethos-credibility, logos-logical evidence, and pathos-emotion. Utilize all three components to make a persuasive portfolio that allows the reader to make the best decision about your learning history.

• Your Best of Show Portfolio should provide the best information about you, therefore, empowering the person reading your portfolio to make the best decision about you.

• Design your portfolio so that it showcases you, without you being present to explain your sections and examples. Have some colleagues read it, ask them what they learned about you. If you agree with them, you have successfully designed a powerful portfolio. If you don’t agree with them, then back to the Best of Show Portfolio Storyboard!
Use a Storyboard to plan your Best of Show or Presentation Portfolio. A Storyboard will help you give order to your story. Start with your mission statement and resume. Have evidence for what your state in your mission statement and on your resume. Provide either a document or a narrative of your work. Provide qualitative and quantitative evidence of your work. Make sure each section of your portfolio is clear, concise, and connected to your mission and resume. Storyboarding is necessary to get a clear picture of your portfolio.

Sample Storyboard for Best of Show Portfolio

Section One:
Credibility Mission of Portfolio
Personal Mission Resume List of References Your Choice Your Choice Your Choice
Section Two:
University Life College Transcripts Description of your Marketable Courses and General and Specific Skills from College Honors and Awards Internships and Coops/Travel
Abroad College Work Samples-
Coursework
Clubs Your Choice Your Choice
Section Three: Professional Experience Career History Military Service Description of General and Specific Skills from Work Work Samples Your Choice Your Choice Your Choice
Section Four:
Technology Experience Formal Training-College Courses and/or ITS and PTD Training Samples of Work Plans for Future Training in Technology Use of CD, DVD, or
E-Portfolio to support technology expertise showcasing your Best of Show Portfolio Your Choice Your Choice Your Choice
Section Five:
Community Experience List of Volunteer
Experiences Samples of Work Leadership Role Your Choice Your Choice Your Choice

While you are storyboarding the design of your Best of Show Portfolio, make sure you clearly connect each section of your portfolio, tell why you are showcasing your material, and keep in mind that the reader of your portfolio should have a concise picture of you by the time they are finished reading your portfolio. This Best of Show Portfolio is about establishing your credibility, providing detailed evidence of your work, and assuring that your will continue to grow and develop as a productive citizen.
Some great advice is to have as many people as possible read and react to your portfolio. Ask people what they learned about you. If their response matches your storyboard plan, then you are all set to present your portfolio. If not, don’t be discouraged. Go back to your storyboard planning until your portfolio honors your learning experiences to your liking.

For assistance in the concise planning of your best of show portfolio, fill out the following Detailed Section Planning Worksheet for each section you plan on including. For example, if you have five sections planned: Credibility, University Life, Professional Experience, Technology Experience, and Community Service Experience, fill out a worksheet for each one. This will help you stay aligned to the mission of your Best of Show Portfolio.

Detailed Section Planning Worksheet for Best of Show Portfolio

Section Title: __________________________________________________________________________

Page Title: ____________________________________________________________________________

Length of Section: ___________________________________________________________________

What Topic is Featured? _______________________________________________________________

What Skill is Featured? ______________________________________________________________

Samples Provided: ___________________________________________________________________

Use of Graphics: _____________________________________________________________________

Does this Clearly Connect to the other Sections? _________________________________________

How does this Support the Mission of the Portfolio? _______________________________________

What is the Expected Learning Outcome for the Reader of the Section? ______________________

Consult the following Website for great information on creating a storyboard:
Creating the Storyboard: http://www.uncc.edu/webcourse/sb/storyboard.htm

3. Format of the Best of Show Portfolio:

• Decide which format style will construct. Do you want a hard copy version?
Do you want an electronic portfolio or CD portfolio? Would you like to design both versions?

• Hard Copy Version of Portfolio: you will need the following supplies
a. Three Ring Binder
b. Three Ring Plastic Sheet Protectors
c. Three Ring Tab Dividers
d. Three Ring Plastic Photo Holders
e. Three Ring Plastic Disc Holders
f. Three Ring Plastic CD Holders

For a great selection of binders, binder accessories, and presentation supplies consult the following Websites:

Staples: www.staples.com
Office Depot: www.officedepot.com
Kinko’s: www.kinkos.com

• Electronic Portfolio or CD Portfolio: you will need the following supplies
a. Computer
b. Scanner
c. Digital Camera
d. CD/DVD/Disc/Zip Disc/USB
e. Microsoft Office PowerPoint: Use for the CD Format and the Paper Format of your Best of Show Portfolio. This program will allow you to make hyper links on your CD to the Web and your files. Your PowerPoint Slides can be come your paper sections of your portfolio. For more information consult the Microsoft Office support site Using PowerPoint:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint/using/default.asp

f. Web authoring programs enable you to design an electronic portfolio with more graphic capabilities. Check out the following web authoring programs:
Microsoft Office FrontPage:

http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/using/default.htm

Macromedia Dreamweaver MX:

http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/

Adobe Photoshop:

http://www.adobe.com/main.html

Consult your technology services on your campus; most universities have a resource you can use to develop your electronic portfolio and/or CD portfolio. Also, many of these technology centers offer training and certification in Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Adobe Acrobat, etc. You can add your new technology training certificates to your portfolio, if your want some more continuing education.

According to Emily Springfield, author of the chapter Comparing Electronic and Paper Portfolios, from the text Electronic Portfolios: Emerging Practices in Student, Faculty, and Institutional Learning (p. 77):

Advantages of the Electronic Portfolio:
1. Easy storage and retrieval of information
2. The development of students’ technology skills

Disadvantages of the Electronic Portfolio:
1. Time needed to master the software
2. Compatibility of the audience’s computer
3. Privacy

Because of the privacy issue is a disadvantage of the electronic portfolio, creating a CD/DVD of your Best of Show Portfolio is sometimes preferable. However, if your Electronic Portfolio is on a privacy-safe Website, then the security of your information is not a problem.

For resources on electronic portfolios and CD portfolios consult the following Websites:

Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick – Building Your College Portfolio

http://ksumail.kennesaw.edu/~jdominic/

Developing an E-Portfolio: M. Leigh Funk, Co-Director of Ed Tech -Center Kennesaw State University:

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/eportfoliocourse/eportfolio.htm

Building Your College Portfolio: KSU Senior and Freshman Experience
M. Leigh Funk and Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/eportfoliocourse/ksu4401/collegeportfolioclass_files/frame.htm

How to Create an Electronic Portfolio: http://www.essdack.org/port/how.html

Dr. Helen Barrett-University of Alaska-Electronic Portfolio:

http://transition.alaska.edu/www.portfolios.html

Dr. Helen Barrett-University of Alaska- How to Design an Electronic Portfolio:

http://transition.alaska.edu/www/portfolios/howto/

Dr. Helen Barrett’s Portfolio Bookmark – Higher Education:

http://transition.alaska.edu/www.portfolios/bookmarks.html

Dr. Helen Barrett’s Electronic Portfolio Homepage

http://electronicportfolios.com

American Association of Higher Education- Portfolio Database:
www.aahe.org/teaching/portfolio_db.htm

American Association of Higher Education – Electronic Portfolio

http://aahe.ital.utexas.edu/electronicportfolios/index.html

Electronic Portfolio Evaluation Form – Prentice Hall Professional Development

http://www.phschool.com/professional_development/assessment/rub_electronic_portfolio.c

This portfolio best displays your accomplishments and future potential as a College Graduate and Productive Citizen. This portfolio contains the following basic sections, however, it will be custom designed to best showcase your learning history and connect with your future goals.

Use a Storyboard to assist you in the best design to present your talents, skills, and achievements.

A storyboard worksheet is provided in the assignment section of this chapter.

An accompanying disc is provided to work on your Customized Best of Show Portfolio – this is used for a Three-Ring Binder Portfolio or for producing a CD Portfolio.

A basic Best of Show Portfolio example contains:

• Section One: Credibility
Resume + Letters of Reference and/or References+ Certificates and Awards

• Section Two: University Life
College Transcript + Top Marketable Courses taken with work samples +
Mapping College Learning Experience + Specific Marketable Skills of Academic Major + General Marketable Skills Cited by Employers + Organizations +
Volunteer Work + Leadership Roles + Communication Skills

• Section Three: Professional Experience
List of Jobs + Work Samples or Narrative Samples + General Marketable Skills (Communication Skills, Written Skills, Decision-Making Skills, Group Skills, Quantitative Skills, Leadership Skills, Technology Skills) + Specific Marketable Skills (Academic Major and Professional Experience) + Military Service + Internships/Coops

• Section Four: Technology Experience
Training Certificates (ITS and/or PTD) + College Courses + Samples

• Section Five: Community Service
List of Volunteer Experiences + Samples of Experiences + Leadership Roles +
Communication Skills

Best of Show Portfolio is used for the public presentation of your college learning experience for:

• Career Interviewing
• Graduate School
• Internships/Coops
• College Scholarships
• Employment Reviews
• Entrepreneurial Endeavors

—————————————————————————————————————–

Table of Content Samples: Best of Show Portfolios

As you begin to design your portfolio, keep the mission of the portfolio in mind. The table of contents, which is the index of your portfolio design, should best reflect the mission of your portfolio. For example, if you are seeking a sales position, set up your table of contents to showcase your organization skills, communication skills, motivation skills, previous sales experience, financial finesse, thereby, proving that you will be an excellent sales person for that organization

If you want to go to graduate school, then design the portfolio for graduate school, showcasing your academic excellence and dedication to the academic discipline of study. Keep your portfolio mission in mind, when creating the design and subsequent table of contents when deciding the format which best showcases your accomplishments.

Portfolio Assessment:

Remember the importance of seeking assessment of your Best of Show Portfolio from Faculty and Stakeholders (Career Services, University and Departmental Advisory Board members, University Alumni, and experts in your profession) before your present your work. You will get expert advice, feedback, and assurance that the reader will understand your skills and talents clearly. You want your portfolio help the reader honor and understand your learning history. This helps the potential employer or graduate school make the best and most accurate decisions about your skills, talents and potential.

Set up your portfolio to showcase all your marketable skills, but keep the focus of the mission present in the design of the portfolio. If you are showcasing your academic expertise, then lead with that. If you are showcasing your general skills, then lead with that. If you are showcasing your professional experience, then lead with that. If you are showcasing your educational experience, then lead with that.

Specific Marketable Skills – Academic Major Expertise Expected by Employer, Graduate School, Military Service, and the Public: Listed are the colleges that house most undergraduate majors – list the learning outcomes for your college major –that is what you showcase for your academic major expertise.

• College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science
• College of Engineering
• College of Nursing
• College of Visual Arts

Specific Academic Skills Best of Show Portfolio

If you would like to design your portfolio to feature these skills that are related to your Academic Major Discipline, consider this sample table of contents:

1. Professional Expertise
2. Academic Major Coursework
3. Samples of Coursework
4. Samples of Internships
5. Professional Experience: Discipline Related
6. Professional Experience: General Experience
7. Technology Experience: Discipline Related
8. Community Service: Discipline Related
9. Five-Ten Year Plan

General Marketable Skills – Skills Expertise Expected by Employer, Graduate School, Military Service, and the Public:

• Communication Skills
• Written Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Quantitative Skills
• Technology Skills
• Organizational Skills

General Marketable Skills Best of Show Portfolio

If you would like to design your portfolio featuring the general skills employers are seeking consider this sample table of contents:

1. Professional Credibility
2. Communication Skills
3. Written Skills
4. Critical Thinking Skills
5. Quantitative Skills
6. Technology Skills
7. Community Service Experience
8. Five-Ten Year Plan

————————————————-
Career Focus: Table of Contents
————————————————-
Sample One: Educational Focus Sample Two: Professional Focus
If you want to emphasize your education, If you want to emphasize your
Make that the your second section: professional experience, make
that your second section:

1. Professional Credibility 1. Professional Credibility
2. University Experience 2. Professional Experience
3. Professional Experience 3. University Experience
4. Technology Competencies 4. Community Service
5. Community Service 5. Professional Plans

Sample Three: Educational Focus – Detailed Table of Content

1. Credibility:
a. Resume
b. Diploma
c. Letters of Reference

2. University Experience:
a. Samples of Work
b. Relevant Course Work
c. Honors and Awards
d. Leadership Skills
e. Technology Certificates
f. Community Service
g. Organizations

3. Professional Experience:
a. List of jobs
b. Detailed Description of Skills
c. Leadership Experience
d. Problem-Solving Skills
e. Public Speaking Experience

4. Civic Engagement:
a. Community Improvement Projects
b. Legislative Activities
c. Volunteer Work –Policy Change

5. Five-Year Plan:
a. Plans for Education
b. Plans to Start a Business

Sample Four: General Marketable Skills – What Employers Want

1. Professional Credibility:
a. Resume
b. Letters of Reference
c. College Transcripts

9. Communication Skills:
a. Public Speaking/Public Decision-Making
b. Writing Samples
c. Group Work

10. Leadership Skills:
a. List of Leadership Experiences
b. Supporting Evidence

11. Critical Thinking and Decision-Making Skills:
a. List of Critical Thinking and Decision-Making Experiences
b. Supporting Evidence
c. Problem-Solving
d. Organizational Skills

12. Quantitative Skills:
a. List of Quantitative Experience
b. Supportive Evidence

13. Technology Skills:
a. List of Technology Expertise
b. Supportive Evidence

——————————————————-
Graduate School Focus: Table of Contents
——————————————————-
Sample:

1. Credibility:
• Curriculum Vitae
• Transcript
• Letters of Reference

2. University Experience:
• Major Courses
• Description of Disciple Course
• Research Projects
• Academic Conferences Attended
• Presentations at Conference
• Internships

3. Honors and Awards:
• Scholarship
• Honors Organizations
• Dean’s List

4. Community Service:
• List of Activities
• Description of Work

5. Plans for Graduate Work:
• Goals for Graduate School
• Post-Graduate School

———————————————————
Entrepreneurial Focus: Table of Contents
———————————————————
Sample:

1. Credibility: Resume – Letters of Reference

2. Business Market Plan: Description of Service – Contracts – Cost

3. Professional Experience: List of Jobs – Description of Skills

4. University Experience: Transcripts – Course Descriptions

5. Community Service: Description of Activities – Sponsorship Plans

6. Long Range Business Plans: Estimated Cost and Time

Express: Presenting Your Best of Show Portfolio
Evaluating Your Presentation

Now that you have completed the Connect section of the College Senior Portfolio Process by having the mission, design, and format of your Best of Show Portfolio prepared, it is time to go public with your learning story. Let’s look at how to Express your learning story by learning how to plan your presentation, practice your presentation, thank your audience, and evaluate your presentation.

RACCE College Senior Portfolio Process
Instructions for the EXPESS section of your Best of Show Portfolio
R Reflect Mapping Your College Learning Self-Assessment Instruments Reflective Portfolio
A Assess Self-Assess + Faculty Assess+ Peer Assess+ Stakeholder Assess Reflective Portfolio
C Collect Collect Evidence of Your Learning
Set up a Reflective Portfolio File Reflective Portfolio
C Connect Connect Your Learning: Develop the Mission, Design, and Format
Portfolio to tell your College Graduate as Citizen Leader Story
Best of Show Portfolio

E Express Express Your Learning Story:
Present Best of Show Portfolio to Public for Career Search, Graduate School, Entrepreneurial Endeavors, and Community Service +
Evaluate Your Presentation

• Plan Your Presentation
• Practice Your Presentation
• Thank Your Audience
• Evaluate Your Presentation Best of Show Portfolio

Consult workbook chapter:

2.5 Public Speaking Survival Kit

3.7 The Interview as Sales Pitch and Thank You Letters

Create file and tab for:

Section Five: Express:
Best of Show Portfolio Presentation

How to your prepare to present your Best of Show Portfolio? For following four steps are critical for the your successful presentation of your portfolio:

• Plan Your Presentation: Have A Clear Purpose + Analyze Your Audience
• Practice Your Presentation: Practice Your Presentation Several Times +
Practice in Front of a Colleague + Get Feedback
• Thank Your Audience: Thank Your Listener + Send a Thank Your Letter +
Ask Your Listener for Feedback
• Evaluate Your Presentation: Evaluate Your Own Presentation + Keep a Diary
Of Your Evaluations + Continue to Develop

To better prepare, consult chapter 2.5 Public-Speaking Survival Kit on designing a persuasive presentation. The same principles used for public speaking are also used for designing your Best of Show Portfolio. To be persuasive, Aristotle suggests we use ethos-credibility, logos-logical evidence, and pathos-emotion. Utilize all three components to make a persuasive portfolio that allows the reader to make the best decision about your learning history.
Consult chapter 3.7 The Interview as a Sales Pitch and Thank You Letters for advice on interview strategies that will assist you while presenting your Best of Show Portfolio. Following your interview, thank you audience for their time with a thank you letter. You should solicit feedback from your audience regarding how you interviewed and how the Best of Show Portfolio was perceived. Soliciting feedback will help you develop as a presenter and ensure that you are getting the results from your Best of Show Portfolio, which are telling your learning story, identifying your future learning plans, and giving audience enough information to make the best decision about you.

Suggested Reading:

Electronic Portfolios: Emerging Practices in Student, Faculty, and Institutional Learning. Barbara L. Cambridge, Volume Editor and Susan Kahn, Daniel P. Tompkins, and Kathleen Blake Yancey, Section Editors. (2001). American Association of Higher Education: Washington, D.C.

Creating Your Career Portfolio: At A Glance for Students. Anna Graf Williams and Karen J. Hall. (2001). Second edition. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River: New Jersey
________________________________________________________________________

Concluding assignment:

• General Portfolio Overview: Use the following Best of Show Portfolio: Section Storyboard Worksheet for drafting of your mission, design, and format of the Best of Show Portfolio.

• Specific Portfolio Focus: For a detailed development of each page of your portfolio, fill out a Storyboard: Portfolio Section and/or Page Content Worksheet. This helps you to carefully plan, analyze and connect your mission, design, and format choice for your Best of Show Portfolio.

• Building Your College E-Portfolio: Use the paper version of the online slide show for building your college e-portfolio by M. Leigh Funk and Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick. This worksheet will work you through the process of deciding on the mission, developing the design, and creating the format of your Best of Show Portfolio. Use the space provided to help you make decisions on creating your e-portfolio. To work this material online, consult:
Building Your College Portfolio: KSU Senior and Freshman Experience
M. Leigh Funk and Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/eportfoliocourse/ksu4401/collegeportfolioclass_files/frame.htm

• Portfolio Checklist: For a final check of what should be included in your Best of Show Portfolio, use the following document contributed by Dick Grover, Associate Professor of University Studies, Director of the Service Learning Program, at Kennesaw State University.

Best of Show Portfolio Section Storyboard Worksheet

Sample Format: Section One: Credibility –Resume-Transcript-Letters of Reference
Section Two: University Life – Course Descriptions-Work Samples
Section Three: Professional Experience –List of Jobs-Work Samples
Section Four: Community Service/Civic Involvement-Work Samples
Section Five: Life Plan-5 Year Goals-10 Year Goals-Steps to Start

Section One: Credibility-Resume-Transcript-Letters of Reference

Section Two: (Here Select the Topics – Let Your Career Mission Drive the Design)

Section Three:

Section Four:

Section Five:

Detailed Section Planning Worksheet for Best of Show Portfolio
Instructions: Fill out one Detailed Section Planning Worksheet for each Section you are planning to use in your Best of Show Portfolio

Section Title: __________________________________________________________________________

Page Title: ____________________________________________________________________________

Length of Section: ___________________________________________________________________

What Topic is Featured? _______________________________________________________________

What Skill is Featured? ______________________________________________________________

Samples Provided: ___________________________________________________________________

Use of Graphics: _____________________________________________________________________

Does this Clearly Connect to the other Sections? _________________________________________

How does this Support the Mission of the Portfolio? _______________________________________

What is the Expected Learning Outcome for the Reader of the Section? ______________________

Joan E. Leichter Dominick, Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved

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