I believe that my PLN can continue to be used once this course comes to a close in a way which will help grow my professional development. Throughout the duration of this course I have had the opportunity to develop a strong PLN full of diverse sources. Due to the strength and span of my PLN, I think that I’ll be able to continue to use this resource to assist with my professional development into the beginning of my career. I also believe that I can rely on my PLN to open more professional opportunities because of some of the groups that do exist within my PLN currently.
Media literacy is a conscious effort to provide an inclusive access to media that is factual, and not fictitious. This can be accomplished in many ways, one of which is advocating for a more inclusive culture and analyzing the impact media has on individuals. This is so important because there is so much information to be consumed within the media, which gives ample opportunity for misinformation to be passed around. On the opposite end of the spectrum there is the possibility that information is withheld from some people or pushed down and never allowed to surface. Being media literate is to have the ability to critically analyze information you find in the media, and to be able to form a good opinion based on true, solid information.
The concept of media literacy is often dismissed because the idea that people can push their own agendas within media spaces is not considered to be a ‘big deal’, and that surely the internet will only ever contain true facts.
It’s important to have varied views within your PLN so you can have access to a wealth of different opinions and sources of information. In having this, you are able to use critical analysis skills to separate fact from fiction, and come to a consensus on your own, which will hopefully be the right one.
Instagram is a social media platform that can be quite beneficial in education. User-friendly, easy to navigate, and teamed up with Facebook, there are endless ways this can be used in the education realm. Due to how popular this platform has become, so many people are connected which makes it very easy to engage with others and share information. Captivating photos coupled with facts, short videos to prompt certain ideas, and interactive stories are just a few of the ways that Instagram can be used to enhance education.
Staying current on social media does pose the potential of barriers to its users, and because of this it is not accessible to everyone. If there was a platform that everyone could access equally, the dialogue in communities could evolve to such a wonderful place. Communication is so important in every aspect of human life, and by having a platform that everyone could equally connect on, communities could be elevated and continue to improve.
The benefits of having a diverse and inclusive PLN in social media is that you are always learning from a wide variety of sources. With such a large amount of resources, wiser decisions can be made! These benefits keep growing when the resources in this PLN have the same understanding as you in the impact you’re homing to have on the community and how the messaging should be portrayed. Understanding the views of others is so key to having good communication, and if you can communicate well within your community then you are miles ahead of everyone else.
There are always risks that come along with having a public audience, such is the way with the internet. The internet is forever! You can’t take back what you say, and things published on the internet can spread like wildfire. Due to the nature of the platforms this bares an imminent risk, especially for trusted people in the eye of the public as everything they say has the potential to follow them around for ever. On the other end of the spectrum, this could be seen as a benefit as it can help build up a persons repertoire.
The best way to address negative replies and any critiques are be understanding that not everyone has the same values and outlooks. If there is an instance when you are in the wrong, it is important to be humble and possess the ability to admit when you’re wrong.
Many notable individuals use social media to empower the voices of those who don’t have the opportunity to reach as many people as they could. These notable individuals use their power wisely, by ensuring none of the information they’re putting out there is false, and by being kind and understanding.
Benefits that come with being in the public eye and having a PLN is that there is a source of reputable information you can fall back onto and use as an important resource when needed. You can build a PLN that you can rely on by ensuring that the sources you include are strong and reliable, who have a strong PLN of their own! In order to minimize the risk of sharing misinformation, it is crucial to fact check things before they are said, and to follow all these up with strong references.
Prior to engaging a social media campaign on Instagram for a fundraiser within an environmental education organization, I would work on creating my PLN by following accounts for similar organizations and studying up on how they’ve attempted similar scenarios and engaging with their content. I would also participate in a few workshops and webinars focused on launching social media campaigns and make connections through those spaces.
In order to create the social media campaign, I would focus on posting frequently and consistently on Instagram using interesting photos coupled with fun facts. These posts would pose questions to the viewers asking for their engagement, and would be posted in a count down style to get the audience excited about the upcoming fundraiser.
Currently, my PLN is fairly diverse, as it consists of individuals from a variety of backgrounds. I am learning from many sources, and I am by far not the loudest in the room.
Improving my ability to speak up and share is something I am actively working on, because I know that my insights are valuable and could help others learn. The posts that others in this class shared have helped me understand that sharing my views may be very beneficial for others, and that it is important to contribute to the conversation rather than to just sit back and listen. Hearing from others and understanding their point of view is so important to me and something that I really enjoy doing. I value that I have the ability to soak up the wealth of knowledge from others and formulate my own opinions, but it isn’t fair (nor is it terribly helpful) to anyone else if I am only existing in these spaces as a sponge of information and not using my knowledge and experiences to help others grow.
Diverse PLN’s help to broaden the views of inclusion by bringing contrasting views and valuable insight to the table. There is endless information to be shared between people, and the more diversity that is within a PLN the more there is to learn. I truly believe that the pro’s outweigh the con’s when it comes to creating a more diverse PLN.
This weeks readings also furthered my understanding of inclusion and single handedly broadened my views of inclusion, and I really appreciated how it was described in One Without the Other: Stories of Unity Through Diversity and Inclusion by Shelley Moore and Leyton Schnellert. I thought it was really powerful when they wrote:
“and together we decided that the only way to ensure that there was no ‘other’ was not to make us all wavy, but instead to make us all ‘an other'”
Shelley Moore and Leyton Schnellert, One Without the Other: Stories of Unity Through Diversity and Inclusion
It’s such a simple, impactful explanation for a concept that so many people struggle to grasp. I think that this statement should be shouted from the rooftops for everyone to hear. This reading was very moving for me.
This is the map of what I believe to be my online presence in these spaces.
According to the map I’ve created, it is apparent that most of my use of these platforms is personal, with some overlap to insitutional from Gmail, Instagram, and of course Google Search. The platforms where I find myself as merely a visitor are Pinterest, YouTube, and Spotify. Due to the fact that I only occasionally use these app and lack any engagement/content creation, I feel fairly confident that I exist only as a visitor in those spaces. On the opposite end of the scale, I consider myself to be a resident on Instagram, Netflix, Apple Music, TikTok, Facebook, and Telegram since I engage with other’s content on these platforms frequently and post a fair amount on Instagram.
Networking using social media is a way that people can connect with each other by building and enhancing relationships in ways that have been made much simpler and more common by use of the internet. Social media has helped expedite this process like none other, as connections between people can be made quicker and easier than in the past.
There are numerous motivators that encourage individuals to participate in networked publics, but I would attribute the largest piece in the motivation puzzle to be FOMO (fear of missing out). As the world grows each day, social media is there to document anything and everything that is going on, and no one wants to miss a minute of the action. By using social media to the best of its abilities, people are able to stay up to date with different things occurring around the world on a magnitude of scales. This can range from seeing a picture of your newborn niece in another part of the world and catching up with your loved ones in different time zones, to watching a press release and receiving information about something newsworthy. Other things that may motivate people to participate in networked places include personal gain, such as connections with followers or moving up the social ladder. Every reward comes coupled with risk, and there is plenty of that in public communications. Risks associated with public communications may be comprising your reputation or finding yourself in a situation will less than pleasant individuals. Rewards associated with public communications may be expanding your network and connecting with more like minded people within your communities.
A digital identity is the version of an individual or an organization that is portrayed on social media. The approach to digital identity, whether personal or professional, affects the use of social media in many ways, such as the type of interactions that are occurring. On a personal level, people may be less thoughtful about what they are putting onto the internet, whereas professionals may be more cautious about what they are posting. This could result in professionals censoring the content they post, creating a false depiction of who they truly are. Benefits of the convergence of digital identities can be the fostering of communities that come together to help in areas that need assistance.
The internet is an extremely powerful tool. When used for good, wonderful people can find their way to each other, and incredible things can happen.
Hi everyone! It is nice to virtually meet you all.
My name is Marissa, and I grew up in the lower mainland of British Columbia. I moved to Vancouver Island in the fall of 2016 to start my degree, but unfortunately had to move back to the mainland in the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic. I’m now living in a house with all my sisters again for the first time since I was 17, and it’s been a fairly decent experience.
Once I graduate, my goal is to work in science education to help teach about ocean conservation. I hope that this course can teach me some skills I can take with me into this future career!
I must confess that I did fall victim to the pandemic puppy, but she is wonderful and I can’t remember how I spent all my free time before having her! If you want to read about my views on coffee and see a picture of my dog, you can click here to learn a little bit more on my “About Me” page.