amelie's edci 338

Prompts:

• Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course?
• Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?

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I believe that your PLN can definitely help in professional development as well as create professional opportunities. Post-course, your PLN can be a great source of resources, mentorship, and learning opportunities. The learning opportunities within your PLN are endless. There are opportunities to get feedback from mentors, connect with others through networking events, and participate in professional discussions. These are all important opportunities because it can help you further yourself, your network, and your professional opportunities. There are opportunities for continuous growth by engaging actively, leveraging knowledges and experiences, and meaningfully contributing to your PLN. These are all ways to build and nurture your PLN.

From the experiences shared between you and your PLN, you can create connections that can further help you along in your career. By making these connections with other professionals, you may be able to leverage your connections, ask for referrals, and gain access to influential individuals in the field. There are plenty of situations where your PLN can help you either secure a job or introduce you to one. Additionally, there are opportunities to collaborate with those within your PLN which can be helpful to introduce you to other individuals further expanding your PLN. To reiterate, you can leverage your PLNs for professional opportunities as long as you actively engage and are enthusiastic about the field. There is endless potential for individuals to use their PLN to open doors into the professional world.

Discussion Prompts:

• How likely are individuals are going to continue with their created content and their network? 
• Are the skills that they developed applicable in professional practices?

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When reflecting on the group discussion, it was discussed that there are a variety of factors that lead to the continuation of content creation. Factors such as commitment, time, interest, money, and support all play a role in whether an individual decides to continue to participate in content creation. The reason to make content varies on a person to person basis. There usually needs to be some level of extrinsic motivation and high levels of intrinsic motivation to continue. The skills that someone gains from developing their network and creating content can easily be applied to the professional world. These skills are “soft skills” but they are easily applicable to a variety of situations. Examples of these skills are communication, creativity, flexibility, digital skills, networking skills, and time management. These skills are often overlooked but they are vital to creating a strong community and collaborative workspace.

Prompts:

• Open dialogues about media literacy and how factual information can create conflict. Why does this happen?
• What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?

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Open dialogue about media literacy and factual information can create conflict due to a variety of factors. Such examples include misinformation, echo chambers, confirmation biases, and trustworthiness of sources. Misinformation, whether inadvertently spread or intentionally disseminated, often leads to conflicting beliefs and perspectives among individuals. Confirmation biases cause individuals to align information with their existing views, while echo chambers within social media isolate individuals into like-minded communities, fostering polarization when exposed to contradictory factual information. Disparities in trust towards information sources also significantly impact disagreements about what information holds credibility and reliability.

A Personal Learning Network (PLN) that values media literacy offers valuable solutions to combat these conflicts. These networks nurture critical thinking by encouraging individuals to assess information sources, effectively discerning between factual data and misinformation or biased content. The diversity within a media-literate PLN exposes individuals to a range of perspectives, which help in understanding different viewpoints and enabling discussions that alleviate conflicts originating from misinformation. Additionally, these networks promote techniques for verifying information, create environments for collaborative learning, and facilitate resource sharing, all contributing to a more knowledgeable and unified community proficient in navigating and resolving conflicts triggered by misinformation. PLN are valuable tools that can allow individuals to combat the conflicts that arise from open dialogues surrounding media literacy and factual information.

Prompts:

• Which social media platforms are beneficial in education?
• When working with the vulnerable sector, how does social media fit into professionalism and regulations?

I think that most, if not all, social medias can be beneficial in education. The benefits can all be realized through understanding the purpose and features of the social media. Social media platforms are designed to encourage sharing and connection. Thus, making it a perfect space to develop one’s PLN.

Specific social media platforms that I think are beneficial in education are Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. These are my chosen platforms because I believe that they are useful for not only students but also instructors. Instagram can be used to share information, communicate with peers, and develop your own content. This demonstrates how Instagram is diverse in its abilities. Additionally, LinkedIn is another platform that many can gain from using. This platforms allow individuals to communicate and connect with other individuals. By connecting with other individuals within your community and those outside of it, individuals can gather lots of information. Youtube is another great resource for students to gain information and interact with others through comments but also a space for educators to share their knowledge to a wider audience. This platform allows students and educators create a space to learn and share together on specific channels.

Social media can also be used when working with the vulnerable sector. By engaging with those within the vulnerable sector, we can create more inclusive environments for these groups. Vulnerable groups include children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. We can allow these individuals to create more connects and enable a positive environment where growth is encouraged. Social media is a powerful tool that has the ability to provide individuals the tools to access more information. When we talk about regulations and professionalism, it is important to remember that when interacting with the vulnerable sector there may be additional precautions that must be taken. For example, when engaging with children it is important to set boundaries between you and the child.

Prompts:

Reflecting on how you would curate your social media with a critical public audience.

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, and government official)?

Include in your blog, how to best address negative replies and reviews which reflect your personal values

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To curate my social media for a critical audience, I would ensure that the information I create and post is as factually accurate as possible. It is commonly noted for those in the public eye to be very cautious of the information and kinds of posts they are sharing. When an individual is in the public eye I think that it is important that they consider the level of impact they have, especially for celebrities and even more for online influencers. For those that have gained a large social media following it can be an ego boost but there is still responsibility that comes from this. Misinformation and disinformation is easily spread online . This was especially note worthy during the pandemic when many people where looking for answers and social media platforms weren’t moderating content has intensely. The result of this was harm to many. Thus, if I had to craft a social media that had a critical public audience there are some activities I would do and things I would keep in mind.

For information sharing, I would rely on reputable sources for gathering information and link sources. I also aim to engage with reputable sources online and encourage those within my PLN to do the same. I will do these activities to make sure that there is less that the audience can critic me for. Like many other researchers or academics it is common that they will engage in others with similar fields. They do this to keep up to date with current and evolving academia. They also commonly will provide resources or citations when talking about certain topics. I think that this is similar to the way I would like to interact with my PLN. Additionally, I think that engaging in this way on social media will allow me to interact with others that operate in the same fashion. Thus, leading to a more connected and reputable impression of both myself and my peers.

I aim to provide factual information and share my knowledge with those in my PLN. I would also consider a private account. Although having a more private PLN would limit the amount of individuals I could reach, it would help me to only reach those within my community. This would allow me to limit the amount of individuals that can view or interact with me through social media. It is important to understand that when you are putting yourself on social media that some things forever remain on social media so it is important that you stand behind everything that you post.

There are both benefits and risks of engaging with a public audience in a media space while being a trusted member of the public. The benefits of doing so to engage with others and expand your view point, influence opinions, share your own thoughts. Through social media we can engage with others and listen to their differing opinions. Of course there are some exceptions such as hate speech but overall the internet is a great space to communicate with others about topics. When new information is shared, an individual may change their viewpoint and expand upon their existing one. This allows for a more diverse PLN and benefits everyone within it. As a member of a PLN you can also share your opinions and converse with others. This allows you to gain more insight into topics and enrich your understanding.

While the risks of engaging with a public audience in a media space is privacy concerns, the constant threat of public scrutiny, and threats. For those online, privacy is a big concern. Due to the many instances of data mining, your information can be used and sold and could be used for nefarious reasons. Once an individual has your information, they may choose to leak it which puts your safety at risk. As a public figure, many individuals may inflate the public figures image and if the public figure makes a mistake then they could become the target of harassment. Often times there are tirades against celebrities and the perceived wrongs that they have either said or committed. Finally, if that isn’t enough threats against one’s safety is also a major concern. Many individuals online will threaten public figures with no remorse because they think the internet is anonymous. Threats can be said against one’s life or even loved ones. This is a serious concern for those who on a public figure.

In order to manage negative replies and reviews I would need to determine the cause and if the negativity is warranted. If the negativity is unfounded then I would remove the comments or mute/ block individuals. Social media should be moderated and controlled in order to not spread disinformation and reduce misinformation. Hate speech is another example of the type of speech that shouldn’t be tolerated. While to manage the warranted negative replies and reviews, I would aim to respond to the individuals through a post directly. This allows me to create dialogue and not allow the negativity to create a larger effect on my PLN. For warranted negativity, I would aim to correct if necessary to ensure that the reputation I created wouldn’t be tarnished. As a public figure there are many things that they must consider when posting and engaging with others online.

Prompt:

• 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?

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Diverse PLNs are a great tool for everyone to take part in. There are many aspects of diverse PLNs that stem from the internet that allow for increased sharing of knowledge. Knowledge sharing is not limited to geographical location. In the increasingly digital and global community, social media is a vital tool to engage with. This fosters inclusivity which will only provide more enriching knowledge sharing methods, such as conversations and infographics. Additionally, the varying contexts where PLNs are created is another reason to employ them into one’s life. For example, in the educational context online PLNs can be used to share research, host webinars, and engage with others in different locations.

There are a multitude of benefits of having a PLN that is applicable to wide audience while targeting a certain topic or issue. For example, some benefits of this are:

1. Increasing Awareness: Often times having a diverse network allows not only the individual sharing but also the people receiving the information to be exposed to new viewpoints or backgrounds. This is an important part of being online as we all need to expand our ideas in this increasingly global community. We can gain empathy and approach situations with more knowledge rather than with ignorance.
2. Community Impact: Being inclusive with messaging, your PLN is a powerful tool used to positively impact the broader community. By bringing issues to light, whatever the issue may be, you can raise awareness about issues that arise that affect members of your community or just general social injustices.
3. Personal Growth: By interacting with individuals from varying backgrounds, we can all demonstrate personal growth. Everyone brings a unique perspective and understanding other people’s perspective can allow us to be more open-minded and expand our current opinions.
4. Enhanced Learning: Through diverse PLNs it is possible for you to gain more perspectives and more insight that you may not have gotten elsewhere. PLNs combine multiple individuals and is a space to learn and share. This further shows the impacts of social media as it can bring so many individuals together.
5. Targeted Messaging: Through social media platforms it is becoming increasingly easier to target your audience and deliver information to them Social media is a valuable tool that demonstrates the reach the internet has, it allows you to reach a wider audience with the same message. This can teach us how to communicate better and collaborate with other individuals.

How has your thinking about inclusion and PLN evolved?

My thinking towards PLNs has evolved as I have learned more about it and as I have grown. Both the reading from Shelley Moore and Leyton Schnellert and the interview with Shelley Moore have great insights around this topic. Traditionally, inclusion stems from assimilation. There was a conscious effort to amalgamate diverse individuals from diverse backgrounds into a system. Unlike now where inclusion involves inviting diversity into a variety of spaces.

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Social Media, Inclusion, and Diversity in a Professional Setting

In a professional setting inclusion can be very difficult unless there is conscious effort. Social media can be helpful in showcasing to others how the business or organization is committed to inclusion. It can also be used to create opportunities to learn more about inclusion and diversity. An example of a professional setting where these tactics can be used is in healthcare.

Within healthcare organizations inclusion is very important and there are training modules centred around inclusivity for different communities. In recent times, awareness towards indigenous communities is increasing. There have been initiatives and campaigns to spread information about ensuring equal care to indigenous individuals. I believe that through social media we can create spaces to share about how we aim to increase diversity and inclusion for all. This is important because it allows other organizations to see this effort and make changes in their own organizational culture. Additionally, there can also be efforts to support workshops to learn more about these topics. Most of the time the lack of knowledge is the barrier to change so by increasing awareness we can try to create more positive change. We can also connect with diverse voices in our communities. Social media allows us to reach audiences that we are otherwise unable to through traditional means. Thus, these are the ways social media can help create and include more diversity in professional settings.

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Prompts:

• What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?
• What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?
• How does data privacy and security limit and/or promote a PLN?
• In your network, how can you create a digital identity/ reputation?
• Consider how an employer would respond if you applied for a job with them and they assessed your social media presence via your digital identity.

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Developing Professional Networks for Students

Many students turn to LinkedIn develop their professional network. Personally, most if not all my friends who are looking to apply for co-ops or jobs have a LinkedIn. It helps students create a network of professionals already in the field.

Expanding Professional Learning Networks

For many students it can be intimidating to try to create, never mind expand upon a professional learning network, which is why it is important to learn to get over such fears. These fears are only barriers to expansion and success.

For practical steps, a student may begin to:

1. Talk to professors about their experience in the field and ask to connect to individuals that the professor knows
2. Aim to just look for more individuals in the field that they can connect with through professional social media like LinkedIn
3. Connect with co-op coordinators, they are often in tough with alumni in the same field or other professionals

The Effects of Data Privacy and Security on PLNs

I think that data privacy and security both limits and promotes digital identity. Data privacy is a growing concern for most individuals as their online presence is able to be dissected by others on the internet. So I think that data privacy and security can limit PLNs because many people are afraid of personal information being leaked or spread online. Many people don’t put their photos on their account which can make connecting to others difficult as they don’t know if this is the right account.

Although, I think that privacy and security can also promote PLNs because once you have established a reputation online this helps create community. Once it is established that someone is trustworthy (for example through security measures), more people are likely to join that community if it aligns with their beliefs. Ultimately, privacy and security online is an important topic to discuss as more and more individuals become a part of the online community.

Creating a Digital Identity/ Reputation

Within a digital community/ network, creating a digital identity or reputation is easy. All you have to do is start contributing. For example, within my personal network all the posts I interact with through liking the posts or commenting or sending the post to friends is all interactions that I am creating within this network. Additionally, creating my own posts is also a form of interaction because my friends are able to like the post and engage with it. Our digital identities are crafted through our interactions on the platform.

Employer Response to my Social Media

If my employer saw my social media, I think they would response neutrally or positively depending on which social media of mine they found. For my personal social media, I think my potential employer would respond neutrally. I don’t have anything inappropriate on my account or anything related to any jobs. For my professional network, I have chosen to put my accomplishments and other details about my past employment. I think this would help a potential employer get a better sense of me so I think they would response neutrally.

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Reflection on Group Activity

In the group activity, we all shared our visitor and resident map. This was insightful because I was able to see how my other peers interact with the internet. I was able to compare their visitor and resident maps to mine. From this, I was able to gather that most of us had a stark contrast between professional and personal interactions online. The different dimensions of the map are all important for us to reflect on as it demonstrates how we behave on the internet and how that may affect our digital identity.

Here is a picture of my visitor and resident map.

Prompts:

• What is a digital identity?
• How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?
• How do digital identities converge in networked publics – what are the impacts and/or benefits?

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Digital identity

To understand what a digital identity is we must first define a traditional identity. A traditional identity can be defined as “what it means to be who one is including the qualities and beliefs, distinguishing a person or a group from others” (Jawed et al., 2019). This highlights how identities are individual and not collective; it is based in individuality.

Digital identity is described to be “your presence online” (University of Derby, 2016). This means any information that you interact with online. Digital identities are becoming more and more important as we move towards a more online environment. The importance of a digital identity is becoming more and more valuable as information is easily spread and accessible online. The portrayal of oneself online is important as it creates a persona that others may come to rely on. For example those in the media, often curate a professional and trustworthy image of themselves online to make others come to trust them and the information they spread.

Personal vs Professional Approaches

Convergent digital identities

From what I have gathered, digital identities conform by creating spaces for individuals to express their opinions, provide information about themselves, and connect with others. The impacts of this allow individuals to gain a broader sense of community and share their insights into topics with other like minded people. The benefits of this are allowing the fostering of a community.

I believe that digital identities converge in networked publics through a variety of ways. Such examples are stated in the video by the World Economic Forum (2019) where they explain how digital identities are created to help with many things from the provision of services to providing citizens identification. The impact of this convergence allows many individuals to get identification that they otherwise wouldn’t receive.

Benefits of convergence in networked publics has allowed many individuals the ability to connect with like minded individuals. In a broader sense the convergence in networked publics allow individuals the ability to build communities. This allows for specific audiences to gather information and connect with other individuals that subscribe the similar stances. But it must be considered that issues of privacy, security, and ethical issues that may arise through the creation of digital identities.

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References

Jawed, S., Mahboob, U., & Yasmeen, R. (2019). Digital professional identity: dear Internet! who am I?. Education for Health: Change in Learning & Practice, 32(1).

University of Derby. (2016, November 25). Eric Stoller – What is Digital Identity? [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0&t=194s

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&t=1785s