Category: EDCI 338

Here’s the link to our final project!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gb2IyjGB66Ui0_lNiA19KBEDDTKte_tBJ2uxLEfHMao/edit?usp=sharing

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

Absolutely! The PLN I have created and continue to build post-course will help my professional and personal life. I have become more aware of the different usages of social media in both these areas and in hopes of educating those around me. As a future educator, the concepts, terms and content of this course made me realize the importance of PLN for teachers and has opened my eyes to the possibility of integrating with other teachers, not just at the school I will be working at but various teachers across the country or around the world within PLN I will create to build and help my professional development. 

Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities? 

I believe so; most notably through typical professional platforms like LinkedIn, which I am still determining how to use them. As Sophie Lui mentioned, she doesn’t use the platform because she doesn’t know how best to use it or how to benefit from its use; I absolutely related to that sentiment because I, too, have an account, but I don’t know how beneficial it would be for me to use it. After taking this course, I have a clearer idea of the usage and will consider using it next time I seek professional opportunities. Although, I also feel like professional opportunities can spur through any platform you use for your PLN. If you’re building professional connections and reaching an audience of a variety of people, then, in my opinion, many opportunities can occur. Again, I think it’s all about how you use your PLN and who you interact with within it. 

References:

Mortenson, R. (2019). How to make best use of a professional learning network (PLN). TechLearningMagazine. https://www.techlearning.com/news/how-to-make-best-use-of-a-professional-learning-network-pln#:~:text=Through%20book%20clubs%2C%20discussion%20groups,learning%20through%20non%2Dtraditional%20means. 

“Sophie Lui – EDCI 338” Youtube. Uploaded by MILLER on June 6th, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfcXgKLzOVM&t=784s 

Which social media platforms are beneficial in education?  

I think all social media platforms have the ability to educate people. Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are some platforms that offer the visual aspect of learning through visual aids (videos, live streams, posts, commenting and direct messaging). The graphic format allows for constant exchange among a variety of different people. Now, with platforms like Tik Tok, content creators can create bite-sized videos about educational topics. In fact, during a work training last year, my supervisor showed us this Tik Tok of a former teacher turned content creator talking about how to co-regulate with children (as the field I work in is in child care). However, the real question is which of the many existing platforms is beneficial and reliable. As discussed in this course, we can build online communities through PLN and social media to share new ideas and learn from each other. But with the rise of false information, lack of inclusivity, and, in some spaces, lack of genuine connections, we have to use our defensive critical thinking to evaluate the situations. I have found this non-profit, nonpartisan program called Media Wise of The Poynter Institute (perhaps some of you already know it or have discussed this platform). They aim to “educate people how to identify misinformation through innovative digital media literacy initiatives” and become our own personal fact-checkers online. They can be found on Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok; I’ve included the links below if you would like to check out this initiative. 

https://www.youtube.com/@MediaWise/featured

https://www.instagram.com/mediawise/

How does social media fit into professionalism and regulations when working with the vulnerable sector?

I think being safe and protecting our online identity and information is very important on social media. For that reason, creating boundaries between professional and personal identities and, in general, in online spaces can prevent any misfortune. Generally, adults who have grown up with technology and social media or have learnt to use it can avoid certain dangerous situations online. Nevertheless, for children with access to social media, there is a need to put in better restrictions as the ones put in place now have slipped through the cracks. And they are, too, being overexposed by a lot of different information and the effects of having direct communication at their fingertips. The same can be said for older adults, who ads and posts can easily persuade due to technology being a new way of life utterly different from the one they knew before. 

I found both videos this week super educational, and interesting to hear Sophie Lui’s perspective on media. It differed from the reading of the teleprompter reporter that I grew up watching on the news as a British Columbian. Although, I found the discussion with Julie Smith about media literacy and its facets very interesting. I had a rough idea of media literacy, but I realized while listening to the debate that I had yet to learn. I thought media literacy is the language spoken to interpret what is being said and communicated in media and online spaces. I was close to the actual definition, as it is a form of communication, but it’s much more complex than I realized. How we have evolved from only interpreting television to the multi-dimensional beast of media and online platforms today has changed at lightning speed.

The term “fake news” has been around for over 500 years; as stated in the Political Economy of Fake News reading, we see the term “Fake News” used in media (Hirst, 2018). It was intriguing to learn how there are so many interpretations of the term, although it has a similar foundational definition at its core. As we evolved with media literacy, this term became used in various settings throughout history. Smith, along with the reading, touched on the term being used in the 2016 presidential election and how it turned this term to be read in media literacy. How there is a way to manipulate the media to echo political motivations like Trump being an outsider and this over-the-top figure that said whatever he wanted was what drew news outlets to him. This caricature he painted was done on purpose as an easy grab for news outlets to have no choice but to report. And when talking about American news and media, since, as Smith mentions, it is a business and not a public service, these news outlets are financially benefiting from Trump’s use of fake news and media manipulation. 

I think this same strategy is used by notable figures like influencers every day on social media. I distinctly remember this article or video explaining how Trump has similar tendencies to social media influencers (I don’t have the source, but I can see if I can try to find it). *Future self here, I found the source and have added it to my references below. The typical influencers present themselves as this over-the-top figure manipulating and convincing you to buy a product, go on expensive vacations or promise you the same glamorous life by living vicariously through them. Influencers use psychological persuasion that makes it hard for you to turn away. And once again, at the end of the day, it is a business that influencer profit from influencing. I don’t believe all influencers are like this, I could be biased toward the ones I follow on social media, but I get the sense that there’s a shift toward this “relatability” complex. Then again, it can also be fake and another ploy in the influencing game. 

Also, to conclude this post, I found this video made by Crash Course (I am a fan of their content and channel), and they discuss the basics of media literacy and why it is crucial. The video helped me understand the context and concept more before reading the readings, listening to the videos and reading fellow students’ blog posts. The video highlights how we encode, decode and code messages through media literacy, and our level of understanding can affect how it is interpreted. If our coded messages get interpreted and uncoded differently, that is where it creates conflict, and for that reason, our media literacy is essential. Learning about media literacy should be common knowledge if we interact in virtual and online spaces. As Julie Smith mentions, teachers already have a lot to teach, so finding ways to educate people outside the classroom to be inclusive of our day-to-day media literacy should be considered. 

References:

“EDCI 338 – MEDIA LITERACY with JULIE SMITH” Youtube. Uploaded by MILLER on June 6th, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57r3-aEnci0 

Hirst, M. (2018). Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.4324/9781315401263 

Introduction to Media Literacy: Crash Course Media Literacy #1. (2018). YouTube. Uploaded by Crash Course on February 27th, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD7N-1Mj-DU&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtM6jSpzb5gMNsx9kdmqBfmY&index=2. 

Versi, M. (2018). Trump: The influencer president?. The Canadian Business Quarterly. https://thecbq.ca/matt-versi-trump-the-influencer-president/

How does social media engage communications?  

Social media is the threshold and starting ground for most communication between people in today’s society. It allows us to communicate with various people and builds communities. Social media communications have become necessary for the past three years in the pandemic and post-pandemic world. It has been part of the limited few options of contact. An example of this is the book club Shelley Moore created during the pandemic to build community in an online space. Even though that wasn’t necessarily her intended goal, she found people like herself online with similar mindsets. On the flip side of the conversation with Markiel Simpson, we see how social media is used in communication in the going ons of social justice. I use Instagram and Facebook groups (such as BLM groups or Old Growth Protection groups) to find out when and where protests that I want to participate in are happening and communicate with organizers on those platforms. There are many ways to share on social media to engage in various things, but before it all happens, it starts with a meeting in the middle, which is social media. 

How does social media challenge communications?  

When communicating via text-to-text, it can become challenging as you’re not getting the complete picture of people’s facial expressions and tone. It is all translated through emojis, adding lol to not be taken too seriously or sometimes too many exclamation points. And, of course, this is similar to the worries presented in the Jessica Clark reading that “Apple will make our digital lives easy by taking away our creative choices” or “losing our social souls.” Since we rely so heavily on these forms of communication, it could have a more long-term effect on how we communicate outside these social media spaces. So the more humane forms of communication on social media that we don’t become another form of an AI robot. 

Is it inclusive?  

Social media communication can be inclusive; however, it might be challenging to think about people needing help reading people or understanding the meaning behind their communication through the neutral form of typed-out words. Of course, I can’t speak directly to those who face those difficulties. Still, I have encountered every once in a while where I question what that person means by that tweet or caption and understand in the opposite way it is intended to come across. Then again, maybe for some, the neutrality of text is reassuring since reading people’s emotions IRL can also be challenging and overwhelming. That’s where the inclusivity Shelley Moore mentioned in the reading comes in, where both communication options should be offered depending on how people prefer to communicate and not just assuming because everyone uses the same form that it’s the only way. 

Does your PLN amplify the views of others?  

Your PLN can definitely amplify the views of others and amplify voices. The importance of this statement was echoed in both the Shelley Moore and Markiel Simpson videos (which I really enjoyed). How they use their platforms to share topics and events they’re passionate about, and how notable figures like Markiel mentioned that politicians could amplify their PLN by sharing or reposting what they put out. By doing this, they can bring about social change and expose their platforms to more people who will become educated on important topics and become involved. 

The policies of employer social media communication expectations.  

In most professional settings, if not all, there are policies created around their employees’ use of social media. For example, in my workplace, I work for a municipal government in the parks and recreation sectors, and I work with children and youth. Because of that, my workplace asks their employees to have their social media accounts private, as there were incidents in the past where parents of children and curious youth were following employees, which crossed the professional line. Another factor is that working for a municipal government, your digital presence and how you use it reflects the workplace. Even though you don’t explicitly say in your bio that you are an employee of this workplace, it is easily trackable from your digital footprint returned to you. Now it is customary that all employees have their accounts private. There are no policies against following and interacting with co-workers on social media. However, it’s stressed that a professional relationship is maintained, and discussions about the workplace aren’t public or shared on social media. I know other workplaces are much more serious about their social media communication expectation policies, and my answer to that is that it’s a case-by-case situation. It depends on your job title and position. Some workplaces need strict policies as the job title and workplace could be highly confidential. 

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? 

Creating a diverse and inclusive PLN on social media is crucial because people want to see themselves on these platforms, have a voice, and be part of the conversation. Platforms with various representatives allow people to learn from diverse perspectives. In many of my previous classes, the idea of social location (race, social class, culture, etcetera) and knowing our social location can help open our eyes to an intersectional framework; coupled with this in the world of social media is vital to make platforms diverse and inclusive. In the Jessica Clark reading, she talks more in-depth about this how public media “actively engage users, allowing them to critique and address those in power, but do not dictate a particular ideological approach. At their best, they do serve as social justice media projects, speaking across social, cultural, and class differences— or cultivating translation and other mechanisms to help self-expression translate across those divides— so that diverse stakeholders can communicate effectively about issues that require public deliberation and action” (Clark, 2011, p. 61). A growing body of like-minded and diverse people can come together on social media platforms to challenge or work with people of power. 

References:

Clark, J., & Aufderheide, P.. (2011). A New Vision for Public Media (pp. 55 – 67). 55–67). https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230119796_5 

“EDCI 338 A01 Week 5 A Conversation with Shelley Moore” Youtube, Uploaded by MILLER, February 7th, 2021, https://youtu.be/YGx0ejnMLVc 

“EDCI – 338 MARKIEL SIMPSON” Youtube, Uploaded by MILLER, June 1st, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoDHGaXNNs 

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

When creating my Visitor & Resident Map, I critically reflected on how I use various platforms in my life’s personal and institutional parts. To my surprise, there was quite an overlap. Platforms like Pinterest and Facebook got me thinking about how I use them for work, school and my personal life; I have never thought about how they would affect my digital identity. Or there were platforms like Youtube and Tik Tok that, yes, I use every day. However, I rarely use them to connect with people online, which made me think about where to put them on my map ( I ended up not adding Youtube as I needed the palace for it). Overall, I really enjoyed this activity as a visual learner. It was beneficial to see, and place platforms on the map and critically think about my digital presence online. 

It was interesting to see the maps posted by classmates so far; we all share the use of the same platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Tik Tok, email platforms and others like Indeed and LinkedIn for professional service. Even though social media is not seen as a professional way to build connections, it can provide opportunities for students like me to do so. I think this part concerns what the Using the Digital Visitors and Resident App comic said about digital natives and digital immigrants (shown in the image above). Most students right now are digital natives; they not only grew up with the use of technology but grew up with the rise of these various platforms and learned along the way with the development. For example, Instagram was initially used to share photos about your life. Now it is used so much in everyday practice that it can be used accordingly in professional settings because digital natives prefer to use that platform and know how to use it. We may see a generational shift in how specific platforms are used in PLNs because of their daily use. But then again, digital privacy and boundaries are essential if social media continues to evolve into a professional learning network as employers look at your digital presence. Personally, as a person with a parent who hires people as part of their job, it was always drilled in me since having social media accounts that keeping your social media appropriate and having accounts private is essential. Also, the lesson passed on that if you’re going to post something think about the repercussions if that post was going to be on the front of every news outlet or thread. 

This week learning about Personal Learning Networks (PLN) wasn’t a new concept but a new perspective and a new term for using technology and social media platforms. Furthermore, how they serve as a learning community and how much work goes into their development. I especially liked the Future Learn video, which mentioned that learning isn’t only happening in the classrooms but all around us on these social networks online. When I think if it applies to myself, I find myself realizing how much I do learn anytime I open Instagram or any social media and read a post about, say, mindfulness or social justice or simply an influencer posting about how their day’s going; I’m always learning something new. In one of my French classes, we talked about how we read way more than we realize in our day-to-day compared to our grandparents and parents reading the newspaper or book every day. We are constantly consuming new information and evolving rapidly with technology. 

In the What is Personal Learning Networks reading, I found it interesting that Karla Gutierrez states that PLNs are not new. Still, technology continues to expand its platforms and creates new ones to reach as many people as possible. Which Gutierrez notes removes barriers of time zones and physical distance. It got me thinking about how this idea of expansion has allowed us to connect with people across the country and around the globe. It presents the benefits of opening one eyes to different cultures, learning, awareness, building connections and taking the concept of a pen pal to another level. These networks, mainly social media, are more connected than ever with the happenings of people worldwide compared to thirty years ago. Social media and networked cultures have magnified the way our lives are entwined with algorithmic and social strings, as discussed in the Networked Privacy article by Donah Boyd. Boyd notes that this magnification will only keep growing over time, where we will become so entangled that more network privacy challenges will come about and that asserting individual boundaries and privacy will be vital in avoiding those challenges. Claiming those boundaries is essential to maintain the wall between personal and professional networks on social media. It has now become a tale as old as time that authority figures (such as politicians on Twitter) use their professional networks to power personal vendettas, thus blurring the lines on whether their social networks are for professional or personal gain and neglecting professionalism altogether. Thus presenting itself with harmful and negative impacts and an uncontrolled social media presence.

Finally, to answer the question: How are we motivated to participate in networked publics? Personal reasons drive our motivation to participate in these networked publics. As Gutierrez says, no two PLNs are not equal and are all unique. So how to participate in these networks is based on what motivates us personally, and I think there’s a give and take with that as well. I first heard about networking in an entrepreneur class, where networking is used to advance a business. The second time I learnt the term networking was in a course on global connections, and it was defined as the process of fostering new relationships and job opportunities in foreign countries when immigrating. Now, learning a third definition of the term networks and networking, it’s evident to me how yes, it builds community. However, there’s a personal catalyst for the motivation to network and build networks. 

References:

Boyd, D. (2012). Networked privacy. Surveillance & Society, 10(3/4), 348–350. https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v10i3/4.4529

Gutierrez, K. (n.d.). What are personal learning networks?. What are Personal Learning Networks? https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/personal-learning-networks

What is a personal learning network (PLN)?. FutureLearn. (2022). https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/learning-network-age/0/steps/24644