WEEK 8

I have learned so much these last eight weeks…where do I start?

First of all, I never realized how many social networking sites a person can choose from!  Individuals can pick and choose from a plethora of sites to fit their needs from general socializing on Facebook, to advertising/marketing their businesses or to network professionally within the job market. It is staggering how many there really are.

Some other key aspects that I learned in class is that social media can be used proactively to communicate, to interact, to market, to advertise (i.e. increase traffic to businesses), it’s relatively inexpensive, it can build relationships, solidarity and/or create job opportunities for individuals. In order for social media to be successful, participants must be an active member in the communication efforts (i.e. interacting with and gaining important feedback from those clients). I read that establishing important relationships can be maintained through social sites.

But social media can be used improperly creating negative consequences. I became aware of the fact that over-sharing information and posting embarrassing photos can result in the loss of job opportunities, ruin relationships and cause dissention among individuals. A person’s privacy could be compromised and cyber bullying is a growing concern!

Reflecting back on these eight weeks of class, one of the most important take-aways for me is to approach social media with caution. The moment I tweet, post a blog page, a photo, or a recommendation its gone into cyberspace. Even though I may have decided to delete the information from my social page doesn’t mean that it’s actually gone for good.

Social media can be a wonderful tool if used mindfully by individuals. I wholeheartedly feel that all educational institutions and businesses should set up policies and educate people about the pros and cons and how it can impact individuals in all walks of life.

I will continue to explore new social media sites as well as keep my new Twitter and Pinterest accounts. Social media is fun!

P.S. If I didn’t take this class…I probably would never had experienced the blogging world! 🙂

WEEK 7 Social Media Pros/Cons for racial, cultural, and ethnicity-related topics

Social media has been used positively because it binds groups together.  “Besides friends, social networks help bind distinct people and varied cultures with a common interest. People start interacting on the basis of some common factors which could be anything from music to science and faith. It allows connecting to numerous people concurrently” (para. 3).  These groups can connect to provide news and information regarding meetings, events etc. to each other.

Another pro is that is teaches people about various countries, cultures and traditions by breaking down those Hollywood stereotypes that were created in the movies especially those misconceptions and or negative “barriers” that are associated with different ethnicities, races and cultures.

Social media can be used negatively because it can cause certain racial or cultural groups to cause disruption and riots among people. News on social media sites spreads quickly.

One such riot/event happened in London on August 7, 2011. Global Post (2011) “Nick de Bois, Conservative MP for Enfield North, said the disorder in Enfield was encouraged via social media websites:”There seems to have been a very well organized campaign over social media to try to engineer trouble here in Enfield. It has almost become a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he told London radio.

Social media posts that are inacurate can spread rumors inflaming groups causing protests and possible arrests giving certain groups a bad name.

Buzzom. (2011). The pros and cons of social networking. Retrieved December 2, 2012 from http://www.buzzom.com/2011/05/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-networking/

Global Post. (2011). Social media blamed for London riots. Retrieved December 2, 2012 from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/110808/social-media-blamed-london-riots

WEEK 6 SOCIAL MEDIA AND MY CAREER

Social media sites can be used to develop my professional career by allowing me to proactively “advertise myself ”  in the business world. I can set up a profile, a résumé, describe my experiences, my expertise and my education. In short – who I am as a qualified administrative assistant (my brand). By joining a professional social networking site (i.e. LinkedIn) I can actively search for jobs, I can network with others for advice and tips as well as join groups connected to my profession.

I think it’s safe to say that the internet is actively being used by employers to search for prospective employees as well as workers to search for new employment

So in this way, social media can help with future job opportunities. One never knows who will be online looking at my professional resume. That employer/company will be able to view my profile and decide that I am the perfect person for that job and contact me to set up a job interview. One never knows!

In the future, if I decided to pursue other professional interests [library assistant] I could use social media sites such as Pinterest to help me create bulletin boards, get reading suggestions, and craft ideas for children programs.  Facebook/Twitter could be used to connect to the community/patrons, advertise events, book clubs, etc.

Due to the worldwide web and the birth of social media my résumé may be viewed by hundreds of professionals and not just one company which in turn will impact my career.Higher pay and better hours? Perhaps! But, it may not come to fruition, if I didn’t post my profile/education/skills through social media.  These social sites offers me a way to make those important connections that may change my life.

Social media sites helps me spread the word about me!

WEEK 5 ASL CLUB

Earlier in the semester, I expressed an interest in creating a simple webpage for my husband’s financial business as a stock broker/advisor. However, delving deeper into the project, I learned that there are certain industry restrictions as well as meeting certain guidelines with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Needless to say…this is beyond my expertise without the help of an expert.

I work as the bilingual secretary to the SGN/ITP department and act as co-advisor to the ASL club. So on that note, I decided think about how to use social media to recruit and actively engage more of our students to the American Sign Language Club            (a non-for-profit organization) in our department.

Currently, we only have a small blurb of what our club is all about located on a student activities webpage.  I feel that in order to expand our students involvement and increase our club “numbers” I would like to create (with college approval) an

• ASL club WordPress blogging page.  As a club, we would be able to post articles, news, events, fundraising ideas and workshops related to our club and the community. We could invite “Deaf guests” to share/post stories.
• Have links to share with Facebook and Twitter (create a #aslclubhashtag). A link  for our college’s home page (academic calendar, course schedules etc.)
• In Tumblr or Flickr we could upload images, and photos (with approval) for an event photo book .
• YouTube link for embedding videos and ASL stories/jokes, ASL signs for receptive practice

Since we are a student based club, we would need to post some kind of Social Media Policy stating the guidelines for posting. ***The club advisor could act as a group moderator controlling the site.

This WordPress blog would be a great advertising tool for our club since it’s easy to maintain. We would gain valuable feedback and comments from the students which would increase our communication.

Setting up a WordPress ASL club blog page would connect students with similar goals and interests as well as promote cultural diversity in the community and within the college halls.The more ways we can reach out to our students…the more ways they can get involved. This would enhance our club’s growth and as well as keeping the students actively engaged.

WEEK 4 More Social Media Sites

The site I chose to visit under the More Social Media Sites tab is Pinterest. I absolutely love this social bookmarking site. Already I’m addicted to it. What I love about this site is that all of the content is visual. People post pictures of their favorites things, memorable quotes, recipes, decorating ideas, etc. There is an area where you can use a dropdown box to see various categories, everything, popular and gifts. When you find an image you like, click on it and pin it to your board.

A board is a collection of pins grouped by topic. For example, I created a board and titled it memorable sayings. Then I placed pins (images) onto the board. Basically, when you share something on Pinterest, each image is called a pin and if you share someone else’s pin it’s called a repin. (This is similar to tweeting and retweeting).

You can create as many boards as you want so you can really get creative with this project. For example you can use it for

• shopping 🙂 Just click on the image and it will take you to the website to preview and or buy the item.
• motivational quotes
• wedding plans
• decorating ideas
• an online cookbook
• fashion design
• gift ideas
• self improvement  exercise and diet
• school or library bulletin board ideas
• business card designs
• support a cause
• the list goes on and on…

I will use this site in the future for shopping, getting decorating tip, diet recipes, exercise videos and more. The target audience for this site is anyone who likes visual content.  It could be a business company (Etsy, Lowe’s, Whole Foods) or a magazine company (Today, Better Homes and Gardens, Scholastic) or a decorating link (Chic on a shoestring) .It is used to drum up business or to advertise their wares. Sometimes, it could be just for fun and to search for some ideas or food recipes.

All you have to do is click on an image and pin it to your board. It’s that easy. Take a look at my board on Pinterest to see what some of my favorite things are! http://pinterest.com/dmcdonne/

You should try it! I think you will like it and Happy Pinning to all!

Week 3 Social Media Sites 2012 Election

Impact of Social Media Sites and the 2012 Election

Social media sites are playing a vital role in the 2012 election. First, candidates use social media sites to get their messages out to the public. Second, candidates can raise campaign funds and advertise for free. Third, election headquarters/websites are using social media sites as tracking devices to monitor voter’s activity. And finally, public viewers can express their opinions, viewpoints, and relay information to others through these sites about their candidates of choice.

These social sites offer an online presence for candidates without spending a lot of campaign money. Facebook, Twitter and You Tube etc. are free sites. It not only saves money but it reaches a multitude of it constituents within a matter of a short amount of time. Pew Research (2012) found that political videos are highly social. “Some 52% of registered voters say that other people have recommended political videos for them to watch this election season, with social networking sites playing a prominent role in this process. In addition, 19% of registered voters have recommended online political videos for other people to watch” (para. 2).

Social media sites allows followers to be updated and informed. Those followers can re-post this info spreading viewpoints free of charge. It’s an excellent advertising tool.

Pew Research Center. (2012). Over half of registered votes have watched political videos online. Retrieved November 3, 2012 from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2406/political-videos-online-internet-registered-voters-humorous-parody-campaign-ads

WEEK 2

The site I choose to visit was All Things Digital. This site has it all! It features everything you need to know or wanted to know about digital technology. The site has different subject matters, media styles, and videos all incorporated into a WordPress blogging site. At the top of the page, there are different tabs a reader can click on to find information, news, reviews, mobile, media, social enterprise, commerce, voices, conferences, videos and even jobs. With just one simple click…you are taken to that site. The layout of the website is clean, up to date and easy to maneuver and is very user-friendly. Each writer is an expert in their professional field.

Another interesting feature for All Things Digital is that it allows readers to comment on their stories, opinions, reviews, etc. One of my favorite tabs across the top of the page is the Videos tab. Click on any story and a video explains about the product(s) of interest.  I like the fact that the writers are experts in their field and have the credentials to review the different types media products out there using their professional knowledge (i.e. pros and cons) for products like Nintendo 3 D’s, Microsoft Surface Tablet, iPods and more. I am a very visual person and I like to see how a product works before buying it.

Also, All Things Digital reviewed the new Windows 8 and tips and tricks in how to use it. In my current job (working within a college setting), IT is always on top of the most current software and operating systems. I feel it’s important to know about this system before it’s installed on my computer.

Using this website will help me become a more well-informed, educated consumer in my professional and personal life. Who doesn’t want to be informed, get the most bang for their buck and buy a great product? This site will help me do just that.

It’s always good to know the latest and most current news about technology. I will definitely bookmark this site so I can check out the latest information. It’s very  comprehensive site all rolled into one.

Week 2

My post for WEEK 2 is filed under the tab WEEKLY POSTS 1-8

Deaf Art is fascinating

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Hi Class

This is my very first blogging attempt ever! I’ll certainly be checking out some “how-to’s” and/or tutoring sites.  I will hopefully make my site a little more interesting. See you when class starts.

PS. Click under weekly posts or use the search box (i.e. week 1, week 2, week 3, etc.)