EDCI 338 - Marissa Waddell

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Personal Learning Network and Inclusion

October 12, 2021 / / 1 Comment

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.

Networking & Digital Identity

October 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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.

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