The experience of creating and maintaining a blog is
extremely beneficial in presenting ideas or experiences. Blogging gives you the
opportunity to present information in a simple and easy to read format. People
are able to interact with the author and their ideas, soon after it is
published, which is something that cannot be offered on paper. Technology is
the new way to communicate and I have had the opportunity to be shown firsthand
the benefits through ALES 204.
Soon after the class began, I was approached by Northlands
to help promote the Canadian National College Finals Rodeo (CNCFR) through a
blog. Another contestant and I were to “blog our way to the CNCFR”. Each week during our college rodeo season,
which began in early February, we were to write a short blog post about our
experience travelling and competing on the college rodeo circuit. The purpose
behind the blog was to spark interest in the general public to attend the
CNCFR. Unlike the E-portfolio blog for ALES 204, which is much more
scholastically based, this blog took on more of a “personal diary”
structure. We wanted the readers to
relate to our personal stories so when they attended the CNCFR they knew what
we, as contestants, had to go through in order to compete at the finals. Rosie has also been using a blog in promoting agriculture much like I am promoting the CNCFR. She started this as marketing competition at a cattle show and has continued, providing information about agriculture to those who would like to know more.
Northlands. (2012). Canadian National College Finals Rodeo Blog [Screen Capture]. Retrieved from http://www.farmandranchshow.com/shows/cncfr/cncfr-blog
Even though the structure of the CNCFR blog is in more of a
“personal diary” format, it is not much different from this E-portfolio blog
which we have been creating during ALES 204. Whether it is through an
assignment or sharing an experience, professionalism is a must! You want to
present yourself as a professional and the proper use of grammar is critical!
It is hard to follow along and relate to something that is poorly written and
full of slang. You want to make sure that you take your time and make sure the
entire blog post flows. The easier it is to read, the more likely someone will come
back to read it again.
It's interesting to see the differences between your two blogs. I enjoyed reading the CNCFR one and reading your entries, how I can follow along with you and your personal life with the rodeo. I definitely see the diary aspect to it but, just like you said, these two different blogs aren't that different. It's great to see how professionalism is carried throughout both. It doesn't matter that one is more academic and one is more personal. Keeping it professional is key in order to maintain readers. I agree that it is difficult to read something that is "poorly written and full of slang", as i have had this experience and it just makes me want to stop reading (and of course I do). This is not good if a writer wants to share their experiences or knowledge. It doesn't matter what kind of blog, or social media page you are writing on, staying professional is still very important!
ReplyDeleteBlogs are great because they are so versatile however I am having difficulty writing and following blogs. I think the hardest part is finding what to say. It is great that you had the opportunity to blog about CNCFR. It is an example of how blogging can be used effectively outside of the classroom.
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