Reflections on ALES 204 Winter 2012

I can't believe another semester is coming to an end! It feels like we just started another one and it has already flown by. Ales 204 has provided me with a lot of information about the innumerable uses of technology. Before this class I had never blogged before-I didn't even know about this very website! I also did not have a Twitter account. Now I feel a lot more comfortable with blogging and using Twitter regularly. One of the most valuable things I have learned this semester is that technology is becoming increasingly relevant in professional practice. How we represent ourselves on the Internet can have negative or positive implications for prospective employment. It is very important to take control of your Internet identity and make sure the information that is available is consistent with how you wish to present yourself personally and publicly.

The professional Facebook page assignment was probably my least favourite assignment of the semester. I think that is because I found it difficult to create a page that was relevant to being a full-time student. I feel as a student I did not have much to add to a professional page that would be any more useful to an employer than sending them my resume. It was useful to learn how to create a page, however, and I can see its relevancy for advertising businesses and connecting with other professionals. The Wikipedia assignment was my favourite. I found that editing a Wikipedia stub was very enlightening. I have always heard to be wary of content on Wikipedia and to be careful referencing it. I now understand why that is so important. It was too easy to get published. Now that information is being viewed on a public forum and potentially being used as a reference. It is not difficult to see how false information can spread so easily and why it is important to think critically about the sources of information. I was also very grateful to be able to learn more about updating my resume and how to send a professional email. Those are very useful life skills- both currently as a student and as a future professional.

Technology has infiltrated almost all aspects of our lives. It is a very powerful means of communicating with others and connecting people all over the world. Because of this it is important to be knowledgable and technologically savvy in order to use it to our advantage- as students, employees, and professionals. Ales 204 has been a useful class in attempting to cover as many aspects of using and communicating through social media as possible, making us more literate and professional Internet users.

Retrieved, April 12, 2012 from: 

http://skgtechnologies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/social-media.jpg 

These are two articles and a blog that comment on some of the effects of social media in personal and professional settings: 

https://www.nbnu.ca/en/news/410-when-private-becomes-public-the-ethical-challenges-and-opportunities-of-social-media

http://www.psychotherapy.net/article/psychotherapists-guide-social-media

http://www.bbc.co.uk/journalism/blog/2011/05/editorial-issues.shtml

These are the links to the five blogs I've commented on:

Rebecca Miller

Samantha Stevens

Carmen Frank

Paige Powers

Yvonne-Qiyun Liang

The Disconnect with Instant Connection

Is it possible to be so connected that we become disconnected?
In our wireless world we seek out connections through various social outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr, Skype, Blogger, and many more. At what point do we lose touch with the tangible people that surround us while we are busy 'connecting' with people in cyberspace?

Too many times I have caught myself using Facebook without even thinking about it. I will be checking people's statuses and updating mine while a friend or family member is right beside me. Sometimes I recognize what I'm doing and it causes me to question- Am I checking this site because it's a habit? I don't know why I am trying to stay connected with people on the Internet but not focusing on the face to face contact that I cherish so much more. I think it's so easy to get caught up in our basic want and need to feel close to others, to be informed and connected to them, that we get lazy in how we initiate this contact. It takes a lot more effort to plan to meet somebody and ask them questions about their life and answer their questions about yours then it does to click a button on a website and instantly have access to their personal information. But what does this mean for not only my generation but the generations that will follow? Will social skills, manners, and even playing outside become a thing of the past? I think people need to be aware of and consciously making decisions to face each other without a screen and to be outside, actively doing things. I believe this process starts in the family: how families relate to each other, communicate, what activities they do, and what values parents instil in their children.

Communication and relationships always have and always will take time, energy, and work. I think the connections forged on the Internet cannot be substituted or replace people relating to one another and making the effort to communicate face-to-face. If we fail to recognize the importance of person to person rather than person to screen contact then we will live our lives with the illusion of connection only to be disillusioned when we realize a computer can't see your pain, hear your laughter, dry your tears, give you a hug, care for you when you're sick or aging, and tell you "I love you."





 This is another bloggers insights on the subject

This is a link to my fellow classmate and friend Samantha's blog

Editing a Wikipedia Stub

The stub that I chose to edit on Wikipedia is titled "Life course approach".  I chose to edit this stub because I have studied the life course approach in two of my current classes- sociology of the family and later life families. I find it to be a very interesting and holistic perspective that can be applied to a broad range of subjects. It is one of the most complete and comprehensive ways to approach studying changes in families over the life course. This is of particular interest to me in my field of family ecology.

The original article was very brief but comprehensive. It provided a broad, general explanation of the life course approach and its origin but it lacked specific examples of how the concept is applied, where it can be applied, and why it is effective. I added material from my later life families textbook "Family Ties and Aging." I also added material from two other sources (academic journals) to expand ideas about the application of the life course theory and show how its use is effective and helpful in gaining understanding about a number of important topics. I hope that it offers a helpful range of detailed information that is easy to read and understand. Click here to see how it turned out.

I have never edited a Wikipedia stub before so all the formatting was brand new. I found some of it a little intimidating and, although I cited my sources as best as I know how, I found myself triple checking my citations and reference list to make sure I gave credit where credit was due, not wanting to violate any copyright restrictions and other errors that would make my information unreliable. I was surprised at how easy it was to actually get "published" on Wikipedia. If I can easily access and put something up for the public to read, it makes me wonder who else posts on Wikipedia, and if they are researching their information, citing, and providing accurate and credible information. Because of this I can understand the reason why professors warn students time and time again to avoid using Wikipedia as a reliable source for information. Having said this, though, I definitely appreciate the sheer volume of topics for which Wikipedia is able to provide information. The diversity of authors can provide many different perspectives and concepts. There is a reason it is so popular and many of us still use it- at least to get the general idea of something.

Two other blogs that have examples of edited Wikipedia stubs are:

http://ales204nutritionstudent.blogspot.ca/ and http://rkmillerales204.blogspot.ca/

Professional Facebook Page

Today in my ALES 204 lab I learned how to create a professional Facebook page. I made this page because I believe it will be useful as an online resume. Having a professional Facebook page is different then just having a Facebook profile because in my page I am classified as a public figure. The information is more formal and less casual. It is a professional profile containing employment related information such as goals, skills, education, interests, and job experience. It also includes references. This can be a useful tool for potential employers to access my information.  Although for now my page is anonymous and some of the content is fabricated for the purpose of this assignment, I would like to develop a professional page that can be used for future employment.

The purpose of having a professional Facebook page is to showcase who I am as a professional. This goes beyond the basics of qualifications and standard resume formats. It is more personal than a resume because it goes beyond the standard information that a resume provides. It is more of a personal portfolio that can be updated and revised instantly. Because Facebook is a social networking site, having a professional page can increase potential job opportunities through social networking and "common interests" or friends who like your page.

These are some Professional Facebook pages of people who I find interesting:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/facebook_inc/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pmharper
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jordan-Eberle/55351994680

If you're interested in Nutrition check out this blog:
ales204nutritionstudent.blogspot.com

Introductory Post

Hey! My name is Angela. This is my first blog and I am excited to get started. I am in my second year at the University of Alberta. I am in Human Ecology majoring in Family Ecology and minoring in Child and Youth Development. Communication is very important in my field of study because when working with people, especially children, a comprehensive knowledge and application of communication skills is essential.

I primarily use communication to stay in contact with my friends and family. Most often I use Facebook but recently I have joined Twitter. I enjoy using Facebook because I feel like it is a more complete view of what a person is doing and what they are in to. I enjoy reading my friends and family's statuses and updates as well as viewing their photos. I have not quite grasped the Twitter phenomenon but I am learning slowly. I think it is pretty cool that you can follow a celebrity or a favorite sports team and instantly be up to date on what's happening. Even though it is less detailed then Facebook the information seems to be transmitted faster and more candidly-like a snapshot of a person's life at that particular moment.

As technology becomes even more popular and widely used children are exposed to its many pros and cons. It is important to understand the significance of this form of communication in my field of study because it becomes a major part of  family life and a child's development. For example, if a child is being cyber-bullied it is important to understand how communication through technology has made this possible and take appropriate action. Communication can play a positive role in increasing a parents' accessibility to their children. An example of this is a parent who has gone away for a business trip or is in the military using Skype to connect with his or her family. This has many implications for the dynamics of family life.

Photo taken by Shehzadi

External family life blogs:
http://jugglingmama.com/
http://www.topmommyblogs.com/pages/family_life_mom_blogs.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-bootcamp/200906/is-technology-fracturing-your-family
http://www.blogs.com/topten/10-best-family-travel-blogs/

Internal blog:
ales204nutritionstudent.blogspot.com