ALES 204: A reflection.

     I can't say as I was too impressed when I learned about all the social media networking we had to do for ALES 204 class. Since I can remember, I have wanted to stay away from the social network bandwagons as best I could. All I had coming into the class was a Facebook account, and personal and school email accounts. Nothing more for me, and I was alright with this. I wasn't missing anything, I told myself, besides people Tweeting about the grilled cheese sandwich they ate five minutes ago. Surely all of these sites and networks were counterproductive to what I was trying to accomplish in school, and they would merely be a distraction to me if I signed up.
     Then, through ALES, I was sucked in. At first it was because I was forced to be, I'm a pre-vet student and need to keep my grades up! After a while, however, I realized I was checking my Twitter  homepage when I wasn't in class! And I started following some very interesting people in my field and in areas of interest. I could hardly keep off the site, it became like my second Facebook. I soon realized how many of my friends were actually on Twitter and I became hooked. I really enjoy what most of them have to say, and the interesting things celebrities and scientists have to talk about! And Twitter wasn't the end of it. I made this blog, something I never thought I would enjoy. But it reminds me a lot of when I wrote in my diary as a kid, so I have really warmed up to the idea of blogging. There are others too, like Delicious and LinkedIn, among others, and I had the opportunity to try them all! I even struck out into the internet on my own, and found a new great site that I frequent on a daily basis, Reddit!

Innovative Nurse (2012). The Power of Social Media. Retrieved on 11 April 2012 from URL http://innovativenurse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/section_social_media_marketing.png

     Of course, the class wasn't all fun and games like I'm making it sound! We learned a lot of other really useful things as well to make us better communicators. For example, I learned how to make a professional CV, something I had no idea how to do. This will no doubt come in handy in my near future as I begin to apply for academic jobs. I also learned how to use Facebook professionally, I didn't even know there was that option! There were countless other things too, like learning how to interview, learning how to write professional emails, and communicating with people in your field for jobs, ideas and collaborations. Who knew all of these doors would open for me in terms of communication, I feel so connected now! 

     Social media is definitely taking the world by storm. Everyone I know has some sort of involvement in it, and I certainly am way more involved than I used to be. As for the title of the blog itself, I don't think I hate technology as much now that I know what it can do for me! It seems I am really able to further myself as a professional using these online sources, so I can't even say that they're a waste of time anymore. A friend of mine taking the class had some similar feelings after taking the course, here's a link to her awesome Blog post! I love what she had to say about how social media can spread ideas, like Kony 2012, around the world so quickly. Of course there were many others in the class that wrote some very insightful things throughout the term. Here are a few I have commented upon, that I really enjoyed reading! 

The Bacon Enthusiast

Becky Bohlender

Elyse's Blog

Annie ALES204

Adventures of an Aspiring Vet

Finals are upon us, so I am signing out for now! I'm sure I will be back to post more in the near future. Thanks for following me on my social media journey!

Interviewing: It's an art.

     In class we talked quite a bit about interviewing and being interviewed, and to be honest, I had no idea there was so much to it! It makes a lot of sense now that I think about it though, there are many aspects that make an interview easy to understand or plain old hard to watch. I got many of these ideas from this wonderful slideshow presented in class, it was extremely helpful and thought-provoking.
     We will start with the interviewer. Clear pronunciation and a pleasant tone and pitch are very important as far as surface features go. This, I believe, is mostly for the audience, as it must be easy and enjoyable for them to listen to, but as well, the interviewee must be able to fully comprehend the questions so they can answer them as best they can. We have all watched obnoxious interviews where the interviewer has chosen a loud location and both must yell over the noise, and these are simply hard to understand and not pleasant on the ears of viewers. As for the questions themselves, I never really thought about how much thought has to go into them. They should be well researched, first of all. If you are interviewing someone, you should make sure that you know a bit about them so you can ask interesting and, more importantly, relevant questions. They should be open ended, as well. Simple yes/no answers are boring and don't provide any extra interesting information, and usually don't add much to the interview. And finally, I think this is the most important point, the interview should sound candid and not scripted and rehearsed. The interviewer must ask questions based on the previous responses

Financial Post (2012). Retrieved April 8, 2012 from URL http://financialpostbusiness.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/1229interview.jpg?w=620

     Many of the same surface features apply to the interviewee as well. A pleasant tone and good volume are ideal if they wish their responses to be understandable to viewers. Often interviewees can use a public interview to sell themselves to viewers, and promote some of their work. This is great, but it gets terribly annoying when all they do is talk about their upcoming work and never answer any other questions. Interviews aren't usually meant to be one big advertisement, the interviewee has to entertain the viewers as well. They should also prepare for the interview so they are not caught off guard by questions. Interviewees can think about the likely questions that are going to be asked, and prepare suitable answers for them in advance.

     Even though I have never considered a career where public or media interviews would be commonplace, this information is great for interviews to get into school or for jobs. Many of the same features and tricks apply. I think the most important tip I took away from this is be prepared! Always come up with questions or answers ahead of time so you are not a deer in the headlights during interview time. And in case you're still interested, I found some more handy tips for anyone preparing to give a media interview!

I just did something really cool! I found a stub-class article on Wikipedia and edited it to create a more informative article! The article is on Blackleg, a bacterial infection that mostly affects cattle and sheep. I found it strange that there was almost no information on this on Wikipedia, since it occurs regularly all over the world, and is a huge problem to producers because it is almost invariably fatal. The disease has some really interesting features and clinical presentations, which is why I decided to further research this and share my knowledge with others.

I have to say, I feel a little proud to be able to tell people that I contributed to such a widely used source of information. I am sure my article will be read by many, as this is such a common disease, which makes me feel as though I have been of assistance to these info-seekers. I know now that I might be able to help farmers, students and veterinarians in their search for information on Blackleg. I don't know about you, but I think that this is so much more useful than writing some paper for a class, only to get shredded at the end of the term! Here's a screenshot I took of the page:

The information movement is catching on quickly in terms of free online resources such as Wikipedia. Anyone can view information placed here, which is a fantastic way to share ideas with the general public. And anyone is allowed to edit as well, which means a whole world's worth of information can be shared. It gives a sense of community and being connected, I find. It seems that others feel the same way. A fellow student reported on Dourine, a disease in horses I knew virtually nothing about! I'm glad we were both able to contribute to such an important cause. I would certainly do this again, if I found more stubs I potentially knew something about!

Facebook Page is now Functional!
     I have just created a new Facebook page to use sort of as an online resume/ professional page. This didn't come without the usual headaches that materialize EVERY SINGLE TIME I try to do something new on the internet. But here it is, in all its amateur glory:

      I have to admit I never thought of using a social media site for professional development like this, but it turns out I have now given potential employers an easy way to view my credentials and relevant skills and experience. I am still a little hesitant though, and the address and phone number are both fake. Any one can go on Facebook and see this page, and I don't think its a great idea to make information like this public. The same goes for my references, I don't want to compromise their privacy so I stated that these phone numbers are available upon request only.
     Paranoia aside, I think this will be wonderful to use when searching for a career after I'm done school. Even for summer employment this year. It is an efficient way to get my information out there to anyone who wants it. Instead of sending in a resume, I could simply send employers a link to this webpage! Saving paper too. One of my classmates in ALES 204 has the right idea as well ( http://iamshewolf.blogspot.com/2012/01/facebook-page.html ).  Also, if I happen to start my own business, this is an exceptional way to advertise my services and provide customers will all the relevant information. I know a great deal of people that are currently using Facebook to advertise their services.
     I found out as well that this is not a new concept, so many people are using social media sites professionally now. I found an article online talking about all the different way to use Facebook in particular for professional development (   http://mashable.com/2009/08/14/facebook-networking/ ). Making information available in this way is sure to catch on fast, and I imagine it will become more and more popular as a way of professionally "putting yourself out there."
     Here is a link, if you're interested!  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jami-Frederick/309961615706600.

Okay, I have never blogged before in my life...where should I start?
     I guess I will introduce myself! I'm Jami and I am a third year ALES student at the University of Alberta working on my first degree in Animal Health. I hope to make it into vet school in the next couple of years, and get my DVM specializing in Equine Health. Ideally I would like to eventually specialize in equine surgery. The competition is fierce though, and I am also exploring options in epidemiology and virology in the event I don't get there! Veterinary medicine has been my lifelong dream though, and I don't plan to surrender easily!
     I have been a horse person most of my life, hence my primary career choice, and I love working with them. I ride my own horse, Castanho, a few times a week, in between the endless mountains of schoolwork I am bombarded with. I also enjoy reading and being outdoors in my spare time. Except today, because it is minus 30 Celsius and outdoors is the last place I would like to be. I have a zoo of pets in my apartment as well, which I'm sure is typical of many vet students, including two cats, a dog, a snake and a guinea pig. I don't think I could manage without my animals to keep me motivated. Turns out vet bills are expensive. It would be nice to be able to treat their plethora of ailments myself!
Here is a picture of Castanho and I. Isn't he handsome?

      It turns out that social communication skills, which I am hoping to learn partially through blogging, is terribly important in today's society, no matter what profession one should choose. In the field of animal health and veterinary medicine, the internet is a vital source of up-to-date information and a perfect way to stay on top of the game (http://canadianveterinarians.net/). Here one could find breaking news on all sorts of newly discovered illnesses and ailments, markets in which to purchase the tools of the trade, and a means by which to communicate new ideas with others in that field of study. Articles can be submitted and peer-reviewed, blog entries can communicate opinions on a certain subject, and entire journals can be shared with the veterinary community. What a fantastic way to keep everyone on the same page! Not to mention the endless options for using social media sites for professional development!
     And I suppose I should now address the title of my blog. Technology is difficult, it always has been a struggle for me to keep up with the latest trends that involve communicating with anything other than my voice or a pen and paper. It seems I run into problems EVERY SINGLE TIME I try something new with respect to technology.
This is my attitude towards computers, for example:

http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/562748-10326-49.jpg
I got a smart phone months ago and I still hardly know how to use it. However, I have realized, that this can simply not go on. I will end up falling behind and will be less equipped to deal with the technological revolution that seems to never end. In my ALES 204 class I hope to overcome this gap in my knowledge. By the end of semester, my goal is to know how to blog, how to communicate professionally  through social media sites, and perhaps learn that technology doesn't suck as much as I think it does. And it turns out I'm not the only one who is having revelations about the use of social media. Even the federal government is catching up ( http://ales204-2012.blogspot.com/2012/01/social-media-and-federal-government.html)! The revolution is upon us, I am determined to be ready for it.