Goodbye ALES 204

Source : Tux Web Solution (www.tuxwebsolution.com). Retrieved December 5, 2011.

After my first ALES 204 class back in September, I was both confused and intrigued about the new focus and direction of the course. My homework for the second class was to make a Twitter account, something I never thought I would do and especially not as a class assignment. I remember skimming the syllabus that night and reading the names of all these social media sites I had never even heard of before, including Blogger, LinkedIn and Delicious. Well I must say, in the last four months my ability to use the Internet to both find and disseminate information has increased exponentially! I can now comfortable navigate all of those sites I had never heard of and I am tweeting like a pro.

Creating my e-portfolio in the form of a blog using the website Blogger made me realize that creating a blog is not an impossible task and it is a great way to disseminate information. I really appreciated the opportunity to write about the creative and analytical process involved in creating my Facebook page and Wikipedia entry. It made the assignments feel more personal by giving me a chance to share with Dr. Laccetti, Marie Claude and my fellow students what I enjoyed about the project and what I learned from the experience. In addition, I realized while looking at the number of views my blog has received in the past three months that people are actually visiting my blog! As of earlier today, I had 250 views which was substantially more than I would have guessed. If your goal is to share your writing with the online community, I think a blog is the ideal place to start.

One thing I learned about myself as a journalist is that I actually don’t dislike writing! As a student in primarily science classes, my main University writing experiences have involved papers or lab reports. Both of these are very structured writing assignments, where you are given a list of things to talk about and you have very little creative freedom. Although I know that concise and informative lab reports are important, they are not always enjoyable to write. As a result, when I first learned about the e-portfolio and blog posts I was not too pleased this class was going to involve writing. However, I discovered I really enjoy sharing my thoughts and opinions with the world through a blog. Maybe I truly am more of a journalist than I realized!

My goal is life is to become a small animal veterinarian. That is a field where technology is very important for sharing and disseminating research. These days companion animals are often viewed as a member of the family, and their owners want the best, most innovative care possible for them. As a result, there is always research happening and new papers are being published about the latest treatments everyday. Although this research is happening all over the world, the Internet allows for immediate dissemination of this research to every veterinary clinic. Additionally, technology gives veterinarians the ability to easily discuss their opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of these new treatments. I know that by the time I am a veterinarian online communication and networking is going to be a necessary part of the job, so I am glad this class gave me confidence in my ability to professionally navigate the internet.

The online e-portfolios also gave me the ability to learn more about my classmates through reading their thoughts and opinions. The blog posts I commented on are: Jasmeena’s post about her Facebook business page, Erin’s post about her Wikipedia article, Cassandra’s post about the Sustain SU poster she created, Coleman’s introduction post, and Larkin’s blog post about folksomy and her wordle.

Source: Brad Fitzpatrick (www.bradfitzpatrick.com). Retrieved December 5, 2011.

Wikipedia

Wikipedia truly is a unique, unparalled site. It was launched on January 15^th, 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, and only ten years later it includes 20 million articles in 282 languages (Wikipedia, 2011). I know when I’m trying to get general information on a topic, Wikipedia is the first site I check! So when my next ALES 204 project was to add more information to a stub on Wikipedia, I thought I could pick an interesting topic and the assignment would be easy as pie.

I chose to update a stub on Hardware Disease, which is commonly found in dairy cattle and an illness I find interesting. I quickly discovered that although writing the article was easy, trying to format it was a whole new ball game. I read countless help pages and looked at samples from other articles before I finally figured out how to make a reference to the same citation multiples times throughout my article. My goal for my next Wikipedia article is to figure out how to add a picture, a task I gave up on this time around. I can tell you one thing, I have even more gratitude for the authors who routinely contribute to Wikipedia, because there is much more to it then writing out a few sentences! Also, I know with certainty I could never be a computer programmer. I get too frustrated when I find out the error I’ve been trying to fix for the last hour was due to two missing square parentheses!

But without further ado, here is a screenshot of the article that introduced me to the world of Wikipedia coding. You can also find the entire article here.

       From jkhay (2011), Edmonton. Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.flickr.com

For comparison sake, here is the original stub:

      From jkhay (2011), Edmonton. Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.flickr.com

This assignment did make me more aware than ever that truly anyone can edit Wikipedia. I was able to make an account and edit almost any article I wanted, with the exception of a few that have restricted access. Looking through the editing history page, I do think the undo edit button is a great idea. If someone changes an article with the sole goal of vandalism, it is nice that their work can be easily removed and the article can be reverted back to its original form. 

Looking through my fellow students blogs, I stumbled across Erin's blog talking about her Wikipedia article on Swedish Red Cattle. Reading her blog made me feel better, because I discovered I was not the only one having problems referencing the same article multiple times!

That’s all for today folks. Remember, be grateful for the people who write the articles for Wikipedia, but take everything you read with a grain of salt!

Non-Verbal Communication

Source: Fred E. Miller (Non-Verbal Communication). Retrieved October 26, 2011.

One aspect of communication that should never be overlooked is non-verbal communication. This includes facial expressions, body movement, posture, gestures, eye contact, touch, personal space and more! I think it is always important to be aware of the message you are portraying through your non-verbal communication. The picture above really emphasizes importance of facial expression. Without holding a conversation with the man, it is possible to assign an emotion to each picture. This becomes relevant if, for example, you are trying to apologize to someone but you are periodically sticking out your tongue at him or her. Is he or she really going to take your apology seriously, no matter how eloquent your speech?

Personally, I find the differences in non-verbal communication between cultures fascinating. For example, in North America pointing is commonly done using the index finger. However, in Japan the entire hand is used to point to an object and pointing with the index finger is deemed mildly offensive! More interesting yet, in North America frequent eye contact during a conversation is a way to show that you are interested and engaged. On the other hand, Asian custom dictates that not making eye contact with your superiors is a sign of respect. This can cause problems for Asian tourists in North America because avoiding eye contact here is seen as rude and even an indication of lying! One last example that was shared with me by a friend who recently returned from Iran is the difference is head gestures. Contrary to the North American custom of nodding for yes and shaking your head for no, in Iran they dip their head down with a slight turn to signal yes and move their head up and back sharply to signal no. This could prove to be very confusing for a North American tourist if they haven’t done any research before traveling to Iran. Therefore I am realizing that it is very important to not only learn key phrases between visiting a new country, but to also learn common gestures to reduce confusion and possible offensiveness.

 One article from Fox News that I found interesting is about how scientists are teaching soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan how to effectively communicate with the locals. Simply not charging up to people and taking off their sunglasses while holding conversations is increasing the openness of communication between soldiers and citizens. I find it interesting how gestures the soldiers are not even consciously doing are making their jobs harder and I think it is great the researchers are helping them improve their non-verbal communication skills. In addition, below is a fascinating clip from a BBC documentary that better explains some of the differences in gestures between cultures.

Source: http://youtu.be/pxoB6MhmbIg. Retrieved October 26, 2011.

    

Even in our technology filled world today, non-verbal communication continues to be a major component of portraying a message. Non-verbal messages are commonly transmitted through both video blogs and photographs. For example, my fellow ALES student Fallon has uploaded two profile pictures to her blog. One photo is of her smiling with a starfish on her face and the other is her hugging Winnie the Pooh. Although pictures do not tell the whole story, her pictures make her seem like a warm, fun-loving person. In contrast, had her profile picture been her staring directly at the camera with her arms crossed and a frown on her face, I would have more likely categorized her as an unhappy or defiant person. Therefore, in a world where employers a looking at all of your online personas, it is important to scrutinize your pictures and ensure they transmit the non-verbal message you want them to. In summary, it is important to always be conscious of the non-verbal messages you are portraying to be sure your actions match your words, because the actions often matter more than anything coming out of your mouth!

Source: Mike Baldwin (Cartoon Stock). Retrieved October 26, 2011.

Facebook Business Profile

Hi everyone!

Time for blog numero dos today! This post regards a site where I waste a lot of my time, good old Facebook. This week we had to make a page about professional selves, the way we would want to be portrayed to potential employers. I thought of it like an online resume, because rumor has it many companies occasionally do search the Facebook accounts of potential employees.

There were some points I thought were very important to include. Obviously my name was an essential component, as well as my level of education. I discussed previous jobs and the lessons I learned from them and the organizations with which I currently volunteer. I thought it was important to share a bit of information about my strengths in a work environment and links to my blog and twitter so they can learn a bit more about me. I included some information about my likes, so that the whole page didn’t feel too impersonal. Lastly I listed some of my favorite websites and mentors, so the reader can gain a better understanding of my personal values and ethics.

I feel that including all of these components made for a very well-rounded page. My goal was to create a page that was professional and shared my experience and future goals. However, I wanted to add small personal touches because if I have something in common with the reader they are more likely to be interested in my page and in building a professional relationship.

Building this page helped me realize that Facebook can be used for something other than procrastinating and sharing pictures or upcoming events. Businesses can build pages to advertise, celebrities can communicate with fans, and organizations can connect with potential volunteers. Although social media is sometimes regarded as a time waster that is creating an impersonal world, projects like this make a very valid argument for the advantages of social media sites. In ALES 204, where the focus is on online communication, I feel like I have gotten to know my classmates better than any other 200 person class I’ve been a part of. Reading everyone’s tweets and scrolling through their blogs has given me a real insight into the personalities and aspirations of my fellow classmates. For example, I found that Jasmeena made a very good point in reminding us all to check out privacy settings, because you really don’t know who is checking your profile! And I agree with her, having a business profile makes employers less likely to investigate my personal profile.

I found an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about whether employers truly can fire people based on their Facebook accounts. I didn’t realize that people had legitimately gotten fired over postings, and that companies were actually being sued as a result. Articles like that definitely make me think twice about anything I post!

That’s all for now. If you want go find my Facebook professional page, follow this link! Remember, anything online is visible to the whole wide world. So keep it professional people!

Jen

      From jkhay (2011), Edmonton. Retrieved September 23, 2011 from http://www.flickr.com

    From jkhay (2011), Edmonton. Retrieved September 23, 2011 from http://www.flickr.com

 From jkhay (2011), Edmonton. Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.flickr.com

Intro Post

Hello world!

My name is Jennifer Hay and this is my first ever blog! So you must bear with me while I explore this newfound world of blogging. But I will try my very best to update it often and share any interesting links and stories I stumble across on the internet. After all, being a university student seems to come hand-in-hand with using the internet to procrastinate, so I discover all kinds of interesting news articles the night before a midterm. And if you really start to miss my amazing wit, you can follow my twitter account (@JenHay13), which I promise to update daily!

I am currently a third year student in the animal health program, with a major in companion and performance animals. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I hope to attend the University of Calgary or the University of Saskatchewan for veterinary school. I am really enjoying third year so far, it is nice to be finally done with all the introductory level courses and I’m finding all of my animal science courses fascinating.

Communication plays a huge role in both my journey to attending vet school and the veterinary profession I hope to one day join. Volunteering is a phenomenal way to gain experience with a wide variety of animals. The internet is an indispensable resource to communicate with various volunteer organizations, as the majority have websites and use social media to attract volunteers. The internet allows me to search for volunteering opportunities within a specific sub-genre (ie. helping train service dogs) and easily find multiple organizations, saving me tons of time! I have also found social media sites, specifically Facebook, a superb tool for corresponding with other volunteers. I volunteer as a dog walker at The Edmonton Humane Society, however I am one of hundreds of dog walkers. To facilitate communication the EHS created a Facebook page exclusively for their volunteers. Here, we can post which dogs are high energy and need to be walked often, or which dogs are shy and need some extra one-on-one attention. Without Facebook, communication among this many part-time volunteers would be a nightmare! In my field, communication is also essential for dissemination of current information. Animal health is a very broad field and there are thousands of organizations ranging from the Chicken Farmers of Canada  to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. These organizations have two roles: educating the public and listening to the concerns and ideas of the public. Open and effective lines of communication are essential for that relationship to be successful.

As a veterinarian, communication between researchers and vets is critical, as new discoveries are being made everyday. The internet plays an amazing role is this distribution of information, as it would be impossible for one vet to attend every scientific conference relating to their field. Thanks to the world wide web, they can now read the latest research and discuss the newest techniques with other vets from the comfort of their home. In addition, I feel it is important for me to learn to be the most effective communicator possible because behind every sick animal is a frantic owner. Being able to reassure people, as well as educating your clients on how to be the best pet owners possible, is routine in the veterinary profession. So if I want to survive and succeed for the next forty or fifty years of my life, I must become a clear and successful communicator. I hope this blog will be a start in that journey!

Until next time,

Jen