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Website Critique :: COMM 2423 Assignment

Image Credit: "Statler & Waldorf" by The Muppets

In pairs or triads, consider the website provided in class during Week 6. (Note: You can work on this assignment individually, if you wish.)

Imagine that you have been hired as the site’s new editor-in-chief. Make specific recommendations to improve the presentation of content at the site, integrating and referencing the chapter as much as possible. What elements or features promote use of the site? Again, think of all the elements described in this chapter. How are graphics and visuals incorporated, and do they encourage or discourage use? How do they do this? How much thought was given to navigation throughout the site? Are the elements — graphical, navigational and metaphorical — consistently applied throughout the site? Is the tone or rhythm of the site consistent throughout? Do these dimensions match the audience(s) for the site?

Here is a categorical checklist of site dimensions to critique:

  • Navigation
  • Page layouts (balance | contrast | unity)
  • Consistency
  • Tone and voice
  • Writing quality
  • Site organization

Prepare your written critique and submit it in BlackBoard before the deadline of Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m.

NOTE: This assignment is one provided by the publisher of the Writing for Digital Media textbook we are using in COMM 2423.
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Floral Photo Safari at Bok Tower Gardens, 9-11-2011

Rather than staying inside, glued to the television like many chose to do today, my husband and I made the short drive to one of our favorite places in Florida, Bok Tower Gardens, and spent the morning in nature.

It was the quietest, most serene day I have ever experienced at the gardens. We rarely saw other human visitors, and those we saw were generally silent. Birds chirped. There was occasional rustling in the brush; I pretended it was all squirrel noise (even though I know for sure there was at least one harmless black racer snake).

We walked slowly through the gardens, taking it all in. Twice, we were serenaded by the carillon in the Singing Tower.

For us, it was a peaceful, fitting way to spend 9-11-2011.

Here are a dozen of the photos I took with my Fujifilm Finepix S1800.

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Dedicated to First-Year Student Me: Thriving in Your First Year at SEU

Image Credit: "Road to Nowhere" by James Walker
An Assignment for My COMM 2423 Writing for Digital Media Class

This fall, we’ve welcomed about 600 students who are brand new to Southeastern University, either as first-year or transfer students. Many of them are still finding their way on campus, in literal and metaphorical ways.

Think back to your first semester or so on our campus here at SEU. What do you wish you had known as you began your first year? What advice would you offer students new to SEU? Share three of your best tips as a reply to this blog post. If possible, include one tip in each of these areas: academic, social and spiritual.

Then, after reading the tips from your classmates, create a top ten list of advice for students new to SEU as a post on your own blog. (You can title the post as you wish.) You can use your own tips as well as those of your classmates. Remember that if you use your classmates’ tips to give them credit for the ideas, and link back to their blogs. Also, choose an appropriate Creative Commons licensed image to accompany your post.

NOTE: Your reply can count as one of your Blog Comments if you document it, and the post you write can count as one of your Writer’s Choice posts.

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Topics of the Week for #COMM2322 PR Apps Fall 2011

Image Credit: "Toe truck in West Seattle Seafair parade, 2001" by Seattle Municipal Archives

For Fall 2011

In our PR Applications classes (COMM 2322 at Southeastern University), we’ll all blog about the same general topic each week during the semester. Your TOWs of 300 words or longershould be posted by Saturday at midnight at the end of each week, unless otherwise notified in class. (Posts that appear past the deadline may not earn any credit, so be sure to stay on top of your blogging deadlines.)

If you are unsure how to get started writing these TOWs, many times you can use this three-pronged approach:

  1. What did you learn?
  2. What surprised you?
  3. What do you want to know more about?

WEEK ONE

  • [OPTIONAL]

WEEK TWO

  • How would you define “public relations”? OR What are the similarities and differences of PR and advertising, journalism and marketing? (NOTE: You can post this week’s entry as late as Week Three, as you will not be creating your blogs until that time.)

WEEK THREE

  • Using the three-pronged approach (above), what are your reactions to the NewsU Course you took on Dealing with Difficult Conversations? (NOTE: You can post this week’s entry as late as Week Three, as you will not be creating your blogs until that time.)

WEEK FOUR

  • Write about a public relations crisis and your impression how it was handled. What might you have done differently?

WEEK FIVE

  • If you could work in an era of PR history (from a time before you were born), which one would it be? What interests you most about this era and why?

WEEK SIX

  • Based on what you read in Chapter 5 of your THINK Public Relations book, do you think it’s more beneficial for a new PR practitioner to begin his/her career in a PR department or in a PR firm? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

WEEK SEVEN

  • One Week of Twitter (details TBA)

WEEK EIGHT

  • What are some ways that a PR practitioner can measure the effectiveness of a campaign? Also, discuss the importance of measurement.

WEEK NINE

    WEEK TEN

    • Chapter 9 in THINK Public Relations discusses Ethics and the Law. Which aspects of law do you believe public relations practitioners need to be most aware of, and why?

      WEEK ELEVEN

      WEEK 12

      WEEK 13

      • Write a post about the aspect of public relations that you have chosen for your presentation this semester. If you have created a PowerPoint or Prezi, embed it into your post.

      WEEK 14

      • This week’s topic was inspired by Adam Vincenzini’s Be My Guest month: post something by a guest blogger. Connect with another blogger (it can, but doesn’t have to, be someone in your class) and exchange blog posts for the week. (You don’t have to write something new for the other blogger . . . share your favorite post you’ve written this semester.) In your own blog, make it really clear that the post is written by another person, and link to your guest’s blog.

      WEEK 15

      • Create a list of the top ten things you have learned about public relations this semester. (Remember that the post still needs to be 300 words minimum, so you will need to elaborate on your choices for the list.)
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      Blogging Guidelines for COMM 2322 (PR Applications), Fall 2011

      Image Credit: "WordPress Swag" by Elea Chang

      Public relations practitioners are increasingly called upon to be well-versed in social media. This semester, you will blog as almost half of your grade in our class.  You will add content to your blog weekly throughout the semester. Feel free to continue to use an existing blog of yours, unless you feel compelled to start fresh with a new blog for this course.

      My WordPress 101 post will help you get started with your blog.

      To make it easier for your readers to find what they are seeking at your blog, it’s important to use Categories. Please add a category for each type (listed below), and make sure each post is categorized appropriately. Each post for this class must have the category of “COMM 2322”  along with at least one additional category.

      1. TOW: Topic of the Week – Each week this semester, we will have a specific topic that all students will blog about. You should have at least 13 of these before the end of the semester. At times, you will watch a video, listen to a podcast, or read a specific blog post, and provide your thoughtful reactions. These posts must be a minimum of 300 words. We’ll keep our running list of TOWs for your class here at my blog (TOWs for PR Apps).

      2. PR Connections – Provide commentary, reflections and opinions about PR issues/examples that were not addressed in class. These can be responses to other PR blogs you read, links to interesting posts or articles, embedded YouTube videos, etc. Some students like to choose a theme (such as entertainment or sports PR) and have each PR Connection be related to the theme. Though these don’t have a minimum word length, you will need to adequately discuss your subject in the post. You should write at least 10 of these during the semester.

      3. Blog comments – whenever you comment on someone’s PR blog (whether it’s a PR professional or a PR student), add the comment to ONE post that you update throughout the semester so I can assess your online participation. Do this only for PR-related blogs. You should have a minimum of 10 comments by your Blog Checkpoint #2 and at least 20 (total) before the end of the semester. See Tracking Your Blog Comments for Nixon’s Classes for more information.

      You may add other categories and sub-categories of your choice. Please keep in mind that when I evaluate your blog I will pay special attention to the categories listed above, but I will not ignore other posts. I will perform a holistic evaluation of your blog, looking for:

      • professionalism: Clear, correct, thoughtful writing
      • frequency: Sufficient posts in categories 1-3, posted throughout the semester. There will be at least two graded blog checkpoints during the semester. (See your syllabus for the specific Blog Checkpoint dates.)
      • linking: Identify other PR blogs (use PR Open Mic or my blogroll in my Diigo bookmarks as starting points) and link to them. Respond to others’ posts. Become a part of the blogosphere. Blogging should not be lonely.
      • readability: brief & concise writing style, use of white space, bold characters, images, bullet points
      • proper credit and use of images in all Topics of the Week and PR Connections. (Use Compfight to find your images; be sure they are licensed for Creative Commons use. I’ll show you how to do this in class.)

      SUPER-IMPORTANT: In order for you to get credit for your blog, I need to know where it is. Tell me your blog address by completing this Google Form; I will provide time in class during Week 3 for you to do this.

      Questions? Just let me know.

      barbara_is_listening

      NOTE: Many thanks to Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu at Purdue University, who allowed me to use her blogging guidelines from her PRinciples class. They were so well-written that I made just a few tweaks for my own class. Dr. V knows that Blogs Matter.

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      SEU COMM Majors and Minors Meeting :: Slides

      On August 25, more than 100 Communication majors and minors met at Southeastern University to kick off the 2011-2012 year. And it was standing room only in Bolin Studio. What an enthusiastic group!

      As promised in the meeting, here are the slides that were shared by our faculty and staff that night.

      Southeastern University COMM Majors & Minors Meeting, Fall 2011

      If you’re a COMM major or minor at Southeastern University, please leave a reply to this post letting us know one of two things:

      • Yes, I attended the meeting  OR
      • I was unable to attend the meeting, but I read through the slides
      Please use your first and last name when you reply so we can better track attendance. And if you want to let us know what you’re most looking forward to in 2011-2012, that would be wonderful.
      Thanks!
      (PS — If you would like to meet with me this semester, you can see my office hours online and sign up for an available slot — or just stop by my office in Bolin 217. Remember: I always have candy in my office!)