Efficient Way To Document and File Portfolios

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Lorina,
That says it all.....how true.
I'm finalising everything at 6am Saturday morning.
I will be on holidays from Christmas day and while I'm on holidays I have to find a better and more efficient way to document and file portfolio's so it doesn't take up so much personal time. I was thinking of just putting everything on a cd next year but I am old schoo and love flicking through the pages of the portfolios as I work on them.
If you have any suggestions that will be very much appreciated.
Have a wonderful festive season.
Linsaa fdc

[Lorina]

Hi Linsaa,

Just created a new forum topic for the question you added into the "Funny and Inspiring Messages" topic on an efficient way to complete portfolios...

I know it's probably easier to file everything onto a disc and give it to the parents to view but as a parent I would love to be given a portfolio in a folder to be able to look at when I want. Especially since we usually give portfolios at the end of the year, it's nice for parents to share their child's portfolios with their family and if you provide it on a CD, yes they can still do it but it's not something they can quickly pull out to show...

At the beginning of the year, assign children a portfolio and each month complete at least 1 page to be added to each child's portfolio. So, you could work out in advance what page you want to add to the children's portfolio each month. You may have to pick and choose, which pages you would like to include... At the end of each month, each child should have one completed portfolio page. This way by the end of the year, you're not stuck having to do everything, last minute. This is not including observations, learning stories and such these are the extras such as hand prints, foot prints, birthday template etc.

Before the children start next year, you could create portfolios for them which may already include the cover page, hand prints, footprints (since the children need to complete these) and you could print out the family input forms to be given to parents as they begin next year...

Also, if possible try and sort out children's photos at the end of each day. Have a folder for each child in your computer and if you can sort images into individual child's folders. It may be time consuming depending on how many photos you take each day but it really helps when completing documentation so you don't have to sit through hundreds of photos, when completing documentation!

I know it can be time consuming completing Portfolios but I think it's so worth it! You mentioned a few times that parents and even your management have said that your portfolios are the best they've seen! This is because you have put the effort and time in! I think for parents a Portfolio is really special and sometimes we have to put in the extra time to give the parents what they want...

Christmas only a couple of days away! So, it time to relax and spend quality time with your family as you reminisce about the year gone and plan for the year ahead!

I wish you another successful year for 2016!

,
Lorina

[linsaa fdc]

Hi Lorina,
Thanks for taking the time to reply and make some suggestions.
Yes I do these things already. When I did the last few bits of my Diploma and the lady came out to check the last bits of my documentation she loved the reflections of the day template of yours that I do each day. She suggested at the time it would be lovely to add these to the portfolios as well as it would be a daily journey of their time with me. I have been doing this for a few years now and it is wonderful when the portfolio's are done. Having a smaller group in FDC I find I have a lot more than one story a month, being able to observe the children's interest more often, sometimes my children can be going through a huge growth period and we can have 2 or 3 firsts in a week, which is what has happened with my babies in the last 3 weeks and I like to capture all these things on the beautiful templates I have. They started using the 3 wheeled scooters, peddled the trikes then the 22month old got on the 2 wheeled scooter and started riding that. The cost now because my old really good ink efficient printer is now dead is getting expensive and I spend many many weekends filing.
I agree with you and I also like to flick through the folders to see how they look...... I will have to think about it over my time off because it has to work for me too....time and money wise.
Linsaa fdc