Help Pages for Journalism Student Portfolios
Google Account and Google Sites
The department has selected Google Sites as our portfolio host. Google was selected for its reliability,
ease of access, and ease of use. Additionally, Google Sites portfolios offer other valuable benefits:
1. Supported by CSULB Academic Technology
2. Public or restricted access based on your personal settings (3 levels of security)
3. Access beyond your academic career (account does not expire)
If you already have a Gmail or other Google account, no additional account creation is required. If you
do not have a Gmail or Google account, you will be required to create one. All accounts and passwords
are maintained outside of CSULB and the department – the campus is not responsible for accounts or
passwords.
Your Google account includes Google Drive, a document sharing space that integrates very well with
Google Sites. Google Drive has a large 5 GB storage capacity.
Basic Instructions for Google Sites:
https://sites.google.com/site/twinstructions/
Important Note: This is where you will set the privacy of your portfolio page.
Portfolio Organization and Design
In general, Portfolios are a way to express what you have learned and created in your classes in a unique
and personal webpage. The design and layout of the portfolio is up to you, however there are several
mandatory elements that must be included:
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Your Name, an About Me page, and your Resume
Here are some examples of e-portfolios to give you some ideas on how to design yours:
Journalism Student Portfolio #1
Journalism Student Portfolio #2
Uploading Content to the Portfolio and Working with Large Files
The following are recommendations for standardizing the most common file types in your portfolio. It is
important to remember that if you choose to upload your files directly to your Google Site, there are
limitations that you will rapidly exceed. Attachments to Google sites cannot exceed 20 MB, therefore it
is strongly recommended that you utilize your Google Drive with the 5 GB high limit. Please work with
your instructor if you have other types of files that are not listed here.
Standard Document Types
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Documents and Images (Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint) – Upload or create documents,
spreadsheets or presentations in Google Drive (preferred) or simply upload to your Site.
Alternate method for uploading Presentations and Slideshows – Depending on your desired
presentation style with Google Sites, you may want to save your project in a video format, like a
.mov, and it can be uploaded and displayed on YouTube (see video presentations below)
Videos using YouTube - Upload video to YouTube, and then it can easily be embedded onto a
Sites Page. Always use the YouTube embed code provided once your video is uploaded.
Audio using SoundCloud – Upload audio to SoundCloud, and then it can be embedded onto a
Sites Page. Always use the SoundCloud embed code provided once your audio is uploaded.
Linking files from another host site - Upload the file onto another hosting site (Google Drive is
recommended). Once uploaded, copy the link of the stored file and paste it onto your Google
Sites page. Note: If you plan to share from Drive, make sure to make the file/folder is ‘shared’
to the public, otherwise the document will not display.
Google Gadget
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Google offers widgets in Sites that can allow you to view content from other Google programs
For example, a PowerPoint presentation uploaded to Drive can be inserted into Sites by clicking
‘Insert’ on the top left corner of your Site (while in editing mode). From there, you can click
‘Presentation’ and choose from the files in Drive. The presentation will be displayed neatly on
the editable page. You can even move it around the page, change the size, or allow text to wrap
around the widget.
Google also allows insertion of Picasa albums, spreadsheets, drawings, Google+ groups and
more. Just click on the ‘Insert’ tab while editing a page to see all the options.
Final Notes
Portfolios play a major role in the working lives of journalists, artists, financiers, writers, photographers,
and many others. For all of them, a portfolio is a collection of items selected for the purpose of
achieving an explicit goal. A professional portfolio provides you with a tremendous resource for
showcasing your work skills and experiences to a potential client or employer. It represents what you
have accomplished in class and your career by documenting your writing, speaking, collaborative,
communication and technical skills. Your portfolio is an essential tool for you:
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To help obtain an internship or full-time job by showing prospective employers the skills you
possess and what capabilities you have
To enhance your graduate school program admission potential
To save and build on as a “living” catalog of your experiences, skills, and knowledge