Thursday, April 22, 2010
E-Portfolio Presentations
Well done! I was speechless at some of the beautiful portfolios presented in class. (And, for a speech communication instructor to be speechless in a speech class is saying a lot!) The audience adaptation shown in these portfolios was very strong. Beautiful jobs in balancing presentation and creativity of appearance Please self critique to your presentation based on the feedback received from class. What kinds of things were communicately correctly? Effectively? What kinds of improvements need to be made? What would you do differently? What kinds of things do you plan on adding in the future?
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I enjoyed completing this project and I feel it will be very useful in the future. I thought I did a good job organizing my Virtual Portfolio and including the necessary information. The layout I chose was easy to read and not distracting to the viewer.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few changes that needed to be made to my blog. The first was to remove my cover letter document and place it in the "Letter of Intent" section. Before, when I had both, it was too confusing and my specific purpose for creating the blog was not clear. Another change I made was to remove the dates from my blog posts. If I apply for a job in six months, the blog will look outdated. However, now there are no indications of when I created it. Finally, I felt as if I did not fully communicate the type of internship position I was looking for. The reason this was not clear is because I am still trying to figure out my future. Once I decide which specific program or job opportunity I want to apply for, I will make my objective and Letter of Intent clearer.
I am going to maintain my portfolio in the future. I worked very hard to create it and I will add to it in the future. Once I have more career experience, I will begin to remove my academic work and replace it with business work. I will also change my resume and place my work experiences first.
Overall, I thought creating this blog was a pleasant experience. Although I was slightly intimidated when I heard that we would have to learn how to make our own, I found Blogger to be a relatively easy site to navigate and make adjustments to. I think that by completing a little bit of my blog at a time, I was able to think clearly about what I wanted to include.
ReplyDeleteI think my biggest strength when creating and presenting my blog was audience adaptation. I made sure that everything I included and said verbally related to skills I would need as a future PR working professional. That way, I was able to expose my wide range of skills I have learned here at TCNJ.
There are some things I would change. First, I think that shortening my letter of intent would be effective, as it is currently a big lengthy. Also, I think it would be effective to include a slideshow of a workshop I have presented for LDP, because it will show that I have the capability to present both academic and non-academic information to people. I think I also should have slowed down when presenting—I felt that I had a lot of information to cover, but could have slowed down.
I definitely plan on adding and updating my blog while attending Newhouse School of Public Communication this coming year. Not only will it allow me to showcase my work, but it will also help me stand out as a future candidate in the professional world.
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ReplyDeleteI am very proud of my e-portfolio and honestly I was not expecting to be. It has allowed me to expand on things that my resume is not able to highlight. I feel like my ambitiousness and overall experiences were well presented. I am very proud of my volunteer work and I made use of this portfolio to go into depth with what I have done.
ReplyDeleteI understand that my picture is a little young. I wanted to be able to show that I am a happy person, but it should not be my initial photo. I just need to take a more professional picture because I do not have one that was suitable for the blog. I also think that there needs to be more of a direct focus. I was torn between making this for potential grad schools or for potential employers and now that I know I will be entering the working world before going to grad school and I need to make that clearer.
Along with making a stronger focus in my portfolio, I will soon be making new posts that reflect this focus better. I want to add a post specifically about growing up around Atlantic City and how that will give me an advantage while applying for jobs. Also, I want to add posts that highlight my event planning experience. I do have a lot throughout college so I need to really allow that to stand out as important and significant.
Along with some improvements, I am really happy with the assignment. Presenting it in class was easier than most of the other speeches. The portfolio allowed me to be confident in myself and I hope that it will help to show employers that I am a good candidate for their company.
When I first learned that we were going to have to create this E portfolio a feeling of trepidation came over me. I was apprehensive about this assignment because I am so anti blogs and technology to an extent. I did not want to post any information about me or my writings. As I begin to create it and edit my videos, however I started to actually enjoyed it. I think I did quite well for someone who is unfamiliar with the blogging websites and constructing my own. I included all of the necessary information, had usable links, and had postings of material outside of academia. To make my layout stronger I should have rearranged some of the information to give it more of a professional look. The issue with doing so was because I am a performer so I did not want the portfolio to look like it was geared only toward the corporate world.
ReplyDeletePresenting this speech was somewhat weird because all of the information was about me. This speech made me a lot more vulnerable that the previous speeches. In the future I plan to improve my layout, add more poems and academic writings, as well as more experience.
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ReplyDeleteI realized that part of my previous post was cut off so I have re-posted it below.
ReplyDeleteI am pleased with how my blog turned out and I think the presentation went well. I put a lot of time and detail into my portfolio and I am glad the class was receptive to my efforts. One of my goals of the blog was to present a comprehensive look at my skills and experiences and I believe this was communicated correctly. I feel that I had an equal representation of each category (academics, work experience, volunteer experience etc) and that this helped portray me as a well rounded and competent individual.
Based on in class critique I realized I should have had a more concrete purpose for my portfolio. Though at this point in my life I am not searching for any jobs or internships when I am I should redo my portfolio to be very focused. I liked that many of the other students in the class tried to approach the internship they wanted from many different angles and that is certainly something I will strive for when I re-focus my blog. By identifying a purpose I will be able to engage in more effective audience adaptation.
As for my presentation I had no problem talking about the portfolio or my goals for why I included certain aspects, but I know my delivery could have been better. I should have come out from behind the computer and had better posture. This is something I have struggled with throughout the class and something I will continue to work on in the future. For the future I will also continue to update my blog and keep it current both academically and professionally so that when I do pursue specific jobs it will be an accurate and comprehensive display of my skills.
I thought my presentation of my blog went okay, but unfortunately, there are still improvements that need to be made regarding my public speaking. In the beginning I did not have good voice control and my voice was shaky. However, whereas in the beginning of the semester I would have continued to be nervous the entire rest of the speech, I think that I gained control of my voice and finished out the rest of my speech with more confidence. Secondly, I should not have stood so much behind the computer, and I should have come out and connected with the audience more. I did not even realize I was doing it the whole time because I was just concentrating on going through my blog to present it to the class, but I need to learn to be more aware of my surroundings during a presentation and not so totally cut off from my audience. Finally, I know I used a lot of filler words in between trying to gather my thoughts, which I recognize was because it was an impromptu speech, so that is going to have to be something I practice in the future when I need to go on interviews and during unprepared conversations with people. On a more positive note, I think I was a lot more comfortable with this speech than even the previous impromptu speech (even though that one was only 2 minutes long) so I think I am showing improvement with my comfort level and recognizing that I do not need to get every word correct or memorize an exact speech. That has been my problem the whole semester, and I think I am finally learning the importance of that.
ReplyDeleteOverall I was really proud of how my virtual portfolio turned out. It was unfortunate that my links did not work since I checked them over and over to make sure they did, but obviously they were going to work for me since I was logged in to my own name. I created my blog for the purpose of finding an event planning internship, and I think I did a good job at including information about myself, my qualifications, and academic work geared towards this this objective. I worked hard at including information that covered the many different spectrums of event planning that could make me marketable to an employer, such as my knowledge about communication, marketing, management, graphic design, and event planning itself. Going into my senior year, I have always personally thought that my resume was not that impressive regarding my experiences with event planning (as I have just recently decided I wanted to do it in the first place) so I took full advantage of this opportunity to incorporate as many of my academic works and explanations of my work experiences that could show employers why I am a good candidate for their company.
In the future I will have to add more about my event planning internships that I accumulate over time, for when I eventually use this blog to find a career. I look forward to continue updating it and using it as an extension of my resume.
I felt like I did a good job creating and presenting my virtual portfolio. I had a clear focus toward getting a job in a pharmacy and I think my entire blog was centered around that goal. I really enjoyed this project and I worked on it a little bit each day, which ensured that all of my blog posts were well-written and professional. The Presentations and Written Work sections were very useful because they allowed me to showcase assignments from many different classes. I was able to show lab reports that are a necessary part of science education, but I was also able to show that I can write essays for history classes and even compositions in a second language, which are very important transferable skills to have.
ReplyDeleteI also thought the layout and color scheme I chose was neutral and professional, and I liked the way the red font made the links stand out.
The only thing I would change about the actual postings would be to put my high school internship experience in a separate post. I initially included it with the high school background because it happened 4 years ago, but it is still relevant to my future profession so I should have showcased that experience in a separate post.
Regarding the presentation, I think I should have started with an attention getter and explained why I chose the quote at the top. I also could have come out from behind the computer a bit more and made more direct eye contact. I know I still talk with my hands and say "um", but I think these aspects of my presentation have gotten much better since the first speech. I am now much more aware of my body language and non-verbal cues when I present.
In the future I would like to continue adding samples of my work, since I will be continuing my education for 4 more years. I would also update any new work experience or internships to the blog. Overall, this assignment was very helpful and I hope to continue using it in the future as I pursue my career goals.
I really enjoyed doing this e-portfolio. Even though it took a long time to figure out how to work Blogger.com and to create all of the individual wall posts, the e-portfolio is something that can really make you stand out to a prospective employer.
ReplyDeleteAs for my presentation, I thought it went alright. I think I was too concentrated on the actual e-portfolio itself and not so much with the presentation. If I had it all to do over again, I would have spent more time rehearsing my speech. Prof. McManimon said that I used a lot of 'ums' while I was talking - something I didn't even realize and something that I don't normally do a lot. I think that it must have been because I wasn't as prepared to speak as usual.
Nevertheless, I think that my e-portfolio was effective in communicating my professional desires and my strengths. I really took a long time to figure out how to make and how to post that interactive Welcome Video and the class really seemed to respond to it. I did have some technical difficulties with showing the video, however, and I didn't really grasp the whole Google Docs thing. I did, however, go back and fix all of the minor glitches with the video and the posts. The blog is now fully functional.
The main purpose for the e-portfolio at this point is for law schools to see a different side of me. In the future, however, I hope to be able to use this medium as a way to reach out to law firms, judges, or really any employer that I might hope to work with. Eventually I will have to change my picture and possibly the overall format of the blog in order to appear more professional but for the time being I think it suits me nicely.
I really enjoyed this project because we got to showcase a lot of our skills that would not have showed up in a resume. I thought I showcased my skills really well through my academic work and even more own work experiences. I tried to emphasis my interpersonal skills and also how I am a very organized person. I also thought I had a nice picture that showed I am a professional person and it was appropriate for potential employers to see. I wanted to also show the different side of me, which is why I added my favorite links on the side bar. It did emphasis that I am into sports because I have a football website from my favorite team there. I also wanted to show the importance children play in my life. In one of my blog posts I said I was an education major, but it doesn't mean I'm not interested in working with children in the future.
ReplyDeleteI should have made my blog to be directed just at getting at internship instead of an internship and a job. At first I thought putting both would be a good idea, however Professor said that I should focus on one. It makes sense because I am only a junior so I would be looking for an internship for the summer instead of a professional job. Once I graduate next year, I will be changing it back to just looking for a job. I also need to go back and fix my googledocs. I need to publish them to a website so people can see them without signing into my account. I have re checked this after signing out and it had worked.
Overall, I am happy with my portfolio. I am going to continue adding academic work to it and keep updating it with other events in my life. I also want to add a section of pictures of me working with younger children to give everyone a better understanding of me in that aspect.
This project turned out to be a really great experience for me, and I've already given out a resume with the address attached! The thing I was most nervous about was that my academic successes and examples would not fit in with my acting experience, but I thought I outlined it as good as I could. I thought I showcased enough of my personality without it being overwhelming and really focused on the things that could make me stand out.
ReplyDeleteIf I had anything to do differently, I would keep my favorite sites to ones that pertain to me and my interests and I would also add a section for charity work as that has been a huge part of my life. I also need to fix my slideshow a little more and maybe spruce up my introductory statement. I look forward to building this and keeping it up!
I really enjoyed making this virtual portfolio and I think that it will really add to my resume and helping me find a job. I definitely think that I am someone that has a lot more to offer than just the things that are written on my resume. By showcasing my related courses, academic writing samples, and activities, I will be able to show prospective employers more about myself as well as my personality.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that I would first like to change about my blog would be the color scheme. It seems that when transferred from a computer to a larger screen the color becomes distorted and looks pink. This can come off as unprofessional, so I would like to go with more neutral tones. As of right now, I am looking for a full time position, but when I figure out more specifically the kind of finance I want to go into, I would like to update that and show the viewer my new intent.
In the future I would definitely like to continue to update my blog since I already have so much of it started. I would like to add more sections that possibly showcase more of my experiences as well as my written work. Another thing I would like to add in the future is a video welcome. The few that I have seen, seemed to be very effective, and it is just another way to show you as an individual rather than a name on a piece of paper.
As far as the presentation went, I think that I did a good job speaking in front of the class. I tried to keep a conversational tone, as well as not using as many hand gestures that I normally do. Overall, this was a great experience, and I really enjoyed creating this blog as well as presenting it to the class.
I did enjoy making the e-portfolio. At first, I thought it was going to be something that would stress me out. After I started working on it, I realize that it actually IS just like a virtual resume. I will try to get better pictures to explain what working at the Morris County Prosecutor's Office actually entails. I hope to use this blog in the future for potential employers. I think the way I have it set up is in a good order, and the background seems professional. I wish that I had more writing samples to post there, but hopefully the employers like the one that is there.
ReplyDeleteFor the presentation itself, I think that I did a good job. I remained calm, and the information was easy to present because it was about me, not some other topic. I spoke slowly and used my hands when necessary, but for the most part they were down at my side.
I surprisingly enjoyed making the e-portfolio. During the beginning I was very overwhelmed with all of the work that needed to be done, however upon siting down to do it found the process very rewarding. I need to go back however and make sure that I have more of a central goal for my page whether is be an internship or a job. Also, I need to work on my biography for it does not go into enough detail about my life and the many things that I have done. As for the order and content on the page, I feel like I did a good job and it is easy to read and allows a potential employer the opportunity to get to know me as a person.
ReplyDeleteAs for the presentation itself, I think I did a good job in preparing, yet once again got overwhelmed while in front of the audience. I need to remember that I know my stuff and to not try and go faster than I am comfortable going. I do however think that I touched on many good points and was able to get the messages about my page across to my audience, yet overall I am capable of doing a better job.