An ALES 204 Reflection

I have never taken a class likes ALES 204 before, and at first, I was incredibly skeptical. How crazy is it to have a  Class Blog  for all of your homework?! I did not think that I needed to learn about using Twitter or Facebook. Sometimes it was frustrating, other times it was the most fun I have ever had in a class. I had no idea what to expect from this class, no idea what I would take away, but I have certainly learned a lot.

A Better Twitter [Digital Image].(2010). Retrieved April 10, 2012, From:
       http://blog.twitter.com/2010/09/better-twitter.html                           

     As the semester wore on, I began to see the networking potential in it, and I have learned to use social media tools in ways I had never imagined. For example, I learned how to make a professional Facebook page (you can see this in one of my older blog posts), which is like an online resume for potential employers. I have also been able to connect with students who share similar experiences, and interests as me. Throughout the semester I have read several of my fellow students blogs and Jenna, Josh, Pauline, Danielle, and Andria, are some students who I really connected with through their blog entries.

     Another important thing I have learned is how to conduct myself professionally online. The lab we did on 'How to Write a Professional E-mail' was incredibly helpful. I have always struggled with how to address professors in E-mails, especially when they are very informal in person, so having some guidance in this area was very much appreciated. Being able to write a professional, respectful email is a skill that will help me for the rest of my academic and (later on) professional career.

     One thing I would change given the chance, are the lab periods. Throughout the term, I found myself going all the way across campus to my lab only to discover than we really did not really have anything to do that day, and the power points from the lab periods were more than sufficient to complete any assignment. A lab every second week would have been sufficient. Overall, my experience with this class has been fantastic and if it were open to students outside of ALES, I would definitely recommend it to my friends.

-Hannah