Purpose of WonderWoman Strikes Again

            Blogs are a way of documenting events, ideas, information, pictures, etc.  A blog is similar to a journal that lists postings in chronological order.  My blog was titled WonderWoman Strikes Again.  The blog captures my thoughts on communication while comparing myself to a fictional superhero.  My target audience was my fellow classmates and Professor Terry Lee Moser.  The blog documents papers written in other communications classes, articles on communication, webcasts, and personal opinions. 

            The original purpose of the blog was due to my COM 480 class.  My assignment for the class was to create a blog.  After starting my blog, I have realized that it is interesting and fun to document my thoughts on communications.  The night that I created my blog, I was exhausted from a full day of work, family, school, and other obligations.  I did not know what to write about because I was not mentally prepared to do the blog assignment.  My husband offered me words of encouragement that included Wonder Woman.  I ran with the idea and compared my life to Wonder Woman. 

            My blog was created using Google’s Blogger program.  The program was fairly simple to use once the user account was established.  I changed the background of the blog from a simple white page to a page that included blue to match the real Wonder Woman’s patriotic costume.  In efforts to keep my blog somewhat unique, I kept “Wonder Woman” for the fictional character and “WonderWoman” for myself.  I added a couple of Wonder Woman’s pictures to my blog.  I selected a font size, color and format to use when posting ideas onto my blog. 

The content of the blog was easy the first night because I wrote in the moment.  Then I realized that the assignment was more than just creating a blog.  I needed to bring my class work and thoughts on communication into the blog.  As a result, I blogged about ideas in my past papers and then added my papers.  For example, I wrote a final paper in a previous class on Georgetown Cupcake.  I posted a few thoughts on the store, added my paper and then included the link to the store.  This was people could read my review, understand why I am interested in the sisters that own the store and their marketing techniques and the readers can view the company’s website from my one post.  I also included thoughts on how men and women communicate and included a link to a webcast on the topic.  During my week, I would pay attention to items in my world that were dealing with communication and then I would document them on my blog.  I put effort into keeping my title clear throughout the blog even if it just meant adding the tag line of “WonderWoman Strikes Again” at the end.  To remind others that this is a blog about a real person, I added some personal touches to the sides of my blog.  For example, I added lists with my favorite songs, recently viewed movies and books that I have recently read. 

The future of my blog is unclear.  I would like to maintain the blog and continue to remind myself and others how important communication is to our world.  Blogger offers opportunities to earn money from blogs by advertising.  Wonder Woman is a making a comeback to Hollywood so it is possible that the name will be searched which means that others could be sent to my blog and might click on an advertisement.  Communication will continue to exist in our world so there should be plenty to blog about over time. 

In conclusion, my blog WonderWoman Strikes Again was created as a class assignment that later turned into an interest.  It is a place that I can share my thoughts and views on communication and the world of being a woman who juggles a lot.  The blog was simple to create thanks to the Blogger program.  Backgrounds and lists were simple to post thanks to the program.  After the class is over, my audience might shift a bit because my professor will move on to new blogs and my classmates will focus on their own creations.  At the end of the day, I am reminded that I can do anything I put my mind to even if the though scares me.  WonderWoman strikes again!

Organizations that WonderWoman is Considering to Join for Communications Professioanls

After researching the many organizations available to Communication Professionals, I selected five to provide brief summaries about and listed them below.

1.       The Association for Women In Communications is an organization that caters to professional women.  They promote advancement for women by offering tools to help women pursue leadership positions.  As a woman, this group might be able to help me develop additional tools to pursue a position in the field of communications.  They also offer newsletters and an annual conference where other women will speak and offer advice and training. The link to their site is http://www.womcom.org/index.asp.

2.        IABC – The International Association of Business Communicators is an organization that provides networking opportunities.  The organization is made up of members from over 80 countries so they can offer a variety of expertise and cultures.  In addition to the networking opportunities, I am also interested in the training materials that the organization makes available to their members.  They have how-to articles, in class training, web training and conference calls.  The link to their site is http://www.iabc.com/about/.

3.       The American Communication Association is an organization that is also called ACA.  They are a non-profit organization. The interesting thing about this organization is that it is an online organization.  They have scholarly journals that they offer to their members.   I found this group to be interesting because they are on-line.  This is the way I am attending school and could easily be the way I connect to other networks.  An additional benefit is that it is free to join this group so you can try it for free.  The link to this site is http://www.americancomm.org/about/.

4.       PRSA stands for the Public Relations Society of America.  Their focus is on public relations but also touch the communications fields.  I am interested in this group because it helps me to find out more about a field similar to my communications major.  They focus on advancing the professional and to educate others on ethics.  In additional to training and networking opportunities, members get discounts from FedEx, Budget Rental Cars, Avis Rental Cars, financial planning assistance, etc.  The link to their site is http://www.prsa.org/.

5.       Maryland Communication Association is a group based out of Maryland for individuals in the field of Communications based out of Maryland.  The group is made up of communication educators, students and professionals.  The nice thing is that one does not have to wait until they have a job in the field of communications to join.  One can join as a student.  Their annual conference would be a great opportunity to meet a number of individuals in the State of Maryland that have a similar interest in communications.  The link to the site is http://www.marylandcomm.org/index.html.

WonderWoman Can't Stop Thinking About Gotta Have Chocolate

I can't stop thinking of chocolate today.  I want chocolate.  It must be good chocolate and it must be fresh.  I only know of one place that can satisfy my craving for chocolate today.  It is Gotta Have Chocolate.  They have the best chocolate turtles.  If you want a chocolate covered cherry that you can't get off your mind, go to Gotta Have Chocolate.  The products are made for you instead of sitting in boxes waiting for someone to buy them.  Gotta Have Chocolate recently created a website to communicate the products that are offered. The bag of white trash is new and it is wonderful.  I can promise you that you will not be let down if you try the chocolate from Gotta Have Chocolate. 

Check out the website and place an order today.   

http://www.gottahavechocolate.com/

If you place an order, please tell them that WonderWoman sent you. 

Gotta Have Chocolate is the superhero in my world today because they satisfied my chocolate craving with the best chocolate in the universe. 

Communicate and Save the Day!

Recently I realized that my boss and I did not see eye to eye on a couple of projects.  I kept trying to figure out what was wrong.  Then I realized that the item that was missing was communication.  She is very knowledgeable about a software program that we are both using.  I have never used it before.  She got angry because I was not performing the function right.  Regardless of how many times she repeated the task, I could not find what she was talking about.  Finally, after much frustration, I asked her to come to my office to show me what she is seeing.  When she saw my software, she realized that I had a new version and that I have other options that she did not have.  The way that I was able to perform the task was very different than the way she was use to performing the task.  At the end of the day, communicating with each other not only verbally but also with the non-verbal tools, solved our problem. 

A similar situation happened where she thought that all I had to do was hit an upload button to file a report.  This has been simmering for about six months.  When I told her yesterday that I am stressing because we are getting close to our deadline, she mentioned that I just have to upload.  Then I sat down and showed her with my visual tool that I have to manually enter over 100 fields prior to hitting an upload button.  I saw the light go off for both of us.  We realized that the lack of knowledge and communication created a stressful situation that could have been avoided by taking a deep breath and showing each other what we see on our screens.  If I am truly going to be a WonderWoman, I must focus on the value of communication to avoid creating disastrous situations in my life.  Thank you WonderWoman for reminding me to have patience when things are stressful and thank you Ashford University for teaching me the tools of communication to use in my everyday life.

WonderWoman learned a lesson that not only saved my work day but, one that can be used for the future. 

Is it possible for one to have Dyslexia and still be a superhero?

After my normal life drama has been put to rest, I have been wondering if an individual with Dyslexia can be a superhero.  I thought about Dyslexics that I am aware of such as Tom Cruise, Cher, Thomas Edison and Eleanor Roosevelt.  All of these individuals illustrated that they are intelligent and excellent communicators despite the fact that they faced a learning disability.  I feel that it would be true shame to label Eleanor Roosevelt as a poor communicator due to her learning disability. It would actually be a lie.  The woman was brilliant and made a huge impact in history.  When you examine the list of individuals above that have dyslexia, you can see that this disability does not prevent an individual from illustrating their intelligence.  They can be great communicators and have wonderful talents.  They are hard workers because they are faced with the challenge of working harder to so the world their amazing super powers.  One day I hope to help others that have dyslexia to see their potential super hero powers and to shine they way that they were created to shine.  Someone else had a similar vision in the state of Maryland.  The Summitt School in Edgewater, Maryland understands that children with dyslexia are superheros that need an extra push to feel confident in their suits to go out into the world to encourage others.  They offer an incredible program that provides tools to deal with real life events.  I hope that one day similar schools will pop up all over the country to help encourage these brilliant superheros to learn more about their learning disability and to encourage them to broaden their means of communication with others. 

There is no doubt in my mind that an individual can have Dyslexia and still be a superhero.  In fact, they may end up being the toughest, smartest, and most creative superhero that you ever meet.

http://thesummitschool.org/published/about/index.html

What Makes a Good Blog?

What Makes a Good Blog?

              “A blog (also called a weblog or web log) is a websites consisting of entries (also called posts) appearing in reverse chronological order with the most recent entry appearing first (similar in format to a daily journal). Blogs typically include features such as comments and links to increase user interactivity” (Gunelius, 2011, para 1). The world of blogging is all new to me. I have spent time reviewing other people’s blogs to see what they blog about and to see what looks good and what does not. Creating a blog, adding to it, customizing it and keeping it updated is a chore. Once a blog has been created, it is important to continue updating it and to keep it appealing to a reader.

             As a part of my classroom assignment, I have been spending additional time reviewing other blogs. I have focused on reading my fellow classmates blogs. I realize that no two blogs are the same. They each have their own personal touch that makes them a good blog. The blogs that I personally find most interesting are ones that focus on topics that interest me. In addition, the blogs that I have enjoyed reading use references when necessary to prove that they are a good source. They offer interesting graphics, articles, videos, etc.

           The first blog that I have decided to follow was written by Caron Carus. Her blog’s title caught my attention because it was similar to a game our family plays. The title is “Who Knew?” Her blog is located at http://writeoncaron.blogspot.com/. I feel that her blog offered a lot of details, interesting information, colors, and pictures. I felt that she has been blogging for awhile based on the features that she incorporated into her blog such as a voting feature. She did admit to me that this was her first blog that she created. I felt that reading her blog opened me up to the world of Caron. She has made her blogs fonts consistent and has made all of her boards the same amount of line spacing. She captured an audience and keeps them excited about learning more.

             The next blog that I viewed was Adele William’s blog titled “Live a Day In My Life”. Her blog is located at http://sis2locks-liveadayinmylife.blogspot.com/2011/03/celebrating-lent.html. Originally I was interested in her blog because she was discussing a topic that I treasure. She was discussing the season of Lent. I felt that it was bold to discuss her faith in a blog. Adele is tracking her sacrifices and feelings about Lent. She made a lot of changes to her site over the past few weeks. The changes she made have enhanced her blog. She added background pictures. She picked a picture for her personal profile that reflects the blog. The picture appears to be Adele praying or in serious thought. Lent is a somber time and presents a serious feel. Adele keeps the topics flowing and shows that her blog is a personal journal that tracks a day in the life of Adele. I hope that she continues to update her blog even after the season of Lent is over.

          The final blog that I have been tracking is Darnell Baker’s blog called Hearts and Minds at http://www.blogger.com/profile/13185333296393557489_. Darnell’s blog had a very different view than the other blogs that I viewed. It appears that he put thought into the content that he posted on his blog. Darnell added lists to his blog that make the viewer want more. That is a good sign because people come back to view it again to see what additions he has added over time. He offers articles on his blog that make the viewer check back in for updates.

          Each blog that I viewed had a different feel and look about them. At the end of the day, the content is what made the blog good to me. Items such as voting features, backgrounds, videos, pictures, etc. were great additions to add to the blog and make the blog fancier but, at the end of the day, the context was what made the blog a hit. I hope that my fellow classmates continue to update their blogs after this class and that they continue to enhance the blog using the many free features offered by Blogger.

References:

Gunelius, S. (2011, April 3). Starting a Blog - Reviews, Tutorials and More. Retrieved April 4, 2011 from http://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/p/WhatIsABlog.htm.

Nothing Can Stop WonderWoman - Especially with God on Her Side

Tonight I planned on coming on home after work to finish this week's asisgnments for class.  The night took a drastic turn for the worse when I realized that my husband came home early from work.  He is feeling sick.  My amazing Superman has Type 1 Diabetes.  One night of being sick means a lot of management skills for him and extra super power strength for me.  I know that he is a grown man but as a part of our partnership, we look after each other when we are sick.  Tonight while I was working on my paper, I heard a large bang in our room.  Instantly, I recognized the sound.  I knew that his blood sugar level dropped low and that he was unable to stand on his own.  After testing his blood, I discovered his blood was below 20 and just read : "LOW" on his machine.  This meant that as WonderWoman, I must consider others. I put aside my paper and began to tend to my husband's needs.  The parametics just left the house after doing an IV.  I am facing a sink of dishes, laundry, kids that need help with homework and a dog that needs to be walked.  I will dig deep to dig up my super strenght.  Tonight, I am calling on the ultimate power....the power of prayer.  I know that I am not alone tonight in dealing with the low blood sugar, household chores, children, and school.  Phillipians 4:13 reminds me that "I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."  I will get my boards answered, my kids in bed, my dishes cleaned, my paper finalized and my husband through the night thanks to my God who gives me the strength, patience and grace to get through the day.

Today, I am reminded that WonderWoman strikes again with the assistance of her highest power.  Thank you Lord for the strength, the family, the wisdom and the infuences in my life to get past each hurdle that I face.

WonderWoman strikes again with her real hero, God.