Creating Your myeFolio Site

"How long will this take?"  or,

"Can I get this done in time?"

Referring to the completion of one's eFolio and often associated with a course or program requirement, it's not surprising that our support team frequently hears these questions from students as the closing weeks of a semester are approaching. If you've been asking these questions, we have good news for you.

The first part of our answer is "Yes!" The second part is "Get started today!"

During the first week of May we will disrupt our bi-weekly blog pattern by posting a new topic each day. If you're a student, asking similar questions, these are designed to jump-start your work. Follow along. (FYI: Local course requirements will ultimately impact your choices.)

Where do you begin? What comes first?

• For some, determining the look or structure of the site makes it easier to choose content.
• For others, knowing what they plan to post in the site determines the look and structure. 

Let's think of beginning your first eFolio site (your learning, your experience, your story) as being similar to assembling a jigsaw puzzle without the box cover. Don't panic...you've got this!

The starting point and primary subject of today's post is the site page tree. Sometimes referred to as site navigation, determining the page tree helps you to frame up your site structure. Thinking back to the jigsaw puzzle concept, this would be similar to finding the edge pieces as a strategy for assembling the puzzle's border.

Pages are the sections of your eFolio site where you will post your content. The page tree establishes the clickable links (navigation) used by viewers to browse your content.

Each new myeFolio account provides six pages as a page tree for the initial site. (Refer to the image at the left.) You can manage the page tree by changing page labels, adjusting the page sequence, deleting all of the pages (except "Home") or adding more pages. The choice is yours!

• You own the site -- as you adjust the page tree labels and sequence, make it work for you. 
• In some cases your instructor will identify specific pages you should include.
• Unique sign-up codes often align page tree settings to match program expectations.

Once your "page tree" is established, it serves as your initial site plan. That frees you up to turn your focus toward selecting the items you will post on each page. If you've already identified much of the content you plan to add to your site, answer the following question as a page tree cross-check:

"Will your pages accurately point viewers to the content you have in mind?"

As you can see, establishing the page tree is important preparation as you create your site. For example, the initial page tree does not address work experience...if you have already logged significant employment, you'll want to add a page to share that part of your story.

• If you're just beginning to create your eFolio for coursework requirements, and the completion deadline is not staring you in the face, you'll enjoy the process much more.
• If it's 15 days until the end of the semester and you have not yet started, you'll need to "get at it" but we believe it is possible for you to meet the deadline.

Take Action: Assuming you have signed up for your myeFolio account, your first task is to accept or revise your page tree. Remember, you're not locked in. You can change or add more pages as your site develops. Step-by-Step help is available online at Maintain Site Pages.

Tip: Consider setting the status of your site to "private" while you are in the early stages of developing it. That way you're the only person who can preview it online.

Think Ahead: Use your page tree as a guide to start thinking about what items you want to put on each page.

Next Step: Collect your content. This rarely happens all at once but in our next post we'll share some helpful starting points.

Need assistance?

• Use the reference guides and tutorials posted at the myeFolio Resources section. 
• Check out the answers we've posted to Frequently Asked Questions. 
• Contact the myeFolio Help Desk for technical questions you cannot resolve on your own.

Backward Design

         ...or, Begin with the End in View!

In 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech titled, “What is Your Life’s Blueprint,” where he challenged a group of students to reflect on how they lived their lives and recommended that they develop a blueprint, or action plan for their legacy.

In today's post, we'll adapt Dr. King's challenge and refer to it as "portfolio blueprinting!"

Just as building a home today begins with a blueprint and a site plan, you'll need a starting point for your electronic portfolio (eP). The blueprint tells the builder to construct a structure with a particular size and shape, with specific infrastructure features, that will suit the needs of its future owners.

Similarly, to fit your needs and personal specifications, we encourage you to use the following questions as you think about the blueprint for the eP site you will construct using myeFolio!

Why are you building it?	...	purpose
Who is is for?	...	audience
What do you want it to look like?	...	pages, site design, resource links
Where will you add your personality?	...	content, narrative, reflections
How will you share it?	...	online, embedded, by QR code, social media or RSS
When will it be finished?	...	update it over time...perhaps as long as you live!

Have you traveled in areas of your country where early settlers built a one-room shelter and "added on" over time? If so, you may have noticed a somewhat haphazard appearance to the structure. In earlier generations, that often resulted out of the realities of their life.

As you develop your eP plan...anticipate that you will add new sections later. Who you are today will grow or change as you live through the experiences of learning, work and personal accomplishment.

Your portfolio should morph, improve and grow over time...using everything you've already added, but without expensive change orders or contractors!  We anticipate that you will add more pages, move content around, and re-purpose your key message over time. The re-usable content approach adopted by myeFolio means that the total appearance of your site can always look like it fits together.

In the next post we'll explore specific methods to help you do this. In the meantime, explore myeFolio sites created by others, think about what you like or not, and take some time to frame out your plan.

Be as specific as you can be but don't worry if you have some gaps. That's where constructing an eP differs from building a house! Accept the reality that a myeFolio site will come together over time...as necessary.

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NOTE: If you need a site, sign up for your personal myeFolio account and begin to explore the possibilities. Because changing the appearance of your site is never difficult, you will not be creating anything that you'll have to keep forever!

Welcome!

The myeFolio blog is intended to provide a place where you can discover beginning and advanced user techniques as well as be informed about significant additions to the myeFolio product. Our hope is that you will apply these to your sites and inspire others to do the same.

Internationally, the community of ePortfolio practice is dedicated to the impact of experiences in learning (both formal and informal). The ePortfolio is often defined as an online site where you add context to your content postings, reflect on their value and have the opportunity to share it with others via the Internet and, if you wish, through social media.

If you value self-expression, myeFolio provides both functionality and techniques for your use at whatever Web/technology skill level you have. The myeFolio team is made up of users just like you so we understand that your voice comes in the form of multiple media sources and that your story is unique to you. Think of myeFolio as a multi-dimensional platform...projecting your story in your way!