As part of the Introduction to Digital Communications course with Communications@Syracuse, I have asked the students to develop and maintain a Wordpress blog to post their course reflections. We are only in the second week of classes, but the students are having a lot of great thoughts posted to their blogs! Below is a list of all the course blogs and encourage you to check them out!

Section 01

• Adam H
  
• Diana N
• Jenna D
• Jessica B
• Kelly F
• Lauren M
• Marissa M
• Melissa K
• Bob B
• Tanika R
• Traci H
• Valerie T
• Warren B
• Bill S

Section 02

• Lacey M
  
• Dora H
  
• Raymond W
• Danielle C
• Adam H
• Bernie M
• Sara M
• Shruti R
• Isis D
• Alexandra P
• Candace N
• Ninos H
• Taylor C

This past spring, I was approached about the opportunity to teach in the new online master's program for the Newhouse School, Communications@Syracuse. The course I was asked to develop and teach was the Introduction to Digital Communications course, a course where students examine the evolving nature of the communications landscape and explore issues surrounding the digital media culture. 

With the great success I see connecting individuals through Twitter and integrating it into my undergraduate courses at SRU, I decided to weave Twitter into the curriculum, which brought to life: #DigCommSU. Over the next couple of weeks, you will be having the opportunity to share in the experience and dialogue surrounding our class discussions in a variety of ways.

First, I will be carrying over some of our live synchronous class questions/discussions onto Twitter, so we can continue a dialogue and gather outside perspectives in an effort to designing a collective intelligence under these subjects. Second, students will be sharing their own thoughts/reflections through their own personal blog postings. Third, we will also be sharing relevant current events on topics surrounding digital communications. Lastly, this will give us the opportunity to network with one another, both inside and outside of the program.

There is already a great collection of resources being shared on #DigCommSU, so feel free to respond, share or simply follow the discussion! We would love to hear from you!

For this summer's Newhouse School's Magazine, Newspaper, and Online (MNO) Journalism Capstone project, the students have created Bellwethr, a magazine geared toward millennials. 

Bellwethr reflects a generation that is young, connected, eager and interested. It engages the adventurous and inspire the innovative. Our stories capture a world of change where we defy expectations and create a more caring society. Whether it's in technology and business or food and politics, the magazine's mission is to help millennials navigate a period of uncertainty.

My role as the instructor for this course is to assist with the creative team on designing and developing a digital magazine. The identity of the magazine is created from scratch using Adobe InDesign and the Digital Publishing Suite with the final product being available at the end of the six week capstone. 

Below is a sneak peak into the identity standards for this year's publication. 

Date/Time:  Sunday May 4th at 7pm


Description
For our Twitter chat we plan to focus on #srusm topics discussed over this semester. Our main goal is to focus on 4-5 topics that go hand in hand and discuss their relation. During the week leading up to the Twitter Chat we will promote it to #srusm students as well as individuals in the industy who can ask further insight to the discussion.


Moderators

• Carlie Atwood, @clatwood24
  
• Brock Birden, @BrockStar20
  
• Brock Ross, @Ross5525
  
• Darlene Dietrich, @dietrich_photo
  
• Kate Karr, @katekarr2
  
• Sara McDonald, @sj_mcd

Date and Time
Wednesday, April 30, 8 p.m.

Description
Our chat will cover the benefits non-profit organizations and B2B businesses receive by utilizing social media. We hope to learn how B2B businesses and non-profit organizations are using social media to promote their businesses, missions and causes. We’d also like to know what social media users think of how the B2B businesses and non-profit organizations they follow utilize social media.    

Moderators

• Jessica Buckholtz
• Paige Borgman
• Jewel Ullrich
• Briana Martinez
• Zachary Morris
  

Date and Time
Sunday, April 20, 8 p.m.

Description
This Twitter chat will discuss crisis communication and how social media has effected or played a part in current events. 
We will discuss the media's role in social media during these crises as well as how technology may have changed the events of the crisis. The chat will also cover how social media has become one of the first sources to go to for the latest information when a crisis is taking place.   

Moderators

• Michele Sneddon (@michelesagem)
  
• Ryan Oglesby (@Roges12)
  
• Haley Krenitsky (@heyhaleyjames)
  
• Yadira Lupian-Lua (@senorita_yaya)
  

Date & Time: Sunday, April 13 at 9 p.m.

Description
This Twitter chat will be discussing search engine marketing (SEM). We will be discussing how organizations can improve their search engine rankings, which could lead to an website traffic. SEM is comprised of organic search engine optimization (SEO) and inorganic paid search marketing. We will talk about how organizations and brands can use different tactics to get their traffic to their various social media sites. Finally, we will be discussing other forms of paid advertising, including promoted (paid) placement on Twitter and Facebook.

Moderators

• Katie Thoma, @katie_thoma
• Cheyanne Crever, @Cheyanne_Crevar
• April Sorce, @ape_rules
• Colby Condron, @tripleseas55
• Doug Drew, @TheRealDougDrew

Date & Time: Sunday, April 6 at 8 p.m.

Description
As social media evolves so does the medium of communication.  Our Twitter chat will revolve around social media via mobile technology. Various topics will be discussed including accessibility and preferences of social media via mobile technology and advancements in mobile technology as it relates to social media platforms.

Moderators

• Cameron Belt
• Meagan Cousins
• Anita Stadler
• Mike Williams
• Ashley Yohman

Date & Time: Sunday, March 30 at 7 p.m.

Description
The primary focus of our Social TV Twitter chat will be the overall interaction of hit television shows and the avid fans who watch them. Our chat will be an honest attempt to showcase the effectiveness of hashtags as they relate to specific television shows. The Social TV Twitter chat will ultimately be utilized to create a buzz surrounding how television shows utilize social media for a real time connection to viewers.

Moderators

• Laura Benty
• Brandon Cannon
• Trista McNeish
• Lauren Moody
• Sasha Strawbridge

Date & Time: Sunday, March 30 at 8 p.m.

Description
This Twitter chat will be discussing the ways we share online, including the different social media outlets. Also, what we should not share on social media and how it may effect us in the future.

Moderators

• Ashley McGuire
• Chloe Finigan
• Dan Tucci
• Brian Hepfinger
• Brianna Tongel