Maddi

EDCI 338

Author: maddik

Final Project – Using my PLN to Create, Publish, and Promote a Self-Help Book

December 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

The Book – The Purpose – The Goal

I want to use my personalized learning network (PLN) to create, publish, and promote a self-help book. Through looking at the different themes learned in class, reflecting on personal experiences, and discussing current mental health care and services, I hope to provide a useful discussion of how I would build and use my PLN. I also want to examine the impact of Covid-19 on individual’s PLNs and how it may impact my goal of creating, publishing, and promoting a self-help book.

The Creation of my PLN

Now at this point in my life, I have already developed a digital identity and begun my personalized learning network. When thinking of creating a self-help book, I would first want to change my digital identify and PLN to gear more towards a professional aspect, opposed to a personal aspect.

I would first start by making sure my personal digital identity is acceptable. Eric Stoller (2016) stated that everything you post online stays online, and that it leaves a digital footprint. I do recall watching a presentation in high school that taught us this concept as well, so for as long as I can remember, I have been incredibly aware of what I put online. After insuring my personal digital identity is acceptable, I would begin creating professional social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. From there, I would begin networking via social media. I would follow and begin interacting with individuals in the psychology field, the mental health field, the health care system, and individuals who may be interested in self-help. I want to start and have conversations with individual’s all over the world who come from different countries, cultures, of different ethnicity’s, ages, genders, and people who have had different experiences than I have. As a university student, I would also reach out to my professors, specifically the ones who teach my psychology classes. By doing all of this, I am hoping to create and maintain relationships with my target audience and colleagues.

Along with creating relationships with other individuals, I would want to use my social media platforms to post information regarding our mental health care system and services. For example, I would post information from Island Health’s website regarding mental health and substance use services (https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-services/mental-health-substance-use-services). This would start by bringing awareness to the topic, as well as allowing conversations to start. I would hope and encourage others from all over the world to share their own mental health services, as the link and resources I am referencing about is specifically for Vancouver Island.

The Impact of Covid-19

In regard to Covid-19, I believe it is incredibly important to discuss how mental health services have changed over the course of the last two years. Personally, counseling is something I have taken part in over the last few years, and the switch from in-person to online was daunting. I would absolutely love to share my personal experience via social media to bring awareness to others, and hopefully demonstrate that they are not alone. As well, I do believe that Covid-19 would impact the development of my PLN. It is more difficult to meet others face-to-face, as everything is happening via social media. This has its positives and negatives though. On a positive note, it allows for more connections all over the world, but on a negative note, it prevents any face-to-face interactions from occurring. As well, I am sure the process for publishing a book may be a bit longer, as everything seems to be a bit slower these days due to Covid-19! With regards to promoting my book, I may not be able to do so on the side of the street or in a mall, because of Covid-19. But, I can still promote it online, and do interviews and advertisements via Zoom.

Creating a Difference Between my Personal Digital Identity and my Professional Digital Identity

As discussed through our EDCI 338 course, it is important to create and maintain a difference between one’s personal digital identity and one’s professional digital identity. Using a V&R map would allow me to identify the difference between my two identities, as well as continue to keep them separate. OCLC Research (2021) describes V&R maps as digital visitors and residents “maps” that represent an individual’s use of social media for personal and professional matters. Personal being represented by the residents side, and professional being represented by the visitors side. In regard to starting my professional PLN in preparation to create, publish, and promote a book, my V&R map would look something like the following:

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and WordPress would all be resident and institutional, as it has to do with my personal self as well as my work self. Spotify, Netflix, and Snapchat would all be resident and personal as they are apps that I do not necessarily share with others. Google and YouTube would be visitor, but also a bit of personal and institutional as I would use it for my work as well. Another app that I did not add to my V&R map but would be incredibly useful in expanding my PLN would be LinkedIn. LinkedIn is quite popular and would be added where my Twitter, Instagram, etc., are. Again, it is important through both my personal and professional digital identity, that whatever I post on social media can be tracked back to me. This can be extremely important in regard to thinking of publishing a book, as once my name is out there, people will be interested in who I am and will do their research on me. If there is any dirt to dig up, they will be able to do so!

Diversity and Inclusion

The final goal for me, professionally, would be that my PLN be entirely diverse and inclusive. Although it would be important for me to make sure my own voice and opinions are heard, I think it would be even more important to sit back and listen at times. I would want to gain insight from others in hopes that it will impact my own views and skills. I would want my PLN to be diverse because it would allow people who come from different countries, cultures, of different ethnicity’s, ages, genders, and people who have had different experiences than I have, to come together and not only support one another, but learn from each other. I would want to keep an open mind during the development of my PLN and allow myself to constantly be learning new information.

I feel as though one of the most important things I have learned throughout this course came from the course interview with Shelly Moore (2021). When she discussed the idea of inclusion, and how one of her students in her class, pointed out that the “bubble” diagram was not actually a good representation of inclusion. I truly want to spread this message throughout the world, and I would want to do that through my social media platforms! Specifically, I would want to discuss Canada’s health care system and how it can be non-inclusive of certain individuals. Regarding physical health for example, individuals who have diabetes are expected to pay for their life-saving insulin every month. That is just one example of how our health care system can be non-inclusive. A personal example I have is in regard to mental health. I had a friend who struggled with his mental health and needed help. I reached out to a school counsellor at the time, and they told me that he seemed “too happy” to be depressed! What does that even mean! Anyways, it is just another example of how our mental health care system can be a little messed up.

I would want to tweet, retweet, and post about Shelly Moore on my social media platforms, in hopes that others can see her as a resource. Hopefully, when I have developed my PLN more, I could do an interview with Shelly to hopefully use in my book regarding inclusiveness.

Personal Risks and Benefits of Being in the Social Eye

With regards to personal risks and benefits of being in the social eye, I want to discuss the course interview with Jody Vance (2021). Jody mentions that the biggest benefit of engaging with a public audience in a media space is creating connections with others. I would hope, that through my PLN, I will be able to create valuable connections with my target audience and colleagues, and I would hope that I can continue to create connections even after my book is published. Jody discusses the fact that future employers often reach out to you via social media and that could provide me with opportunities to discuss my book in interviews, and further promote it in the public eye.

A risk of being in the social eye would be the idea of oversharing, or the fact that anything I post would be on the internet forever. I feel as though as long as I am aware and careful, I can avoid oversharing. In a book by Martin Hirst (2019), the idea of publishers is discussed. It may be a good idea for me to hire a publisher, to edit and make sure my posts are acceptable as my PLN expands.

Another risk of being in the social eye would be the exposure to negative replies and critiques, as well as how I respond to them. Once I publish my self-help book and am continuing to promote it, I do expect there to be negative replies and critiques. As Jody Vance (2021) states, every individual with a PLN should prepare themselves for criticisms. I would want to remain kind and respectful to every individual, even those who supply negative replies and critiques. If someone provided me with critiques, I would want to take them into perspective!

Believing in Myself and my Abilities

Since watching the course interview with Mo Amir (2021), I have become and remained inspired. Mo began a podcast in 2018 as a hobby, with no intention of becoming big and popular. Mo states that since the start of his podcast, he has sworn to only discuss topics and information that is important to him. That way, he can resonate with it and ensure he is providing the best of his knowledge. This resonates with me! When making connections, writing my book, and promoting my book, I want to make sure I am focusing on topics and information that is important to me. For example, mindfulness grounding techniques are something that has changed my life, and I want to write about them in my book in hopes that it will bring awareness and support to others. Mo started from the bottom, having no PLN and just beginning a podcast as a hobby, and eventually he made it into the top 20 charts of political podcasts. He stated in the interview that it only took on big guest start on his podcast to grab the attention of viewers and other colleagues. This led to other guest stars and more views. This is inspiring to me. I hope I can interview individual’s that are important to me and can provide information regarding the self-help topics in my book. An example I have is one of my professors at the university I attend. She is a psychologist as well as a professor at the university. She discusses topics regarding health psychology and more specifically, mental health. It would be important to me to talk to her, run ideas off of her, and possibly interview her with regards to information for my book.

Themes of PLN

There are many different themes regarding PLNs. In the course interview with Brad Baker (2021), Brad discussed his take on the benefits of PLNs. Brad mentions five different themes throughout individual’s PLNs that are beneficial to society. These five themes include using our PLN to use your voice, to hear other’s voices, to be used as a support system, to be used for individuals to become positive contributors to society, and to be used for allowing real stories to be told. These are all themes that I would want my PLN to contribute to. I want to use my voice to discuss my knowledge around self-help and promote my book. I would want to hear other’s voices in regard to writing my book and learning new information regarding self-help. I also want my PLN to be used a support system. I want others to get something out of my book, and hopefully something that can help them cope with everyday struggles. I also want my PLN to allow me to become a positive contributor to society. I want my book to provide resources and I want my book to help people. I want to be an individual that somebody looks up to and is inspired by. Finally, I want my PLN to allow real stories to be told. I want my book to contain real people’s real life stories. Stories that individuals can relate to, so they do not feel as alone. I want to share these stories via my PLN when promoting my book.

Reliable Sources and Media Literacy

I believe one of the most important aspects of having a PLN is having and providing reliable and verifiable resources. As someone who is first starting out, I would want to follow, comment, and share individual’s posts. It is important that I make sure these individual’s posts, content, and information are reliable and verifiable. As well, when I post my own information, I must make sure it is coming from a place of reliability, not just opinion.

Media literacy is a term used to help determine reliable sources throughout the media. Tilling & Fadel (2009) describe media literacy as being the medium of delivering messages, how these messages are crafter, and how the message impacts the media. It is important to note that these messages can come from literally anywhere. In the course interview with Julie Smith (2021), Julie discusses just how important it is to question everything that is produced on the media. In regard to my own PLN, I want to make sure that my information is coming from reliable sources, and that people are aware of that. I believe it is also crucial to make sure that the information I am obtaining, through my social media platforms, are reliable and verifiable as well. A good example of this is the idea that I am getting information regarding self-help from a research article opposed to the “Globe and Mail.” If my audience and colleagues know I am getting my information from an article in a well-known journal, they know they can rely on the information. If I was getting my information from the Globe and Mail, they might think differently.

Conclusion

I believe the most important aspects of using my PLN to create, publish, and promote my book is to create meaningful, long-lasting relationships with colleagues, as well as always making sure I have and am exhibiting reliable resources. I want to make sure the information I am receiving, as well as the information I am putting into my book, is valid, acceptable, and reliable. I also want to make sure I am creating connections all over the world to learn as much information as I possibly can. I want to be able to talk with people from different countries, cultures, of different ethnicity’s, ages, genders, and people who have had different experiences than I have, to allow us to come together and not only support one another but learn from each other. Connections are so incredibly important and when using my PLN, I want to make that known.

References:

Hirst, M. Navigating Social Journalism. New York, Taylor & Francis, 2019.

“Tools – Digital Visitors and Residents Mapping App: OCLC Research.” OCLC, https://www.oclc.org/research/areas/user-studies/vandr/tools.html

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, May 30). EDCI 338 – 20 minutes Moore [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSV0rUl1bA

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, June 6). EDCI 338 – Media literacy with Julie Smith [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57r3-aEnci0

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021. June 6). Jody Vance – Media voices [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NnpQJdl0

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, June 10). Brad Baker EDCI 338 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5z8iHxW2n4

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, October 24). EDCI Podcast – 2021-10-24 Mo Amir [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgoDet6pwaI

Stoller, E. [University of Derby]. (2016, November 25). What is digital identity? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0

Blog Post #9 – Engaging Your PLN

December 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Mo Amir

In the course interview with Mo Amir (2021), Mo is described as a local podcaster who had no previous experience with social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. Mo began his independent podcast in 2018 as a hobby, with no intent of becoming big and popular. Mo discusses how important it is to discuss what is important to him. He states that on his podcast, he only discusses things that are important to him because that is what he can resonate with and share information about. It is not important to him to please others or talk about things that people want him to, but to discuss topics that are important to him, in hopes to engage in conversations with others in his PLN. Mo did begin a Twitter account shortly after he started his podcast, to further his PLN and in hopes to create connections. He said Twitter helped him share his podcast and engage in conversations, further leading to creating connections with his audience and colleagues. In the interview, he discussed that he had featured one big guest, and then many of their colleagues and teams reached out, wanting to be a part of his productions. These guests allowed him to gain more listeners and viewers and eventually, he made it in the top 20 charts of political podcasts.

Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course?

My PLN can for sure be used to help my professional development post-course! Because of this course, I was introduced to LinkedIn via my colleagues, and I actually got a job offer through there! I had never had an interest in LinkedIn before this course, but because my colleagues talked so highly of it, I decided to check it out and give it a try. It was successful right off the bat, and I made some new connections and was able to expand my networks! I want to continue doing this post-course! I also want to develop my Twitter and Instagram accounts. Although I go on both social media platforms, I do not actively engage as much as I maybe should. I am willing and enthusiastic to advance my social media platforms and further expand my networks!

Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?

I definitely believe that my PLN can be relied on to open professional opportunities. My firsthand experience of getting a job offer through LinkedIn proves it to me! I believe I still have a long way to go when it comes to developing my PLN and expanding my networks. Mo Amir’s experience through starting his podcast as a hobby, further developing his PLN through Twitter, and then being in the top 20 charts of political podcasts, is incredibly inspiring! I believe one’s PLN can for sure be relied on to open professional opportunities.

References:

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, October 24). EDCI Podcast – 2021-10-24 Mo Amir [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgoDet6pwaI

Blog Post #8 – Media Literacy

December 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

What is media literacy?

According to Tilling & Fadel, media literacy is defined as “the medium of delivering messages, the crafting of the message for a particular medium, and the impacts the media message has on an audience” (Tilling & Fadel, 2009, p.66). The general idea here is that individuals get a huge variety of information from a huge variety of sources. In the course interview with Julie Smith (2021), Julie discusses the importance of questioning the message when it comes to media literacy. These messages can come from literally everywhere, which makes it extremely important to question these messages and who the message is coming from, what the message means, where the message is coming from, why this message is being delivered, and how the message is being delivered.  


Why is it important?

We have been told, since we were young kids, to not believe everything we see and hear on the internet. In the course interview (2021), Julie discusses the fact that we have learned, through education, that two plus two equals four. But she said that she found on the internet that somebody had stated and had proof that two plus two equals five. This provides a great example that we should not believe everything we see on the internet. According to Trilling and Fadel (2009), media literacy is important because it allows us to access, analyze, evaluate, and create messages in a variety of forms. It allows us to question the messages that are being delivered to us.  


Why is it dismissed?

There are a few different reasons that media literacy might be dismissed. The first reason being that the media provides such a widespread amount of information, that it can be difficult to take the time to ensure that this information is, in fact, correct and valuable. As well, information overload can occur. When somebody is doing research for example, and they are reading article after article after article, there brain is going to become full of information. They might forget to include their media literacy because all they are focused on is the amount of information they are reading. Finally, another reason that media literacy might be dismissed, is because of individual biases. Individuals have their own values and beliefs, and they might be biased in what they believe. They may not be open to learning new things or information that might contradict what they already believe.


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

In the course interview with Julie (2021), she discusses the idea that we should aim for varied views and sources in order to diversify our thoughts and opinions. Julie also adds that it can be difficult to do this when our shields and barriers are up. In general, it is important to have a factual consensus in your PLN so that you are providing an honest source of information for your audience, while allowing the space to have conversations. If your personal shield is up, and you are unable to allow for a factual consensus, individual’s might see you as biased and unwilling to learn. Like Julie says, it is important to provide your own varied views, but we have to make sure that we are also providing a factual consensus while doing so.

References:

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, June 6). EDCI 338 – Media literacy with Julie Smith [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57r3-aEnci0

Trilling, B. & Fadel, C. (2012). Digital Literacy Skills. Media Literacy: Chapter 4, p. 66. https://learning-oreilly-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/library/view/21st-century-skills/9780470475386/fade_9780470475386_oeb_c04_r1.html#h1

Blog Post #7 – PLN in Education

December 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Explore the video provided and reflect on the themes of a PLN in a professional capacity.

In the course interview with Brad Baker (2021), Brad discussed how beneficial a PLN can be used in a professional capacity. Some common themes that Brad touched on are using your PLN to use your voice, to hear other’s voices, to be used as a support system, to be used for individuals to become positive contributors to society, and to be used for allowing real stories to be told. Starting with the first two, using your PLN to use your voice and to hear other’s voices, relates to when we discussed the idea of inclusivity and diversity in blog post #3. By sharing your own beliefs, values, and information you are putting yourself out there and sharing your knowledge. When you are listening to other people’s beliefs, values, and information, you are allowing yourself to learn. Both of these can allow for people worldwide to engage in conversations and as Brad mentioned, can be used to build a healthy community where stories can be shared. Brad also discusses the idea of using your PLN as a support system, for both yourself and others. You can provide resources for others as well as provide your own stories that may allow others to feel included and not alone. This also leads to individuals becoming positive contributors to society. By providing knowledge and information, you are allowing others to look to you for guidance and support. As well, by engaging with others who share their knowledge and information, you are supporting them and others around them. Finally, your PLN can allow for real stories to be told, where individuals can hear stories firsthand.

Which social media platforms are beneficial in education?

Brad Baker (2021), talked about the fact that he uses Twitter, and believes it to be beneficial in education. He believes it to be beneficial because it allows individuals to connect, share stories, read other’s stories, and retweet or contribute to these other stories. In the book by Couros (2010), the author discussed media platforms that were said to be useful in education. These media platforms included WebCT (Blackboard), Moodle, Ning, and Wiki. Now I realize this book was published over ten years ago… but I have not heard of any of these media platforms other than Wiki. I feel as though it would be interesting to see new research on which media platforms are beneficial in education in today’s current system. Personally, I believe LinkedIn to be beneficial in education today. It allows individuals to come together and create personal and meaningful connections.

Consider the equality that exists when all have the same platform to engage community dialogues.

The equality exists when we all have the same platform because we all have the same opportunities, access to the same resources, and use of community dialogues. This allows everyone the same opportunity to engage in community dialogues. An example of this is through our EDCI 338 course. We are all given the same resources to watch and read each week, we are given the same topics to touch on, and we are given a space (WordPress), to do so. We all have the same opportunities and resources to create blog posts, and it creates many different community conversations to engage in.

References:

Couros, A. (2010). Developing personal learning networks for open and social learning: Chapter 6. Emerging technologies in distance education, 109-128. AU Press. https://www.aupress.ca/app/uploads/120177_99Z_Veletsianos_2010-Emerging_Technologies_in_Distance_Education.pdf

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, June 10). Brad Baker EDCI 338 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5z8iHxW2n4

Blog Post #6 – Benefits of Diverse and Inclusive PLNs

December 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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?

It is necessary to have a diverse and inclusive PLN in order to make everyone feel included when it comes to discussing important issues. By everyone, I am referring to the audience, colleagues, and people across the world that can access your PLN. As discussed in my blog post #3, PLN & Inclusion, a diverse PLN can be used to broaden one’s view of inclusion and can allow for everyone to come together. It further allows everybody to engage in conversation and allows people of various backgrounds, ethnicities, educations, etc., to come together and contribute their own values and beliefs. It allows an individual like myself for example, to learn from others while also sharing my own knowledge with others.

In the course interview with Markiel Simpson (2021), Markiel describes himself as a Canadian activist and politician. As a person of colour, Markiel discusses just how important it is to continue to advocate and amplify voices within the community every single day. He says that this can be done simply by retweeting somebody’s Tweet or engaging with them in conversation to learn more and share your own knowledge. Markiel says that he uses Twitter, on a professional level, to engage with politicians, teachers, and other individuals to advocate for Canadian Black history to be included in the school’s curriculum. He uses hashtags like “strongertogether” and “togetherwerise” to bring everybody together, and to get his message across.

References:

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, June 1). EDCI 338 – Markiel Simpson [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoDHGaXNNs

Blog Post #5 – Benefits and Restrictions of a Public PLN

December 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Identify the risks and benefits of engaging with a public audience in a media space – what are the risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust (educator, lawyer, government official)?

In the course interview with Jody Vance (2021), she mentioned that the biggest benefit of engaging with a public audience in a media space is creating connections with others. These connections can be between anyone! Colleagues, the audience, and even future employers! Jody talks about how employers often reach out to individuals of interest via social media, and she advises that you should always keep your DM’s open. Jody discusses a personal experience where her current employer, reached out to her via social media, and it just happened to be the right time and place for her. She ended up meeting with the employer face-to-face and was offered the job, and she is still working there today!

The risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust can be the idea of oversharing. Once an individual shares something via social media, it is out there forever. This can be dangerous as something that a layer, educator, or government official posted online when they were younger, may come back to haunt them. As well, if someone overshares certain parts of their life, they may regret it and not have the opportunity to take it back. An example of this would be when I was younger, I was obsessed with the band “One Direction.” Because they were so popular and they were so big on social media, it was very easy to find out information about them. I remember other fans showing up to their houses and such, which can be very dangerous.

How to best address negative replies and critiques reflective of your personal values and employer social media policy?

Every individual who is involved on social media platforms will, at some point, will receive negative replies and critiques. How we deal with these replies and critiques says a lot about ourselves. In the course interview with Jody Vance (2021), Jody states that everyone with a PLN should prepare themselves for criticism. Personally, I think it is more effective to not respond to such replies and critiques, or if you do, respond kindly and politely. I think it is terrible, and reflects poorly on yourself and your employer, to respond in a negative or inconsiderate matter. Personally, I think it is a waste of time and it is better for individuals to try and ignore it and move past it.

How do notable individuals use social media?

Notable individuals use social media to put themselves out into the universe, and create relationships with audiences and colleagues. Having a personal learning network and creating and maintaining relationships is so important to notable individuals. In the book by Martin Hirst (2019) they discuss the idea that most notable individuals have publicists that approve their posts beforehand. This is to create a safe environment and to ensure that the notable individual is not posting anything that is controversial or unacceptable.


What are the benefits of being in the public eye and having a PLN?

According to Jody Vance (2021), the main benefit of being in the public eye and having a PLN is engaging with others and creating important relationships between an audience and colleagues. Another benefit of being in the public eye is the idea of being able to influence others, hopefully in a positive way. For certain important topics that an individual might feel is important, like mental health or inclusivity for example, they will be able to share important information and supports. By doing this, they are creating an awareness around the topic as well as providing resources and supports for individuals that might need them. An example of this, is Harry Styles, a worldwide icon that uses his platform to promote LGBTQ inclusivity. By creating content via videos, Twitter posts, and through his music, he is creating awareness.

Building community with online tools provided by the employer can be limiting, what are the perceived restrictions and benefits?

The first thing that comes to my mind when discussing the use of online tools to benefit an employer, is TikTok. I have seen multiple TikTok’s personally that are from business that use the platform to promote their business. An example of this, is Starbucks. Certain Starbucks locations create TikTok accounts to show certain drink ideas, or new holiday themed drinks and merchandise. This allows them to advertise to their specific target audience! A benefit of this is it promotes the Starbucks, as well as entertains individuals. A restriction to this is, say the TikTok account blows up and becomes popular, it can put a lot of pressure on the individual’s running the account. It can become overwhelming and stressful.

Delivering information in a connected society requires verifiable resources, how to build a PLN to rely on?

In the course interview with Jody Vance (2021, Jody discusses the importance of building relationships with reliable and verifiable resources. Both Jesse Miller and Jody Vance discuss the importance of having connections with people you know are always reliable and are not just providing you with lies and incorrect information. In order for your own PLN to be reliable and verifiable, you must build a good reputation by connecting with others who are reliable and verifiable.

How do those, who are veteran storytellers, minimize risk in sharing misinformation?

Minimizing risk in sharing misinformation relates again to the idea of having reliable and verifiable resources within your PLN. It is important for an individual to make sure they are not just spuing out their beliefs and false facts, when instead they should be sharing reliable information. A good way to minimize the risk of sharing misinformation is to make sure your own resources and where you are getting the information from, is reliable, as well as having a publicist or other individual’s go over and edit their work.

References:

Hirst, M. Navigating Social Journalism. New York, Taylor & Francis, 2019.

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021. June 6). Jody Vance – Media voices [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NnpQJdl0A

Blog Post #4 – Social Media Campaign

December 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments

How would you create a PLN prior to engaging a social media campaign on a topic of your choice? Choose a topic, consider your audiences, and consider how you would create a social media campaign leveraging your PLN.

My theoretical topic of choice would be the offer free musical lessons and tips to people all over the world. I have played piano since I was four years old and can also play a numerous amount of other instruments including the guitar, the ukulele, the banjo, the trumpet, the clarinet, and the harmonica. Music brings me so much joy and I would be encouraged to share and spread that joy throughout the world. I would create a Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok account dedicated to my campaign. All of these platforms support videos, and that would be my main source of engagement.

My target audience would be individuals of all ages, gender, ethnicity, ability, etc. I would want my campaign to be completely inclusive. I would reach out to them by commenting on their social media platforms, sharing their posts, direct messaging them, and basically just getting myself and my campaign out into the world.

I would also follow accounts similar to mine, small businesses or campaigns that revolve around music. I would attempt to get to know these accounts and individuals in order to have networks in the field. This would allow us to support each other and possibly give each other shoutouts to further our PLN. Finally, I would make sure that my username was easy to read, understand, and remember! I would also ensure that the username was the same across all platforms and would be easy to search if needed.

Blog Post #3 – PLN & Inclusion

December 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments

How diverse is your existing PLN?

If I am being completely honest, I feel as though my PLN could be much more diverse. From a professional perspective, I mostly used WordPress, Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter. I feel as though I could definitely develop this more. For example, I did not know much about LinkedIn before taking this class, and now I am quite interested in starting my own account and creating networks through it. Overall, I believe I need to branch out more by making the effort to seek meaningful connections and relationships through my PLN.

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

In my personal learning network, I lean towards learning from a variety of voices, opposed to being the loudest in the room. I tend to stick back and observe instead of taking control and leading a conversation. I like to gain insight from many people, and I believe it has an impact on my own views and skills. As well, I am often worried about being wrong or judged in certain situations which also encourages me to stick back and learn from others.

Do you participate in a silo of information sharing (similar themes or wide range of interests)?

I often do not participate in a silo of information sharing. Like I stated above, I prefer to keep to myself and listen to other people’s voices and opinions. The only times that I tend to share information is when it is something that means a great deal to me. For example, the place I volunteer at was holding a fundraising event, and I did share that throughout my social media as it was very important to me. Other than that, I usually spend my time reading and observing other people’s social networks.

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

A diverse PLN can be used to broaden one’s view of inclusion because it allows everyone to come together. When people come together it allows conversations to happen, ideas to be shared, and solutions to be thought of. As well, it allows individuals to obtain new information and skills and allows them to share and expand their own ideas and skills.

In your professional setting of choice, do you think inclusion is actively embraced?

My professional setting of choice is my current workplace in a grocery store. I believe inclusion is not as actively embraced as it could be. My employer(s) are definitely inclusive in the way that they are open to hiring anyone that brings in a resume, as long as they have the appropriate experience. But I recall an experience where somebody who identified as “they/them” got hired and the employers and other staff did not make the effort to ensure that the right pronouns were used. I do understand that having over 100 employees can be difficult and that they might not care about one individual, but that is what makes me feel as though the workplace could be more inclusive.

What is the learning outcome of your PLN and how are you ensuring your exposure to diversity and inclusion?

I feel as I am constantly learning from my PLN. Honestly, before this assignment I was not focused on ensuring my exposure of diversity and inclusion. Now that I have watched the Shelley Moore videos and read her paper, I am a lot more aware and hope to continue to work on learning more. I believe I can expand my knowledge through continuing to read other people’s work, engage in conversations with colleagues and peers, as well as watch videos. My goal is to be inclusive to all and I feel as though I have a lot to work on still.

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

I found the videos and readings for this week to be extremely engaging and interesting to view. In the course interview with Shelly Moore (2021) she was discussing the idea of engaging with her students. What surprised me was when she was asking herself what do her students have to offer her. Instead of being the one person in the room that knows everything and has the job of teaching that information to others, she is looking at what contributions and information the students can teach her. I was surprised because I had not thought of a class like that before. It also made me realize that that is one of the main focuses of our current EDCI 338 course. Although our professor, Jesse, is assigning our projects and weekly blogs, all of us students are contributing to and starting conversations in Mattermost, where we are learning from each other. Moore’s (2016) work discussed the idea inclusion. Moore mentioned that one of her students pointed out that the bubble representing inclusion, did not in fact represent her idea of inclusion. This was very interesting to me to read as all throughout high school we were shown those bubbles including inclusion, and no one ever talked about the fact that there is no “other.” I loved reading this conversation and I am wanting to continue researching and learn more about it.  

References:

Moore, S. (2016). One without the other: Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion. Portage & Main Press. 6-11. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/lib/uvic/reader.action?docID=4832579&ppg=6

Miller, J. [MILLER]. (2021, May 30). EDCI 338 – 20 minutes Moore [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSV0rUl1bA

Blog Post #2 – V&R Mapping

December 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Above you will find a copy of my V&R map. This map demonstrates what platforms I use for personal and institutional reasons. I use Netflix, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Spotify quite regularly simply for personal use and enjoyment. I typically use Facebook and Twitter for myself, but also to interact with my classmates usually regarding school projects and assignments. I also use YouTube and Google to often search for videos and ideas regarding both my personal and my institutional interests. Both Mattermost and WordPress are used to engage with my peers and colleagues. Gmail is fairly universal for me, as I use it for both personal and institutional reasons. I also use it to connect with friends, family, and peers.

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

The most common digital platforms that students are currently using to develop their professional network are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. All of these platforms can be used connect individuals to their friends, family, and their colleagues. Although I am not familiar with LinkedIn myself, I have heard that it is a great platform to develop professional networks online. I personally have multiple friends that use both Facebook and Instagram to promote their own business. They post their products, information about their products, and tips and tricks about their programs to promote their business. I personally use WordPress currently to get my blog out into the world. I also use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to develop my social relationships.

What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?

Being a student is a great opportunity to expand your professional learning network. The University provides many opportunities to build your networks through meeting with peers, building a profile, and accessing websites that can be helpful. I am curious myself to check out LinkedIn and perhaps expand my professional learning network. As I am in my fourth year of university, it is an important time to start building relationships with future employers and colleagues. I believe that a student can further expand their professional learning network by being active on social media and making an effort to develop relationships.

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

I think, as a student, it is extremely important to make sure I remain active throughout my social media. By posting, liking and commenting on posts, sharing links and articles, I am developing my own digital identity and reputation. I am interested in learning more and possibly creating a LinkedIn account to further expand my social network. It is important to keep in mind, when being active on social media, that everything you post, say, share, etc., can be traced back to you. This is important to keep in mind because when future employers are considering hiring you, they may see old posts of yours, and you want to make sure they are appropriate and professional. What you post and say online is and will continue to be a reflection of who you are, and that is why it is important to remain respectful and professional.

Find out what a local employer would do if you applied for a job with them?

I have heard from many people and experienced first-hand that one of the first things an employer does after gaining interest in you is do a background check, usually from your social media. My current employer let me know after I had an interview with them, that they would be assessing my social medias. I believe employers do this to learn who you are as a person and who will be potentially working for them. This is why it is extremely important to be aware of what you are posting online!

Blog Post #1 – PLN & Digital Identity

December 2, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Personalized Learning Networks (PLN)

What does it mean to to network using social media?

Using social media to network means that an individual is using their social platforms to make connections with other professionals. These connections can be made with or without the objective of making long-term ties with these professionals (Rajagopal et al., 2012). Types of social platforms that one might use to make these connections are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Benefits of networking include developing and growing your own career, having consistent support, and of course providing you with the opportunity to learn new skills.

How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

Networking through social media is something that almost every individual participates in, even if they do not realize. Gutierrez (2016) discusses the idea that relationships between individuals and technology beginning from the moment the individual is born. Online networking and social media are easily available to most individuals, making it very easy to participate in. As well, there is the aspect of peer pressure. When most of the people around you are participating in online networking, you are more likely to participate yourself.

What are the risks & rewards of public communications?

Rewards of public communication consist of developing and growing your own career, having consistent support, and having the opportunity to constantly learn new skills (Rajagopal et al., 2012). Boyd (2012) discusses the risk of public communication being the idea that once something is posted on the internet, it is not private. This can cause issues when one wants to delete or take down something they have posted, because unfortunately, it is out there forever. More specifically and a problem that is a major issue in this day and age, is the fact that people’s data is easily searched and gathered. So, although there are many rewards of public communications, there is also quite a big risk.

Digital Identity

What is a digital identity?

At the press conference at the World Economic Forum in 2019, it is discussed that digital identity is basically the identity you portray of yourself to the internet (World Economic Forum, 2019). Eric Stoller (2016) adds that that it is everything you post, share, how you are, how you engage, how you treat other people, and how you use digital tools for your own benefit and for the benefit of the people you work with. In short, it is your digital footprint.

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

Personal approaches to digital identity consist of individuals using social media for the act of socializing with peers. They are scrolling through different platforms, posting on different platforms, engaging on others posts, etc. The benefit these individuals get is the idea that they are involved, socializing, and fitting in with others around them. Profession approaches to digital identity involve individuals using social media to obtain a job, obtain a volunteer position, or to make themselves and their skills look amazing. Eric Stoller (2016) discusses the dangers of professional approaches with social media where an individual has posted something in the past that was funny or inappropriate, and when they go to get a job in the future, that future employer can see that previous post and it can impact their job opportunity.

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

Public networks provide many benefits but can also have negative impacts on ourselves and society. The benefits of public networks consist of allowing individuals from all over the world to come together in one place. It is people who come from different countries, cultures, of different ethnicity’s, ages, genders, and people who have had different experiences. All of these people can come together to connect. For me, when school went online last year, it was an opportunity to really engage with people from all over the world and it was incredibly interesting. Consequences of public networks have to do with our digital footprint, security, and privacy. Like Eric Stoller (2016) stated, everything you post online stays online, it leaves a digital footprint. It also allows one’s life to become less private, and can lead to security and data breaches. Although it is important to be aware of these risks and consequences, it is still beneficial to engage and be a part of social networks.

References:

Boyd, D. (2012). Networked privacy. Surveillance & Society, 10(3/4), 348-350. http://www.surveillance-and-society.org

Rajagopal, K., Brink, D. J., Van Bruggen, J., & Sloep, P. B. (2012). Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them. First Monday, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v17i1.3559

Stoller, E. [University of Derby]. (2016, November 25). What is digital identity? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0

World Economic Forum. (2019, February 5). Davos 2019 – Press conference the value of digital identity for the global economy and society [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-V7lyxrOmw

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