Throughout this term, I have learned a lot about the ways one can go about developing a personal learning network (PLN), and how I can use this tool to facilitate future networking and professional development. As well, I have gained a lot of insight into what it takes to build an effective and authentic digital identity. Also discussed throughout the course were considerations related to privacy, security, diversity, activism, and media literacy, all of which are important topics to be aware of as ādigital residentsā in a world that is being increasingly digitized.
Prior to taking this class, I viewed social media as something to be cautious with, and something to avoid disclosing too much personal information on. I was and still remain a very infrequent āposterā. It is rare that I will engage with a piece of content. However, since taking EDCI 338, I have realized that being able to fully utilize a PLN requires tending to that PLN in the form of participation. As John Donne once wrote, āNo man is an islandā. āLurkingā behavior on social media can be a great way to learn, but there is far more to be gained in participating fully by engaging with others in oneās network.
A great resource for those looking to get started with building a PLN can be found below:
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/jun13/vol70/num09/Create-Your-PLN@-6-Easy-Steps.aspx
In the future, I plan to use some of the strategies as described in the article above, by Will Richardson to try to learn more about the topics that interest me, and to build networks of connections around these interests in my personal life (e.g. gardening, activism, etc.). I also plan to bring insights from this class into my professional development. I hope to engage more with my existing network on LinkedIn, expand this existing network, and hope to be able to use that resource to further my career in the future, particularly as I prepare for an international move to Australia following graduation.
I have also learned the importance of not focusing too much on the negative attention that certain posts of ours receive.
As was described in a reading for this week:
āWe canāt expect to go through life without getting our feet a little dirty; digital or otherwise. In time we will acquire blemishes on our feet. However, as our feet continue to grow, the percentage of impurities in relation to the size of the foot decreases. The same holds true when it comes to our goal for our digital footprintsā (Qualman, 2012).
It is important to remember that āif you proactively have hundreds of items out there, then the few negative items are just a small part of an overall storyā (Qualman, 2012). We must have perspective, accept our mistakes, and try our best to view them as learning opportunities or teachable moments.
References
Qualman, Eric. Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence. McGraw-Hill, 2012.
Category: Uncategorised
Media literacy is āthe ability or skills to critically analyze for accuracy, credibility, or evidence of bias the content created and consumed in various media, including radio and television, the internet, and social mediaā (Dictionary.com, n.d.).
As digital natives in a āknowledge economyā that is increasingly dependent on technology, it is more important than ever in school, that students āacquire the skills to appropriately access, evaluate, use, manage, and add to the wealth of information and media [at their] fingertipsā (Fadel & Trilling, 2009) from very early on. Having media literacy skills can facilitate processes of inquiry and learning, networking and communication, and self-expression.
Too often, however, āwe tend to be more interested in what we believe than in what is trueā (Smith, 2021). āWe rarely hear messages we disagree with by choice and by designā (Smith, 2021). And with much of our news being delivered using a āpullā style of communication (Smith, 2021), it is easy to only view, listen to, and read sources that affirm our point of view, when we are in control of which news sources we subscribe to.
A lack of media literacy is a lack of critical thinking in the context of oneās media consumption. Such a lack of critical thinking is what can often propagate misinformation in the media. In recent times, we have been seeing the effects of this in the misinformation that has been spread about COVID-19. 96% of Canadians who use the internet to learn about COVID-19 found information online they suspected was misleading, false, or inaccurate (Garneau & Zossou, 2021). 53% of Canadians have shared COVID-19 information without knowing if it was accurate (Garneau & Zossou, 2021), and just 36% of Canadians bothered to verify this information āsometimesā or ārarelyā (Garneau & Zossou, 2021). One thing that likely contributes to this problem is that a lot of the time articles can be reposted without individuals necessarily having read the entire article. Individuals may also be more likely to trust information that has been ārepostedā by friends and family. In addition, sources that are written using language that is more accessible to the public are more likely to grab attention and be reposted, rather than sources such as āNatureā, for example. Many do not see misinformation as having the potential to be dangerous, however especially in the context of a public health crisis such as this one, misinformation certainly can be. For example, with the advent of news correlating rare blood clots to the AstraZeneca vaccine, confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine has plummeted (Kelland, 2021). Due to this news, many now have concerns relating to the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in general. Public perception of vaccines being damaged is very troubling when we consider how large a proportion of the worldās population must be vaccinated in order for the world to return to ānormal. One important consideration that has not been as sensationalized is how much more dangerous COVID-19 can be for those with pre-existing health conditions. A high-risk individual with a condition such as diabetes or hypertension, therefore, if they were to fall victim to the news that has been circulating about the ādangers of vaccines, may not opt to receive the vaccine and would remain susceptible to contracting COVID-19, which would, in fact, be more dangerous to them than an individual without any pre-existing health conditions.
It is still important however to have a variety of viewpoints but overall the factual consensus in oneās PLN. For example, due to the widespread concern around the AstraZeneca vaccineās safety, scientists were able to do their due diligence by investigating the possible causal connection between rare blood clots and the vaccine. Although it was found that the vaccine played no causal role (CBC, 2021), it still would have been good information to be aware of, had blood clots indeed have been an extremely rare side effect of the vaccine. Having contrasting viewpoints as well as having debates and discourse around these ideas serves an important role in our pursuit of the truth. There is an inherent bias in the immediate dismissal of ideas from others that we may not necessarily buy into.
Having a PLN that values media literacy is a good way of ensuring that the information and sources that you choose to read from are diverse, well-curated, and properly vetted. When this is not the case, as, with the misinformation about COVID-19 that has been widely disseminated, it can cause widespread and unjustified anxiety, fear, and an unconstructive lack of trust in institutions that are designed to have our best interests at heart (e.g. the Ministry of Health, or the Canadian Government), as well as in each other.
References
CBC. AstraZeneca says U.S. trial data shows 79% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19. 22 March 2021. Web. 22 March 2021.
Dictionary.com. Media Literacy. n.d. Web. 20 March 2021.
EDCI 338 (2020, Nov 1). A01 Smith, Julie [Video file]. Retrieved from YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_T9RghwJlI&feature=youtu.be
Garneau, Karine and ClƩmence Zossou. Misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2 February 2021. Web. 21 March 2021.
Fadel, C. & Trilling, B. (2012). Digital Literacy Skills. In 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
The digital platforms that students are currently using to develop their professional network are LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Typically across these three platforms, students will āfollowā organizations of interest, and will use social media to keep up to date on news and opportunities from these organizations. Typically weaker connections (Rajagopal, Joosten-ten Brinke and Van Bruggen) would be made through Facebook and Instagram by following organizations and certain individualās pages.
On LinkedIn, there is more of an opportunity to build the strong connections necessary for active collaboration (Rajagopal, Joosten-ten Brinke and Van Bruggen) and to maintain a professional connection with others. It should be noted, however, that laying the groundwork for growing oneās PLN is most often done in person, and LinkedIn invites usually follow in-person communication.
To expand oneās professional learning network it can be useful to attend networking events and presentations in the community that are sponsored by organizations that are relevant to oneās interests. Another way to expand a professional learning network is by joining a club, (such as Toastmasters), taking a class, or by volunteering.
Within oneās personal learning network, digital identity/reputation can be created by working to achieve ādigital residencyā. Digital residency is a mode of engagement that views the web as a series of places. Being a digital resident means leaving a āsocial traceā. Most often digital residents go online to engage with others by being active on social media, joining in on discussions, commenting, and being socially present in email. I think that without leaving a āsocial traceā, it would be very difficult to form a digital identity/reputation. Others simply would not have enough information to make a judgment call on anotherās perceived reputation.
It is now commonplace for employers to view an applicantās social media in order to learn more about that candidate. Sometimes it is beneficial if this means by searching your name, an employer can easily view your LinkedIn page (provided that it is well maintained), find more information about community involvement, publications, etc. Public Instagram pages will also be visible which can either be beneficial or detrimental depending on what type of content is posted to it. If the content is considered appropriate, it could be a great way for an employer to get a better sense of an applicantās personality. However, if the content is not appropriate, it could easily cost that applicant the opportunity to move forwards in the job application process. Something that I have personally noticed is that if there are too many applicants or if the individual or team doing the hiring is pressed for time, social media pages often do not get viewed, or are only viewed once the applicant pool has been reduced to a reasonable size.
A carefully constructed and well managed digital identity can certainly bring forward opportunities that may not have existed offline. Moving towards digital residency by becoming more comfortable with disclosing information, is a goal that I would love to work towards. It is clear to me by looking at my V&R diagram that I lean more towards being a digital visitor.
I have been hesitant to āput my thoughts out thereā for fear of judgment, but can now see how putting more effort into my digital identity and into building my PLN could connect me with potential opportunities employers, collaborators, and mentors. I tend to prefer to be engaged in the real world through networking events, lectures, volunteering, and hackathons in-person and would love to attend more events to help build my PLN (perhaps) in 2021 and beyond.
References
āDigital Visitor and Resident.ā Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Dec. 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visitor_and_Resident.
Rajagopal, Kamakshi, et al. āUnderstanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them.ā First Monday (2012). Web.
White, David. āV&R Mappingā David White: Digital-Learning-Culture. http://daveowhite.com/vandr/vr-mapping. Accessed 3 Feb. 2021.
What does it mean to network using social media?
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Networking using social media means that we are more well equipped than ever to build beneficial networks of connections for ourselves to serve our personal and professional interests. Social media allows us to easily maintain these connections and to then activate them as desired (Rajagopal, Joosten-ten Brinke and Van Bruggen). Being on the internet and on specific social media platforms however also means that we make informed decisions about what to post and share (Boyd) and that we understand what will ultimately happen to our online ādataā. To develop an engaging presence online and readership, however requires a great deal of active participation and vulnerability.
How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?
We are motivated to participate in networked publics by the advantages that being a part of such networks provide. Being situated amidst a well constructed PLN puts one in an advantageous position to keep up to date in oneās professional industry and learn continuously. PLNs also provide ease of collaboration, allow for broader connection and collaboration as well as allow for opportunities and resources to be utilized that could not otherwise be accessed. An effective PLN is a resource we can turn to for information, advice, and answers (Gutierrez). Our connections should suit our personal and professional interests. Our interests can be dynamic, which can cause the structure of our PLNs to change overtime (Rajagopal, Joosten-ten Brinke and Van Bruggen).
What are the risks & rewards of public communications?
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Some of the risks that come with being involved in public communication include privacy concerns as well as possible damage to oneās reputation, if individuals are not cautious about the types of content that they are posting online. In a world that is more connected than ever thanks to social media and other networks, the āimplications of privacyā (Boyd), can often extend ābeyond the individualā (Boyd). Hence why it is now common practice for example that entire organizations as well as individual employees agree to abide by privacy acts such as FIPPA, PIPA for example, so that confidential information not to be distributed online is not accidentally shared with the public. Oneās personal information and data however that does not fall under such legislation can be more difficult to protect. People do not always have the agency, knowledge, and skills to control information or to make informed decisions about what should be shared with whom (Boyd). As well, when individuals sign up to use a specific service, they may not be aware of what personal data they are signing away upon agreeing to the terms and conditions of website, which is why some have suggested it may be more prudent to move to a privacy āmodel that focuses on [the] usage and interpretationā of data (Boyd).
Some of the rewards of being a part of public communications can include the ability to grow social capital by expanding oneās network, the ability to learn from oneās connections as well as the opportunities that may arise from being strategically connected. Such a network when it is used to support an individualās learning and professional development can be referred to as a āPersonal Learning Networkā (PLN). The ability to construct an effective PLN is a skill to behold. A PLN can be made up of āpeers, coworkers, supervisors, experts, and other professionalsā (Gutierrez). A PLN can also include websites, blogs and social media. The connections formed to others in a PLN can generally be characterized as being either strong, weak, or very weak. There is something valuable to be gained from every type of connection as such. Strong connections āallow for active collaboration on knowledge creationā (Rajagopal, Joosten-ten Brinke and Van Bruggen), while weaker connections can act as āsources for new information, knowledge and ideasā (Rajagopal, Joosten-ten Brinke and Van Bruggen). Our choice in who is to be a part of our PLN depend on a variety of factors. Some common deciding factors include commonality, benevolence, like-mindedness, real potential for collaboration and learning as well as factors relating to the professional environment one is situated within, such as trends.
References
Boyd, Danah. “Networked Privacy.” Surveillance & Society, 22nd December 2012. Web.
Gutierrez, Karla. What are Personal Learning Networks? 21st June 2016. 18th January 2021.
Rajagopal, Kamakshi, et al. “Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them.” First Monday (2012). Web.
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