First Assignment - Due Sunday, September 7th, 2014

Your first assignment is to create a blog following these steps:

1) Go to www.blogspot.com.

2) Hit the "Get Started" button.

3) Fill out the required information. Your "display name" is the name that will come up as your signature when you comment on other blogs. You can use your actual name and pick something else. Remember to keep it professional and preferably aviation-related if you choose not to use your actual name. Also, you will be required to create a blog name (the title that will show at the top of the blog) and blog address. Remember, keep it professional and aviation related. It may take you a few tries to come up with something that isn't already taken.

4) Select a template. Don't worry if you don't like the choices.  You will be able to change this at some point if you'd like.

5) You are now ready to write your first post!  In the upper right corner, select "New Post". Title it and type away.  Your first assignment is to 1) Create the blog and send me the blog address via email and 2) Write an introduction blog post. The basics - how you got into aviation, where you are going in aviation (3-5 paragraphs), and current topics that interest you and why. No links required in this assignment. Please complete this assignment by January 18th.

On September 10th I will post a list of all the blogs in Doc Sharing on EMU Online as well as give the first "real" topic for the following week.

Introduction

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to AVT 422 Senior Seminar! My goal in this course is to give you some practical and useful tools that will give you an edge as you venture into your aviation career...or any career for that matter.  One way I have decided to do this is through the social media of a blog. I know a several people in the aviation world who have utilized blogs to advance their careers in various ways. Like other social media tools, (such as Facebook and Twitter) writing, reading and commenting on blogs allows you to create a social network of aviation professionals that you may not have otherwise created. Also, this is yet another thing you can put on your resume - "aviation blog writer". I'm not kidding. As long as you keep the topics professional, many employers would be quite impressed with this initiative. 

Each week I will assign an aviation topic - which I will post on this blog. In addition to career development, I also use senior seminar as a course to discuss current and global topics in aviation.  Each week you will be required to do the following:

1) Write a post about the topic, approximately 3-5 paragraphs. I will usually provide a list of 4-5 questions that you need to answer through research of the topic. In addition, opinions are encouraged. Proper grammar and spelling is expected - remember that all of your class peers (and, if you wish, other aviation professionals and employers) will have access to your blog. Posts must be up by the Sunday before class to allow time for peers to read and comment.

2) You must include at least one link about the topic in your blog.  The link must be to a reputable site. Be sure to provide an introduction to your link. 

3) Each week, in addition to your own post, you are required to read and comment on at least 3 of your classmates' blogs. Please email me these comments (indicating which blog they were posted to) by Wednesday before class to receive full credit. 

4) I will give feedback on your post each week as a comment. Likewise, feel free to leave my comments about the assignment.

5) Come to class each week prepared to have an in-depth discussion of the topic.

Have fun! Seriously, I think you will enjoy this.