When I first stared reading Helen Barrett's article, "Create your own portfolio" I found it unclear and difficult to follow. After rereading it, I decided that it provided useful information. One part of it that I liked is that it is connects with the discussion board I took part in on "Tapped In". During my "Tapped In" session, the person presenting discussed the ADDIE approach to technology, Assess, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate. Barrett uses the same approach to describe how to create multimedia projects. I also appreciate how she described different types of software that can be used to create an electronic portfolio and for which type of audience and users this is appropriate. As someone unfamiliar with creating electronic portfolios, this provided me with an idea of how to start.
I do wish there was background information about electronic portfolios in this article. I do not know a lot about them and would like to know more. I also found the tables regarding the stages of portfolios to be confusing. This might be as result of not knowing much about electronic portfolios.
I believe that portfolios are important for showing individual growth during the school year. They provide students with a foundation of evaluating their growth and can be shared with parents as well. The idea of electronic portfolios seem great. Obviously writing samples can be included, but I need to read more about the topic to determine ways to include other work samples.