Example of Good and Bad Websites

I have chosen to do my project on the Disney Cruise Line website vs. the CruiseOnly website. I do apologize in advance for my voice on the video, I have been sick and it has been difficult to talk.

My example of a bad website was Cruise Only. I chose this website because, it was a website that had a relation to my major, which is Hospitality Management. CruiseOnly is a travel agency based website which allows potential clients to find information on cruises. First off, I did not like the color scheme of this website. The colors and pictures were difficult to understand. When booking a cruise or even researching information about a future cruise, you want the information to be visible and easy to navigate. On CruiseOnly, the information was difficult to find and did not give you much info on cruises because you have to call their TollFree phone number to receive any type of price. If a person were to book their cruise on this website, they would call the phone number and speak to a travel agent, they can not book this by themselves. Also, I did not like that on the homepage of this website the promotional pictures were showing activities aboard the ships rather than the ships themselves. As a travel agent myself, I want to make sure I am promoting the product itself and then I will market the amenities later. I would definitely not recommend this website to anyone for their bookings.

On the other hand, my example of a good website is Disney Cruise Line's website. This website is absolutely beautiful. The colors and pictures are vivid, the page is easy to navigate and it is easy to find prices to a potential cruise. Disney shows off their ships proudly on the website and not just amenities. As soon as you enter the website, you are welcomed by a breathtaking picture of Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. Also, I love that the website offers a virtual tour of each ship so guests can take a look around the ship before they board, to get familiar with the areas. Finally, another great feature the website offers is the tours of the ship's staterooms. All cruises have a variety of staterooms, but Disney seems to offer many types of verandah rooms. Disney shows all options of the website through pictures. I would recommend this website to anyone who wants easy access and navigation while booking a cruise.

What I've Learned In Class Post

          This semester, I have learned so much in this class. Taking this Digital Portfolio class opened my eyes to many new tools for me to use not only for school, but in my professional life as well. Over the last few months we have used many great tools such as Blogger, ScreenCast, different apps and Voicethread. Before this semester,  I was not good with computers at all. I was nervous to take an online class that was based on different programs and different websites.

I am glad I took this class because, it helped me learn so many new websites to help me progress with my schoolwork. Being a Hospitality major, time management and staying organized in a constant networking environment is so important. In this class, my favorite part of the semester was learning about the different types of apps that are offered. I loved our App Smackdowns. All of my fellow classmates gave me some great ideas for apps I should download to keep me organized, keep mental health positive and work on time management as well as many other ideas. I loved learning about everyone and everyone's majors. I learned so much from all of my fellow students as well as their future work fields. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone.

Social Media Etiquette Project

Here is the link to my Social Media Project. I chose to do the project on the controversial tweet about Kim Kardashian West naming her new ShapeWear company, Kimono.

https://voicethread.com/share/13333162/

Storytelling Blog Post

I had to use Pixton. ToonDoo does not work on my computer.

http://zimmertwins.com/node/1759271?designated=new


http://zimmertwins.com/node/1759268

Chapter 4

In our book, Chapter 4 is titled, "Building A Collaborative Culture". In Chapter 4, it describes ways on how to improve your collaborative culture. Examples on ways to improve your collaborative culture are putting relationships first, establishing trust, online etiquette and sharing visions.

The chapter goes into depth about the difference between Congeniality versus Collegiality. According to the book, these two topics are very similar but they also have one important difference between the two. Congeniality refers to the relationships we build and the sociable and friendly traits we deliver towards others. Collegiality on the other hand refers to being friendly and building relationships to the people who work with us or do the same jobs as us.

In the Hospitality industry, building Collaborative Cultured based relationships are really important. This field is first and foremost a networking business. The world of hospitality expands and evolves based on who knows who and who make connections. Hospitality is a business where, "it isn't what you know, it is who you know". Building a collaborative culture is extremely important because without the collaborating and networking, it is very difficult to become successful.

Building trust and establishing relationships in the work field are the key to success. Hospitality is defined as "the act of giving a generous and friendly welcome to entertaining guests". It will be difficult to establish a good bond and trusting relationship with anyone who is not hospitable.

This chapter can relate to my future career because, building a collaborative culture is imperative. As mentioned above, this industry is a network based field and building trust between colleagues and clients are a must. One main trait a person needs to have in hospitality is, congenial traits. You need to build these relationships and build these trust levels with clients and customers to have a successful business and connection with your consumers. But none of this would be possible if we don't build the collegiality relationships. Building the relationships and trust with staff, as well as working as a team can make building the bond with clients that much easier. When everyone is on the same page, great things happen in the work place. And when the workplace runs smoothly, such as a hotel, the clients are happy.

Source: Nussbaum-Beach, Sheryl, and Lani Ritter. Hall. The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age. Solution Tree Press, 2012.

App Smackdown: HiTask

HiTask is a calendar based app. It helps create a sense of organization to all school assignments, work assignments and keeps your team on track. HiTask allows its users to create a calendar to help make your day flow easier. On top of creating a calendar, you can also add teammates to the calendar and they can add to it as well. Also, on top of calendar events, you can add projects to the app and have others edit it. The app sends out emailed reminders to fellow staff members about any task, event or project as well. This app is very useful, especially in the Hospitality industry because, this field is very busy and can become chaotic. HiTask will keep me organized between meetings, interviewing, hiring and other work related projects I will need to do in my future career.

Chapter 5 Blog

In Chapter 5 of our book, it summarizes many different websites on how to expand our personal learning networks. Blogs, websites, wikis, podcasts, microblogs and tagging are all important topics in this chapter. Chapter 5 gives examples on what each website is about and how to use them.

For example....if you would like to start a blog, similar  to this one, you can use the websites Blogger, Edublog or Tumblr. A blog is a journal based website, in which the writer will create a posting about a specific topic and it posts in chronological order. These are great for people who like writing and making posts about their day, a hobby or even their school assignments.

The chapter also talks about how to manage your online reputation. This is extremely important. Some of the best ways to manage your online reputation is to remain professional through all of your postings. Always proof-read your work, look for spelling errors and grammar errors. This is extremely important, especially if you are trying to obtain a new job position. Employers sometimes look on a person's personal social media accounts before hiring them.

This chapter ties to my future career in Hospitality, because just as I mentioned above it has to stay professional. Working in the Hospitality and Tourism industry, you have to constantly remain in a well put-together manner. Part of our jobs are constantly working with people, and if you do not act professional, your clients will not take you seriously. Networking through Podcasts, Blogs and other websites are extremely important in this field. Emailing is also a big part of working in Hospitality. You wouldn't send an improper email, and expect to receive a professional one back.

For example....if you were checking into a hotel and the manager was on their phone, not paying attention to any of their work, and ignored you while you were in line...would you stay there again?
Probably not! That is because first impressions, especially on a professional level are always key to success.