"An e-portfolio is a learner-driven collection of digital objects demonstrating experiences, achievements and evidence of learning. E-portfolios provide learners with a structured way of recording their learning experiences and work history. E-portfolios can be developed quickly and easily in the workplace to capture live evidence through the use of mobile phones and point-of-view devices, and can include a range of digital evidence such as audio, video, photographs and blogs". (http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/content/e-portfolios-4)
To be honest, what happen to your kid portfolio after been taken home? There are some possibilities. You might make a special cupboard to put all your kid stuffs. In contrary, you might not make any special place. The portfolio will go anywhere within his or her bedroom. One day, you will see the portfolios have been becoming a problem because there are no more space within the bedroom or worse, they look like rubbish. No other way then to make them disappear.
Shifting portfolio to e-portfolio has been a real need in this 21st century learning. Recording the students achievement using audio, video, photographs, blogs will be great evidences for parents. Another important thing is how e-portfolio is accessible at anytime, anywhere and for anyone (as long as they have username and password - it s strongly suggested that e-portfolio with website based must be password protected).
If you wish your school using e-portfolio, you may apply within your school websites (you need to make sure that your school server is big enough and has static IP) or having free websites such as google docs, moodle, or weebly. Parents need to be informed clearly on the use of e-portfolio.
This e-Portfolio will be staying in website and also burned into CD. After copied into CD, you can make any number of copies as you wish.Yes, you will not be able to touch the real thing, however, you have the evidence and memory of what your kid have done in their learning process. Therefore, we make a step a head to digital form in the making of portfolio. Let's shift our mind into the 21st century reality!
(some parts of this post taken from my school e-portfolio)
blessing,
Hugo