Farewell COMM 305

Developing my COMM Portfolio was a fairly simple process. I have spent time developing it over several semesters. As a result, what I find the most challenging is finding major ways to improve my ePortfolio. I have struggled to find ways to change it so that curation has been evident. Attending the peer mentoring session for the ePortfolio was beneficial. However, there were not many changes that were suggested.

The professional presence of my ePortfolio is always increased with every semester. The changes that were made this semester helped to increase the professional appearance. By expanding the button titles, the aesthetics of the page conveys structure and continuity.

The biggest piece of advice I would give is to start with a good template. It is also important to understand what editing functions are available with each template. I have seen some ePortfolios that do not allow for simple text editing. If the ePortfolio owner does not want to spend time figuring out how to make their text fit their needs, then they need to choose a different template.

Another piece of advice would be to think about the audience that the user is trying to reach. Templates are just a beginning stage. The ePortfolio owner needs to select the template that conveys their message. For example, a person in the business community would not want to select a template that is based in artistic expression (unless they work for or aspire to work for an art business).

A third suggestion would be to seek out the peer mentoring services at ODU. It has been very helpful to get an outside perspective. Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes can see something that you miss. Also, you can get an idea of how your ePortfolio is being perceived. You can find out if your intended message is being received.

My favorite assignment in work-life communication was the annotated bibliography. I enjoy reading research and picking it apart for a deeper understanding. This is exactly what was required for that assignment. It was neat finding different articles that related to my topic of the effectiveness of childcare. This is something that is near and dear to my heart. My husband and I have a one year old. As a working mother, childcare is something that I am trying to come to terms with. While my husband is going to be a stay at home parent for two years, our son will still be going back into childcare after my husband returns to work. So, it was very personal for me to be able to understand what is happening to childcare policies. I learned a lot during the annotated bibliography.

My view of work-life communication is still similar to when I began this course. This reflects the high value I have placed on work-life balance in my personal life. I have never been one to think that I would have children. I have always been extremely career driven and am now trying to balance work with my family. So I think that this course has helped me to understand more about how work-life communication helps us navigate the balance between the two.

Overall, my experience with the COMM ePortfolio has been very positive. This will be my final blog post as I will be graduating this semester. We all just have to hang on for a bit longer!