The Last Post (for Spring 2020)

Our time in COMM 373 is coming to an end. It's the last week of class, and most of us are super ready for summer break, and hopefully some relief in the social distancing we've been practicing for half of this semester.

Courtesy of The Matridox and Disney of course

Your last blog post, then, should be a review of the course. In the spirit of David Letterman's famous Top 10 lists, tell me ten things that you learned or liked about this course. Be thoughtful; be creative. Include pictures where appropriate, and have fun with it!

Courtesy of Elegant Themes

After you do your top 10 list, ponder these questions briefly as well: Was there anything you did not like about class? Was there something you were hoping to learn about that we didn't quite get to? Be constructive in your feedback - you have the ability to help make this course stronger for future students!

Posts are due by end of day Friday.
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That said, I encourage you to keep blogging either here or somewhere else. Delve further into social media... different apps, different platforms... find what works for you! Make yourself marketable as you get ready for the future. For many of you, graduation is on the horizon. For others, you're pursuing internships. Be thoughtful of your online presence as you begin/continue on your career paths!

Choose Your Own Adventure

Our time in COMM 373 is coming to a close over the next couple of weeks. Since it was so popular a few weeks back... this week, what you post is up to you! (Yes, you still have to post something...)

Image courtesy of Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Here are some thoughts to guide you if choosing your own adventure isn't your thing:

• We've covered alot so far this semester, so what have you learned? Do you still have any questions about any of the topics we've covered?
• How is week 5 million and 1 of social distancing going? 
• How's your analysis project going? Who was your client and what have you learned about them so far? How are the creative suggestions coming along?

Really you can talk about anything this week; just make sure it relates to your theme and/or something having to do with social media. 

Have fun; post something interesting. Be you and be authentic. Posts are due by end of day Friday. Remember, next week is your last (required) post!

I always feel like...somebody's watching me....

Have you thought about the information you share online? What does it say about you? Is your secure information protected?

Photo Courtesy of Online Gladiators

Our topics for this week are Privacy Online and Public Shaming. There are so many ways that hackers, scammers, and phishers can access our information. Is any of it actually private?

One option for blogging this week is for you to tell me what you think about privacy. Are you being proactive about protecting your identity and information online? Explain what you do to keep yourself safe online.

Another option for blogging is related to privacy. Oftentimes, we don't think about how our content might come off before we post it, which can lead to instances where we might be publicly shamed online. It's happening more and more, where social media users highlight what other users say and do as an almost modern day witch-hunt - with the oft tweeted hashtag, "Twitter do your thing." What do you think about shaming? How is it related to impression management?

As a part of your response (regardless of which angle you take), come up with a set of guidelines (a list of 3-5 governing ideas/techniques) that you would give a high school senior in terms of online protection (that might also have to do with keeping themselves safe from being the target of public shaming) as they begin thinking about an adult life away from home for the first time.

YouTube and TikTok

This week we are talking about YouTube. One of the interesting things we've seen with YouTube and other platforms that support video service (like TikTok and, before it, Vine) is videos going viral. What is it that makes them go viral? Do you think you can set out to make a viral video?

Courtesy of Wikimedia

YouTube has especially become ultra important in the age of coronavirus. I've resurrected my YouTube account to be able to post our class recordings to my channel in hopes that it doesn't overload Canvas. Churches scrambled to make channels and have the ability to "go live" so they could broadcast their Holy Week and Easter Masses/services to their communities (and beyond). YouTube might be one of those sites where you questioned whether it is actually a social networking site, but I think within these last few weeks, we've seen it come into its own in ways we've never considered.

Your blog post this week should be about the communal nature of video content. If you're not into YouTube, you can focus on TikTok instead. Why should we consider YouTube and TikTok social media platforms, based on the definition of social media we've discussed all semester? How can one creatively use these platforms to reach their intended audiences?

Blog posts are due by Friday.

Coronavirus, Instagram, & Living our Best Life

This week in class we'll have our Instagram Resident Expert group give their presentation privately via Zoom with a follow-up discussion about Instagram and the VanDijck reading on Flickr on Wednesday.

Oh Instagram. 

We're also still in the thick of social distancing, where life isn't really all too Instagramable....

This seems to beg the question: How did we get to this point, where a whole generation seems to "do it for the 'gram" or needs to apply several filters to photos to show how they're living their best life? This isn't meant to be a knock against Gen Z and Millennials - it's just an observation that many of us have made over the past several years. Now that things have slowed down, we're forced to be #TogetherApart, how has the way you post about your life changed? What other things have changed?

Courtesy of Giphy

This week, you can still talk about our new normal of social distancing related to the Coronavirus, but try to incorporate some reflections on the questions above.

Blog posts are due by Friday.

Remote Learning and Graphic Design

Wow... we're really seeing the power of new media at work right now, having had our first remote learning session via Zoom on Monday. Save for the power outage and maybe a little boring content from yours truly, I think it went okay!

This week, your blog post can be about anything you want... the only catch is, you should include a graphic that you've made using Canva or another design platform you have at your disposal. Please don't spend any money to do this! BUT be mindful of what the free options are on Canva. Don't download anything with a watermark because that just looks weird.

Visit Canva to try your hand at basic graphic design!

You might also want to provide brief rationale for why your graphic goes with your post. Maybe it's a logo for your blog. Maybe you designed something specific to go along with whatever you're inspired to talk about this week. Maybe you have big ideas to use Canva professionally in the future and are just getting some practice now. Whatever it is... offer a slight explanation!

Blog posts are due by 5:00 p.m. on Fridays.

Catching up and moving on...

Wow! What a week it's been! I miss you guys. Hope you're all safe at home or wherever you went leaving campus. As always, reach out to me if you experience any trouble during this time we are not meeting face-to-face.

Remember you had a blog post due on Friday that was extended to 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, March 18. The prompt for that post can be found here. It should have been an opportunity for you to do a Midterm Review.

When even is midterm week anymore?

Your post this week can be anything COVID-19 related you want. Where did you end up? If you write it by the time you have a couple class sessions, how'd they go? In what ways are you experiencing new media through this crisis pandemic?

Just kidding... I hope everything works for us!

These posts should be posted no later than 11:59 p.m. this Friday, March 20. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Midterm Check-in!

It's that time of semester... the time that everyone sort of, kind of dreads....

MIDTERMS. THE WEEK AFTER SPRING BREAK. I don't know about you but like... CAN'T WE JUST HAVE ANOTHER WEEK OF BREAK?

Courtesy of Oracle Charter Schools

So in that spirit, this week's blog post will be more of a reflection of the semester so far. Easy peasy, right? Hopefully it will also get you ready for the Midterm, which will be next Monday, March 16.

To that end... tell me what you've learned so far this semester in COMM 373.

• What's been the most interesting concept?
• What's been the most boring concept? Is there anything you could care less about? Be honest.
• How do you think you'll be able to apply what you've been learning so far to the real world? 

Address each of those questions in a separate paragraph with supporting details. Include at least one image to spice things up. Explain why you've chosen this image and how it relates to your entry.

NOTE: Make sure to proofread your posts for grammar and spelling. Points are being deducted for poor grammar, spelling, and typos!

Facebook, Snapchat... and SPRING BREAK!

This week in class we've been talking about Facebook and Snapchat, so your blog should focus on one of those two platforms. But that's all the direction you get! How you proceed and what angle you take is up to you.

Courtesy of Giphy

If you're having trouble thinking of something, here are some sample topics:

• Your personal experience with Facebook or Snapchat (when you got on, how you used it initially, how you now use it)...
• Maybe you've never used Facebook or Snapchat - why not?
• Surprising information learned from Van Dijck this week

... the possibilities are endless! Be creative and thoughtful! Include a photo or gif in your post to make it more attractive. Posts are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Don't forget - and have a happy spring break!

Twitter and Creativity

For a long time (and arguably still today), no one really knew what Twitter was for or how to use it. Is it a social networking site? Is it a utility? Is it an information network? Is it sort of all three? Sometimes it seems to depend on your perception of the platform and how you use it.

The other topic we're covering this week is Content Monsters. You've been blogging for a few weeks now. Creating content (constantly) is HARD. And you have to be plugged in to be able to curate anything. Yet, a lot of people say that they either want "to do" social media for a career or figure that it will be a part of their job description anyway, so we better figure out how to get good at creating and curating.

So for your blog this week, you can go in a variety of directions: 
Ponder: What is Twitter for? What can we do with the platform? How does it hold power to shape our realities? Or does it? We say we go to Twitter for our news. What does this say about how informed we are about our surrounding world.

Photo Courtesy of Max Pixel

Find a recent article concerning Twitter in the news. Link your article to your blog post.  (A simple Google search under the 'news' tab on Google using the search terms 'news articles about Twitter' can lead you to articles, for example). Does what this story reports on match up with your perception of what Twitter is for? Why or why not?

For example, the article I linked above talks about New Jersey's Twitter account and how it has begun to (re?)shape people's perceptions about the Garden State. The account is sassy and matter-of-fact, a "savage" and bold move for an official account for the state's government. If I hold the notion that Twitter is about making connections with people (that is, I use it to be a more informed and social citizen), this article might support my perception of the platform as a place where I can adopt a specific style and attract a following because of it.

Photo Courtesy of New York Times via @NJGov

Another option for this week is to think about what it means to be creative. What is the creative process? In class on Wednesday, we talked about how being creative on demand is difficult and creating content for a social media account isn't as easy as it seems. Reflect on any of these things in your blogs post this week.

Gif courtesy of Giphy

Don't forget: Blog posts are due by 5PM on Friday.

Gif courtesy of GIPHY Studios

Make sure you break up your text with a gif or picture. As we have read and continue to read in our tips by K+F, long blocks of text make posts more difficult to read!

Disinhibition, Optimization, and Constructs - Oh my!

This week we discussed some of the "harder" concepts so far in this class, especially in VanDijck Chapter 2. We've begun thinking more about how we present ourselves in spaces online both personally and professionally, and we've begun to understand some of the economic impacts of some of our favorite platforms "going public."

You may have some thoughts based on our two days of class discussion this week or based on your logs for the New Media project. If so, tell me what you think about that. But if you're struggling with what to blog about this week since our content is a bit more abstract, here are some ideas:

We've focused a good bit on representing yourself professionally in an online space. What would you call your top 10 tips for presenting a professional image online, especially as college students? (Think Letterman's top 10 style!) Include at least one photo along with your Top 10 List.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Sometimes we say and do things online that we would never say or do "in real life." Reflect on a time that you noticed the online disinhibition effect totally happening in one of your online encounters. Do you feel like it was toxic, benign, or a mixture of both? If you had to do it over again, what would you do?

This is Stan from the Old Disney show, Dog with a Blog. Because, you know, online no one knows that you're a dog. Unless you tell them and have your own blog called Dog with a Blog.

As always, blogs are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday!

Blog Post #2: Impression Management

The theme of this week is Impression Management. You'll note that in class we've been focusing on the many selves we have to maintain in our daily lives, and social media can further exacerbate the need to keep up with multiple identities.

Impression management is literally about putting our best face out there for audiences to see as they encounter us in social media spaces. We will talk about truth, performance of self, and how it relates to impression management.

Some questions to ponder as you think about your blogs and your themes as they relate to this week's topic:

• How many selves do you feel like you project on your social media profiles? 
• What is/where is truth and why do we choose certain features to promote in online settings?  
• What do you think some of the ethical considerations should be as we decide which face to present to people online? 
• What do you think are some of the pitfalls/dark sides to impression management? 

Even if your blog is geared to something very specific, impression management still matters. Why is understanding impression management in this digital age so important?

Courtesy of Mastering the Dynamics of Communication Technology Blog

Include at least one photo in your post! Posts are due by Friday, February 7 at 5:00 p.m.

Your First Post - Spring 2020

This week, your post should be a basic introduction to who you are and what your blog will be about - it's your first post, so you can really carve out your niche in this space. You have to start somewhere, and what better way than to start off with an introductory post!

Photo Courtesy of Michael Lee Stallard: Helping Leaders Create Cultures that Connect

While you will have some freedom to write about what you want from week to week this semester, remember that you should make an effort to connect what you're writing about to what we talk about in class too. If you need help or inspiration some weeks, feel free to chat with me!

So - introduce yourself. Who are you? That's a loaded question. Unpack it (using as much self-disclosure as you deem fit for an online space). Example things to potentially include: Name and where you are in life right now, what you want to do in life, etc. 

Now... as you went through the process of creating your blog, you made specific decisions in terms of the theme, background, the images, font, and other things that you selected over something else. Was there a reason for that? Maybe offer some insight into that. Do you have a specific theme you plan to stick to throughout the semester?

Next - what makes you tick? What interests you? This can potentially be the direction of your blog. It doesn't have to be just one thing either. This is your space. Personalize it. Make it your own. Give your reader an idea of what you're planning to write about. If you want to add a picture, feel free but it's not necessary to -- at least not right now.

Your blog post should be a few (short) paragraphs. Notice how in this post, you have small chunks of writing with space between paragraphs. It makes for a more pleasurable reading experience! Remember, you're writing for a specific audience (me...), but I encourage you to share your blogs with others too. 

Don't foget, posts should be up by 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 31. Happy Blogging!

Welcome to COMM 373 - Spring 2020!

Happy Spring Semester, COMM 373! Hope you all had a fantastic Winter Break! Welcome back to your mountain home! Break was long, #amiright?

Emmit is excited you're back!

Are you ready for a great semester in COMM 373? I hope you are, because this class is going to be awesome. Check our trusty blog here for all of your updates and needs. If you have any questions, I'm available via email and Twitter (@MCK_PhD).

Let's get to it!