Reflective Post

ALES204 was a class unlike any other that I've taken university. It relied on our own abilities to be critically literate and efficiently analyze, which opened this class up to our own interpretations. Instead of making us memorize certain facts, ALES204 taught us the skills to understand a good article from a bad one, for example, or how to effectively communicate our ideas in a professional manner. ALES204 was much more interactive compared to other classes, and since there were no major exams for this course, the responsibility of taking up the information learned in class was purely dependent on the involvement of the students. The use of Twitter also played a big role in keeping us alert and thinking during class! By keeping me engaged, I did not miss important information that I might otherwise have dazed off from, so I always learned something new!

A major topic the class revolved around was social media. The many different presentations given to us showed how much social media is expanding globally, which allowed us to realize the importance of its function in the workplace, advertising, etc for ourselves firsthand. In labs and through assignments, our tasks included approaches to different communication tools for uses that would essentially help us in our future careers. I liked the set-up in which we were first given the information, and then afterwards, we were left to find how useful this information was by letting us apply it to ourselves, an example being promoting our achievements through a CV. When we practice the skills we learn, it helps to shape our perspectives about whether this would or would not be useful to ourselves. The class is not forcing us to do anything. We do not have to use a LinkedIn profile or a Facebook page of ourselves or a Twitter account, if we choose not to; ALES204 only gives us the option and teaches us different ways to make us stand out from other people. By giving us a wide scope of communication tools, the class creates opportunities for students to find what would benefit and appeal to them most.

ALES204 took many of the common websites we use on a daily basis and showed how we could use them in a different way. Learning about utilizing Facebook in professional sense was an eye-opener for me. I had always used Facebook for personal reasons and had never thought about how it could help me promote my ambitions, achievements and skills online to future employers (you can check it out at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Wang/155836434530120)! I realized that just because people use Facebook, or any social media tool, a certain way, that is not the only way. What other people choose to do with these tools does not define its function. We do. Although social media has come a long way from the early 1990s, it is the people who are innovating it more than anything else. Twitter is similar to Facebook in this respect. Twitter, like Facebook, is known for its use in creating a network where friends and families could connect with one another, but the both of them have evolved. A Facebook page can be used as an "online resume," as mentioned earlier, and Twitter can be used to promote awareness about certain issues, such as politics, charities and news topics!

At a first glance, I thought the name "Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences" was an actual science course, where we would learn about certain topics that would apply to all Faculty of ALES students' programs of choice, so when I received the syllabus on the first day of class, I was confused and honestly disappointed. Skimming through, I didn't see how blogging and Facebook would prove any use to me as a university student. After the first few classes, I still was not warming up to the layout of the class as well as our expectations (using Twitter every class, for example), since it was unfamiliar to what I was used to. However, after spending the whole semester, attending classes and labs, I have come to appreciate the topics covered in class that help us present ourselves to future employers, clients, etc. I see now that I had judged this class too early, and I am grateful that the Faculty of ALES students have this as a required course. With that in mind, we should make the best use of everything we learned in class since out of the all the university students, we are the few who have the option of taking an innovative class such as this one.

Check out Lindsey's blog post here! Lindsay talks about the importance of using different forms of communication through learning how to achieve the most reliable information. Like Lindsay, I am also in Nutrition and Food Sciences, so I completely agree that educating one's self about finding trustworthy information. Many companies try to twist the truth in their favour, basing their success on debatable technicalities for a quick buck, so people, as consumers, need to fully understand what they're being persuaded to do, eat or buy for the sake of their health as well as others. "Don't believe everything you read!" Find out for yourself! There is an underlying value of being able to say, without a doubt, that you know "so and so" is true by spending time researching!

These are the posts I have commented which all have excellent insight I believe to be worthwhile reads!

• Hannah O'Reilly's "Introduction: About Me and My Studies"
• Brenda Le's "Confessions of a Twitter Skeptic"
• Stephanie Nash's "Kony 2012: Make Him Famous"
• Carol Amaral's "Writing a Wikipedia Article"
• Alana Soderberg's "Final Reflection"

Thank you for a great semester, and thank you to all who took the time to read my blog!

Catch you guys later!

The next step [Digital Image]. (2012). Retrieved April 12th, 2012, from: http://gratitudeplanet.com/2011/01/28/there-is-always-the-next-step/

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a very useful and convenient resource to obtain very general information about a certain topic. It does not, however, contain enough in-depth information to be considered extremely enlightening. Before being presented this assignment, I didn't know that a "wiki" was a type of interactive writing where people from anywhere can come together and provide information on a certain topic, creating a mozaic of information. For the most part, this is very beneficial as it creates a community of those with common interests to come together and spread their ideas to the global community, allowing us as readers to gain perspective and knowledge from a variety of different people with different ideas that we may not have been able to have access to on our own. However, many times the information being presented in a wiki is not considered a reliable source since anyone can write whatever they choose, which may mislead Wikipedia readers and users. With that said, the Wikipedia stub I chose to edit was "erethism."

Wikipedia Banner [Digital Image]. (2012). Retrieved March 19, 2012, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

To briefly summarize, erethism is a symptom of mercury poisoning from the inhalation of mercury vapours. It is characterized by aggressive yet shy and timid behaviour, indicating social phobia. It is not a well-known topic as it is actually very rare, especially nowadays. Erethism occurs as a result of severe mercury poisoning, and those high levels are difficult to reach. When I came across the stub, the information given was very vague, and I actually found that it was copied and pasted from another website when I was looking up additional information on its definition! After doing my research on this subject, I found that the information given in the original stub was very vague with some inaccuracies. When completing my edit, I found that there was something truly powerful about making my contribution to the academic community. With that in mind, I was determined to make a good impression and provide accurate information to all those who may be interested in this topic. Who knows, maybe my article will be able to help them some way, and that feeling gives me a sense of responsibility! I don't know who may be reading, but regardless, I want to present my work in a professional and concise way with the most accurate information. When I was sifting through different websites, looking for a definition of erethism, I actually found one excerpt which was exactly like the original stub I had to work with! This opened my eyes as to how my writing would be used in other websites as well! The information I provided in Wikipedia could be used in other resources! Writing a Wikipedia article was time-consuming, but I think the repercussions are what makes it so fulfilling.

Below is the image of the original stub before I was given the assignment:

Erethism Wikipedia stub [Screenshot]. (Lu, 2012). Retrieved March 19, 2012 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erethism

I can truly appreciate the work that others do, having completed this assignment. I spent at least 4 hours working on this assignment, editing and reading, reading and editing. I had to dig through multiple databases to find authentic articles relevant to my topic of choice, making sure that they were reliable and that they provide consistent information compared with other articles, analyzing the information being presented, and in the end, having to organize all of this information in a way to allow interested readers to obtain a clearer image of what erethism is really about. I never expected writing a Wikipedia article to be that much hard work, so I can say that I have a new-found appreciation for those who write wiki's on a daily basis. Wikipedia does not pay its writers, so those who choose to contribute do this purely for academic purposes, hoping to help and inform others. I can personally understand now why "vandalizers" present such a threat since they basically defile all the hard work put into writing a concise, well-constructed article.

You can view my edited stub here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erethism

Please check out Clara's Wikipedia post here, as she provides some excellent perspective on the challenges and benefits of writing her Wikipedia article on cyberphobia. Like Clara, I also found it hard to relevant peer-reviewed articles on my topic, so I had to use my deduction and comparison skills to see if the information I found in one article was consistent with another, especially since one of my sources was dated back to 1856! However, since erethism was more prevalent many, many years ago, I still found it to be a valuable source of information! Clara states that "critical reflection on the part of the reader" is important as well which I completely agree with since you "can't believe everything you read."

My Pecha Kucha Experience

For my blog post, I decided to talk about my experience with the increasingly popular communication tool known as Pecha Kucha. By definition, it refers to a presentation consisting of 20 slides with 20 seconds for the speaker to talk about each slide. In total, a Pecha Kucha presentation runs 6 minutes and 40 seconds long.

The slides on the presentation revolve around images, leaving out the wordy aspect that comes with the common long, boring and rambling presentations. Thus, Pecha Kucha puts the power in the speaker's voice rather than dependence on the physical presentation itself. The wordiness of a presentation requires a lot of reading for the audience, drawing their attention away from the presenter and directing it towards the screen. In a sense, what the speaker is trying to convey gets "lost in translation." In this case, what the speaker says may not be communicated as effectively as if the audience hadn't been distracted by numerous, and sometimes confusing, terms.

Pecha Kucha Banner [Digital Image]. (2012). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from: http://www.engineering.ucl.ac.uk/blog/events/engineering-pecha-kucha/

When we were given the assignment in our ALES204 lab, I was intrigued yet terrified at the same time. The amount of pressure this would entail for me as the speaker was unsettling since the power is in my hands as I am the focus of the presentation. As the speaker, I'm the reflection of my work on the presentation, and I essentially leave the lasting impression on those who take the time to listen to me, so, in a way, I had a responsibiilty not to disappoint. Seeing as I am an unconfident speaker as it is when it comes to public speaking, the thought of having the audience intently focused on every word I'm saying, was really unnerving for me. Taking into account the fact that we only had about 45 minutes to prepare an impromptu presentation about our topic, there was not much time to rehearse and revise. I became uncomfortably anxious when it was our group's turn to stand at the front of the classroom. I did not have much time to organize my thoughts, so I did not to know how I wanted to present my thoughts clearly. For a short presentation style like Pecha Kucha, every word counts and should be significant! Being concise and straight to the point is key to any presentation even though wordiness (for lack of a better term) may make the speaker feel more confident in that he or she is presenting the audience with as much knowledge he or she has to offer.

I had all of the above in mind as I was walking towards the front of the room, but unfortunately, I completely froze as I started speaking. I stumbled over words and struggled to try and pick myself back up. I felt like I let my group members down at the end of our 6 and some minutes. Although my group was really understanding, I still had feelings of defeat and embarrassment in the back of my mind. My first experience with Pecha Kucha did not go nearly as well as I had hoped, but I did come to find how important this tool is along the way.

Child with Stage Fright [Digital Image]. (2011). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from:http://communicationskillstips.com/2011/proven-formula-for-powerful-public-speaking/

I realize that this is not an easy thing to master immediately. With constant practice, I can be able to utilize Pecha Kucha to my advantage and give me the edge and excitement needed to draw people in. It is a presentation style that is always appreciated (or refreshing, one might say), no matter the topic or the audience. I believe that one reason for my less than successful attempt at Pecha Kucha was that I was taking myself too seriously. I wanted it to be perfect, and I was so caught up in trying to be the perfect "voice" of the presentation that I forgot to relax and have fun with it! Pecha Kucha is indeed a more modern way of conveying information about certain topics and issues, and in this way, it allows for a complete different direction away from the old, "overdone" presentations where words are simply plastered on Powerpoint slides in a monotonous fashion. The traditional way shows no uniqueness and no reflection of one's self. Pecha Kucha allows for freedom to change it up and make the presentation into what you want it to be, something totally custom-made to fit you.

Maybe one day I will be able to be as comfortable and confident as those who will participate in Pecha Kucha night in Edmonton on March 4th! More information about the speakers can be found clicking on the embedded link.

I really admire those who can put aside their feelings of nerves to talk about something they believe is important for the general public to be aware of. I appreciate the fact that they "pump up" their confidence in order to spread important ideas and perspectives to the world, which may otherwise be overlooked or ignored. In my future career, I want to be able to use my voice and channel it towards increasing other people's knowledge, using presentations like Pecha Kucha, but I have much to learn before I can get that far.

My friend, Steph, wrote in her blog about her perspective of another increasingly popular communication tool which is...you guessed it! Twitter! Steph highlights points about effectively using writing space, as Twitter only allows for a 140 character limit. Although Twitter is different that Pecha Kucha, she mentions how Twitter is an exemplary way to express opinions and talk about important issues which I believe is similar to that of Pecha Kucha! Both somewhat stray away from the same "old" and overdone (as I mentioned earlier) template of how to express an idea. Pecha Kucha and Twitter can both be used professionally, but it can also be "dressed down," which makes both of these tools useful means of communication for people everywhere!

Facebook.

In ALES204 lab, I am learning the importance of advertising myself to anyone interested in my work as well as to future employers who wish to invest time in me for job opportunities in my field of interest. One valuable resource that goes unnoticed is none other than....



That's right! Facebook.

For a great majority of users, Facebook is an amazing tool used to connect with people from all over the world, keep in touch with old friends, and serves as a way to communicate with new ones. Who would have thought that it can also serve a purpose in the professional sense?

On a regular basis, Facebook is used primarily in a casual sense, so to be able to use it as a professional tool opens up its potential in the corporate world. By creating a Facebook page about one's self, it will allow employers or any interested to know the "real" person behind the name. People can see who one truly is, not just the tense person spruced up for the interviews, and in this way, it allows interested employers to obtain a better picture of someone's interests, personality, and above all, professionalism. How one conducts him or herself on the internet is very important nowadays since employers can easily search up employees' activity on the worldwide web (Once you press send, it is out for everyone to see, and it cannot be taken back). It also provides a clearer picture as to what kind of reputation the person of interest may have and how his or her reputation will affect the employer's image.

I would have never thought of creating a Facebook page for myself until I took ALES204, so I can appreciate how the creation of a social media page instantly allows easy connection to those interested in what I do or aspire to do. Besides being readily available and convenient for future employers, it also helps to cut down paper. A little goes a long way (Go green!)! It is beneficial to you as well as the earth, which is a double bonus!

Here's a screenshot of my Facebook page:

Image source: My own. Screenshot of my Facebook page.

Click here for a better view!

(Side note: since the screenshot, I have changed my name to Christine Wang so as to keep it more private)

Here is a link to my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Wang/155836434530120

I also think you may enjoy my friend, Brenda Le's blog! She has some excellent insight!

Stay professional!

Introductory Post.

Hello all! My name is Danielle Lu, and I am currently a 2nd year undergraduate student in the Nutrition and Food Science program. I am hoping to transfer into the Nutrition program next year, as I am really interested in making my interest in this field into my career. Although nutrition is something I do not always abide by (I do enjoy the occasional cookie or bag of chips!), I believe it is important to be aware of how to take care of your body through the right diets and food lifestyle choices.

I first became interested in nutrition a few years ago. It was a large change from my original goal of becoming an architect/interior designer (I may end up getting another degree in design later on though, but I'll focus on one thing at a time!). My family has very close friends who are involved in the nutrition field, most of which live in China. Through word of mouth of my mom, I heard about all these different ways food could transform certain aspects of one's health and better the body as a whole, which I found very interesting and, well, cool! Although nutrition peaked my interest, it wasn't until my grandparents and dad started to develop health problems, such as pernicious anemia and hypertension (Salted, preserved foods are a family favorite!), as a result of imbalanced, inadequate diet that I realized how important nutrition is as a whole and to myself. Eating should be healthy as well as an enjoyment. It should be balanced! After researching online, I found more information on what being a dietician really entails. It's not just telling people what to eat. That's only part of it!

You can get a taste of some general, interesting health information can be found here at http://www.thehealthblog.com/.

In this way, it shows the importance of communication since mom gained knowledge from people on the other side of the world! Therefore, this stresses how necessary exchanging information is from place to place so that a vast audience can have access to important and up-to-date information. As a student and for future work, research findings and experiments can be quickly conveyed and shared with others who find it interesting and beneficial. Being a dietician, it is critical that the most accurate information can be passed around so that we can be accurate in passing the message along to clients.

Before ALES204, I only had a Facebook account in which I used to connect with friends, old and new like most people do. I never really thought about profiling myself using social media, so my Facebook profile is pretty informal and casual. Now that I'm learning to use websites such as Blogger and Twitter, I can appreciate how these technologies are a gateway into profiling myself to the world and treat it, like Jess said, "as a business card." I hope to learn more about ways of effective communication in ALES204!

You can follow me on twitter @dlu4. Here's to a great semester!

Image source: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/fresh-ideas/dinner-food-facts/tomato-called-a-love-apple.htm