Friday, January 27, 2012

Facebook Page

Screen capture of my Facebook Page
Shelley Du, Capture 1. Original Page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelley-Du/266485470085413, Created on: January 25, 2012 


Screen capture of my Facebook Page
Shelley Du, Capture 2. Original Page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelley-Du/266485470085413, Created on: January 25, 2012



A Facebook Page. What is it? It's a page for anyone to broadcast information to the public. It could be a page for an organization, a business, an institution, an artist, a celebrity, a product, anything you can possibly think of, even yourself. The point of the page is to connect people. For the visitors, it's a page where they can learn. For the creator, its a place for them to publicize. In other words, it's a free page of advertisement. As long as you're creative, concise, and informative, your page will go a long way.

One of best ways of using the Facebook page, is for building your own professional personal profile. Nowadays, there are so many social networking sites  and websites where your personal information is disclosed. It could be pictures or videos of what you did over the weekend, your personal blog posts and websites, or just information on your personal interests. Since there is no way of tracking and controlling your information, you might as well build your own online reputation through this Facebook page.

Creating a Facebook page for yourself can help you change the way others perceive you and can potentially earn you a future. Each page is unique in such way that people can clearly distinguish and differentiate you from others. You could inform others on your previous job experiences, your years of education, your personal interests, or any other information you think would clearly show who you are. Unlike a resume, that limits your information to two pages, a Facebook page gives you unlimited space to promote yourself. The Facebook page, if used right and kept up-to-date, could help you position yourself for a job or a career in the future. The Facebook page will provide your employers with a sense of who you are and what you're like both online and offline. Another advantage to an online Facebook page, is how easily it could be accessed. You could approach or be approached. Anyone, from anywhere around the world could access your page and learn about who you are, this can essentially broaden your opportunities.

Although there are endless advantages to having a Facebook page, remember to think carefully before you post, and stay in control of your online reputation. There may be unexpected consequences.  Above, is my professional Facebook page. For another good example of a Facebook page, be sure to check out Loana's blog for the link.

Hope that explains it! Adios for now!

Friday, January 20, 2012

The Name

Picture of Circle K International Volunteers at Large Scale Service Project 2011, Virginia Beach
Personal Album. Picture Captured on: June 20, 2011
Shelley Du.
Currently in my second year of studies at the University of Alberta. I chose to study Human Ecology; majoring in Family Ecology and minoring in Aging. After I complete my undergraduate studies in Human Ecology, I plan to pursue my masters in Speech Pathology and Audiology and become a Speech-Language Pathologist. Now, sounds like a great plan eh?! But I've only recently discovered what I'm passionate about. In my free time, I enjoy volunteering (as you can see from the picture above). Through volunteering, I found out that I love working with people, and being able to help them definitely gives me a sense of accomplishment. If only I knew which field I'd like to go into. I have always wanted to work in a clinical environment where I can assess clients one-on-one to help them restore and improve their ability. Through talking to many friends and colleagues, I found that Speech-Language is definitely the way to go. I will be given the opportunity to work with people ranging in age from infants to adults to help them improve their ability to communicate or swallow properly.

Taking a Communication Theory and Practise class will definitely help me along the way of my studies. Communication plays a huge role in my field of study because I mainly deal with people. But let's face it! Even if I wasn't in this field, I would still have to communicate with people, whether it'd be my co-workers, colleagues, friends, family, or whomever it may be. Since communication is playing such a big role in my life, I might as well make the best out of it and learn all the tips and strategies in becoming an effective communicator!

In my undergraduate studies, I will be focusing on the well-being of others, mainly the aging population. I will be learning how to identify and develop strategies to enhance the well-being of their family and community life and understanding how their families and communities function in the interpersonal, social, economic, and political environment. This will involve a great deal of communication skills that revolve around interviewing and counselling people. It will also involve a great deal of research, where I'll be looking at the many challenges and issues that the aging population faces today. My program also includes a 200 hour practicum placement where I will be getting some hands-on experience. I will need to professionally communicate with my co-workers and maybe clients (depending on where I'm placed) and establish connections in the field. As a side note, I found out that Deanna, a classmate of mine in ALES 204, is in the same field as me. Hopefully, as we continue our studies, we'll be able to meet one day and share our thoughts about the field!

Now in Speech and Language Pathology, I will need to counsel my clients and their families in regards to their disorders, then provide a constructive treatment plan to help them recover. In order to do this, I will need to clearly present myself (think before I speak), so that I don't scare my patients or their families with their situation, and effectively write a report that is clear and easy to understand so that my patients can use it to recover. I will also be working with my other health care professionals and multidisciplinary teams to assess and treat my clients, so knowing how to efficiently communicate with them would make things alot easier. At times, I will also get the opportunity to participate in research and public education activities, this will involve alot of online communication, and relaying information between other researchers and professionals.  To learn more about what Speech-Language pathologists do, check out CASLPA (Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists).

That's all for now! Until next time, Ciao!