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  • Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire. - William Butler Yeates

    To learn is to change. Education is a process that changes the learner. - Anonymous

  • Elaine Maxwell: My will shall shape the future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny.

    Elisabeth Kubler-Ross: I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.

  • William James: The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.

    H. H. the Dalai Lama: To be aware of a single shortcoming in oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone else.

  • Frank Lloyd Wright: The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.

    H.H. the Dalai Lama: The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness, no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy.

  • Bernice Johnson Reagon: Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.

    Franklin D. Roosevelt: When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

  • I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” -- Michael Jordan

    Elizabeth Stone: Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body.

  • "Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune." 
-- Jim Rohn

    "The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change." -- Carl Rogers

  • All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.
-- John F. Kennedy

    Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
-- Gandhi

  • Nelson Mandela: Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

    Patricia Neal: A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though awakens your own expectations.

  • A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions. 
- Anonymous

    "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." 
-- Albert Einstein

Hi5 Career Messages

#1 Follow your Heart.

People are happiest and do their best when they are doing what they love. As well, pursuing dreams provides motivation, direction and helps to clarify what is really important to people. Let your teens' dream. Let their dreams shape their goals. Let them use the energy their dreams give them to learn the skills and take the risks needed to make their dreams, or any part of them, a reality.
Newsletter

September 5, 2010

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Portfolio

We only learn if we reflect on what we have done.
~ John Dewey

What is a portfolio?

Port – to move
Folio – paper and artifacts

A portfolio is a process as well as a product.

Process: requires you to identify and reflect on what motivates you, examine your values, skills, etc.
Product: a concrete collection which documents your learning, work history and many more.

A career portfolio is like a wallet.  It is a place to keep items that are important to you.  Not only is it important to have the document and to treat it like a living document (always changing) but it is the process of creating a career portfolio that is valuable as well.  You will be able to learn about yourself, values, skills, goals, strengths and dreams while creating your portfolio.

A career portfolio is a lifelong process and is only limited by your imagination.  It also allows you to prove that you possess the skills and have the abilities to achieve success.

 

Why have a career portfolio?

  • Personal Development
  • Career Exploration and Development
  • Marketing and Self Promotion Tool
    • Interviews
    • Assist you in getting into specific programs at post-secondary institutions (education, visual arts, etc.)
  • Useful when applying for scholarships
  • Used during the many transitions in your life (grade 12 to work or school, or between different jobs)

 

Steps involved in creating a career portfolio:

Step 1:  Gathering Data and Support

Talk to your parents or guardians to help you collect as much items as possible so you can get a good start on your portfolio.  However, if you do not have documents for a variety of reasons you can still create a career portfolio by creating your own documents and lists by using Microsoft Word or Publisher.

Step 2:  Selecting Items and Assembling the Portfolio

Evaluate each item and figure out if it is important enough to be included and why.  You want items that demonstrate your skills, abilities, personality, and strengths.

Step 3:  Reflect and Use the Portfolio

Justify and explain why items are included in your portfolio.  Be prepared to update this document on an ongoing basis so that at any time you can use it for a variety of reasons.  It is an on-going process and you are a lifelong learner who is growing, learning and changing through your experiences.

 

Suggested Items for a Career Portfolio:

Remember to decide on how you will categorize or organize your portfolio so that it looks neat, professional and is easy to scan through.

-          Cover page
-          Table of contents
-          Goals
-          Self assessments
-          Strengths
-          Interests
-          Cover letter
-          Resume
-          Letters of reference
-          Work evaluation

 -          Academic skills
-          Essays or reports
-          Report card
-          Credit check
-          Class selection sheet
-          Letters of achievement
-          Babysitter course
-          WHMIS
-          TOKW certificate
-          Sample artwork		 -          Teamwork skills
-          Volunteer work
-          Sports, Drama, Music, etc.
-          Pictures
-          Values
-          Photos of medals or plaques
-          Published work
-          List of skills
** Any other important documents or accomplishments**

 

What will you need?

  • A binder
  • Sheet Protectors
  • Dividers or tab extenders
  • Proofreaders
  • If you don’t want to use originals then photocopy or scan documents


Tips:

  • Have a clear purpose (you can always add or take out different parts depending on your audience).
  • Review sequence of the contents (categories, table of contents, make it flow well).
  • Make sure it is attractive.
  • Not too large or else it will be too overwhelming.
  • Design each section so it is easy to scan (use white space, consistent font, style, spacing, and tab extenders).
  • Make sure you include a short concise explanation or reflection for each item to demonstrate why it is in the portfolio and what you learned.

 

Additional websites and documents that can be used to assist in the creation and use of a portfolio:

Vanier Career Portfolio Plan – coming soon
Career & Life Portfolio Development - http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/careerguide/
A Self-Managed Career Portfolio Guide -  http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/support/c_portfolio/index.html
Electronic Personal Career Portfolios -  http://www.saskschools.ca/~portfolios/
Best Practice Portfolios -  http://www.centralischool.ca/~bestpractice/portfolios/index.html
Grade 9 PowerPoint – Introduction to Personal Career Portfolio