1. Which assignment in COMM372T was your favorite? Why? 
2. Have you changed the way you engage with media since taking this class? Why or why not?
3. In what ways do you think you have improved your professional online presence after completing or curating your COMM 372T ePortfolio this semester?
4. What advice would you give to future students about potential uses or designing a COMM ePortfolio?

Throughout class, the assignments that I enjoyed most were the discussion boards. I liked talking about them because the content covered modern, fun, and easy to talk about things that I thought related to my life. I also enjoyed hearing the input of others, and responding with my thoughts as well. I feel like due to new media, not many people discuss in person anymore, but also thanks to new media, people have the confidence to talk to each other on a screen. Specifically, I liked the “catfishing” discussion, and the “is google making us stupid” discussion. The catfish discussion brought light onto the scares of dating profiles, and some funny comments on some of my classmates’ previous encounters with catfishes. The google discussion made me question whether or not I should even keep using the search engine for my facts… Google is not a trusted source afterall, anyone can post on it. 

I have not really changed the way I go about new media throughout the class. I have always been sort of stand-offish online, and I try not to put that much of myself out there. I don’t really like people knowing where I’m at or what I am doing even more because of our GPS and location segments in the last lecture. A lot of people are quite negligent when it comes to their online presence… people sharing their locations with strangers, putting pictures and information online. This will almost certainly lead to a leak of information, and a not-so-good time in the future. I have seen countless stories of peoples’ houses getting robbed because everyone knows they are not there. I have seen people getting stalked at their jobs and schools because everyone knows what they look like and what they do. I have always been a responsible internet-goer, and this class definitely solidified that. 

I think working on this e-portfolio has definitely improved my professional presence online, and it has helped me with experience alone just creating a portfolio of my work. Like I said in the beginning, I have two e-portfolios- one for nursing, and one for this communications class. Yes, I could have put my COMM assignments on my main portfolio, but I keep that one almost STRICTLY professional for future and career purposes. I do think having an online portfolio is something that everyone should utilize in their free time, as it does nothing but put yourself out there. We talked about networking in class, and this is one of the best ways to do just that. On my other site, I did include a resume, a list of accomplishments, and a personal statement regarding my plans and my future. 

What advice to give to future students in regards to creating their own personalized portfolio? I would strongly recommend that they keep professionalism and the public eye in mind when curating their site. I think many people do not realise that employers, friends, family, professors- anyone can see what you put online if they try hard enough. Keep your site safe, keep in mind the consequences, and you will be ok! This is a great tool for your future, and I think putting in your own work that you are proud of, and stating your intentions is very important. Let the people know what YOU want. Tell them what YOU are going to achieve.