Friday, May 21, 2010

Instructions for course blog

Hello students,
Welcome to the blog website. Why are you doing this? Well, before this students had to submit weekly formal reports identifies "competencies" of what they had learned. This is a much more interactive and intriguing way to "report" what you're doing. I encourage you to read your peers/friends blogs to see what they're up to. This is another great way to network!

So why blogging???

Web blogging provides students an opportunity to share thoughts and feelings, free write to clear the mind, express what has been learned in a public venue, and an interactive area for students to engage in conversation (Bresica & Miller, 2006). Blogging also provides the instructor with an ability to track individual experiences and behaviors while at the internship site (Bresica & Miller, 2006). What is a blog? What is a blog? A blog is a web log displaying entries made by the blogger. Blogs vary in style and format and are interactive, allowing readers to submit comments on entries.

What is a blog?

A blog is a web log displaying entries made by the blogger. Blogs vary in style and format and are interactive, allowing readers to submit comments on entries.

How will we use blogger.com in 463?

The use of a blog will allow you to reflect on your experiences and apply theory to practice as you journey through your senior internship. As you work throughout the semester you will find yourself meeting new people, learning new things and discovering more about yourself and the field you have chosen to enter. By regularly updating your blog and reading your peer’s posts, you will be able to gain a valuable perspective on your professional development, and assess your strengths, weaknesses and goals. You are encouraged to read and comment on your peers’/friends’ blogs to see how other interns are navigating the waters of the workplace.

NOTE: BLOGS ARE PUBLIC SPACES!!! THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WRITE BEFORE YOU PUBLISH IT! DO NOT put down your employer or company on your blog. This is a space to explore what you're learning. You may also want to re-think what you've got posted on Facebook and MySpace too - I see things on your profiles that employers won't want to! (Yes, I've looked you up!)

How to set up a blog

Step 1:Go to blogger.com
Step 2:Click on the “create a blog” link
Step 3:Input your e-mail address and required information to create a Google account. Continue
Step 4:Name your blog and create a url
(must be your last name and then your title. EG: Owen's Senior Internship at ETC Events)
Continue
Step 5: Select a template for your blog

You are now ready to start blogging!

How to become a "follower"
On the right hand side of this blog, click become a follower (required). This will add this blog to your blogging homepage. You can do this with other's blogs too to keep tabs on your peers. This will keep you up to date on blogs I'll be posting throughout the course and survey's you'll need to respond to.

How to publish a post
Step 1:
Login to your blog at blogger.com
Step 2:
Click on “New Post”
Step 3:
Input a title and write your post in the space provided. You can select the picture icon to add pictures, change the font color and size, add links, and upload videos. Remember to use spell check before publishing your post!
Step 4:
Click “Publish Post” (not just save)


How to leave a comment
Step 1:
At the bottom of a post there will be a “comments” link
Step 2:
Select the comments link and in the space provided add your feedback or questions
Step 3:
Click “Post Comment”

Requirements
You will be expected to be a follower of this blog and have 12 posts by the last day of classes. This averages out to a little less than 1 post a week. Blogs will be checked 4 times throughout the semester.

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO: tell your supervisor about your blog!
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO: post the following disclaimer in a post or on the bottom of your blog:

Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to document a college internship experience. Content published on this blog represents the author’s ideas, opinions, and experience. This does not necessarily represent the views of the internship organization.



Blogs will be critiqued on number of posts, content, creativity, interaction, spelling and grammar. Each of the four grading periods will have a separate rubric reflecting the progression of the blog. There will be optional questions and suggested topics to get you started, but students are encouraged to be creative and can deviate from the prompts as long as the post has a clear topic and is relevant to your internship. Remember that this is a public space and you’ll want to put forth a professional version of yourself.

Rubric #1
Registration of blog, become follower of main blog, post your blog link in Comments under What's Your Blog Link?
Content (approx. 3 posts)
Posts each have a topic that is fully discussed with several / 10
examples from your experience
Coherent and well-organized, posts are easy to follow and /5
understand
Spelling and Grammar
Few errors in spelling or grammar /5
Total /20

Rubric #2
Content (approx. 6 posts)
Posts each have a topic that is fully discussed with several / 10
examples from your experience
Coherent and well-organized, posts are easy to follow and /5
understand
Creativity
Posts are presented creatively including pictures or links to /5
other websites
Spelling and Grammar
Few errors in spelling or grammar /5
Total /25

Rubric #3
Content (approx. 9 posts)
Posts each have a topic that is fully discussed with several / 10
examples from your experience
Coherent and well-organized, posts are easy to follow and /10
understand
Interaction
Spelling and Grammar
Few errors in spelling or grammar /5

Total /25

Rubric #4
Number of Posts
10 posts made in total /5
Content
There is a variety in posted topics with each topic fully /5
discussed with a minimum of 12 posts
The posts are well-organized and the blog presents a clear /10
progression of your internship experience
Creativity
Posts have been presented creatively including at least 5 /5
pictures or links to other websites
Spelling and Grammar
Few errors in spelling or grammar /5

Total /30


Example Blog Topics
*Remember that your blogs are a reflection of your internship experience. Make sure to use prompts that relate to your personal experiences and include examples. Use your best judgement as to what is professional to post.

Parks and Recreation
Examine the mission of the organization. How does the mission of the organization relate to the significance of play, recreation and leisure?

Explain the importance of recreation, and leisure throughout the life span. Who is the organization‘s target customer? Does your organization offer activities for people at all stages of life?

What are some of the environmental ethical issues faced by your site in its relationship to leisure behavior? Do you think the organization addresses these issues appropriately? Provide examples of positive actions or suggest changes that could be made to make the organization more environmentally friendly.

What are some of the current issues or trends in Parks and Recreation that are present in the organization? Detail one of these topics as it relates to the organization.


Nonprofit

Examine the organizations board. How is the board structured within the organization? How are board members recruited and recognized?

Discuss volunteers at the organization. What are some of the methods used to recruit and retain volunteers? How are volunteers motivated and trained? Suggest techniques the organization is not currently using that you think would be beneficial.

Review the importance of fostering staff/board/volunteer relationships. How does the organization actively foster these relationships and how have you contributed in building and maintaining relationships?

Explain fundraising practices at the organization. How does the organization ensure accountability of funds, plan fundraising events, and evaluate fundraising effectiveness?

Tourism

Examine the costs and benefits of travel and tourism. How does your organization market the benefits and what are some suggestions you have for the future.

Is the organization local, regional or global? Detail the market for the organization’s product and review psychological travel motivations for this market.

Explain the system of tourism production within the organization including product development and service delivery. What is your role in this production?

Reflect on a host/guest interaction. Detail the encounter and explain what you learned from the interaction.


General prompts

How has your transition into the organization been so far? Has it been as you expected? What are some of the duties you have accomplished and what do you hope to accomplish by the end of your experience?

Have you experienced conflict with a co-worker or employee? Have you witnessed conflict? How did you handle this and what would you do different next time? What did you learn about employee relations from this experience?

Review an event or presentation you have been a part of. What was your role in preparing for this event, how did it turnout, what was your strength and what would you do different next time?

Other options
Upload any presentations or documents you have created (if OK’d by supervisor)

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