Issues and Concerns

 

 

Before launching off to create your new portfolio, there are a few issues and concerns that should be addressed. Although the creation of a portfolio is designed to aid the user, it can be altered and misused by others if a few precautions aren't taken.

Portfolio Pictures and Personal Information

Pictures can definitely enhance a portfolio project by bringing an event to life and even telling a story. However, before including pictures in your project you should ensure that the following precautions have been taken.

• Copyright Permission - You should always ensure that you have proper documentation and copyright approval to use any pictures or graphics you include in your project. If you are not sure who the owner of the copyright is, you can check on www.copyright.com. If unable to obtain copyright permission, leave the picture or graphic out of your project.
• Personal Photos - If the portfolio will be used for job seeking, it is not a good idea to include your personal photo. Some human resource departments intentionally exclude personal photos to avoid potential discrimination lawsuits.
• Photos of Children - Always make sure that you have the written permission of the parents before including pictures of children on publicly accessible sites. There are many unscrupulous individuals who can obtain these pictures and use them for undesirable things.
• Personal Information - If you will be using the WWW or internet as a storage medium, it is not recommended that you include any personal information such as your address, phone number, etc. Identity theft can occur if too much information is revealed. In addition, if you are posting the school name and school address, it is a good idea not to include pictures of children in your class. Children may be targeted by undesirables and located with the name and address of the school.
• Storage - Ensure that whatever method you choose to store the portfolios (i.e., file cabinet, floppy disk, hard drive) has plenty of additional space for including new documents as they are added. This is another good reason to store your portfolios electronically on CD-ROM.
• Site Security - For the reasons mentioned above, ensure that the portfolios are stored in a secure location. Don't forget that portfolios stored on intranets and internets are subject to hackers. Therefore, if you choose to store your portfolios in these locations, ensure that no personal information or security sensitive documents are included in the portfolio.