Chef Dave
09-16-2009, 08:36 AM
It seems like yesterday when portfolio scrapbooks were all the rage with job applicants. Teachers who wanted their interviews to stand out not only brought portfolios to these interviews, but also knew how to use them effectively.
For example, if a building administrator asked about a teacher's creativity, the applicant flipped the scrapbook to a page that included pictures of hands-on lessons. While talking about creative lessons, the teacher in question was able to use the scrapbook to illustrate his or her points.
How times have changed.
With the advent of affordable laptops, digital recorders and cameras, and sophisticated audio-visual software, teachers now have the opportunity to use laptops as electronic portfolios.
Instead of simply showing pictures and lesson plans in a scrapbook, laptops have the capability of including audio recordings, musical backgrounds, pictures, and digital film clips; all of which may be sequenced together using various transition effects like fade outs, flips, and swirls.
As with portfolio scrapbooks, I think teachers need to understand how laptops should be effectively used.
The single biggest mistake made by teachers with electronic laptops is the temptation to create a DVD. Nothing is worse for a job interview than to have the applicant try and make the interviewer sit through a DVD presentation. This is just as bad as walking into an interview with a scrapbook portfolio and trying to shove this portfolio into the hands of the interviewer. As with scrapbooks, electronic portfolios need to be integrated into the interview itself.
Although I have made DVD portfolios, I have only used these as calling cards of sorts to pique interest. I typically submit them with with my initial job application.
My DVD portfolios include customized printed covers that I insert under the plastic covers. These covers include my name, contact information, the job I'm applying for, and the length of the recording.
I prefer not to use DVD portfolios at job interviews. Unless they're organized by chapters, they tend to be cumbersome. Nothing is more disruptive to the flow of an interview than the job applicant who has to flip through pages of a scrapbook or to stop, rewind, and fast forward a DVD.
Instead of DVD portfolios, I like creating clips. As with my old hard copy scrapbook, I try to anticipate what interviewers will look for. I produce short clips of 2-4 minutes that highlight my career, creativity, use of varied instructional methodologies, classroom organization, volunteer services, and personal interests.
Each clip is easily accessed by a shortcut icon on the desktop. Each clip includes a title screen for the convenience of the viewers.
I like breaking up the monotony of scanned photographs or downloaded pictures from my camera with video clips. I also like highlighting clips with different music that's geared towards the sequence in question.
For example, during my career sequence, I used the Steel Rag as a musical background while highlighting my employment in Texas. I switched to a Lebanese pop group, the Four Cats, to introduce my employment in the Middle East. To avoid creating choppy sound bytes from music that is abruptly cut off, I transition music from one sequence to another using fade outs so that one song diminishes in volume before another begins.
Use of a microphone has allowed me to do voice overs as needed. Voice overs are useful when digital recordings may be inaudible due to background noise. I also like using voice overs when I have too much information to share and don't want to overwhelm viewers by obstructing visual images with excessive amounts of overlaid text.
In one sequence that highlighted simulated job interviews, I froze a frame using a snapshot, did a voice over of the interview question, and then showed the student answering the question.
I try to be consistent with my text. I minimize use of text, use the same font, and try to use the same color. I think that switching font styles and colors within the same sequence is visually distracting.
Prior going to the interview, I make sure the laptop is fully charged. I turn it on immediately before the interview to avoid wasting time. When needed, I turn the laptop towards the interviewing panel and click on shortcuts as needed.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I've found the use of a laptop be really beneficial. It has allowed me to create a "wow" factor that I haven't seen since so many other applicants began using scrapbook portfolios.
Not only has use of a laptop made my interviews stand out, but by using a laptop I have demonstrated computer skills, organization, and creativity.
For example, if a building administrator asked about a teacher's creativity, the applicant flipped the scrapbook to a page that included pictures of hands-on lessons. While talking about creative lessons, the teacher in question was able to use the scrapbook to illustrate his or her points.
How times have changed.
With the advent of affordable laptops, digital recorders and cameras, and sophisticated audio-visual software, teachers now have the opportunity to use laptops as electronic portfolios.
Instead of simply showing pictures and lesson plans in a scrapbook, laptops have the capability of including audio recordings, musical backgrounds, pictures, and digital film clips; all of which may be sequenced together using various transition effects like fade outs, flips, and swirls.
As with portfolio scrapbooks, I think teachers need to understand how laptops should be effectively used.
The single biggest mistake made by teachers with electronic laptops is the temptation to create a DVD. Nothing is worse for a job interview than to have the applicant try and make the interviewer sit through a DVD presentation. This is just as bad as walking into an interview with a scrapbook portfolio and trying to shove this portfolio into the hands of the interviewer. As with scrapbooks, electronic portfolios need to be integrated into the interview itself.
Although I have made DVD portfolios, I have only used these as calling cards of sorts to pique interest. I typically submit them with with my initial job application.
My DVD portfolios include customized printed covers that I insert under the plastic covers. These covers include my name, contact information, the job I'm applying for, and the length of the recording.
I prefer not to use DVD portfolios at job interviews. Unless they're organized by chapters, they tend to be cumbersome. Nothing is more disruptive to the flow of an interview than the job applicant who has to flip through pages of a scrapbook or to stop, rewind, and fast forward a DVD.
Instead of DVD portfolios, I like creating clips. As with my old hard copy scrapbook, I try to anticipate what interviewers will look for. I produce short clips of 2-4 minutes that highlight my career, creativity, use of varied instructional methodologies, classroom organization, volunteer services, and personal interests.
Each clip is easily accessed by a shortcut icon on the desktop. Each clip includes a title screen for the convenience of the viewers.
I like breaking up the monotony of scanned photographs or downloaded pictures from my camera with video clips. I also like highlighting clips with different music that's geared towards the sequence in question.
For example, during my career sequence, I used the Steel Rag as a musical background while highlighting my employment in Texas. I switched to a Lebanese pop group, the Four Cats, to introduce my employment in the Middle East. To avoid creating choppy sound bytes from music that is abruptly cut off, I transition music from one sequence to another using fade outs so that one song diminishes in volume before another begins.
Use of a microphone has allowed me to do voice overs as needed. Voice overs are useful when digital recordings may be inaudible due to background noise. I also like using voice overs when I have too much information to share and don't want to overwhelm viewers by obstructing visual images with excessive amounts of overlaid text.
In one sequence that highlighted simulated job interviews, I froze a frame using a snapshot, did a voice over of the interview question, and then showed the student answering the question.
I try to be consistent with my text. I minimize use of text, use the same font, and try to use the same color. I think that switching font styles and colors within the same sequence is visually distracting.
Prior going to the interview, I make sure the laptop is fully charged. I turn it on immediately before the interview to avoid wasting time. When needed, I turn the laptop towards the interviewing panel and click on shortcuts as needed.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I've found the use of a laptop be really beneficial. It has allowed me to create a "wow" factor that I haven't seen since so many other applicants began using scrapbook portfolios.
Not only has use of a laptop made my interviews stand out, but by using a laptop I have demonstrated computer skills, organization, and creativity.