PHILOSOPHY
The Journalism Portfolio should be a public showcase of the journalist’s work. It will demonstrate the journalist’s editorial judgment in arranging, revising, and presenting their own work. Most important, the portfolio will exhibit pieces that exemplify the multifaceted reflection that go into preparing, workshopping, copyediting, and finalizing journalistic writing. The portfolio will ultimately serve multiple purposes: to document progress while actively charting the path of one’s academic, career, and creative development.
CONTENTS & ARRANGEMENT
The English 151 portfolio will include
● One piece of On-line Writing, chosen from the Elements summary-and-response assignments or the Media Journals.
● Two short pieces of Journalism, chosen from Assignments 1 through 3.
● The Final Feature Story.
● All prior drafts.
Arrangement is entirely up to the student, but the portfolio should emphasize clean, completed drafts that have built on workshop-critiques and revisions. The format should include a secured binder. Students additionally are encouraged to keep an electronic version in the form of a blog, professional web site, or at least in a portable-drive folder for easy access and sharing.
PROCESS & EVALUATION
The English 151 portfolio counts only for 10% of the final grade and is meant mainly to involve student-journalists in reflection on the semester’s work, while promoting ongoing revision and the development of editorial instincts. The most important evaluation in assembling the Final Portfolio is that of the student judging one’s own work, as a part of the process of becoming an educated and skilled journalist. Thus, students are encouraged to prepare a portfolio with open sections that anticipate future coursework, published clips, and notable achievements. Most students will exhibit themselves in one way or another to future editors, teachers, admissions boards, employers, and colleagues, so this is a chance to formalize the process of lifelong self-evaluation and self-display.
ASSESSMENT & GRADING
The Final Portfolio will be assessed and graded as follows.
EXCELLENT = Entirely clean format, major revision, strong demonstration of course ideas, plus solid foundation for academic, career, and creative advancement = 9 to 10 points (A)
GOOD = Mostly clean format, significant revision, and the obvious display of course ideas and portfolio principles = 8 to 8.9 (B)
ACCEPTABLE = Minimal revision and contents show basic consideration of the course and portfolio principles = 7 to 7.9 (C)
UNACCEPTABLE = One or more minimally required pieces missing, rough formatting, little consideration shown for course and portfolio principles = below 7 points (D or lower)