Final Exam

This semester has gone by so quickly. I cannot believe that finals are here and I will be graduating in less than three weeks. It is definitely a mixed bag of feelings for me - I am relieved to be done (for now at least) with my studies, but saddened by the end of these four years of fun, friends, and freedom. Doc Chris definitely brought together friends, fun, and studies in his class, though. It was a great class to have as a second semester senior - we learned a lot, but we also had a great time.

(goosewatch.com, 2012)

1) What were two or three of the most memorable/significant moments in this class?

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about significant things that we as a class have done this semester is the Federal Women's Council interview event held back in February at the Staybridge Suites in Columbia, Maryland. By our attendance and live tweeting and Facebook updating about the event, as well as all the work and posts we contributed to the Facebook pages for the council within the next week, we had an extremely significant effect on the success of the Hall of Fame event held in March. We more than doubled the attendee registration. Doc Chris, the president of the council, even had to turn people away because the cutoff was at 500. Doc Chris brought this up in almost every class following our work that night, and he did not neglect it during our semester reflection on the last day of class:

Staybridge Suites Event

(Hall of Fame Event: Tina Marciano, 2012)

This class really included so many things. Though we did video tape things often, I was even able to get on the other end of the camera one day when Janet Thomas was there and each group interviewed her about her cooking skills and experience. Team Worldwide voted me to conduct the interview, while the other members of the team came up with the three questions we asked her and taped the interview. It really tested my ability to memorize questions quickly, think on my feet, have charisma on camera, and be able to let the conversation flow naturally and not let everything seem so planned. I think I did pretty well, but you can check it out and judge for yourself by watching the video below...

Here are some of the great foods and desserts Janet was nice enough to make and bring to class for us over the course of the semester:

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Final Class

Though sometimes it seemed like Judge Doctor Chris Court trials put people on the spot, I think they were an important learning tool for knowing what Doc Chris expected from each of us in the class, and they also gave us a chance to interact with one another and get to know all our peers a little better. Trials were not always bad either. There were definitely plenty of good trials in the class - we had some really strong teams and individual students. Praise is just as important to learning as constructive criticism. Come to court by watching the bad and good trials below...

 Bad Trial

 Good Trials

2) What will you remember most about this class and why?

Doc Chris' enthusiasm in the classroom is something I will never forget and has never been and never will be met by any other professor. He does not only have enthusiasm for all the work he does, but also for each and every one of his students. I remember being completely overwhelmed on the first day of class with all the new social media tools Doc Chris wanted us to try out, but during the next few classes that followed, he took the time to work with individual students and help us sort out our confusion. It seemed like a lot to take in at first, but now I have an entire list of social media outlets I am proficient in that I was not before, even Tout!!!

(www.socialmediaworld.com, 2012)

I also can't neglect the enjoyment and collaboration that working in teams brought to the class and my learning experience. Team Worldwide (me, Sudesna, Lauren, Scott, and Jimmy) worked so well together and each brought their individual strengths to help one another and the team as a whole. We really developed a camaraderie as the weeks went on as well. I'll never forget the Google+ hangout session we had just a couple weeks back instead of a regular class session. We played some videos for each other and talked about class, but then we also discovered the animal face button and spent a few minutes longer than necessary laughing and talking about it. It was a lot of fun - I even taped the whole hangout!

  Part ONE

  Part TWO

(Team Worldwide, 2012)

3) Evaluate yourself and Doc Chris.

I really have come a long way in this class and in my proficiency of social media skills, real life events, and being creative in my presentation of important information. As I mentioned above, I was extremely overwhelmed on the first day of class, but now I can say that I know how to use Blogger, WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Gmail, and Tout well and to help reach professional goals. I can always say that I helped the Federal Women's Council Hall of Fame 2012 event become a huge success - the attendance registration skyrocketed after our class coverage of the initial FEB press event back in February. I have improved my multitasking skills, both inside and outside the classroom, and Doc Chris' high energy in the classroom to help me do so. I used his energy to my advantage. I now have an entire online portfolio that spans 15 weeks of events in both my school and personal life that I will be able to show to a potential future employer. This class has helped to greatly increase my willingness to try new online sites, even if I won't use them regularly. Simply being acquainted with a site can help me go so far in the professional world of communication today.

Here are the addresses to all my accounts I have utilized this semester:
Twitter
Google+
YouTube
Facebook
Tout
Wordpress
Blogger

Doc Chris Takes Attendance in Class

 Doc Chris Classroom Dynamics

Doc Chris was a great professor, and, as I said before, he brought an exceptional energy to the classroom that I have never seen in any other professor I have ever had. He understood that, especially in the communication world, it is a critical to a student's learning to get outside the classroom and have real-world experience that can teach lessons that could never be attained from a textbook or lecture. Both Federal Women's Council events proved this.

(Hall of Fame Event: Tina Marciano, 2012)

Doc Chris constantly gave us feedback on our work, whether virtually on Facebook ("NTWITA!!") or through good and bad Judge Doctor Chris Court trials in class. He really cared and wanted to help each and every one of us. He has said that, so long as we get an A in his class, he will provide recommendations for jobs and internships we will have in the future. Overall, Doc Chris was awesome!! He even did a "jig" on St. Patrick's Day. That gives him some extra points in my book!!!

THANK YOU for a great semester, Doc Chris!!!!


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