Category: Uncategorised (Page 1 of 2)

Reflect on your experience in the course, your development of PLN, your use of social media platforms and networked publics. Note any changes in your perspective of social media in professional settings and personal use. Submit a closing blog post about your experience and consider how you can pivot your PLN into your next steps.

I will be highlighting my experience in this course with PLN’s and my development of my PLN. At first, I liked the idea of a PLN and I signed up for this course because I have an interest in social media which I am hoping to make a future out of. I’ve learned it takes a lot of participation and engagement to make a PLN work. I’ve made connections with people in my PLN and made new friends along the way. I’ve connected with my PLN on Mattermost and even set up a LinkedIn page for the first time. It’s opened my eyes to different social media platforms. I’ve learned how to expand my PLN and interact with others as well as strengthen my PLN by constant collaboration. I’ve definitely had a change of perspective in social media after this course because I personally only use social media with my friends and just share photos and messages. I now know that I can use social media and a PLN for professional use and I am definitely gonna implement what I learned in this course to set myself up for a professional career in the future.

 I have definitely enjoyed this course and have made a couple friends I’ve added to my personal learning network where we share photos of our daily lives and message back and forth.

Consider How You Can Use the PLN Interactions of This Course to Further Your Digital Identity Post-term?

I have been interacting with my PLN on Mattermost from being enrolled in this course. I’ve put effort into interacting with my peers and group members for my group project. We have shared ideas and knowledge back and forth. It’s helped me create a digital identity on a platform I wouldn’t normally use. I’ve learned that communicating and engaging with your peers can only benefit your PLN and what I will do from now on to further my digital identity is keep participating and being active online. 

What Does It Mean to Have A Digital Identity in Your Industry of Choice and Can Your Current PLN Be Used to Help Professional Development Post-Course? 

A digital identity in your industry of choice can take you a long way and show you are established. It can open doors and benefit your future and goals. My PLN right now is related to this class and is not what I would put out there looking to further my professional career. But I will take skills I learned in this class and keep connections with students. I have to make sure I can use it for that purpose. I have learned that I can shape my PLN to jobs I am interested in and I can use it to make a push for my career.

Additionally, As You Progress Through the Steps of Your Career, Can Your PLN Be Relied on To Open Professional Opportunities?

I honestly believe that a PLN can open professional opportunities. PLN’s require engagement and collaboration. You meet people who are like minded and you can make connections to open doors for professional opportunities. You can build a digital identity as well and be active and it can open professional opportunities. In the future, I will be looking to use my PLN to open professional opportunities.

Consider the following in your response to the questions below:

– What is media literacy?

Media literacy is the ability to identify different types and forms of media. Understanding the message that is being brought to you analyzing and evaluating media content.

– Why is it important?

It is important because of the era that we live in today which is so reliant on social media for information. We have to evaluate the information from different outlets that we see. 

– Why is it dismissed?

It is dismissed usually because of ignorance, most people choose what they want to believe but don’t check other sources or do the research for themselves. People will believe anything they see on the internet but don’t realise they are being duped.

Why should you aim for varied views but the factual consensus in your PLN?

It’s best to get varied views so we can see the whole story in full. Media outlets and news networks tend to show what they please. We can then use the factual consensus because the PLN will benefit, bringing in trustworthy facts will show that the participants are reliable.

Open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict, why does this happen?

This happens because of the challenges media literacy brings which causes conflict. Julie Smith stated those challenges to be investment, reaching adults and exacerbating inequalities (Smith, 2020). Even with media literacy, with all the information floating around we don’t want to believe the facts. This causes issues for factual information and the reliability is tampered.

What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?

The benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy is that the PLN will have reliable sources with actual real information that isn’t tampered with. When the participants are open and think critically we receive reliable information which in turn brings more engagement and knowledge sharing. 

Reference:

Smith, J. (2020, November 02). EDCI 338 A01- SMITH, JULIE. Retrieved from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_T9RghwJlI

• Explore the video provided and reflect on the themes of a PLN in a professional capacity – how does a PLN give power to messaging for an individual or community?

We look at Brad Baker, an Aboriginal man who is an educational leader in his community. He is very well educated and advocates for the indigenous culture. He is fond of Social media and shared his stories about PLN highlighting how he likes it because there will be no discrimination of race and how it provides a fair platform. He likes twitter since it has allowed Indigenous leaders to “get their story and truth out there, while mainstream media only tell what they want to tell”. It gives him a voice and provides him an opportunity to get his story told. 

• Community communications go beyond blogs and social media shares, how does a PLN help and hinder the development of thoughts and ideas in education discourse?

It is beneficial but can also cause some difficulties in education. A perfect example is with Covid-19 schools around the world have switched to online. It has caused many hardships for students as it takes away the face to face learning. Some students don’t have laptops or computers. It could also be very hard for some students to learn online. Cheating has become a big factor as kids are all at home and are good with computers, when they get back to in person learning they won’t have the skills they were supposed to have. It’s hard for teachers as they don’t have that real life interaction, it’s hard to administer tests and help every student and offer a good education.

• What are some problems with social media communications in education settings?

Social media can bring problems and miscommunications that wouldn’t happen face to face. It is common when reading something online it is easy to be misinterpreted because it’s hard to know what context it is in. Especially in some areas of social media we shorten words and use acronyms there is no punctuation to help us at all. 

Reference: 

Miller, J. (2021). “EDCI 338 – BRAD BAKER.” YouTube, 06 Mar. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy63SmEpvCw.

Social media is by far the most dominant outlet of media currently, just as Hirst stated in the video that TV’s and newspapers are now outdated and replaced by Facebook and Youtube. Public figures like celebrities and politicians can use this to their advantage because of their huge following, but there are negatives that come with it. Some celebrities choose to show off their daily personal lives while others choose to show the professional side of things. No matter which way you slice it, more famous people will get ridiculed for what they post regardless. A lot of praise comes with being famous and so do a lot of hateful words. 

But these figures can always become more successful and influential in a sense. Building on their PLN and expanding can help their growth. Once you have a huge following it creates a buzz which makes it easier for your PLN to grow. When figures decide to speak out on situations it could be really helpful for their personal career since they have a huge platform, it can give their influence a boost. As well, if they don’t speak out, or say something incorrectly they will receive a flurry of hate comments. There is a lot of attention that comes with it and sometimes it can be good attention or bad attention some people deal with it better than others like Donald Trump. Trump relies on attention solely to grow it doesn’t matter if it is positive or negative, he gets more popular regardless and it helped grow his PLN and campaign. 

For negative replies, it is always good to accept criticism when it is constructive. If there are personal attacks and hate comments, it is best to ignore it and let it be. For your PLN it is best to surround yourself with people who are like minded so you are sure that they will be giving you constructive criticism to help you out and not put you down. 

References: 

Vance, Jody & Miller, J. “EDCI 338 – 2021 – 03 – 21 JODY VANCE.” 03 Mar. 2021. doi: https://.youtube.com/watchv=dgZOJgJKdyl&feature=youtu.be

Hirst, M. (2018). Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.4324/9781315401263

What are the benefits of a diverse and inclusive PLN in social media sharing that understands where you are coming from with messaging that impacts the community?

The benefits of a diverse and inclusive PLN in social media sharing can be seen today by how engaged the world is in social media. Social media messaging is so beneficial especially in a time like this. With Covid-19 being such a huge factor in how we interact now, social media involvement and activity are very useful. Activists, celebrities, and politicians have now turned to social media. With their following, it is much easier to post a photo or send out a tweet and reach millions of people as opposed to a physical announcement. Social media is huge right now and a lot of people are capitalising on its benefits. Having a PLN, especially a diverse one is great for knowledge as you get new perspectives and understand others. Social media sharing is a great way to engage in knowledge sharing and interacting with your diverse group. Social media sharing can be useful if a voice needs to be heard. The majority of the world is on social media so it is easy to access your target audience. If everyone in your PLN shares it can amplify your voice to new levels that couldn’t be possible without social media. It can be a great way to raise awareness or even get a message across. Without social media, all we had was the news and media outlets which could be corrupt and we had no choice. Social media now allows anybody to be heard.

If I had the opportunity to create a PLN I would choose the topic to be a relevant social movement that is going on at the time. I would use social media platforms to find others who are also interested in the movement through the use of tags. Since the main goal is to spread awareness the first thing I’d look into is for the topic to reach as many people as possible. The bigger the PLN the better since some could have bigger influence or connections to someone who does. If everyone in the PLN posted a link to a petition and shared it to their social media page the topic would spread rapidly. Now if a famous person were to post it, it would spread even quicker. That is why if I wanted to put my campaign into play, the use of Instagram to share stories would be ideal since it would pick up fast and gain a lot of looks since it is constantly being shared. Twitter would also be a good outlet since the hashtags and trending page would allow the topic to garner a great deal of attention. Having a PLN of those with the same ideologies as you but with different resources is a key factor for the campaign since others can help where you lack and vice versa.

• How diverse is your existing PLN? 

I’d like to think my PLN is diverse as it includes many different skin colours, gendergs, ages and beliefs. My PLN contains people from all over, not just from Victoria. I created a youtube channel and gained a small following of people from the UK, Germany and France as well as the United States. My interactions with many people are different and not everyone’s first language is English. In my PLN we established respect and everyone gets along with one another. 

• In your PLN, are you learning from a variety of voices or are you the loudest in the room?

I am far from the loudest in the room. We definitely have some personalities and characters but everyone contributes the same amount. We preach to not have egos and we see everyone as equal and respect those who are shy and allow everyone’s voice to be heard. I like to observe and gain an understanding of a topic I’m unsure of and tend to not speak on topics I don’t have knowledge on.

• How can you use a diverse PLN to broaden your views of inclusion?

Just listening to other people’s views is already a huge step to broaden your views. People’s experience of inclusion can educate you and allow you to broaden your views of inclusion. Without inclusion, someone that has a good perspective or idea won’t be heard. It opens many new options since everyone thinks uniquely. Although, in a professional setting if you need professionals to carry out a task you wouldn’t include those who aren’t trained. Inclusion is needed but in some circumstances it is not.

• How has your thinking about inclusion and PLN evolved after reviewing the videos and readings?

It sparks an interest in me and definitely changes my perspective. After reviewing the videos and readings it makes me think differently and makes me assess all possibilities. These videos and readings gave me a much clearer description of inclusion than the one I already had in my mind. It opened up new things to me and I will be prepared in situations from now on. 

References: 
Moore, S. (2018). The Evolution of Inclusion: The Past and Future of Education. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQgXBhPh5Zo&feature=youtu.be

– What is a digital identity?

Eric Stoller explains it best that “your digital identity is sort of your footprint on the web, it’s this thing that is with you that is searchable, your body of work, your portfolio, your blog, your tweets, everything that you do on the web kind of represents your digital identity.” (Eric Stoller, 0:22, What is digital identity?). It is a reflection of yourself on the internet and is a product of what you have shaped. Google and social media apps gather your information and everything that you like, their algorithm is geared to understand what you like and put more of those pictures, videos, and even ads in front of you. Social media apps do this by the use of like buttons as well as share buttons, anything that engages the user triggers the algorithm to produce content similar to that. Your identity can be shaped by your interaction on these apps, these apps analyze the data and information we put in to understand our likes and dislikes. Your digital identity is a reflection of you because of the data you share with these applications.

– How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?

Personal approaches to digital identity affects social media in a more comfortable way for the individual. Personal digital identity allows the user to have more freedom on what they post, like or share. The individual’s digital identity is usually a real reflection of the user. The personal approach is a more raw and natural way to use social media, as it is commonly used for personal use without having to act a certain way or post something they wouldn’t normally post. I have a personal Instagram and Twitter that I post my vacation or lifestyle pictures for my followers which are mainly my friends to see, I feel good sharing my life with them. Especially during Covid-19 where I haven’t seen them in a long time, it is a good platform to interact with the people I know. Although there is a freedom aspect to it, there are a set of unwritten rules that whoever seeks a professional career should follow. Individuals should understand that anything that is posted on the internet is there forever and that companies do background checks. Nowadays one mistake can ruin someone’s career or prevent them from getting into a professional career.

Professionality on social media is key if one wants to establish themselves in the professional world. It is a great way to showcase their portfolio and network. A professional approach to a digital identity is usually not the same as your personal identity, it is shaped and takes time to develop a well designed profile. It is more designed for others than yourself as it could potentially boost your career and future endeavours. A freelancer or social media influencer wouldn’t have the same approach to social media since the freelancer and influencer would be pushing their brand and products in the majority of their posts. Their approach is to use hashtags and get their account out there to be engaging and potentially push their brand.

– How do digital identities converge in networked publics – what are the impacts and/or benefits?

Digital identities show what type of person we are, the convergence within a networked public can allow us to make connections with those that like similar things as us creating bonds. But since it is a reflection of us it best to mind what we post and share to not offend anybody. Things such as sharing nudity,  pornography, and insensitive memes or political views will reflect badly on your character. Posting irresponsible things such as your personal information on the internet could end up badly since there are many threats of scammers and hackers online. The impact of a digital identity is since it is a representation of the individual, it allows us to do things we couldn’t before. Online transactions are a big thing that is taking over our lives as it is made so easy. We are now able to pay for items with our phone, and all it requires is a quick scan of your face. This is a big step as technology evolves and this is all due to digital identities. But, on the other hand since all your bank and personal information is stored on the internet, it leaves you susceptible to a leak of your information, websites you sign up for sell your personal information leaving you at risk. Although there are plenty of benefits of digital identities, it comes at a cost of our safety and if we can understand and educate ourselves about the risks that come with it, we can maximize the benefits of it.

References:

Eric Stoller. “What is digital identity?”. YouTube, uploaded by University of Derby, 25 Nov 2016 of publication, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0&feature=youtu.be & 0:25.

• What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?

Students are using many platforms to develop their professional network. The main social media networks LinkedIn and Facebook are good for connecting in a professional setting. Twitter and Instagram are also very good ways to interact with others and utilize the opportunity with the PLN. Tiktok and Youtube have provided new and great opportunities to build relationships and interact. LinkedIn is the most popular when it comes to professional settings but the other platforms get overlooked because it can be used for professional and non professional settings. 

• What can you (as a student) consider to expand your professional learning network?

These overlooked platforms can bring many great opportunities and for the younger generation, there’s more peers for us. Using these platforms of social media I can build and expand my professional learning network. If most people only stick to one platform and not the majority of them, we can’t maximise the potential of each platform. We should use all platforms and not stop there, we need to be active on these digital platforms so we can have successful professional learning networks. Also joining clubs and groups could expand your network as you are interacting with new people and sharing ideas. Attending events in general and lectures can grow and expand your professional network. 

• In your network, how can you create a digital identity/reputation?

My digital identity can be tracked by my digital footprint and my activity on these digital applications. My digital identity and reputation comes from how I build my profile to be, sharing my business and showing others what I do. Sharing what you do is a digital residency you leave behind and allows you to build an identity in your network.

• Consider what a local employer would do if you applied for a job with them – can they search the content, is it of benefit to the career path, does it hinder the opportunity of employment?

Employers usually do background checks and within them, they can view your digital identity. If it is my personal social media I usually keep my life private. But for my Professional Learning Network, you can build your identity and portfolio, if your qualifications are similar to the job it can be beneficial for you as it shows you have the abilities to benefit the employer.