| I never claimed to be the most technologically
savvy person and I never, ever thought that I could build my own website. When
I found out that I had to create an electronic portfolio to fulfill the
requirements of the PhD program, I immediately began to think of who I could
pay to design my website. I would provide the content, of course, but I did not
think that I would have to actually create the design. Nonetheless, I enrolled
in this course but I feared the absolute worst. Throughout the course, however,
I overcame my fear of web design. I learned that a website did not have to have
a complicated design and amazing graphics to be effective, I learned that it
simply needed to be legible, well-formatted (e.g., alignment, contrast,
repetition), and easy to navigate. Learning the tools of web design was important to me because I understand that it is necessary to be able to present my work and my reflections in a format that could be easily shared throughout the various “communities” that would be interested in seeing it. In my master’s program we had to build a portfolio, but I did mine the old-fashioned way—in a binder with tabs. When I reflect on this type of portfolio, I realized its many limitations: (1) only one person could review it at a time; (2) if I were interested in international positions, it could not be sent abroad without major timing considerations; (3) it could not easily be revised without tampering with or reorganizing subsequent pages; and (4) it could not be left with a prospective employer without the fear of losing it. Having a portfolio in electronic format overcomes all of these limitations and provides a way to share my knowledge and experiences easily with my peers, colleagues and prospective employers. Now that I have the basics of web design, I will keep practicing those techniques as I continue building my portfolio. I will also strive to find better ways to present the content of the portfolio and will continue to make revisions to better suit my needs. I also realize that I am now open to the possibilities that technology provides in teaching and earning in general, and I can begin to learn about and apply these techniques throughout the remainder of the program and in my career. |