Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The style of the site was important to Mrs. DiMarco for several reasons. When
discussing the history of the site, Mrs. DiMarco explained that the site was
needed to act as evidence of professional growth and lifelong learning and
would be submitted in the future when she applied for tenure and promotion.
Also, the site would be viewed by parents in order to get to know her and to
get a feeling of her style as a teacher. Because she understood her audience,
Mrs. DiMarco was able to gather the appropriate content to meet her goals.
Included in her Web portfolio are her teaching philosophy, examples of lesson
plans, photos of her and her students (which she receive parental and district
permission to use), a resume, and a short biography. This site was instrumental
in helping Mrs. DiMarco when she graduated from student teaching and applied
for real-world teaching positions. She explained, the advantages of showing a
Web portfolio were evident in the positive comments she received during
interviews. Having the Web portfolio gave her a competitive advantage when
pursuing a teaching position.
www.richardkirkmills.com
Rick Mills is an artist and educator who is highly active in public art projects.
When setting out to develop a Web portfolio, Rick was concerned with
exhibiting the proper style that aligned with his personal mission as a public artist
and appealed aesthetically to himself and his audience. The site opens with a
simple flash animation showing a sequence of images complemented by a
soothing soundtrack. The theme of the site resides in nature, and the natural
feelings, emotions, and curiosities elicited by the art of Rick Mills. Visual
content and its tasteful yet efficient presentation was paramount to Professor
Mills when he planned the site. A fluid style is achieved through the use of color
that uses soft tones on different pages. Photographs of art work alone and with
natural environments constituted a large portion of the site's content. Professor
Mills uses simple navigation which included contact, history, projects, a
professional section, and finally a link to important resources. Additionally, a
resume rounds out the site to make it an effective vehicle to communicate the
accomplishments, ideas, and artwork. When I interviewed Professor Mills
about his experience during the Web portfolio design process he stated that, as
an artist, style and content were critical. As a professional designer, Professor
Mills was able to create navigation and sub navigation that was elegant and
simple. Rick Mills's Web portfolio site is a success because it fits the needs of
