The Final Blog
By: Angela Dela Cruz
What started off as taking a class in order to fulfill a requirement, ended up as a mind opening learning experience. I originally chose Exploring Your Digital Portfolio because it had attributes that I needed, but this course taught me how to do things I could never do before. From creating a blog, to content to curation, to even building a website, I have gained advanced knowledge on how to utilize the internet. The impending doom of graduation looms before us all, and this course has taught me that as the internet develops, we must also develop our digital presence.
One of the ways I developed my digital presence was through creating a twitter account, which I have never used in my life. It was daunting at first, but through constant use it became an effortless means of sharing and communicating with other people. I have always used social media as a means of connecting with friends and family for fun, but this class has made me realized that as I am nearing graduation, I have to start branching out to people in my future field of work. It is important to make connections and twitter allowed me to interact with physical therapists and other doctors. It was rewarding to have doctors and even the American Physical Therapy Association like my articles or retweet my posts, and even after the class ends I would like to continue with my professional twitter account.
Everything we have been preparing for is to ensure us a higher chance of obtaining a job. This class has taught me such valuable knowledge that is useful for life outside of university, such as the recruitment and hiring process. We learned that employers like to see a high GPA, but also like to see ambition outside of classes. It is important to stay involved within your school through clubs, organizations, and service projects, as well as staying active outside of your education. Internships and volunteering experience add more impressive content to resumes, but it is necessary to keep resumes short and straight to the point. For the interview portion, it is preferred to honestly answer questions, even if you are unsure of the answer. In addition, companies are impressed when you research them ahead of time because it shows interest in that company, making you stand out to employers.
After learning real world lessons, I also had a lot of fun in this class. I was able to play with augmented reality and virtual reality, which was really cool since I didn't know the difference. Augmented reality (AR) is when digital elements are added to your real world surroundings, where as virtual reality is full immersion. I have had experience with virtual reality through the Samsung Odyssey headset, but I have never used AR before. I tested out an app called Elements 4D, and it was mind boggling because your camera is pointed at a paper or wooden block inscribed with the element's symbols, and then there is a 3-dimensional figure of the element. It even shows the interaction of two elements, and what the final product would look like. Target has developed an app that uses AR, and now people are able to see what furniture looks like in their room without actually buying it and setting up. AR is not just the latest technology used for fun, but could help for educational purposes.
One of the ways I developed my digital presence was through creating a twitter account, which I have never used in my life. It was daunting at first, but through constant use it became an effortless means of sharing and communicating with other people. I have always used social media as a means of connecting with friends and family for fun, but this class has made me realized that as I am nearing graduation, I have to start branching out to people in my future field of work. It is important to make connections and twitter allowed me to interact with physical therapists and other doctors. It was rewarding to have doctors and even the American Physical Therapy Association like my articles or retweet my posts, and even after the class ends I would like to continue with my professional twitter account.
In order to find good sources for our professional learning network (PLN), we had to ensure proper content curation, which is the organization and filtering of relevant digital content. Flipboard is a website that gives users customization of what articles they want to see, and which categories they want their sources to come from. There are different categories that people can add or delete at any time, and I chose the categories 'Health', 'Technology', and 'Physiotherapy'. Another site we utilized was Paper.li, which is similar to Flipboard except people choose specifically where they want their sources from. It could be from youtube videos mentioning health, to twitter hashtags, or even from specific websites. Additionally, there is a unique feature that publishes articles from Paper.li to your twitter automatically, which I set to publish on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3:00 pm. Obtaining sources from these sites allowed us to post relevant articles pertaining to our major or field of study.
This class also featured various group assignments, and an open source software that the class often utilized was Google, which is not just the leading search engine but contains many beneficial programs such as Google drive. Because of google drive, gone are the days when people had to work on a document, save it, and then send to the next person for them to work on. Google drive allows multiple individuals to work on projects simultaneously, and allows people to work on different kinds of projects. Under Google drive are programs such as Google docs, which is for word documents or papers, Google sheets, which is for spread sheets, and Google slides, which is for powerpoint presentations. This has changed how people share things, and has turned sharing into a faster and more efficient means since their is no longer a waiting period.
Another lesson that I learned was that in this day and age it is also important to know that anything you put on the internet never really goes away. We learned that with so many forms of social media, it is easy to get carried away and be careless with what we post online. In a social media experiment, a man was able to get specific information from people just by looking at Instagram profiles near his location. By looking at posts and comments, this man was able to get personal details such as names of family members or pets, birthdays, and even nicknames. One individual claimed that it was stalking and illegal, but anything you choose to post on the internet is legal for everyone to see, and by posting it on the internet, you give up control of that material.
It is imperative to keep a professional social media presence so that employers don't see personal or inappropriate items. Pictures of alcohol, partying, or posts that bad-mouth the current company you work for are some things that greatly decrease your chances of getting a job. This especially applies to college students since this is the final stage before we become professionals. An article by Stephanie Buck from the live binders states that anything provocative or shows proof of alcohol or drugs should be taken off social media without a question. It is effortless to see someone's digital baggage through a simple search of one's name, therefore making it essential to regularly filter through your social media and cleanse questionable posts.
Anything that you post online is a part of your name, so be weary of controversial pictures, videos, or statements that could give you a bad reputation. Even though the internet has only been around for approximately 20 years, it has accumulated such a massive user population as it has become a primary source of communication. Nothing really goes away when you put it on the internet, and this is stated in the book lol...OMG! by Matt Ivester. There is a website called Way Back Machine that lets people see what a site looked like at any given date from the past, showing a great example that nothing really goes away and that you lose control of the content you post. One example is when a UCLA student posted an offensive video about asians, which was then dowloaded and posted many times even though she wanted it taken down. This is the importance of being conscious of the content we post. We have to ask ourselves questions such as "Is this the right time?", because sometimes are emotions control our actions. Matt Ivester also advised people to take inventory by googling their name, and to evaluate the results that pop up. By being an appropriate digital citizen, you are ensuring that your reputation isn't tainted and you protect your name.
Anything that you post online is a part of your name, so be weary of controversial pictures, videos, or statements that could give you a bad reputation. Even though the internet has only been around for approximately 20 years, it has accumulated such a massive user population as it has become a primary source of communication. Nothing really goes away when you put it on the internet, and this is stated in the book lol...OMG! by Matt Ivester. There is a website called Way Back Machine that lets people see what a site looked like at any given date from the past, showing a great example that nothing really goes away and that you lose control of the content you post. One example is when a UCLA student posted an offensive video about asians, which was then dowloaded and posted many times even though she wanted it taken down. This is the importance of being conscious of the content we post. We have to ask ourselves questions such as "Is this the right time?", because sometimes are emotions control our actions. Matt Ivester also advised people to take inventory by googling their name, and to evaluate the results that pop up. By being an appropriate digital citizen, you are ensuring that your reputation isn't tainted and you protect your name.
One of the projects we created in class was to research an individual who was negatively affected because of something they posted online. A prime example of the repercussions of carelessness on social media is Kathy Griffin, who was under severe criticism due to a picture she posted of the current president, Donald Trump. In the picture, Kathy Griffin is holding a bloodied mask of Trump that is supposed to represent his beheading. Many spoke out against the incident, even Griffin's cohost Anderson Cooper, and the daughter of Hillary Clinton. Cooper claimed that her actions were disgusting, and CNN eventually released Kathy Griffin from her hosting position in the CNN NYE's Program. This shows that people have to be careful with what they post online, because it could cost them major things such as their career.
To present the Social Media Etiquette project, I used the program Prezi which is a website that allows a lot of customization. It starts off with a template of the user's choice, and people are able to put slides anywhere they want on the background. You can choose the order of slides, and it is a more interesting way of presentation since the presentation travels across the background image from one slide to another. In addition to the presentation I also wrote a paper in APA format, which is research driven writing. Furthermore, it is crucial to get sources that are peer-reviewed from reliable databases, such as google scholar or the Stockton Database.
The book Untangling the Web shows that there are many ways that social media is more than just a tool for fun, and can be used for educational purposes. Edmomo is a site originally created for teachers, and allows instructors to post notes, assignments, quizzes, alerts, and even polls for their students to see online. It is helpful because teachers choose who can see their messages, whether it is a class or specific group of kids. Symbaloo is another site that is utilized by individuals who need organization and a means of sharing. This is perfect for students to work on a group project or research, or even for the school faculty who might need to share a message. Through these online programs, students are more secure and always have access to information that their instructors can send at any time.
All these tools that I have learned in the class are shaping me into a professional in the digital world. It is imperative to keep a clean online record because you never know who will see it, and everything you post on the internet is a representation of you. I learned about many things I should not do, but learned skills and assets that may give me an advantage. LinkedIn is website that is basically an online resume. It is useful since many companies use it, and through this program people are able to add their work experience, volunteer experience, and education. You can see what jobs are hiring near you, making it helpful to build connections and obtain a career. To further build my PLN, I am also creating a website. Using the program Weebly, I am creating a website about myself containing my goals, various projects I have completed, and just a general overview of who I am. It will be a professional site that will contain my resume and letters of recommendation, showcasing who I am and what type of worker I am.
The book Untangling the Web shows that there are many ways that social media is more than just a tool for fun, and can be used for educational purposes. Edmomo is a site originally created for teachers, and allows instructors to post notes, assignments, quizzes, alerts, and even polls for their students to see online. It is helpful because teachers choose who can see their messages, whether it is a class or specific group of kids. Symbaloo is another site that is utilized by individuals who need organization and a means of sharing. This is perfect for students to work on a group project or research, or even for the school faculty who might need to share a message. Through these online programs, students are more secure and always have access to information that their instructors can send at any time.
All these tools that I have learned in the class are shaping me into a professional in the digital world. It is imperative to keep a clean online record because you never know who will see it, and everything you post on the internet is a representation of you. I learned about many things I should not do, but learned skills and assets that may give me an advantage. LinkedIn is website that is basically an online resume. It is useful since many companies use it, and through this program people are able to add their work experience, volunteer experience, and education. You can see what jobs are hiring near you, making it helpful to build connections and obtain a career. To further build my PLN, I am also creating a website. Using the program Weebly, I am creating a website about myself containing my goals, various projects I have completed, and just a general overview of who I am. It will be a professional site that will contain my resume and letters of recommendation, showcasing who I am and what type of worker I am.
Everything we have been preparing for is to ensure us a higher chance of obtaining a job. This class has taught me such valuable knowledge that is useful for life outside of university, such as the recruitment and hiring process. We learned that employers like to see a high GPA, but also like to see ambition outside of classes. It is important to stay involved within your school through clubs, organizations, and service projects, as well as staying active outside of your education. Internships and volunteering experience add more impressive content to resumes, but it is necessary to keep resumes short and straight to the point. For the interview portion, it is preferred to honestly answer questions, even if you are unsure of the answer. In addition, companies are impressed when you research them ahead of time because it shows interest in that company, making you stand out to employers.
After learning real world lessons, I also had a lot of fun in this class. I was able to play with augmented reality and virtual reality, which was really cool since I didn't know the difference. Augmented reality (AR) is when digital elements are added to your real world surroundings, where as virtual reality is full immersion. I have had experience with virtual reality through the Samsung Odyssey headset, but I have never used AR before. I tested out an app called Elements 4D, and it was mind boggling because your camera is pointed at a paper or wooden block inscribed with the element's symbols, and then there is a 3-dimensional figure of the element. It even shows the interaction of two elements, and what the final product would look like. Target has developed an app that uses AR, and now people are able to see what furniture looks like in their room without actually buying it and setting up. AR is not just the latest technology used for fun, but could help for educational purposes.
In addition, each person in the class found applications that is related to or useful for their profession/ major. One of the apps I found was Cronometer, which is used to track down an individuals consumption of calories as well as how much they burn. This is very helpful because people are able to see how much they eat, and this will help them lose weight or gain weight depending on their goals. It also gets very specific and tells people what vitamins they get from their food, beneficial for those who are really strict with their health. Physera was another app that I found that was specifically made by physical therapists with the aim to improve mobility and strength. There are pre-made workouts for different areas of the body, such as legs, neck, back, and shoulders.
Overall, this class was interesting and has taught me so much. From learning how to keep a clean digital presence, to knowing the difference between virtual and augmented reality, it is clear that technology is a huge part of our everyday lives. I know now how to use social media for professional purposes, and have expanded my connections outside of friends and family. It is rewarding to be seen by real professionals and real physical therapists, and to interact with them through retweets or likes. As the end of the class approaches, I feel better prepared for the real world.
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