Assignment sheet for Portfolio + Presentation

Portfolio Assignment:

Purpose: to create a electronic portfolio that presents your writing for this course as well as writing samples for your chosen profession: to gain experience creating an electronic portfolio; to provide evidence of your growth as a writer.

Description of assignment: For the remainder of the term you will work on creating a practice portfolio. This portfolio will include the kinds of writing that you might make available to prospective employers. It will also document work you’ve done for this course. Your portfolio should include the following:
• Introduction (on the home page) where you identify yourself, your goals as a writer, provide background for the pieces included in your portfolio.
• Resume – general: a boiler-plate resume; this resume should include relevant courses work experience and references to writing samples that demonstrate your preparation for a position in the field of your choice.
• Resume for a particular position in your chosen profession: this resume should include relevant courses work experience and references to writing samples that demonstrate your preparation for a that position. This resume should name the employer + the position you would write it for.
• Introductory letter: to accompany the resume for a particular position
• Personal statement: (appropriate for your chosen profession)
• Reflective writing on resumes: a discussion of gaps between your preparation and the career you hope to enter along with a plan for how to fill those gaps.
• Writing samples appropriate to your chosen profession: Three (3) documents in genres you will use for your profession. There may be some variation to this requirement depending on your profession; for example, if you are a poet , you should include 3 sets of 3-4 poems (the number of poems often requested for a submission to a journal).
• Reflective analysis of your writing samples
• Literacy narrative
• Process narrative
Individual assignment sheets will provide direction for the different sections. We will work together in class to learn how to use google.sites to create an online portfolio.

Timeline/due dates:
March 29: Your focus/career for your portfolio + identify preliminary list of writing genres to submit with your portfolio
April 5: Workshop general resume
April 8: Workshop particular resume
April 12: Workshop introductory letter
April 15: Final listing of writing genres for writing samples in your portfolio + workshop personal statement
April 19: Workshop 2 short pieces for your portlio writing samples
April 22: Workshop longer writing samples
April 26: Workshop longer writing samples
April 29: Reflective analysis of writing samples
May 3: Complete portfolio due


Presentation on writing career:
For your presentation on a career in writing, you will use the "I'm an English major - now what?" text as a starting place. You will supplement your research into career possibilities with the websites posted on our blog. During your presentation you will answer the following questions:
Describe the range of job descriptions in your profession have.
What kinds of writing do individuals in this profession do?
How can you prepare yourself for this kind of writing?
What resources are available to individuals who want to enter your profession?
What are some of the obstacles?
What are some creative ways to give yourself an “edge” for entering your profession?