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Throughout this course, I have learnt many things about my digital identity and how to curate, grow, and engage my PLN. The course readings have provided me with a wealth of information and resources that will support my personal and professional development in the future. I am now more comfortable with using my PLN to support my professional development and continue to grow my PLN now that I am more aware of inclusivity, professional versus personal identity, and the possible (employment-costing) risks associated with PLNs. The key to continuing to build my professional network will be to continue to widen and curate my PLN with individuals, social media, and professional sources that are particular to my interests, skills, and surrounding PLN.

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

Yes, I do believe so. Looking at the media attached above, incorporating things such as “sharing your curated sources,” “encouraging colleagues to join,” and “using hashtags and communities” to engage your PLN are examples of things I could use my PLN to help my professional development post-course. There is great potential in using my PLN for my professional development; however, something I have also learnt in this course is the difficulty and attention to detail it requires. It is not as easy as just entering in and engaging with communities you relate to or find interest in. It requires great media literacy and an understanding of what might threaten or limit your professional development within these online spaces. For example, curating and engaging with fake or problematic news might discredit your professional development. As the image suggests, it is important to prioritize things like not engaging with trolls and negativity if you want to use your PLN to foster strong, educative, and inclusive professional development.

Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?

PLN’s are a great tool in presenting up professional opportunities. For example, something I think about is LinkedIn. The entire purpose of LinkedIn is that it is a platform in which you can display your skillset, experiences, and PLN, and you can thus find which professional opportunities best suit you. In this way, PLN’s can be used as a professional portfolio in which employers can easily access and thus decide to open up professional opportunities. Another example I think of is when YouTube creators are looking to fill positions such as ‘video editors’, they look at the editors previous work on other channels. Once I graduate, I know that I will depend on the expression of my PLN to open up professional opportunities for me, whether it be through platforms like LinkedIn or not.

Like the diagram I listed above shows, media literacy can be understood as the ability to establish, engage, evaluate, and produce media across varieties of publications. It can be closely identified as the ability to strengthen these mentioned literacy skills, as well as the position of yourself within media across platforms and PLN’s. Media literacy is important as the use and understanding of digital media has become the standard for communication across society, and therefore requires individuals to learn how to use it, interact with others, and thus continue communication.

Open dialogues about media literacy and how factual information can create conflict. Why does this happen?

The internet’s widespread existence as a space for open dialogue comes with many benefits: for example, communication of individuals across different experiences, identities, PLN’s. Obtaining media literacy opens opportunistic doors in which you are able to further your interaction on a topic with other people, keep up with the world, and share your experiences/opinions. However, what comes with an internet presence is the risk of falling victim to fake or fraudulent information. Individuals might assume that just because something they have read has a lot of traction from other users, that it must be true because others are believing it too. Additionally, some might find an opinion that supports theirs, and thus upholds their own confirmation bias. To avoid this, users must maintain increased awareness and ultimately critically assess sources they come across. This can be done through having strong media literacy, in which the user can effectively research and evaluate the media presented to them.

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

The benefit of having a media literate PLN is that it enables and encourages its users’ understanding of the information presented to them and how this applies to their everyday lives. Ultimately, a better understanding promotes better critical participation. With a strong media literacy, users are not only able to to navigate themselves through spaces of media, and thus expand their PLN with others.

Due to its highly accessible and prevalent nature, we can see the normalization of social media as a way to communicate, educate, and circulate discourse. Social media as a discourse facilitator is a powerful tool in expanding your PLN, as individuals can efficiently post and access the judgements, abilities, and skills of others online – therefore supporting openness and diversity amongst users.

Which social media platforms are beneficial in education?

I believe that a social media platform beneficial to education is Twitter. Twitter is simple in the way that it can be a single tweet or a composed thread, in which people are encouraged to interact and engage with that users post through retweet, quote tweet, and like tweet options. Twitter stores a wealth of information posted daily, in which people are able to share their own opinion. It is a multifaceted platform, in which you can find tweets about any topic that happened at any point in time, from any degree of experience. You have immediate and free access to learning, and you can in return showcase your own knowledge – either through your personal account or anonymously.

Additionally, as the image above mentions, there are already a plethora or educators using Twitter. Individuals across a variety of experiences showcase their experiences and knowledges.

When working with the vulnerable sector, how does social media fit into professionalism and regulations?

Social media is an effective tool at giving voices to those who are not granted them in real life. As a popular route of activism, social media is an effectively power tool in amplifying wrongdoings. However, people can also take advantage of these vulnerabilities, and spread false information and divert from the real problem. Therefore when media or information is to be interpreted, it should be authenticated – through researching the author and their online professional identity. Social media platforms can do this by further regulating or ‘fact-checking’ popular information. For example, during the pandemic, social media platforms had automatically attached links to government facts to any posts including the term ‘COVID’ or ‘COVID-19’. This ensure that if you read something online about the virus, you could easily fact check it through an accessible and trustworthy link.

What are the risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust (educator, lawyer, and government official)?

For any individual who is a public figure or regarded to as a person in a position of trust, they automatically possess a higher standard of influence compared to a regular person. They can be regarded as people who have worked up the bureaucratic ladder of power, and thus earned the position to influence those below them. Social media is one tool that public and authority figures can use to, as Sophie Lui mentioned, maintain relevance, widely make their content accessible to the world, and ultimately public discourse. However, if this is done in an inappropriate, offensive, or simply just in a way that is not well-accepted by their audience, there is a high risk that that public figure will be held accountable, and possibly damage their reputation or image.

What are the benefits of engaging with a public audience in a media space?

Simply, the main benefit is the ability to influence others, quickly and efficiently. The more power you have (via this being from your popularity, reputation, or relevancy), the more influence you have across a public audience in a media space. Something I mentioned to my learning pod was the influence of media spaces on us as a public audience of content consumers has become so invisible, that we often do not notice it. For example, we might not notice something is an advertisement or a biased paid partnership post because social media now allows you to discretely mention that it is, rather than having it visibly on the post.

What are the risks of engaging with a public audience in a media space?

As much as the benefits provide, the risks can deplete. Like I mentioned, if a public figure or a person in a position of trust shares something to their audience that is inappropriate, offensive, or even innocently misunderstood, they can risk losing their position of power within media spaces but within their profession as well. Because these media store data, an employer has concrete evidence of their wrongdoing, and consequently fire them. The idea that “nothing is ever deleted” also is a risk to that individual, as their chances of further employment are at risk, due to that individuals reputation and image very visibly becoming damaged for many to see.

What is the best address negative replies and reviews which reflect your personal values?

Although I have never been in a position to receive backlash through social media, I believe that it truly depends on the context of your post. I personally see so much hate circulating through platforms such as TikTok and Twitter, through anonymous accounts. Being a public figure, it is unfortunately inevitable to receive negative responses, so it is important to consider that not all of them are worth responding to. It comes with the role: as a public figure, you have to be prepared to receive the negative comments. Something that platforms like Instagram or Twitter provide is the ability to choose who comments on your posts, ultimately limiting the ability for negative comments to surface. If you post something that had no malicious intent, yet your audience misunderstood and negatively responded, I believe that you could take down that post, and send out another post apologizing and re-phrasing it. However, the internet is not very forgiving, and thus why it is so important to carefully think through what you display and post.

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?

Using social media, we can broaden and diversify our PLNs through all sorts of easily accessible topics of conversation.

But what does a broad and diverse PLN entail? It includes a platform through which individuals of different backgrounds, experiences, and skills can interact and thus share and learn from these conversations. These experiences are exchanged within a social media sharing platform (ex. Twitter,) ultimately growing the network surrounding you through a plethora of engaging and challenging interactions.

• How does social media engage communications?

It is as easy as simply searching up your topic of interest. Then, users are exposed to the multiple public opinions of others and choose from options such as responding, sharing, or liking. Users tend to gravitate toward groups of people whom they share interests with. It is engaging in the way that there is no limit to that engagement; people may engage at any time, any place, and even choose to do so under any alias they choose (i.e., they could post anonymously.) Users also feel more accepted through these engagements, as a wide range of experiences are present. You can learn from beginners up to professionals: this allows people to engage at their own pace and decide to which extent they broaden their learning and networks.

• How does social media challenge communications?

Social media platforms heavily depend on algorithms to cycle media forward. In this case, the algorithm might present different media we do not necessarily have an interest in or, on the other hand, hide media from us that might suit our interest. Hiding the media we would enjoy limits our ability to communicate as the less the algorithm shows it to us, the fewer opportunities we have to interact with that media. Another example of challenging communication on social media is the mass amount of panic caused by it. Many users, including myself sometimes, forget that social media is not a valid and reliable source for news or other information. Users might believe something they read online, then continue this belief across their own PLNs across social media. People with opposing views or (who know the actual fact-checked truth) might come into conflict, and thus have unnecessary interactions that do nothing but actually challenge knowledgable and educational communications.

• Is it inclusive?

Social media allows us to amplify our opinions with a broader network of people. We are able to generate, share, and interact more accessibly, and this, in exchange, broadens our PLN both personally and professionally. I believe that it is inclusive; however, there is also a large margin which is not. With technology constantly improving and new forms of media becoming options to interact on, the diversity of communication is expanding on a grander scale. The more extensive and inclusive our PLNs are, the more people we can learn from and teach. However, it can also not be inclusive in ways such as opposing views being deemed problematic and shamed. Some voices are amplified, and others are shamed regarding the given topic and the particular perspective of those receiving it. Often, social media can be almost more exclusive than real-life PLNs. Users might find it easier to express their opinions and critiques behind an anonymous profile.

How would you create a PLN prior to engaging in a social media campaign on a topic of your choice?

I would create a PLN on the basis of asking-and-listening, leveraging technology, and broad diversity (Woods, 2013). It is crucial to to create a PLN amongst people who not only share similarities with you, but also differences. As much as we like to relate to people and create connections that we know are safe and reliable, I also think it’s just as important to surround your PLN with people who challenge your views. However, Woods exclaims that all PLN’s are different, and thus it is important to try and not force these connections, but rather find what works for you and understand that “your PLN can only be fruitful if it reflects you” (2013, p. 71). Personally, I would try to find comfort in differences, and simply actively listen and ask about that persons experiences, and hope that they ask about mine in return. Listening to the experiences and life events of those around you will strengthen your PLN, as you can further broaden your own perspective.

I would leverage technology in hopes of reaching as large of an audience as I can. Social media is advantageous in the way that you can reach not only people you know, but those that you have never or will never meet as well. I would possibly take advantage of backchannels, like on Twitter, where conversations continue, and interactions are exchanged. Additionally, exchanging material across different forms of social media would also keep the conversation relevant and supported. Being active across these different groups and conversations increases the flow of information you receive and give back. Not only is it important to be the one sharing information, but it is just as important to embrace it. In my learning pod, we talked about how grand of an effect just taking the time to listen and learn about the different array of identities people have. Their cultures, experiences, values, and how these play in conjunction to you, your positionality, and online digital identity with the media you consume. Embracing things you identify and share similarities with is ideal, but so is being challenged by various other perspectives. This is how you broaden diversity amongst your PLN, and create a surrounding community around yourself that is diverse, empathetic, challenging, and respectful.

References

Woods, B. (2013, November). Building your own PLN: seeking new insights and ideas? Expand your personal learning network. T+D, 67(11). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A348998538/ITBC?u=uvictoria&sid=summon&xid=1010abdf

As educators, it is important for us to understand inclusion beyond its misconstrued definition as tolerance, but rather as a celebration of diversity within learning, social, and professional settings (Moore & Schnellert, 2016). With our own individual identifiers, we exist collectively in which we learn and teach others about our differences. Therefore, it is important for educators to implement our diverse identifiers as unifying efforts in embracing one another within institutions; to ultimately redefine diversity as inclusive, rather than segregative or exclusive.

My Personal Learning Network in relation to Inclusion and Diversity; and How This Reflects Within My Professional Spaces

Growing up an immigrant who moved to Canada fairly young, I initially found it very difficult in existing within many diverse environments alongside understanding my own identity. I soon found comfort in knowing that I wasn’t the only person struggling to belong, and eventually was able to find people that I ‘fit in’ with. Something I appreciate my early educators doing was not excluding me from the classroom, as many of my other classmates were also from other backgrounds and abilities. I have grown up exposed to many people with different backgrounds, languages, experiences, and identities. It is through these inclusive environments in which I was able to understand my position as a learner and thus prioritize it in my personal and professional spaces as an adult. Although this is not a universal experience for everyone, it is important for educators to incorporate inclusive strategies amongst learning spaces to foster networks that advocate for diverse learning experiences.

My personal learning networks now continue to develop within academic spaces and social media platforms I participate in. It is through the strategies my professors use in fostering an inclusive space, the material I am taught, and the conversation I exchange with diverse classmates in which I am able to learn what influences the perspectives of others, and thus what I can learn from them. I can confidently say that University is where I successfully solidified the importance in understanding intersectionality and inclusivity within multiple aspects of my life. In order to establish a welcoming, inclusive learning environment for everyone, it is important for us as students to practise inclusivity by accepting how we interpret learning as well as the many viewpoints and ideas of our professors and classmates. For this to happen, instructors must also foster an inclusive environment that takes into account the variety of learning styles, abilities, strengths/weaknesses, and differences in perspectives. A parallel I found within Moore’s chapter and my own learning in Sociology is that we must consider the existence of intersectionality to achieve inclusivity, “and not try and homogenize them [identities and experiences of others]” (Moore & Schnellert, 2016, p. 9).

How Social Media Plays a Role in Establishing Inclusive and Diverse Themes

Growing up with social media, I found many of my community belongings on the platforms that I interacted on. Interacting and existing in diverse online communities fostered a safe and inclusive space in which I related to and learnt from various perspectives. Like Moore mentioned in her talk, social media, for me, acts as an interactive and communicative space in which I am exposed to a far greater range of diversity to exist and interact within. Through social media, individuals are able to exchange ideas and expand their understandings across a multitude of different matters. An example I thought about when Moore mentioned social media spaces and the pandemic was the use of Zoom. Although the pandemic limited inclusive classroom environments, we collectively redefined our ability to use social media as another outlet of inclusive learning. It is through Zoom in which we were able to continue to connect with not only just our classmates, but people from around the world. In this way, social media further enhanced access to additional educational platforms, in which individuals are more freely exposed to greater diversity and an expansion of their PLN’s.

References

Moore, S. (2016). One without the other : Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion. Portage & Main Press.

Individuals categorized as digital natives are ones that have grown up with digital technology, and have a proficient understanding of how to navigate their way digitally. On the contrary, digital immigrants are those who see technology like a second language; due to their unfamiliarity or late introduction to technology. Within this concept, David White suggests that we consider visitors and residents instead of digital native and immigrants, since users habits and online presence differs enough beyond categories. Visitors use their personal learning networks to simply search for specific information they’re looking for ; whereas residents use their PLN for their personal benefit or professionally – in a way that leaves a digital imprint.

Please consider my visitor and resident map below:

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

As students, I know that popular platforms we often use to develop our professional networks are LinkedIn, our schools website, and email to communicate. Evident in my own map, I put two of these three platforms in the institutional and resident category. This is because I leave a trace of the things I publish, for example; if I post about my professional experience on LinkedIn, or the availability of my student information on Brightspace. I put email in between institutional and personal categories as a visitor, as I only really check my email when I need to, and don’t usually leave any important traceable information about myself or my profession behind.

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

In my networks, I can create a digital identity or reputation through the way I present myself online, and communicate with others. I believe that it is very highly dependent on the way you engage within these networks, and how you essentially set them up initially. To expand, the way you set up your LinkedIn can influence who you become connected with, thus increasing your chances for opportunities. Another example, is the use of Twitter in academia. I know many professors who use Twitter to communicate their formal research in a non-formal way – not only does this permeate their digital identity, but it also impacts their reputation more broadly.

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.

This is something I constantly think about. Growing up a ‘digital native’ or someone who often posts on networks in a personal-resident kind of way, I wasn’t aware of this initially. If I search for my name on the Google search bar, I can still find some of the things I posted over 8 years ago. If an employer were to respond to a job I applied for, my social media presence would not be an obstacle in me getting that job. Thankfully, I didn’t post any embarrassing or potentially problematic things online when I was younger. To make sure I don’t do so now or in the future, I often practice privacy online. All of my social media profiles are private, and I make sure to permanently delete something if I know I no longer want it to be on the web. I’m trying to adopt a more visitor (or untraceable) fashion for my digital identity, so there is no possibility of an employer denying me a job in the future.

What is a digital identity?

Your digital identity is made up of the content you produce and publish across social media platforms, how you interact with people, how you utilize technology for personal benefit, how you educate yourself and others, how you learn, and how you work. This is your digital identity (What is Digital Identity?, Eric Stoller, 2016). What a person curates and posts online accounts as an additional portion of their identity. Your digital identity is your footprint on the web; every step you take online represents this digital identity. Within my personal learning network group, we spoke about the guidelines for a digital identity, how it’s defined, and what constitutes as controlled vs uncontrolled media. Personally, I identified a form of my own controlled media as my personal Instagram page — where I post personal pictures to friends I personally know. This is a raw reflection of my personal identity in an online form. On the other hand, an example of uncontrolled media I identified was the sociology course union Instagram I run, in which I post information about upcoming events. These are thus screenshotted and reposted, making the content I once posted now in the hands of others to control. This exercise with my peers helped me to realize the level of free rein on the web, and made me question the degree of the things I share on the internet are controlled versus uncontrolled.

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

The way a personal versus professional approach to digital identity affects social media use differs based on the intention it is used for and what would be posted on it. In simpler words, a person might not be inclined to post what they normally would on their personal account, than they would onto their professional display. Like the Jawed et al. article mentions, an example would be medical students, in which they communicate on social media through professional ways (Digital professional identity: Dear Internet! Who am I?, 2019). This further made me think of what Eric Stoller mentioned briefly about our digital identity acting as a pre-interview in creating, designing, and showcasing who we are (What is Digital Identity?, 2016). Therefore, someone pursuing medical school or is looking for a job in the medical field would most likely not intersect their personal and professional digital identity together, as a diminished career could easily become the result. Additionally, the way you interact on personal social networks differs from the way you do on professional social networks. One might be more relaxed with what they post on their personal networks, whereas you might think twice about it professionally. For example, take into account the uses of Facebook versus LinkedIn. Facebook is where you would post personal things to a network of people (your family/friends etc.), and LinkedIn is where you post about your experiences and accomplishments. Although you have connections to networks in both approaches through connections, values, and interests, the way you share elements of your identity differs. You would not post what restaurant you’re eating at on LinkedIn, just how you would not usually post about your last job description on your Facebook account.

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

We have access to an enormous world of information on the internet, where there are countless opportunities for learning. As we use our digital identities to create presence and voice, it also enables us to establish ideas and educate ourselves on specific subjects. I was able to recognise the significance of digital identity in the field of politics from the video ‘Press Conference The Value of Digital Identity for the Global Economy and Society, Davos, 2019’ and how it has aided in increasing social and political inclusion because more information is now accessible online. Additionally, how the protection of rights have become more available through digital identities. The ways digital identities thus converge in networked publics would be through leisure spaces. People incorporate their digital identities into various social networks, which causes the formation of online communities. These social networks serve as a space for creating a sense of association, community, and commonality (Identity Making and Social Media). To expand, people identify and thus use the internet as a foundational way of creating networks with people who share similar values, interests, and beliefs. Ultimately, the way we combine and harmonize our digital identity with social networks has evidently proved its existence in leisure spaces. Thus, we depend on these spaces to encourage social interaction, community building, and the development of a sense of identity.

References

Digital professional identity: Dear Internet! Who am I? Jawed S, Mahboob U, Yasmeen R – Educ Health

Identity-Making and Social Media

Press Conference The Value of Digital Identity for the Global Economy and Society, Davos 2019

What is Digital Identity, Eric Stoller 

Every day, whether online and offline, we all engage in regular interactions with a network of a variety of people, technological tools, information sources, and services. We utilize this network whenever, wherever, and as we see fit, including at work, school, and home. Technologies profound and rapid advancement has completely reframed the way we now communicate and foster relationships. In understanding and applying personal learning networks to these connections, we must identify how the functionality and practicality of technology exists to easily generate and maintain these networks.

As interconnected and networked individuals, we must recognize the profound role of technology in the way “we communicate, study, and work together and how we create and share ideas” (Future Learn). A personal learning network is a network created by an individual with the goal of creating and sustaining relationships with other people and improving their learning abilities while utilizing technology to facilitate these activities.

Maintaining these networks, from an individuals perspective, is advantageous in the development at a personal level. For example, being able to connect and thus create networks of people through shared similar interests of beliefs enriches the quality of our personal lives. Additionally, from a professionals perspective, these learning networks are essential for innovation and for connecting new, dependable networks. The active reward of personal and/or professional benefits motivate us in our continual presence in these networks. Additionally, the always-ongoing and inevitable advancement of technology pushes us to continue to act, learn, and exercise these networks to maintain our positions within these networks.

Technology has become overly accessible, and almost necessary in full communication with others. For example, as a university student, email is a crucial part in communicating with professors and other students. Technology has progressed both in function and practicality that online identities are essential for the success of a student. Speaking with my group-mates on Mattermost is another example – in which we have created our own learning network where we share our own personal ideas and discuss. In this exchange of information, we are actively strengthening our understanding of the material, and ultimately broadening our comprehension of the topic. This is one of the rewards of public communication that I’ve identified – it is the ability to share and interpret other perspectives in hopes of enhancing your own personal learning. Everything and anything is within reach, and there is a plethora of information available to access and in return share.

Within my group, one of the risks we discussed was the not-so-obvious unknown of what happens to our posts once we share them on social media, and how technology tracks our everyday lives. We looked at the significant degree to which social media and technology have permeated our lives and the effects that this may have. We discovered that everything we do online—including the searches we conduct, the purchases we make, the texts we send to friends, and the things we say aloud—is constantly being watched and collected as data in order to serve us with adverts based on our online behaviour. We talked about how it seems like our technology is listening in on us and observing everything we say and do. To preserve our privacy and identity, we believe it is crucial to be cautious about the things we post and say online.