Technology

Technology definitely helped our group in many ways when preparing our project proposal. We used email numerous times to help communicate with each other outside of the classroom. We also used blackboard to post information concerning our group meetings for others to view. Using the computer was a big part of our project considering our main focus was in the development of a facebook page to help connect with others around the world to promote the healthy campus initiative. Technology helped us in so many ways and without it, our project would not have been as successful nor would the idea of having a facebook page be an issue.

Ethical Principles

From the examples that we have discussed in class, I have learned a great deal on the importance of having a guiding set of ethical principles when entering the workplace.

When trying to enter the workplace, it is very important to address specific information in a proper and informative manner to the person applying for the job. It is also important that the issue that you are addressing is easy for him/her to understand and comprehend. The information should be presented in a way that is easy to follow but most importantly, the workplace should follow a set of ethical principles. From the information discussed in class, I have learned how important it is for one to establish and follow a set of ethical principles when maintaining and entering the workplace. This helps prevent any form of trouble of problematic issues from becoming present within the workplace and among those who surround the workplace. As I prepare to enter the workforce, I would explain my own set of ethical principles to the one I interview with or through any form of writing that I issue to the person head of the workplace I am applying for. I will explain to them the morals that I hold as well as what I have come to learn as being both ethical and fair in the workforce. It is important to stand up for what is right by also having the opportunity to work for one who both supports and follows the same ethical principles that I hold as well.

Miscommunication in the Work Setting

As a server at Spinners Resort and Marina, I have definitely witnessed when information was miscomunicated in the work setting.

It was a very busy night when a big miscommunication occurred. It all happened because one of the hostesses had messed up by taking a party of four to the wrong table. Considering each server is assigned a section and a table in a specific order, the hostess sat the group at a table in which one server was not supposed to get since she had already had a few tables and one of the other servers had not been assigned a table yet. Needless to say, the server who was supposed to be assigned a table was very upset. However, the group of people had already been sat and therefore could not be redirected to another table. The aftermath was that a huge confusion was created between the two servers. The one serving the table didn't want to give it up considering she had already started waiting on them and the girl who had not been assigned a table was mad that her party was given to the wrong section. The miscommunication could have easily been prevented had the hostesses read the seating chart correctly and assigned the party to the correct table.

Presentations/Portfolio

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the class date where the last of the presentations were presented. However, I did hear that the presentation concerning autism was quite interesting. I would probably have found this to be a good presentation as well considering it is a topic I enjoy hearing about. This is probably because the topic relates to some of the children found in school settings today. I have also gained a lot of information concerning the issue in past courses.

I can honestly say that I have never had to put an online portfolio together before. Therefore, its hard for me to answer any questions regarding the portfolio that will be due on March 23. However, I am eager to see how everything turns out and how the portfolio ends up!

Class Presentations!

I can honestly say that I have truly enjoyed each presentation presented within the last few classes. However, there were three presentations that caught my attention.

I really enjoyed Kenneth's presentation concerning the Boykin Spaniel. It was really interesting to learn that our state's dog was in fact the Boykin Spaniel. It was also interesting to hear about specific characteristics that the dog has and how Kenneth was able to train him on his own easily. However, presenting his own Boykin Spaniel to the class was a great way to capture the attention of the audience because it definitely caught mine! I love animals so his presentation was very easy for me to remember!

I also enjoyed Harry's presentation on asian stereotypes. Maybe this is because I am a really close friend of his and knew he would probably choose this as his presentation topic, but I can say I did enjoy hearing his take on asian stereotypes considering he is Korean. The videos were also quite hillarious and eye-catching!

Scott also gave a very interesting and eye-catching presentation on something I had not even heard of; a Jetlev Flyer. It was really fascinating to hear about it and watch the videos of people actually using them. It was also cool to hear about how it worked and the price that it cost to purchase one! I have never heard of this but in the future, I would love to have the opportunity to try it out!

Overall, each presentation provided has been both unique and interesting! I have really enjoyed hearing about the issues that others within my class are passionate about!

Cover Letters!!!

The articles found through this website was in fact very beneficial and interesting to read! For the most part, I did in fact agree with the advice provided within the articles on the website.
Everything was very interesting to read through and gave me ideas I hadn't even thought of, especially since I didn't really know what I should include in a cover letter.

When reading the article concerning cover letters I was quite shocked to notice that it said that cover letters aren't in fact the first thing a company goes through or notices. This was something I found odd considering I thought it was in fact the first thing to actually grab the attention of the company. However, it is interesting to know that a cover letter does in fact set you apart from any other individual trying to apply for the same position.

I also found it interesting when the article explained what to include and what not to include in the cover letter. This allowed me to take a step back and realize what a cover letter is really about and the impact it will make in a company's decision. It was also interesting that you can add a PS to the end of your cover letter and write in your handwriting to add to the letter. This was interesting yet quite different that what I would have expected a cover letter to have. I have never heard of this (putting it in your handwriting) but its pretty cool to think that this would really set you apart and grab the attention of the reader/company.

This website provided a lot of useful information that I can definitely use when writing my own cover letter!

Client Project

This week our class had the opportunity to meet with Jennifer Goree to speak on the client project that our group will be working on for the next couple of weeks. I am very excited about having the opportunity to get involved and help in the ultimate goal of reaching a "healthier campus".

As group, we have tossed a few ideas around that we could potentially use in our project. However, we haven't come up with exactly what we want our project to cover. We've talked about issues concerning particular ideas involving campus students and budget cost. Our biggest concern was finding ideas for our project that would work and fit budget costs for the campus university. It's hard to meet both requirements, while also finding ideas that pertain to the students at Clemson and their wants and needs as well. One idea we mentioned was free and an excellent form of social and physical activity. We have bowman field, why not use it to its full potential? We brought up the idea to use the field as a form of free use in activities. Have materials for students or bring your own and form your own teams in various outdoor activities. Play any sport you wish and allow anyone to come out and join at anytime. This allows students to meet new people, interact with others, and most importantly get involved in positive physical activity. However, our only concern would be that the materials may get stolen or students would not use such opportunities in a correct and positive way.

So far, our group has had the opportunity to toss ideas around and gain the opinions of each other. Though we haven't come to a conclusion on the idea we wish to use for our project, I have confidence that we will be able to.

Job Interviews... what not to do vs. what you should do!

I would probably agree that the five listed mistakes are probably the top five worst that you could make during an interview. I have interviewed for a couple different jobs and when I did I found it quite nerve racking. At first I thought I was going to die, but once I began the interview I realized it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was very personable. I was able to be myself and express my own thoughts and opinions on specific issues. My only problem would probably be that I tended to talk too much on a subject. It is always good to not speak on one issue for too long so that the interviewer can find out more about you. It is also good to know about the job you are wishing to get. Do research concerning the job so that it sounds like you are well prepared for the interview and well informed on the job you are wishing to have! In my opinion, a person you be presentable and well informed on the job they are wishing to have. Just be yourself, but be professional! It is always important for the interviewer to feel that you are being real in the interview and not fake, but you want to present yourself in a professional and positive way as well.

My Passion for Education

I have always held a passion for children, but I never knew that education was the right career path for me. However, I quickly realized this my freshman year at Clemson. I have always loved children and with a first grade teacher as a mother, well it's almost as if i was destined to teach. But having the career as an educator didn't fit my ideal future. I'm good with children, I love helping my mother at her school, and well teaching is a profession I always knew I would love but the one thing that I always thought about was the salary. Education seemed to be an awesome profession, but at the time I thought I needed to become a Physical Therapist. Not only was the pay a huge amount more than what teachers recieve, but I knew it was something I could do if I worked hard. However, not long after my first semester I realized my passion was education. This was what I was called to do, not physical therapy. Yes, the salary is a lot lower but the benefits of teaching are far greater. I realized that becoming a teacher was what would truely make me happy. I knew I would love waking up every day to go to work. It was something I wanted to do and now I've finally figured it out! Not long after entering college, I figured out that education was what I wanted to hold a career in. It took me a while to figure it out, but once I did I knew I had made the right decision. I am so excited about my career choice and cannot wait until I have the opportunity to finally become a first grade teacher!

My Life In Ten Years

It’s funny to think of where I’ll be in ten years because even though it seems so far away, its really not. Time really does fly by. It feels like just yesterday that I was beginning my first day of high school and now I’m already half way through with my college career. However, in ten years I do have an idea of where I would like to be with my life.

After graduating Clemson University, I plan to pursue my career as a first grade teacher in a well known school district. Once I have settled down with my job, I plan to work on receiving my masters. With time, I then hope to get married and have either two or three children of my own.

I love children so I am very eager to start my career as an educator working with young children. I also hope to settle down and start my own family in either Greenville or Spartanburg. Not that I don’t like the small town in which I am from, but knowing everyone’s business does have its negative aspects. It’s awesome to be from a very close community, but I feel that raising a family and holding my career in a larger area with more opportunities is the best thing to do.

I plan to have a fairly structured yet laid back lifestyle. Holding a career and raising a family is a lot to take in, but I feel that if I follow the path that God calls me to follow, everything will fall into place and there will be no need to worry.

Web 2.0

This video captured my attention with the use of movement through the text and displayed various points concerning how "the machine is using us" and how the machine is "us". "The Machine is Us/ing Us" can be broken down into a number of different ideas. I think that the machine as a computer/internet source has become the sole form of communication for people across the world. People have the opportunity to communicate through email, IMing and etc. through an extensive number of different website options. I think it is referring to the fact that we are the machine in that we are the reason that computers act and perform the way they do. We provide the machine with information concerning our personal lives, thoughts, ideas, and information regarding a variety of issues. We have taught the machine to act for us, to provide us with information in a quick and accurate way. People are the reason computers maintain and hold the information that it can. However, the machine is "using us". It uses us to provide the information that it can. Without us, it would not exist. The machine uses the ideas, thoughts, and knowledge of millions of people to provide multiple sites with information. Therefore, the machine “uses us” to provide knowledge of one or more people to those all across the world. Through the video, I was able to gain an understanding on how so many different words and ideas across the internet are all related. Without one, the other doesn’t exist.

Web 2.0 could be both a positive and negative form of publicity for someone trying to enter the workforce. It could help advertise the person in a positive form by providing employers with information regarding the individual on their background, education, and skills related to the job. However, it could also be a bad thing. This is simplybecause all information posted on web 2.0 is accessible for anyone to see. Even if people don't think anyone can view personal information like on facebook, myspace, etc. doesn't mean that people can't really see it. You post it up, it's pretty much there for anyone, anywhere. Employers looking for future employees can get online and search an individual and if they have any negative information regarding them or inappropriate pictures posted, the employer may change their mind on hiring them. People already in the workforce are also affected as well. Web 2.0 provides those in the workforce a means of communication. People can email about business information, meetings, etc. and the information can reach who they are trying to contact within only a few seconds. Web 2.0 also allows companies to advertise on their business, post pictures and information concerning their company or job.

I think when it says that we will have to rethink everything, I think that it is referring to the fact that when you say one thing, it means multiple things. "Privacy" is not necessarily privacy. Though you think your personal information may be private on a website, millions of people can find access to view your information. Therefore, the idea of privacy doesn't necessarily mean that it is private. Also, we must rethink the idea that everything is changing. Millions of new information are being posted daily concerning a number of topics and issues. Therefore, one must rethink the information being posted... when it was updated and how reliable the information truely is.

All About Me

Hey!

I'm Julia and I am from a very small town in South Carolina. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education, which I am extremely excited about! I love children and I can't wait to settle down and become an Elementary teacher. I am currently living on the ZTA Hall with many of my closest sorority sisters in Clemson. I love Clemson and all that it has to offer! It defnitely has become my second home. I'm a very outgoing person and I love meeting new people! I can't wait to see where life takes me!