Comments on: A portfolio instead of a diploma

By: Iraida Burkhard

Iraida Burkhard — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:43:30 +0000

Anyway, I don’t really know a great deal about this, yet it reminds me of a tale my supervisor at Intel once told us: evidently, this 13th century Scottish alchemist endeavored (in vain) to produce precious metal out of lead. He researched those ingredients so attentively, he had become an authority on the two, and became wealthy being an agent to the empress. Data was tricky to find back then, contrary to today with computer availability, and dedicated drivers etc. in those days, if you discovered something good, you could keep on advising forever. Yet I digress. What I am saying is that occasionally you find riches just by seeking (plus staying focused on) something different, and this is what happened to me after I accidentally got here. I was simply on the lookout for some technological records regarding driver updates when I started off surfing around, and got carried away….

By: Rene

Rene — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:12:45 +0000

While I agree that diversity in the school system is a good thing, I think that a broad education is still important, as much people will change jobs and even professions during their working lives. Focusing too much on the first few years after leaving school would be a mistake. Education is also about exploring one’s position in the world as an individual. We don’t want drones for workers, but rather well-rounded human beings with a sufficient skill set to quickly adjust themselves to their new workplace. My 2 cents.

By: Spencer Fry

Spencer Fry — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:56:48 +0000

I’ve been championing this position for a while now and it’s actually something my company’s building toward. Diplomas become obsolete the second their issued — and I’d argue further that they mean nothing in the first place — and the actual production of cold, hard work is a far better indication of someone’s worth. A diploma only indicates potential whereas a portfolio indicates immediate value.

By: Top Ten 10 tips for Communication Students « Breanna Gaddie | Photojournalist

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:37:47 +0000

[...] employer will find someone else The Elementary Education – Beyond Portfolios Buzz Machine – A portfolio instead of a diploma UMass Journalism Professors Blog – A Look to the Future Paul Bradshaw – How to be a journalism [...]

By: Portfolios Instead of Diplomas » Lone Gunman

Portfolios Instead of Diplomas » Lone Gunman — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:30:26 +0000

[...] Jarvis agrees with teacher Mark Pullen’s opinion that the education system should be modified to produce portfolios instead of, or in addition to, qualifi…. Perhaps we need to separate youth from education. Education lasts forever. […] What if we told [...]

By: Would you pull down a file because someone asked you to « TechWag

Would you pull down a file because someone asked you to « TechWag — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:02:31 +0000

[...] A portfolio instead of a diploma (buzzmachine.com) [...]

By: A portfolio instead of a diploma « Research

A portfolio instead of a diploma « Research — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:38:49 +0000

[...] http://www.buzzmachine.com/2009/02/20/a-portfolio-instead-of-a-diploma/  | Comments [...]

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:15:15 +0000

My son goes to a Waldorf School. What is interesting about this is that the way education is “taught” there is very much in line with the way it is being discussed here. The kids there DISCOVER and as a result LEARN. They are encouraged to learn via exploration and experience rather than memorization and tedious repetition. As a result they are inquisitive and interested in what they are doing and their experience is one of fun and enjoyment. Great post.

By: A Portfolio Instead of a Diploma « Hip Hop Forward

A Portfolio Instead of a Diploma « Hip Hop Forward — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:26:11 +0000

[...] 22, 2009 A Portfolio Instead of a Diploma Posted by Dion Baker under In the News A Portfolio Instead of a Diploma, posted to the blog BuzzMachine and written by Jeff Davis [...]

By: Dion Baker

Dion Baker — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:01:07 +0000

This is a very valuable read. Education is critical and it goes way beyond diplomas and degrees. Instead we should build portfolios of our work – proof that education has no age attached and is essential to living. I’m working on my portfolio right now! Thanks for writing this.

By: Wally Bock

Wally Bock — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:57:24 +0000

I love the concept of a portfolio instead of a diploma, but the details make me chuckle. The third party publications and patents and “balance a checkbook” requirements sound like elitist versions of the curricula from the turn of the 20th century. I really smiled when I got to the “plan for the future” part. I come from a generation where preparing your plan for life was standard practice. Off all the people I know from that time, only one actually wound up doing what he or she planned. Life, somehow, doesn’t want to conform to plans made in adolescence.

By: Portfolios vs. diplomas - what should education give? « The Hannay Angle

Portfolios vs. diplomas - what should education give? « The Hannay Angle — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:52:42 +0000

[...] (Link via Jeff Jarvis at BuzzMachine.) [...]

By: invitedmedia

invitedmedia — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:20:34 +0000

great idea.

but as a tuition-paying father of two, i can see the christmas morning when my kids gift wrap me a t-shirt that reads… “my kids went to the university of chicago, uc berkeley and michigan state university and all i got was this lousy t-shirt” while they each trot off with a portfolio.

such is life.

By: Jeff Jarvis

Jeff Jarvis — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:22:08 +0000

Thanks, Bob. I knew an explosion of patents was a problem (but I liked Mark’s notion). And you have a solution.

By: Bob Wyman

Bob Wyman — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:19:55 +0000

To get a patent, you need to come up with something both novel and useful. The closest equivalent concept in education is the Doctorate, which is supposed to require “original” research — but has no “utility” requirement .

It would be unfortunate if we pushed our students on a path that resulted in millions more patents — each of them limiting the use of some novel approach. It might be better to encourage students to file for the now seldom used “Statutory Invention Registration” (SIR). A SIR can be thought of as a “public domain” patent or “anti-patent”. By getting one of these, you recognize the original inventor while also preventing others from later patenting the same idea.
See: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/1100_1101.htm

bob wyman

By: Mark Pullen & Jeff Jarvis on ‘Beyond Portfolios’ « white rice culture

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 04:15:07 +0000

[...] Jarvis – “A Portfolio Instead of a Diploma” Mark Pullen – “Beyond [...]

By: Mark Pullen

Mark Pullen — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:30:25 +0000

Thomas — I’m fine with a different version of my patent idea. You get the gist: something students have created instead of merely studied. I, too, would love to know what a more Googley version of patents would be.

By: 21st Century Education | The Computer Vet Weblog

21st Century Education | The Computer Vet Weblog — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:27:22 +0000

[...] Hat tip to Jeff Jarvis. [...]

By: RSS, blog or perish, and tracking the government « Virtualjournalist

RSS, blog or perish, and tracking the government « Virtualjournalist — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:38:43 +0000

[...] Jeff Jarvis on the importance of blogging and life-long education. [...]

By: Thomas Beutel

Thomas Beutel — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:36:17 +0000

Excellent post.

I understand the intent behind “students should have at least one patent” – it would show a grasp of science by the process of describing an invention – but I wonder if patents are really all that WWGD these days. Patents are often now used as a legal bludgeon.

I wonder what the “Googley” version of patents would be?

By: Rebecca Harshbarger

Rebecca Harshbarger — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:41:21 +0000

Loved the thoughts from Mark Pullen- brilliant.

By: Mark Pullen

Mark Pullen — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:49:15 +0000

Getting quoted on here is, first of all, a treat and an honor. But more important, it reminds me that our students should be having these same kinds of experiences, where they are contacting the authors of the books they’re reading and engaging them in dialogue about the author’s meaning and purpose. That, to me, is another more “Googley” form of education than having kids merely consume/absorb information.

By: silento

silento — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:33:07 +0000

This blog is very rich.