Reflective Post

ALES204 has introduced me to many outlets and tools involved in networking, sharing information and connecting in today's modern age. Many involve new ways of communicating over the internet, others were old ways and have been around for many decades, hinting at their effectiveness in my industry.

I doubt that I will continue my use with Flickr, Audioboo and Delicious although I will continue to use my Twitter account and maintain my professional Facebook profile. The internet offers so many networks and databases, having too many accounts on these websites proves to be overwhelming. Twitter is a great source for both connecting and gathering information, it has definitely proved to be the most useful and effective of all the websites ALES204 has introduced to me over the semester. After checking out Linda Phan's reflective blog post, I see that she shares similar experiences with this course as I did.

The Nutrition Industry benefits from both use of new social networking and old ways of communication. The use of scientific literature is essential in this field, it has been around for decades and continues to be an provide an important source of information. Twitter and Delicious are used by Dietitians, Food Experts, Food Scientists, and Government Health Care to relay information and articles to followers. Speeches, presentations as well as one-on-one personal interactions remain important in my industry as well. Members of the Nutrition Industry present information in the form of posters, slideshows or public speaking forums to distribute knowledge across disciplines and amongst themselves, these old ways are still prominent today. One-on-one communication skills are very important for Dietitians, a professional interpersonal relationship must be established between Dietitian and patient in order for a successful exchange to occur so to benefit the patient's health profile.

ALES204 is a communications class, and it has changed it's content as the public communication industry has evolved. Key concepts for all disciplines of the Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences faculty were taught in ALES204. Although some individuals are adamant in rejecting the evolving social media scene, it is getting harder and harder to deny it's existence and usefulness. These new tools allow for quick access to information that specifically interest the consumer, at the time it happens and at their fingertips. Once accepted, these tools open the possibility for increasing one's knowledge in their specific field or across disciplines to become educated in areas that they may not be experts in. If we accept and learn how to use these new tools, we may move forward as a more conscious and aware society. There is no harm in knowledge, only greater possibilities - new communication methods provide a vehicle for this and we should exploit them.

To conclude, here are some comments that I have made on other students' blogs:

Chen Shen

Jasmeena

Sabrina

Laura
Fallon

And what better way to conclude a semester of classes than with a summary video, made by Julianna, Kelsey and myself!