Social Media Week

At first, I was very leery about participating in the social media week. I have never had a twitter, Facebook, or other chatting accounts due to the stories I have heard about cyber bulling, stalkers, and people posting stupid stuff like what they are doing every five minutes. I came to the conclusion, that if I really wanted to talk to someone, I would give them a call or shoot them an email. It may seem really silly to many people that I had no care to tweet or post things on Facebook, but it was something I didn't believe in until I spent a week learning about social media.

           We are all living in a world that is constantly advancing in technology and becoming more dependent on this technology. With our advanced technology, we can find out almost anything through search engines on the internet. For example, just by typing in someone's name to Google, you can find their Facebook page, articles about them from newspapers, and even pictures. Employers all over the world use this great tool for getting a quick view of a interviewee's background, which based on their findings, helps them determine which candidate should get the job. Due to this fact, as an adult competing with others for the perfect job, you want to have a great internet profile. If you don't, an employer might suspect you are someone else that he finds on the internet with the same name and a bad reputation. This never occurred to me until I read the articles and attended our seminar.
           In addition, the use of social media not only helps you obtain a job, but is how you can connect with people all over the world in your same profession. I was very intrigued by the article titled "How Twitter Can Benefit You in College" when it stated that you can tweet with people who know about your major and have some tips about how to be successful. This also never occurred to me, and I soon realized how true it was when I created a twitter account. I began following many people that are currently carrying out a career in my field. For example, I began following Nate Simons and Jarrod O'Donnell, current band directors in southwest Iowa, and music publishing companies, stores, magazines/catalogs, and instrument manufacturing companies like Gemeinhardt. By reading their tweets, I have learned about new music, instruments, teaching tips, and life as a band director. All these connections will be beneficial to me as I am reaching my educational and career goals. For example, one person I follow, Mary Ann Stewart, has copious tips and sources on music education that will help me become an influential and successful band director someday.
           In conclusion, now that I have learned about social media and its many positive aspects, I will use this knowledge to my advantage. I will build a superb internet profile and connect with people in my profession that can supply me with beneficial knowledge and wisdom. By participating in these activities, I am taking small steps that will eventually lead me to accomplish my copious academic and career goals. 

My MBTI

   
            
       By taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), we all learned how we prefer to get through our day and how to apply these preferences to succeed in the classroom. People could have been described as one of the sixteen types. For instance, some people found that they possessed the characteristics most common with the type ENTJ, while others found that they shared characteristics with the ISFP type. Although I could have been labeled any of the sixteen types, I shared copious characteristics with the ESTP type; consequently, I now know what strategies I should take to succeed in the classroom and reach my numerous goals.



        Since I prefer extraversion and sensing over introversion and Intuition, I possess many different characteristics and preferences. First of all, I am more concerned with the outer world than the inner world, I concentrate more on people than I do Ideas, and I prefer making confident mistakes instead of thinking before acting. Furthermore, I prefer gaining motivation from my environment instead of from within myself, I prefer to observe with my five senses instead of with my memory, and I focus more on the given moment than future possibilities. Lastly, I concentrate more on factual details, then seeing the "big picture," I pay more attention to realities then possibilities, and prefer completing task step-by-step and not just pulling ideas out of my head of how to complete it.



       Due to the fact that I prefer thinking and perceiving, I possess many different characteristics and preferences than someone who prefers feeling and judging. First of all, I am more skeptical about who and what to believe and tend not to trust everyone and everything, firm-minded, prefer logic order, and always investigate with logic and reason. In addition, I consider the cause and effect of certain actions, adapt to change, curious and interested in aspects I don't know about and open-minded to new ideas. Furthermore, I defy conclusion until I acquire complete facts instead of desiring conclusions when incomplete facts are still present. Lastly, when I identify, I use sensing and instinct instead of thinking and judging.



      Because I completed the MBTI and learned about what type I am considered, I can use these findings to my advantage in completing several of my goals. For example, since I know that I look for efficient ways of completing a task, I will strive to find efficient ways to practice and study to reach my goal of making Dean's List every semester and completing my Bachelor's Degree. Furthermore, by using my skill of pursuing useful skills, I will strive to find beneficial playing, studying, and teaching techniques that will be valuable to my academic and career goals. Additionally, people who are classified as ESTP are notorious to be adventurers. This characteristic will help me reach my goal of visiting London, Wyoming, California, Norway, and trying copious new things. Furthermore, due to the fact that we are also known for being great troubleshooters, I will find and fix problems in my teaching, practicing, and studying, so I will reach all of my academic and career goals. Lastly, because ESTPs find fun in their work and spark others to have fun, I will to teach my students in a fun and exciting way to get them enthused about music and reach my goal of inspiring a student.



       In conclusion, after taking the MBTI, I learned useful facts about my type that I can use to live a successful life. First of all, I will find efficient ways to practice and study to accomplish my goal of making Dean's List every semester and completing my Bachelor's Degree. Secondly, I will strive to find beneficial playing, studying, and teaching techniques that will be beneficial to my academic and career goals. Furthermore, I will to find and fix problems in my teaching, practicing, and studying, so I will reach all of my academic and career goals. Lastly, I will teach my students in a fun and exciting ways to get them enthused about music and reach my goal of inspiring a student.