Reflective Post

ALES 204 was quite the interesting class. I was very ambivalent when thinking back on the course. I found that there were topics I knew so much much about already - such as making a Facebook page - while other topics were like foreign ground to me. Prior to the class I didn't have twitter because I didn't see how beneficial it could really be. After having to use it almost every day, I learned how something so simple (like following your favorite musician) could be the most glorious thing. Not only do we get little updates on what's going on, but we gain a sense of unity through the network we build ourselves. It's a globalization phenomenon of how technology can accelerate and emphasize our communication skills.

The journey through ALES has been quite a joyous one. Through blog commenting and linking sites, I was able to connect with fellow classmates and meet many amazing people. I was able to follow them through the same journey I was on and assess the different paths we took to get to the same end. For example, looking through all the tweets we'd send to Jess, I was able to find out that an old friend Lauren Bradshaw, was in my class. I was able to reconnect with her in the process of learning how to use twitter and other social media sites. At the same time, I was able to make new friends and find fellow human ecology students. Not only did I get to meet so many nice fellow students, but I must confess that I had a lot of fun with my lab TA's. They were part of the reason why I learned so much and made ALES 204 a fun and entertaining experience!

Figure 1. Technology and Communication. Adapted from "Technology" Author unknown, Brighton International LLC. Retrieved April 13, 2012, from  http://brightonint.com/engineering/technology.html. Copyright 2011 by Unknown.

It just goes to show how social media can connect people effectively and link updates of their lives. It also highlights the importance of communication (online or not) as we all experience things differently and are able to share that with each other. How we communicate information is a direct reflection of how we portray ourselves to the rest of the world. Communication is a concept we will never be able to avoid or ignore and now being more educated on the variety of online communication techniques, I believe that ALES 204 has enhanced my conscious in the social media world. It's without a doubt that technology is opening new doors for communication and connecting with people all over the world at any time with a quick and easy tool!

Blog comments:
Sara's intro post
Susan's Facebook post
Shelly's wiki stub edit post
Meaghan's Optional post on using Facebook to promote a hobby
Clara's reflective post