Once you have the eportfolio started and ready to go, it’s time to make it your own. Because this WordPress eportfolio system grew out of a blogging tool, items in your eportfolio are called “posts.” That’s OK, though, because a post can be almost anything you want it to be. It can be an artifact (more about that below). It can be a random thought or reflection. It can be an extensive essay. A post can even be just a picture, or just a momentary thought.
The key to making your posts work as eportfolio items is categories. Every post in WordPress can have a category, or multiple categories, and of course you can change or add or delete categories from any post at any time. This makes it easy to think of your content in different ways. The same post can be a reflection and creative writing. It can be a video and also evidence of scientific literacy. The strength of this system is that you don’t have to pre-determine what each artifact or reflection means. You can just add it and then think (and re-think) about how it fits with other pieces, and what it shows about your learning.
So how do you just add it? When you’re logged in to your eportfolio’s “dashboard” (you’ll get there by using the login link on your eportfolio’s front page, or if you don’t see it, just go to http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/your-eportfolio-name/wp-admin ), simply click on the “Write” item on the top menu, and then write a post. You can use the text entry window just like writing an email or other kind of online post, or you can write your text in your word processor and paste it in.
Of course, you’re going to want to attach your artifacts, your own work, to these posts. That’s simple, too. Under the text entry window in WordPress, you have an “Upload” area, where you can upload your files–files of all kinds. Just use the “Add Media” button on the top of the window where you write a new post. You have a 10 MB total storage limit–which isn’t much–but the better way to include your work is to link to it. You can use Google Docs for Powerpoints, spreadsheets, and Word documents. You can use flickr or Picasa for photos and other kinds of images. You can use YouTube for video and Odeo Studio for audio. The options are wide, all free of charge, and growing all the time. Of course, if you have your own ftp account to another server, that’s fine, too.
For instructions on how to do any of this, see your friendly neighborhood Instructional Technology Fellow!
