Final Reflections

Throughout ALES 204 I have learned about numerous forms of social media and modern communication.  While skeptical at first, social media is quickly becoming the new medium of communication and I am glad that I am now literate in a variety of forms. Twitter, Wikipedia, and Flickr are sites that I will continue use however I am still not convinced on my blog or professional facebook page.

Twitter has become my one stop shop for current news.  However, it is professional news and not personal.  I am preparing for an interview at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and by following groups like the American Veterinary Medicine Association and Equine Canada I have been able to keep up with news, issues, and events in the animal health field.  Without Twitter this would have been a daunting task that I am not sure how I would have tackled. Daniel Schwenk discusses using Twitter to not only stay informed on current topics but to connect with potential employers and industry representatives and, as I responded, I think this is a great medium to connect in because it is quick and not overwhelming.  Wikipedia is another site I will continue to use.  Even before ALES 204 I used Wikipedia to research background information but I had never contibuted to Wikipedia.  I found editing a stub article to be rewarding as I got a chance to give back to the online community.  Wikipedia is as extremely useful site as it allows experts in their respective fields to share information with the public.  Because it is open to anyone to edit, Wikipedia encourages collaboration.  Nicole Briggs also brings up the point that Wikipedia can be updated with current information and outdated information can be removed.  I think this is a benefit that not only Wikipedia but all online resources have over print resources.  They can evolve to reflect current knowledge.  I also am glad I learned about Flickr.  I use it to find pictures that have a Creative Commons License.  I know I am allowed to use these pictures and Flickr makes it easy to find them!   Jenna Patterson also discussed the use of Flickr in finding Creative Commons Licensed Material.  I appreciated these sites because they are quick and easy to use.

This is a screen shot of my Twitter feed.  Twitter is my favourite form of social media because it gives you small bits of information on things that interest so you so it is not overwhelming.
Hayley Kosolofski. (2012). Twitter Feed, Retrieved 12/04/2012 from: https://twitter.com/. 

Not all uses of social media did I find effective or convenient. Facebook is used by employers and industry to create pages that outline their goals and can distribute information through status updates or by creating events.   However, unlike Twitter, there is no character limit so information can be text heavy.  Also, friends on Facebook have to be mutual whereas Twitter is more of a one sided conversation.  Loana Valdez discussed the privacy issues which occur when personal information is posted on Facebook which has sparked a conversation about the balance between being visible and protecting your privacy.  Throughout this class I have also experimented with creating my own blog.  I think that blogs are a great way to share information but you have to have something to say.  In my current situation I do not find blogging very useful but I can see how an employer or industry representative can use a blog to keep followers informed.  On the other hand, I also find it difficult to follow a blog.  It is important to find a blog that is unbiased if you are looking for scientific information which can be difficult to do.  As well, blogs are another text heavy form of communication which I do not always have time to read.  However, Nicole Briggs used blogging to help promote CNCFR and share her own rodeo experiences.  Her tip on writing a successful blog is to keep it professional no matter the topic.  I think this is a great example of how blogging can be effective.

All in all, this couse was an excellent introduction to the use of social media in a professional setting.  I will continue to use Twitter, Wikipedia, and Flickr as they provide current information from collaboration.  For now, I will set aside my Facebook page and blog but I think I will return to these forms of communication in my career.  They are great ways to put out information but as a student I am taking information in.  While social media is important, I think that it would have been useful to spend more time working on interview skills, job applications, and more traditional forms of communication.  Curtis makes a similar point and suggests that traditional skills are what lands you the job.  I think that when it comes to social media and interpersonal skills, one cannot exist effectively without the other.

Links to Comments:
Daniel Schwenk
Nicole Briggs
Jenna Patterson
Loana Valdez
Nicole Briggs
Curtis

One Health and Communication



One Health is a term used to describe a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to human, animal, and environmental health.  It unites physicians, veterinarians, ecologists, politicians, etc. in the effort to improve the health of all species.  Traditionally, health was compartmentalized into seperate sectors.  Physicians looked after human health, veterinarians looked after animal health, and ecologists and environmental groups looked after environmental health.  However all these sectors of health are linked to one another.  Climate change affects the temporal patterns of diseases, healthy animals can be vectors and carry diseases that affect humans, and zoonotic diseases easily move between humans and animals.  The health of our agricultural animals affects the quality of the food we eat but their health can be affected by nearby wildlife.  Consider avian influenza, it is a zoonotic disease that affects humans, chickens, turkeys, and wild birds.  Wild birds can carry influenza from as far as Asia to North America and then infect our domestic poultry.  This affects poultry products and people working with chickens and turkeys.  Hence it is more efficient and thorough to look at health in a multidisciplanry approach rather than as seperate compartments.




These are examples of several zoontic diseases.  This table shows the importance of considering animal health along with human health.
AJ Cann. (2009). Zoonotic Transmission of Viruses, Retrieved 12/04/2012 from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajc1/4137857593/.

Because of the collaborative nature of One Health, communication between disciplines is extremely important. The One Health Initiative is an organization that works to connect professionals from various disciplines and the public to futher the health of all species.  They are also a great example of an organization that uses social media to distribute their message.  Aside from having a complete, easy to naviagte website, the One Health Initiative also distributes quarterly newsletters, the most recent from Winter 2012,  through their website and email.  The newsletter contains articles that focus on issues that affect human, animal and environmental health and is written in a format that is equally accessible to the public and professionals.  They also are on Twitter, @OneHealthNews, which is a great way to keep the public informed about current events.  I think the One Health Initiative is a leader in communication as they take advantage of the social media tools available.

One Health is not the only area that is taking advantage of social media.  Alana Soderberg discusses how social media is used in the fashion world to advertise, draw customers in, and inform people about current trends.  While these two areas of interest are very different they use social media in a similar way.  This also demonstrates how versatile social media is.  What it comes down to is the ease and efficiency of spreading the message, no matter what that message is.  Social media is becoming the new medium for communication whether you are talking about fashion, food, or One Health.

Wikipedia - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

For the first time ever I contributed to Wikipedia!  I edited a stub article on the Henneke Horse Body Condition Scoring System.  Horses are my passion so it was nice to share my knowlegde on a subject that has personal meaning to me.  My edits included adding two sections on the Ideal Body Condition Score and Contributing Factors to a horse's body condition.  I also edited the introduction to add references and a table.  I use Wikipedia often so adding to the content felt like giving back to the online community and it increased my understanding of the pros and cons of Wikipedia.





My Wikipedia entry on Henneke Horse Body Condition Scoring
Hayley Kosolofski. (2012). My Wikipedia Entry, Retrieved 22/03/2012,
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henneke_horse_body_condition_scoring_system.

  The positives are the many diverse topics that are available and easily accessible online.  It was mentioned in my ALES 204 lecture that Wikipedia places too much emphasis on popular culture topics which outweighs more scientific topics.  I think this is more reflective of the nature of Wikipedia.  It is an opportunity for all kinds of people to come together and share their knowledge.  An information source that is so dependent on people should contain information that is more relevant to most people.  So while the article on lightsabres is longer than the article on the printing press I would guess that it also is visited more often.  Further, all the content on Wikipedia is licensed under Creative Commons, a system similar to copyright but allows people to use the authors work under certain conditions such as referencing the work in the manner the author wishes or not using the work for commercial purposes.  I think that this ensures that authors are contributing to Wikipedia to increase general knowledge as they won't profit from their articles.

The negatives of Wikipedia are inherent to the open access, free sharing nature of the site.  This means that anyone can share or add to an article which usually isn't a problem but it leaves the site vulnerable to incorrect or improperly referenced material and vandalism.  As far as incorrect information and omission of information, Wikipedia is on par with printed encyclopedias.  However encyclopedias, whether  online or printed, are meant to provide an overview of a topic.  I think this is important to keep in mind when conducting any research.  These sources are an excellent way to find key words regarding a topic and can lead you to primary and secondary sources but they are not of the calibre or depth of information to write any sort of paper.  If you keep this is mind, Wikipedia is an even better source than a printed encyclopedia as the page is often linked to internal pages on similar information and external links that provide a deeper analysis of the issue.  As for vandalism, there are a few people who ruin it for everyone but editors patrol Wikipedia and are able to either fix the vandalism or revert the page to the original.

All in all, the experience was rewarding especially being able to see my page come up on Google!  While it took me a bit to find out how to work the editing page it was not a barrier to my involvement.  While I have mostly discussed Wikipedia so far, it is not the only Wiki out there!  Lauren mentions some of the other sites on her blog.  It is amazing how much information is available out there and how specialized some of these wikis are.  My favourites include Wookeepedia on all things Star Wars and Ekopedia which has an ecology focus.  So I encourage everyone to contribute to online Wikis in their own field of interest and expertise as this improves our online community and promotes the sharing of knowledge.




This wordle was created from the about page on Wikipedia.  I think it captures Wikipedia well as it mentions the content, the positives, and the negatives.

  

Using Facebook to Develop a Professional Profile

Until recently, I have always thought of Facebook as a tool to connect with friends and in a very casual way.  I certainly did not think it could be used to develop a professional profile and pursue career goals.  However, Facebook is an excellent way to do just that!  I recently created my own professional page
 on Facebook so take a look!

This is the Facebook Page I created but is yet unpublished.
Hayley Kosolofski. (2012). Professional Facebook Page, Retrieved 23/01/2012 from: http://www.facebook.com/.

 

You can create a Facebook page that future employers and contacts may view to get a sense of who you are, what skills and experience you have, and what your career goals are.  Your page should include information on your work experience, volunteer experience, awards, and contact information.  It is important to present yourself in a professional way.  While Facebook is a great social tool, your professional page should not include inappropriate photos and trivial status updates. Lauren Bradshaw does a great job of this and in a concise way.  Most people do not want to do a lot of reading so writing to the point is very important.

Employers and businesses can also use Facebook to advertise themselves to clients and potential employees.  Their Facebook page may include information on the company's goals and mission, what services or products they offer, and employment opportunities.  Tamar Weinberg offers great tips on how to use Facebook to promote a business.  She suggests offering deals through the page and encouraging dialogue with visitors.

Introduction - Who I am and Why Communication is Important for Me

Hi!


My name is Hayley Kosolofski.  I am doing a degree in Animal Health with a major in Companion and Performance Animals.  I have a special interest in working with horses and wildlife.  I have been around horses since I was little but the interest in wildlife is relatively new.  While I never had the opportunity to own a horse, I have been riding, training, and caring for horses at Bellbar Ranch.  The experiences I had there are what encouraged me to pursue a career in Animal Health.  The interest in wildlife began this fall when I had an opportunity to help analyze data from ground squirrels.  I am currently looking into a couple of summer opportunities to look at the health of northern ecosystems.

This fall I studied juvenile ground squirrels.  This photo was taken by Helen Wheeler which she gave me permission to use December 2011.

Communication is very important to me now and in the future and social media offers a quick and effective means to share knowledge.  I currently use Twitter to follow Alberta Horse Industry and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine to here about current events and issues.  In the future, as a veterinarian I will participate in the Alberta Veterinary Surveillance Network, a web-based program which is used to gather information about the current diseases status in Alberta, investigate disease outbreaks, and provide veterinarians with support.  As well, sites like Facebook and Twitter could be used to keep my clients informed about local issues and share animal health tips.


Social media is also a good tool to develop yourself professionally.  I do not know very much about LinkedIn (hopefully I will learn more through this class!), but Danielle Becker points out its uses in social networking, job hunting, and recruiting.  Developing a identity online can expose you to more opportunities.  The advantage of connecting online is the ease and convenience.  You can connect with employers, friends, and family around the world from wherever your life may take you.  I hope through this class I will learn how to take advantage of all the benefits social media offers.