As part of an piece I’ve been asked to write for Ed Leadership’s upcoming “Screenagers” issue, I’m looking for some input. Basically, the thesis of the piece is that we need to help our students use the Web as a way of showing not just what they know but what they can do with what they know. That we need to help them, in essence, create a “g-portfolio” so they are “Googled well” when future employers or potential collaborators et. al. go searching for their footprints online.

I’ve felt for a long time that my own kids will need to be consciously thinking about the online portfolio that they are building, but as they are getting older (11 and 13 next month) I’ve lately been trying to make that process and product more concrete in my own mind. I’m hoping this piece will help clarify a lot of my own thinking about the idea (something writing and blogging always has a tendency to do.)

Anyway, I thought I would reach out to see what others might think about a) the need for  this, b) our role in helping our students in the process, c) the general considerations for creating a “g-portfolio” and d) any good examples of students already being Googled well that I might point to. (I already have a few, but I would love more.)

Some framing questions that I’ve posed for myself that might get some conversation started:

• What types of literacies should be displayed in this Web portfolio?
• What role will this play in “reputation management” or the personal brand of the student?
• What are the challenges and complexities of the process?
• To what extent should educators have their own “g-portfolios”?
• What are the best tools, sites, etc. to create and organize these portfolios?

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts.

(Please make sure to leave your name and a real e-mail address if I can use your responses in my article.)