The Learning Portfolio - 2008
March 10th, 2008Due Monday, June 9 (Finals Week) at my office
Portfolio Requirements
A learning portfolio is a:
Series of artifacts that demonstrates the progression of knowledge, skills and wisdom.
Structured collection of student work created across time, framed by reflection and enriched through collaboration, … (from Wolf, 2000)
The freshman learning portfolio is your “memory scrapbook”. It tells the story of your first year in school, from high school grad to the end of your freshman year. It is also more than a story. It contains your after thoughts, your meditations or reflections about your learning experience.
This memo details what should be contained in your portfolio for this class.
1. Welcome Page - You may be be sharing your portfolio with someone you trust. Many of you will be allowing your portfolio to be displayed. You’re welcoming the reader as well as making a short statement. You should provide a mission statement.
e.g. “My mission is to become an excellent instructor and advisor such that my students can (and will) surpass me in many different ways”
2. Story - This details your past 12+ months. I won’t tell you how to label your sections, because you should have free rein about how to tell your story. Nevertheless, it should progress like a story rather than every item being an isolated bit. You should consider three areas of your development: academic, personal, and professional. It should contain key artifacts (or xerox copies) and your accompanying reflections. You shouldn’t feel forced to write a reflection for every small artifact. You should, however, detail your most significant reflection. You may wish to group items into themes.
You may review the lecture slides on “Portfolios 101″
3. For the Future - This details your current educational / professional and personal interests. You should write about how you’ll pursue this. You may wish to consult your advisors or instructor(s) for ideas.
You’ll be graded on:
1) Organization and Coherence (Does it tell a clear story?)
2) Reflection (Are there connections between some of the artifacts? Is this a portfolio that is arid - devoid of personal meaning, or is it rich with your articulated thoughts and meditations? Does the portfolio contain at least 1 or 2 themes?
3) Was the mission statement clear and concise? Did the opening provide a “welcome mat” that invites the reader?
4) Did the last section, “For the Future”, include some useful info from written materials or someone helpful (e.g. advisor, friend)?
Old Lecture Slides - 2007 Course
May 1st, 20072nd Lecture (March 28; and a few slides for April 2)
3rd Lecture (April 2)
Resources for Startups (April 4)
SBA Resource Guide (From Elizabeth’s Lecture)
Dan McCarty, EntrepreneurialTips and Online Retailing (April 11)
Portfolios 101 (April 16)
Business Models and Garlic Jims (April 16)
Two Models Class (April 23)
Business Entities Part I (April 25)
Spencer Rascoff & Zillow (May 2)
Jim Krigbaum and Global / Social Entrepreneurship (May 9)
Old Exam Questions - 2007
April 26th, 2007You can have up to 50 pages of cheat sheets. You may create a table of contents and it won’t count against your total cheat pages. The same cheat sheet may be shared between two students, but no more than two: you and a friend.
1. What kinds of things can you compare between different businesses? (e.g. Scalability, ability to reach critical mass)
2. What are the five sacred elements in Alan’s business model?
3. What does Alan mean by strategic contradiction? (*hint, what is one way to look at how Webvan failed?*)
4. What types of qualities are associated with competent leadership? How do you attain the experiences and skils to gain them?
5. Can you describe the interplay between Leadership, Execution, and Planning? Can you cite a famous example in which each single element was the unequivocal success factor?
6. What is MBWA? Why is Alan such an advocate of it for small businesses?
Elizabeth Rusnak Resources for your Startup Business
1. What is an SBA loan? What is the 504 loan program? What’s the advantage of an SBA loan?
2. What neat thing can you get for free? What did Liz provide?
3. What is SCORE? What can they do for you?
4. What is a micro-lender? How do they differ from banks? What makes “Washington Cash” especially different?
5. What is the Northwest Women’s Business Center?
6. What does a “women or minority owned business” certification accomplish?
7. What are some of Liz’s tips for submitting a business plan to a bank?
8. What are the 5 C’s of credit?
9. What are some of Liz’s other hints for business?
10. How large a line of credit should you request?
11. Why a bank vs. angel & venture capital investors?
Portfolio
1. What’s the difference between a learning portfolio and a “best works” portfolio?
2. In conducting your own reflection, define and contrast “surface insight” vs. “deep insight”. How does these two concepts relate to creating your learning portfolio? Which of the two do you suppose sets the stage for profound change?
3. Can deep insights occur with possessing surface insights?
4. How may you liken your personal portfolios to a stock portfolio?
5. What’s the difference between the visible portfolio vs. reflection.
6. Why is Alan such an advocate of mapping out your future goals? In a business sense, what is vision?
Cascade Motorcycle Tours (Josh Edwards, Brandon Snow)
1. In answer to a student question: what did Brandon say was the most important element for producing a quality business plan?
Dan McCarty
1. Why does Dan say that you must be “like” your business?
2. What does Dan say about naming your company?
3. What does Dan say about doing business with your friends? Why use a contract?
4. What are the characteristics of viral marketing?
5. In what ways does Dan advocate “leveraging” college?
Dwayne Northrup (Garlic Jim’s)
1. How did Dwayne and his group choose “Jim” as part of the company name? (check if you were listening)
2. How does Dwayne ensure quality?
3. What does Dwayne want in a business partner? How did it result in lessons learned?
4. What’s Dwayne’s business model? What’s the difference between a sub-francise vs. a franchisee?
5. How does Dwayne target locations?
6. How did Dwayne find his team?
About Portfolios (101)
What are some benefits associated with reflections (done with a learning portfolio)?What are some typical reasons for doing a learning portfolio?
Better yet, what is Alan’s definition for a learning portolio?
What are his three critical elements in a learning portfolio? (you may wish to add: it tells a coherent story)
What kinds of items may qualify as artifacts and display items?
What are some typical issues associated with the construction and display of learning portfolios?
Ameé Quiriconi and Squawk Mountain Stone
What is Amee’s arguments in favor of “social entrepreneurship” rather than using other methods to improve the world?
What did Amee state was the typical survival rate and life span for a new business?
What advice did Amee have for opening your first business?
What advice did she have for your chosen field of study?
What does it mean to be in the “Blue Ocean” vs. the “Red Ocean”?
How does Amee typify an entrepreneur?
Country Cottage Wine Merchants
What was the one constant that Rudy felt was true for entrepreneurs? How was this reflected in his life?
Spencer Rascoff
According to Spencer, what were the pros and cons of being an investment banker? How about Private Equity? These were considered “plum jobs”: why would Spencer walk away from these jobs?
Why did Spencer join a small internet company (Zillow) rather than stay with a large internet player (e.g. Expedia)?
Can you give a summary of the internet trends that are relevant for internet-based entrepreneurs?
What does Spencer prefer? Experts? Or smart people?
Can you summarize Spencer’s keys to success?
What’s was Zillow’s case for entering the general arena of online real estate?
What is Zillow’s business model?
What is the long tail?
American Airlines Sabre
What is a process? What is a legacy process? (hint: remember the apple pie example in class)
How does Sabre typify two different models? Can you argue why American Airlines needed to changes its reservation system business model?
Jim Krigbaum and USAID
Why does Jim hate it when a business owner solely studies the competition (for product planning)?
Sample Portfolios
April 16th, 2007You can view some sample digital portfolios here:
They’re deficient, but there are at least two reasons for this:
1) Much of the student time is devoted to designing web pages
2) I’m sure that the personal reflections are not being displayed.
Elizabeth Rusnak’s Lecture
April 4th, 2007The SBA loan program (be able to define this). Why use a bank loan? Why use Liz’s 504 program? (Hint: The 504 program has cost advantages over other SBA loan programs. Why use a loan? Because you want to own your company and not have others own it)
There is a neat reference guy that has some nuts and bolts of putting together a business plan
Microlenders will offer loans below the thresholds that are customary to banks. These companies may offer classes and advice.
What does a “women or minority owned business” certification accomplish? This means that a supplier can hire this business and get “points” for doing “good work”.
Northwest Women’s Business Center - Great Meetings
Washington Cash - For really tiny loans (e.g. $500)
Society of Retired Executives - Get advice from a passionate, but varied group of retired folks
For Business Plans Submitted to Banks (some are good for any plan):
It’s very important to make an executive summary (Liz’s eyeballs barf without it).
Be sure to put the “ask” or “loan request” into the executive summary
Be sure to have some of your own sources of cash (friends and family)
For a bank, the personal credit will be important especially if you have a startup company
What are Liz’s five Cs? (*hint* It’s the 5 C’s of Credit)
Other Deep Thoughts from Liz
How large a line of credit should you figure? You should look at your cash needs and then provide a cushion. You can talk about this in terms of formal cash flow (if you had accounting) or informal cash flow.
Your credit score follows you, although consumer credit counseling agencies can help you with getting your credit score back on track. It generally takes a year. The scores are updated monthly. You can check out the TRW or other to check your credit score.
A bank loans its depositor monies. It won’t get into speculation (e.g. R&D companies). Venture Capitalists tend to get into riskier investments.