Before this course, I really did not have a PLN. I did not even really know what it was or the impact that it could have on a person/community. But, after learning in this class, I’ve realized its importance. A PLN should be professional, you can have other, more private, forms of social media. But a PLN really should be focusing on expanding your own mind and hearing first-person accounts of things that are happening all over the world. Its presence should be wholesome enough to be able to show your grandparents with information that is accessible and put in a way to reach people of varying education levels. I think that teachers should be able to post whatever they want on their personal social media, but have the privacy settings done in a way that parents or kids cannot see it. In my podcast-esque video, we discussed how your PLN should be a platform you could turn to learn more about any subject. Shelley Moore says that “Learning is reciprocal”, and she makes a wonderful point. People can learn so much simply by listening to one another.
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A personal learning network can be very powerful. Reaching out and spreading awareness can spark a wildfire through a community and it has the potential to spread to anyone with social media. Social media is a platform to teach people of any age new topics, oftentimes what gets taught via PLN’s is not taught in school. It gives access to topics that may seem ‘taboo’ to the general public which can be really challenging. Since some topics are more difficult to talk about, it can really inhibit discussing these topics due to the discomfort it could cause the people who do not feel ready for that conversation. However, explaining the reason as to why there is discomfort opens up a door for more education on the topic. People who have strong and differentiating opinions can offend people and alienate them. Being able to able have open and honest communication on any platform is incredibly important, but even more so in order to understand where the opposing argument comes from.
Social media can be a finicky thing. Nowadays people will get intense (and often unwanted) criticism for whatever they say on the internet. There are positives, of course. Positive outcomes to these altercations are exposing another side to the story, hearing feedback on why other groups of people think you are wrong, Negative outcomes include backlash, tension with people you know, and people lying in order to appear to be on the ‘right side’.
Conflict happens when two people or parties have opposing values or see things in a different way. Having media literacy is so important as well. Without being able to make your own decisions and decipher what media outlets are saying is the only way you would be able to communicate effectively on these important topics. Like attracts like, so it is likely that you will gravitate to believing in news articles that agree with the way you already think. That is why its necessary to try to see the opposing’s side perspective so you can make a better attempt in explaining why you both have different points of view.
As more and more people get onto social media to use it for public discourse, there is more of a divide between people in their beliefs. Advocacy communications are pointed towards specific groups of people, so the increased use of social media for public discourse means that social media platforms, like Instagram, are flooded with news articles of things that are happening around the world.
My current Personal Learning Network is full of people from all over the world in addition to several news outlets and advocacy groups. This is in order to get the most exposure to what is happening around the world. The more personal stories you can hear and the more reading up on what is happening in areas that you are not familiar with, the more you are able to understand another person’s point of view.
Social media is able to amplify voices of people through the use of sharing by sending it to other people in their PLN and displaying it onto their platforms so others could see it. The more active you are in diversifying the voices you hear on your social media feed, the more you are able to understand why their reactions are the way that they are.
Many students are using platforms like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Instagram to curate an image of themselves that would be presentable for potential employers to see. These platforms are useful due to their ability to display any past work, school, and volunteer work, along with any special certifications or volunteer work that they’ve done. As a student, it would be useful to add those you study with in-class onto these platforms to expand your network. Also, any professors you would want to connect with within a professional setting would be good to add. It is important to keep in mind that even though you may be a student, you need to present yourself as a professional. Creating a reputation for yourself is important. One way to show employers yourself is by keeping things that you would not show your grandparents off of the internet! You can maintain your digital identity and reputation by interacting with peers and encouraging others to do the same. Employers should see social media as a peek into who they are hiring. These profiles should be able to help you show your best self to these potential employers.
Hello!!
I’m Allie Harrington. This summer of 2021 is my final semester at UVic. I’m an English major here and I am beyond excited to finish up my schooling. A bit about me, I have been super involved on campus throughout my entire university career. You may have seen me throw tee shirts at basketball games or try to hype up a crowd at one of the events I was involved in. Also at one point I was a campus tour guide and I have been involved with a handful of panels encouraging high school students to come to UVic! These opportunities has encouraged me to pursue a career in the field I was involved in (event planning). In addition to that, I love all things having to do with food! I cook and bake all the time, my most recent item that I am proud of is a coconut lime shortbread cookie! Along with cooking I love going out and trying new foods and restaurants. If you are in the Victoria area and you want to try something new yet comforting, I cannot recommend a better place than, Wind Cries Mary. They are located in a basement in Bastion Square next to the nightclub Upstairs. Stay tuned for another blog post about my experience here.
I am excited to grow my social media knowledge and my personal learning network within this class. Along with getting to know some of my classmates in a less conventional way than the classroom! I can’t wait to see where the inspiration leads and what is to come!!
