Week 2

The focus of week two's workshop was on using MS Publisher and the job application process we will all soon be going through.

I have used MS Publisher before, mostly for school projects or invitations. In fact for an assignment due in semester one my team and I created a brochure. Funnily enough, this was the first thing we created in this week's workshop.

I began creating my brochure on Phuket, a holiday destination in Thailand. I chose what I thought was a 'beachy' feel for the colour template and began entering text and images. Because I have used the program to make brochures before I didn't find this activity too difficult, however I do sometimes find Publisher to be a bit 'finicky' for lack of a better word, and the formatting of the different sections can sometime be hard to get perfect which can be incredibly frustrating. I think Primary students would really love to be able to make something like this, but I think it would be best suited to the older grades.

The next activity was to create an e-Portfolio, also in MS Publisher. I have heard a lot of talk about portfolio's this year so was interested to learn how I could go about creating one. I put together a rough outline of some of the things I would include in my e-Portfolio to get a feel for how it would work.

The template itself was quite easy to create, and I really like the way the program makes it clear and easy to navigate around the portfolio and jump from page to page. The types of headings that our class talked about including were things like About Me, Educational Philosophy, Resume and Achievements. All of these thing suddenly gave me a lot to think about. We also talked about including photos where possible, and I think this will really add value.

I have heard mixed feelings towards the need for a Portfolio when going for an interview. The union said its not that big of a deal, some teachers don't think it's necessary whereas others spent hours putting theirs together and think it is crucial. At this stage, I am not sure what to think, however I would rather have one and not need it than need one and not have it!

I like the look of the e-Portfolio's we were able to create in Publisher, however as this is not a program I have at home I don't think it will be useful to me. I plan to create my e-Portfolio in MS Powerpoint and hope to be able to create something that looks just as professional and engaging.