Reflecting on ALES 204

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ALES204, Communication Theory and Practise, has exposed me to a large portion of the social media world that I otherwise would have never explored if I hadn’t taken this course. Before taking this class, I had never heard of Audioboo, LinkedIn or Flikr. I had never blogged, used Twitter, updated a Wikipedia article or thought of Facebook as a useful platform to promote oneself professionally. Before the Science Article Assignment, I was unfamiliar with OpenAccess Publishing, and its potential to change the academic publishing world. ALES 204 has exposed me to a diverse collection of social media tools, some of which I will use in the future, and some of which I will not.

Although Twitter can be a useful way to connect with people and professionally network, after this class I do not think I will be an active tweeter. I am not a very technological person. I prefer to interact with the people whom I am physically with, rather than have my eyes glued to a computer or iPhone. Although I can see the usefulness of Twitter, I have a harder time recognizing the benefits of Audioboo. I found the Wikipedia stub assignment interesting. I had fun elaborating on a Wikipedia stub, and I learned a few things about disorders ofcalcium metabolism in the meantime. This assignment taught me a lot about where the articles on Wikipedia come from and how easy it is for anyone to post information. Although this was a useful exercise, I doubt I will be updating any Wikipedia stubs in the near future. I do plan, however, to use Facebook as a means to advertise myself professionally, once I have finished my degree. Developing a business oriented Facebook page can really expand your audience and provide valuable advertising, free of charge. I can also see myself using LinkedIn in the future, to network with other nutrition professionals around the globe.

I can appreciate the fact that today, the internet is how we can most effectively reach people and promote ourselves. Because of this, I will use Facebook and other forms of social networking, like LinkedIn, to stay professionally connected. However, I doubt I will ever be a blogger or frequent Twitter user, as I would much rather spend my free time talking with people rather than typing to them. Ales 204 exposed me to a technical world I was previously unfamiliar with. Although I was hoping to develop my public speaking skills a little more and my computer skills a little less, I have gained some valuable knowledge that I will take forward with me in my career.

It’s interesting to read the differing opinions in the reflective posts of my classmates. Shannon points out how she believes it would have been more respectful and productive to have the class tweet after lectures rather than during, I completely agree. After reading many blog posts by ALES 204 students, I commented on some of the posts I found most interesting:

Sydney, Andi, Christie, Brenda Le and Sara.