Putting some of our portfolio on CD-ROM

[annettemarie]

I'm tired of ripping apart main lesson books and over-explaining things so they fit in a written portfolio format. And I'm too tired to mess around with reducing pictures, etc. So I've decided to put some of our portfolio on CD-ROM. I've looked at PA homeschool law and it says nothing about it having to all be pen and paper work in a binder.

This is what I am thinking of including in the front:

To Whom It May Concern:

Because we believe that learning is an active process, many of our educational activities are not completed with pen and paper. Because we are an ecological family, we try our best not to waste resources like paper and do much of our work on the chalkboard and dry erase boards. We also complete “main lesson books,” which are our own self-made textbooks, and do not wish to destroy these so we can include pages in the portfolio. They are too big to copy and too bulky to include. Please see the accompanying CD-ROM for pictures, videos, etc. of what we have done this school year, arranged by subject. For a more detailed look at our homeschool, you can also visit our blog at http://ourseasonsofjoy.com.

Sincerely,
Me

Too snotty? vague? just right?

[Daffodil]

I'm not sure you need to explain why you're putting it on a CD. If they don't have written requirements for what the portfolio has to look like, you're probably not the first person in your state to put it on a CD, and they'll probably think it's just fine. I sent my portfolio that way last year. (But I'm in a different state, and I had previously read about someone else in my state putting theirs on CD and getting positive feedback on it from the Dept. of Ed., so I was pretty sure they would accept it.) I'd probably leave out everything in your letter but the last two sentences, maybe adding "Let me know if this format is not acceptable."

[annettemarie]

Our homeschool law very specifically talks about papers, writing samples, and worksheets as examples of what could/should be in the portfolios. Some school districts in our state have even gone so far as to try to dictate the size and color of the binders. And while you're right that I am probably not the first person to ever use a CD, I've also never met anyone else around here who did it, so I included an explanation because I didn't want it to be too confusing. PA school districts (and mine in particular) are notorious for attempting to add to the law or trying to make things more ridiculous than they actually are.