5. Tools
Choosing a Tool
You might be interested in the webinar series in the fall of 2011 on different ePortfolio tools:
Co-hosted by AAEEBL, EPAC, and ePortfolio California - working together to extend the reach of ePortfolios for teaching and learning. Visit ePortfolio California for more details.
One of the first questions to ask: Do you have a server where you can install customized portfolio software, such as Mahara? Mahara was developed by Catalyst for the Ministry of Education in New Zealand, initially for higher education. It is currently in the process of being updated, based on requests from a widespread user community. To try out Mahara, you can set up a free test account on one of these sites:
- www.portfoliocommunities.com
Or will you want to use a cloud-based solution? You may choose the most appropriate tool to build the portfolios. Instructions are provided for a variety of free Web 2.0 tools: Google Sites, WordPress.com (or edublogs.org for K-12), Weebly.com (which , Yola.com. Here are the resources provided to support these tools. By the end of the second week, you will select the most appropriate tool, and provide a rationale for that selection. Here are the websites to support the use of each possible tool:
Dr. Barrett's "Selecting a "Free" Online Tool for ePortfolio Development"
Dr. Barrett’s “ePortfolios with GoogleApps” https://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioapps/
Dr. Barrett’s “ePortfolios with WordPress” https://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioswp/
Salt Lake Community College supports the following free tools: weebly.com, wordpress.com, yola.com. They created tutorials for students in each of the sites: Weebly, WordPress, Yola.
Dr. Barrett’s website on using Mobile Tools for ePortfolio development: https://sites.google.com/site/mportfolios/
If you know how to use a specific tool, such as WordPress, use that tool. If you aren't sure, sign up for one or more of the free accounts and see which one is the easiest to use. If you want to brand your portfolio with your own domain name, then build that component into your decision. You will share your decision and the reason for your choice. I encourage you to work with a partner to choose the same tool and learn it together.
Pros and Cons of Different Tools
The table below compares some of the pros and cons of different "free" tools for creating e-portfolios. The costs for upgraded services are listed under "cons" and are presented here for comparison purposes. All of the services can be used fully free of charge, but there are differences when you want to personalize your portfolio with your own domain name, etc.
* Pros and Cons from Salt Lake City Community College