Please, read this information before you start working on your projects.

Most lab activities can be done at home or on any computer at VCU, but ALL the final files have to be saved in your e-portfolio. Here are the instructions to create a folder in "Content System," create a portfolio, and add information.

Note: Inside Content System there is a tutorial to learn how to create e-portfolios. You may use that tutorial instead of these instructions.

How to Create a Folder in “Content System.”

1. Login to Blackboard.
2. From the menu at the top [My Blackboard, Courses, Content System, VCU Libraries, etc.], choose “Content System.”
3. From the left menu, choose “My Content.”
4. Under “Content Collection: My Content” there is another menu [Web Folder, Item, Folder, etc.].  From this menu, click on “Folder.”
5. On the new page, it says “Folder Information” and below it says “Folder Name.”  Here write the name of your folder, which can contain the class, semester and year, for example: Italian 202-Spr 08, or Spanish 305-Spr 08. Scroll down the page and hit “Submit.”
6. Now that you have a Spanish folder, you may upload all your work from that semester into this folder.  To retrieve it, just open Blackboard and go to “My Content.”  If you need to work with any of the files you upload, open the folder where the file is located, then click on the name of the file to download it. You may follow this system for your other classes too.
7. Now that you have your Spanish folder, you may upload your files –documents, photos, etc.
8. Click on the folder you created. Under “Content Collection: My Content” there is another menu [Web Folder, Item, Folder, etc.]; from this menu, click on “Item.”
9. On the new page, click on “Browse” to find the file you need to upload. Find the file in your computer, click on it, and submit it.
10. When you finish uploading your files, from the left menu choose “My Content.”

Note: In order to add photos, audio, video, and Flash files to your e-portfolio,you need to upload them first to a "content System" folder.

How to Create Your e-Portfolio.

1. Login to Blackboard, then go to the "Content System." From the left menu, choose “Portfolios.”
2. Click on “Portfolio Creation.” A new window will appear.  On this new window, click on “Next” at the bottom right corner.
3. In the “Title” area of the new page, write “My Global Language Portfolio.” Of course, you may change the name to “My Spanish Portfolio,”  “My Italian Portfolio” or any other language. Inside the “Description” write a sentence or two about you, you may write them in English.
4. Click “Next” at the bottom right corner.
5. On the next page choose the design of your portfolio menu.  After you choose a design, click on “Next.”
6. The new page is about the first page of your portfolio.  In the “Title” area write: Global Language Portfolio. You may leave the “Welcome Message” area blank or write a short message in English. Click on “Next.”
7. On the “Add Content” page write “Mi foto” inside the “Menu Link Name.”  Click on “Browser.” The Blackboard “Content System” area will appear now; click on the Spanish folder, find your picture and hit “Submit.”
8. You are going to go back to the “Portfolio Creation” menu.  Hit “Next.”  Don’t write anything on the page with the name “Add Links.” Click “Next.”
9. Under the “Menu Link Name” of the new page, write Pasaporte.
10. Click inside the “Template” area.  Scroll down until you find “GLP Global Language Passport.” Click on “Next.”  On the next page, choose “Yes” to make the portfolio available.  Click “Next” to go to the last page.
11. Choose “Yes” to share the comments.  Hit “Finish” and choose “Ok” to create the portfolio.

Your e-portfolio is ready.   To see it, click on the name of the portfolio.  It will open on a new window.  Click on the left menu to see the sections of your passport.  If you need to change or add something, go back to “My Portfolios” and choose “Contents.”  Then choose “Modify” to change something inside of a page.  Click on “Remove” to erase a section.  If you need to add content --the file of a picture, for example--, click on “content” from the “Content / Link / Item” menu.  To be able to add content, you need to upload the content files first into a “Content System” folder.

Go back to the page with your portfolio and click on  “Manage.” The new page will have your portfolio’s name with a square next to it.  Click on the square.  Then click on “Share with users.”  Where it says “username” type your instructor’s username (the first part of his/her VCU e-mail). Then click on “submit.”  Note: you may choose to send an e-mail, but it is not necessary.  Hit “submit.”

How to Add Pages and Content to an e-Portfolio.

1. Open your e-Portfolio, go to “Contents.”  Click on “Item,” then add a blank “Template” and give it a name.  Hit on “submit.”
2. Add as many blank templates as you need, then click on the “Modify” button of the page (template) you need to work with.
3. Use the menu inside the page.  Some of the options are:  add a picture, add a video file, add text, etc.
4. To add text, you need to select a text with your mouse, select copy and past it inside the blank page (template).  To add any multimedia file, the file must be inside a folder located in the Content System.
5. Always hit “submit” when you finish working with a page.