By all accounts, Bill Stoner was ahead of his time when he graduated in 2003. He was the first McDaniel student to create a digital portfolio from scratch. It featured his work in Education classes and included a video clip of Stoner student teaching with a group of second and third graders.

"It was just so handy on interviews," Stoner said. "With a hard copy you've only got one copy. I'd go to an interview and hand them a CD and say, 'You can look at it at your leisure.'"

Stoner had two job offers by the time he graduated.

This fall, the College moved to the next level in digital portfolios with the use of Chalk and Wire. Easy to access and simple to operate, it turns any student into a web-site builder after only an hour of instruction.

Students choose their template from a variety of colorful options and upload documents, audio, and video clips onto their site. Chalk and Wire allows professors to access the work and assess it online. In addition, the program's digital nature enables instructors to tally statistics in order to quickly learn how students fared on assignments or in classes.

Students across several disciplines will utilize Chalk and Wire this semester. Sophomore and Junior Biology majors will chart their work on the portfolios. Honor students will showcase their work, as will students enrolled in "Great Works of the Western World," "Intermediate German," four first-year Education classes, and first-year seminar "Beyond the Eiffel Tower: Looking at the French."

French Professor Martine Motard-Noar said she looks forward to reading and correcting students' drafts online.

"You'll see my presence looking into it. You'll see my feedback," Motard-Noar told her class. "The ultimate goal is that you will pick things to feature in your portfolio that represent your skills across the liberal arts. It will put your best face out to an employer."

The Education department shares that goal. Associate Professor Margaret Trader explained to a class of aspiring teachers why the Education department requires them to create a digital portfolio.

"An interviewer says, 'Do you know how to work with students with special needs?' and you can say, 'Yes, I worked with an autistic student and here's a video clip,'" said Trader.

Students may choose to keep their portfolio private or publish it to the Web. They can even start an online discussion thread and let others comment. Steve Kerby, director of instructional technology, said Chalk and Wire is meant to encourage reflection and collaborative learning.

"In two years, I hope we're a digital portfolio campus. I hope it's a resource available to any program and any student who wants it," said Kerby.

Stoner, now a teacher at Northwest Middle School in Taneytown, couldn't agree more. He encourages all students to create a digital portfolio.

"It gave me a huge edge."