ALES204 The Finale

Hi ALES204. In my final blog for the class, I have composed a reflection of the course in its entirety.
          I had a misconception of the course before it started, that it was going to be strictly on verbal presentations and communication. Thus I was very surprised during the first class that the course's focus had changed into an in-depth exploration of communication in a vast array of manners, mainly focusing on web based communications. I was somewhat apprehensive of the idea that future communication was going to take place mainly online, however I was open to exploring online communication and how it could enhance my professionalism. The term started off with Twitter and its many daily applications and impacts on the world around us, with constant streams of information from anyone around the world. Coinciding with the introduction to Twitter, we were introduced to Blogger and how to blog in a professional manner. ALES204 become a journey through the infinitely expanding internet by exploring the powers of Twitter, Blogger, Facebook, Google Docs,  Flickr, Wordle, Delicious, Refworks, LinkedIn, and Audio Boo.

          The course proceeded with public speaking, presentations, and Pecha Kuchas (20x20). Public speaking is an important component of many jobs, so speaking load, clear, and at a fluent pace is important in order to be effective and memorable. Another important component of disseminating information is making sure you are excited and relatable during your presentation. Knowing your information and what you want to get across is important, especially if you are presenting in a Pecha Kucha format, so research is critical even if it starts with Wikipedia. However as we have learned Wikipedia is not the most reliable resources just as Layla LeDahl points out in her blog pertaining to Wikipedia stubs. Dr. Jessica Laccetti has taught us that critically analyze peer-reviewed articles are the best source of information. Wordle, which makes tag clouds, can be used in order to relinquishment the main words in a paper or the desired criteria in an employment ad. For example, I used Wordle to point out the key words in my entire ALES204 blog, so my readers can see what my blog is focused on (Figure 1.). Tag Clouds can be used as a type of folksonomy, which is a form of managing and categorizing content through tagging, like hashtags in tweets. While delicious is a site which people can use to save and share their favorite links or tags. However if bills such as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) were passed then enforcement of copyright laws would make disseminating and sharing knowledge harder. Conversely Creative Commons is working with other sites in order to allow the legal sharing of knowledge and creativity around the world through the creation of six different copyright licences. While Refworks is a site based around creating proper citations and references for research paper and other materials that are not common knowledge and need to be cited. As you can see the topics in this class flowed together and became an integrated mixture of online and offline resources for us to use in the future.

Figure 1. Wordle tag cloud about my blog available on Flickr. 

          The most beneficial segments of the class that directly related to acquiring a job were: creating resumes and curriculum vitae (CV); starting a LinkedIn account; writing professional emails; and practicing interviewing. I felt these components of the class prepared us for applying for future employment or graduate studies. Resumes were really the only form of documentation that I knew was used for presenting one's brief backgrounds and qualifications. However I have learned CV's are a more complete representation of a person's education and professional history. This class has allowed us to move our future professions and carries forward with the help of LinkedIn and Professional Facebook pages, which allow us to post our CVs and resumes online, in order to attain careers and make connections. Also having a personal template in which to email an employer is a comforting resource for the future. In addition proper interviewing skills were review, however many of the public speaking techniques learned can be extrapolated and used for interviewing. Since I am going into my final year of undergrad being able to start putting these resources together and making online connections now is especially important to me. 

          I think ultimately the point of the class was to get us to access all potential aspects of communication, preferably online. In addition, this class taught us how to communication more professionally to a larger demographic. As stated in class, internet based communications are great resources however one has to remember what goes online is permanent and always out there for everyone to see. In closing the allowance of a broader dissemination of knowledge allows people to critically analyze, learn, and interpret information for themselves, just like I did on five of my classmates blogs: Erika Brown's ALES204 Introduction blog; Kendra Hilsenteger's Facebook blog; Christy Czapski's Wikipedia blog;  Jenn Wheeler's Choice blog: EHS; and Chelsea Livingstone's Choice blog: Public Speaking. Finally, I feel all the applications which we explored during ALES204 are applicable in a professional setting however these applications have to be used correctly, which means being professional in all capacities.

Figure 2. The empty ALES204 classroom says, farewell students
 for another semester. This personal image is available on Flickr. 

References 

Fig 1. ALES204-Wordle. (2012) bbohlender, [digital image]. Retrieved April 5, 2012. From Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75305779@N06/7052328653/in/photostream

Fig 2. Farewell ALES204. (2012) bbohlender, [digital image]. Retrieved April 10, 2012. From Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/75305779@N06/6919679494/in/photostream

Wikipedia Stub Entry- Belgian Blue

Figure 1. Image of Belgian Blue bull from Flickr.

Hi ALES 204. Here is a blog about my Wikipedia stub entry.
           Wikis are sites designated for the addition, adjustment, and removal of information via the internet; an example of a wiki is Wikipedia. Wikipedia is known as 'the online encyclopedia', which is a collaboration of information from people willing to share their knowledge pertaining to a particular topic.  Nicole Briggs mentioned in her blog that Wikipedia can be used by professionals, such as researchers, to distribute knowledge and research findings to the public faster. However when people use Wikipedia they have to be conscious of the information they attain from these resources. In an article, Wikipedia Founder Discourages Academic Use of His Creation, Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, says the site should not be used for “serious research”, because the site does not always contain irrefutable sources. Therefore, using Wikipedia as a source of information should be limited to just using it to attain a brief understanding of an issue or topic of interest. When using Wikipedia people should be aware that the information may not be reputable and possibly bias in certain situations. In addition, information is constantly being changed, so users should always check the facts.

          The Wikipedia stub that I decided to work on was pertaining to a breed of beef cattle known as Belgian Blue. I first heard about this particular breed of cattle during a lecture by Dr. Thomas McFadden, the professor for Animal Sciences (AnSc) 311. In this lecture he discussed the physiological changes that can occur in animals when particular genes and proteins are modified. This particular breed of cattle is known for its signature double-muscled appearance, which has been attained by selective breeding. My particular interest in this topic is due to the implications this breed of cattle could have on future meat yields with pure-breeding and cross-breeding with the Belgian Blue.

          My major in Animal Health is food animals, so I am particularly intrigued by livestock, especially cattle. Cattle breeds such as this could be a more efficient meat yielding breed of cattle, which could allow for an increase in meat production. However there could be a public stigmatism that these cattle are unnatural or genetically modified. Nevertheless, this is not the case, as the double-muscling characteristic is due to a natural genetic mutation. So in order for people to understand this, further research and dissemination of knowledge about this particular breed of cattle will have to occur. This would allow a greater understanding of this breed of cattle by the public. Wikipedia could be used in this situation to give the public a clearer understanding on how researchers and breeders are harnessing natural genetic mutations to create superior breeds. However people have to remember to check their facts because Wikipedia is only a starting point. Preview and review papers are a great location in which to look, after your interest in Belgian Blue cattle is captured.

If you would like to learn more about how this particular genetic mutation have come to define the Belgian Blue breed please read my Wikipedia stub.

Figure 2. Image of Belgian Blue Wikipedia stub from Flickr.

References

Fig. 1. kamp-Bambino vd ijzer copy. (2007). Agriflanders, [digital image]. Retrieved March 21, 2012. From Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/agriflanders/5366421733/in/photostream/

Fig. 2. ALES204-Wiki Image. (2012). Bbohlender, Becky Bohlender, [digital image]. Retrieved March 22, 2012. From Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/75305779@N06/7007748879/in/photostream/