Month: February 2025

What Are Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), and Why Are They Important?:

I’m fortunate to have many PLNs in my life. I have a large group of people and tools that support my learning by providing me with my various needs. The first example I will touch on are my parents. My parents encouraged me to go to university and find topics that I am passionate about learning about. They have allowed me to continue to live at home, cook meals for me and buy me basic necessities. Their intention behind this is to give me more time to study and learn instead of having to work full time. 

My second group of PLNs are my peers and friends. Most of my friends and I are enrolled in a post secondary program. This allows for a strong level of understanding when one of us feels stressed or overwhelmed. Some are enrolled in the same program which helps with studying and completing projects. My friends do well at always lending a hand whether it’s with academics or mentally. An example of this would be I often study for midterms and exams with flashcards. My friends are always open to quizzing me on my flashcards and vice versa doing the same for them.

Lastly, I will address the tools I frequently use in my learning. I have found many study and learning methods since beginning University. I had a difficult time getting adjusted to what was expected of me and how I would achieve these goals when I began at University. Which led me to find resources and tools I could use. The first one being setting undistracted and uninterrupted time aside to study and complete work. I have always had a hard time staying focused and on track with completing tasks. To help me regulate this I put my electronics away and set a timer for the amount of time I need to focus. I have also found that I retain information best by constantly quizzing myself. I do this by writing out flashcards and using quizlets to help me stay up to date with the knowledge I am being taught. To conclude, my PLN is supported in numerous ways whether it’s by the people or resources I surround myself with.

Social Media Dynamics for PLNs: 

It’s important to interact with posts that you enjoy and are passionate about. In today’s age, it is how much of our news is shared in the world. Sharing your own or others posts helps bring awareness to pressing issues. The interaction of posts affects social media platforms’ algorithms. Therefore, the more attention a post receives the more the platform will advertise the post. They may also suggest similar posts that need attention from users. An example of this is the BLM movement in 2020. The injustice was able to come into light to the public when users began posting about the tragic incidents happening all over the United States of America. Although the movement has been around for a long time, it became more known once the movement began exploding all over apps such as Instagram. The awareness gained on social media was a direct result of many donations, protests and conversations being held and made. 

Posting captivating or interesting photos and artwork will help get the attention of social media users. Short but intriguing captions may help too. Users generally have a short attention span when using the platforms and are just there to keep up to date with world events. If you are able to hook them with a post they are likely to continue doing research on the topic. You can include extra and relevant information on a link attached to the post. This allows users to connect with a community and reach out on ways they can support the cause. In conclusion, there is opportunity for much learning and knowledge to be gained when using social media to support your PLN. 

Long-Term Network Development:

As you move forward in schooling and work your PLN will vastly change and grow. This is due to new goals and achievements needing to be met. It is important to be able to keep up to date with these changes and implement new strategies to help you get over these new hurdles. Creating balance in life is also important to help create a strong PLN. While it’s important to spend time studying and completing homework, it is also important to not constantly have school on your mind. 

There are many activities and hobbies I enjoy participating in outside of school to help relax my mind. Examples of activities I enjoy doing besides school are spending time with friends and family, hiking, running, watching movies, or working at my part time job. These activities help clear my mind and gain new perspectives on how I can do better with my PLN. Although I may not always have time to complete these activities as my work and study load change. I try my best to implement as much as I can as it helps me focus and do better while learning. 

Impact of Social Media on Learning, Academics, and Professional Environments: 

Social media has greatly broadened the world, it has allowed for new opportunities to be introduced professionally and academically. Networking and creating connections has become more efficient and effective. Candidates are able to find information and requirements for positions with a touch of a button. This has also resulted in many remote jobs being created as employers can recruit employees who are unable to make it to the jobsite for various reasons. Social media platforms have helped create a greater workforce for all employees. 

Two platforms I have used to help me find job positions easier are LinkedIn and Indeed. LinkedIn has helped me create connections with professionals in fields I hope to work in the near future. It also has allowed me to be able to announce to professionals on the steps I am taking to help greater my professional career. Indeed has helped to show me opportunities that are available in my community that I may be interested in. The platform pairs your interests and qualifications with jobs they think you will excel at. Through this process I was able to get a marketing volunteer position at a company I admired. The platform made it easy for me as they gave me all the steps I needed to apply with and sent my application on my behalf. Therefore, applying and hearing about careers and opportunities has never been easier. We have social media platforms to thank for this.

PLN Spaces Through Social Media: 

There are many beneficial platforms that can help support your personal learning network growth. I place a strong focus on growing my personal and professional connections on separate accounts and platforms. This is due to the fact that I believe you have different audiences and each audience is looking for you to appeal to them in separate ways. For example, I keep most of my personal life on Instagram and my professional life on LinkedIn. Instagram users are looking for content creators to post exciting and entertaining photos or reels. Followers usually consist of friends and family who take interest in your hobbies and experiences. I have spent much time travelling since graduating high school. From these experiences I have made friends from all over the world. Using Instagram has made it easy to stay in contact and hold up relationships made anywhere. 

Whereas, LinkedIn is mostly used on the basis of employers looking for employees, which means they’re looking for academic and professional successes. This includes posting job experience, schooling, volunteering, degrees and diplomas you may hold. From using LinkedIn I have been able to build various connections with students and professors from the University of Victoria. As well as employers in the Victoria community. Which is vital in creating a strong professional future. Social media platforms differ in the kinds of personal learning networks they target. They all have different features and tools that are beneficial towards a particular segment of the PLN. 

Privacy, Ethics, and Security in Digital Spaces: 

When using social media I’m sure to keep in mind that anything I post is available to the public. I also recognize that my posting may be construed in different ways by people whether that’s in a positive or negative light. I reflect this reasoning in my social media by avoiding controversial posting such as political, inappropriate language or anything hateful. Posting on social media should be viewed as a fun way to express yourself and should not involve anything too serious.

While I believe social media should not be taken seriously, I also recognize that you should prioritize having strong privacy and security behind your accounts. For me, that involves having my account settings private, only allowing friends, family and those I trust to follow me, and lastly only posting content I’m comfortable with. Even with a private account, there is risk to people sharing what you post in other settings. In conclusion, there is no way to 100% guarantee perfect security and privacy while using social media. Following safe media practices and techniques while using the different platforms is the best way to have some level of certainty. 

Inclusivity and UDL in PLNs: 

Creating a diverse PLN means connecting with users of all different backgrounds and perspectives. Being open minded and aware of others thoughts and ideas can help your personalized learning network become rounder. New opportunities and experiences may open up to you if you are able to incorporate a better level of acceptance and respect for people who think differently to you. A personal example I will include is my LinkedIn account. Not all the users I am connected with reflect my values and ideas, but I will frequently spend time putting myself in their position to see if I can grasp a better understanding of why they think so differently opposed to me. This has helped me see the digital world in a more positive light and has allowed me to dwell less on how someone else’s actions and thoughts. 

There are many ways to begin connecting with people through digital platforms, those being, through messaging systems, in comment sections or tagging other users. This will help you begin to understand others’ thought processes and how they come about. Oftentimes users won’t agree with each other but by obtaining a level of understanding behind the background of someone else’s thoughts it can help you gain a more diverse PLN. Having a strong PLN will help support you in your personal and professional life. As it will teach you how to create stronger connections with people of all different backgrounds.

Challenges and Importance of Diversity in Digital Learning: 

Inclusivity and diversity are vital components of digital learning spaces. Students may come from a multitude of different backgrounds whether that’s from different, lack of, or strong foundations of knowledge. Having an assortment of learning pathways that benefit all students is important to ensure everyone has the opportunity to properly learn from a digital space. Incorporating these pathways into your platform can consist of taking feedback, speaking one on one, or testing students to see what works best for them. Students may have suggestions or previous experiences they have enjoyed that they are open to sharing. An example of how you could benefit someone from a different language background, would be to make your digital learning platform available in different languages. There are many tools that allow for languages to be easily converted in this day and age. Small tweaks and changes can make all the difference for those who learn in the ‘typical’ way. Although this may take more effort from the leader providing the digital learning space it ensures everyone is at the same fair playing field. 

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Digital Identity, Personal vs Professional: 

It is vital to keep both your personal and professional identities aligned. Turning your social media platforms on to a private setting is a great first step you can implement. This creates a level of privacy between you and your employer. Users should prioritize only accepting friend requests from those you know and trust. Aiming to keep social media content light and uncontroversial can also ensure your social media presence isn’t misconstrued. Posting political, inappropriate and hateful content can often be seen as ignorant and a diminishing quality when employers are looking to hire. That being said, social media is a form of self expression for many, which is why some may struggle when maintaining a level of digital professionalism. Users who feel passionate about posting content that represents them and their interests should feel welcome to do so. But, should also keep in mind how they are presenting themselves. To conclude, following the previously listed steps I mentioned can allow for your social media platforms to be depicted as personal and professional. 

Digital Visitor and Residential map: 

I believe I fall under the title of digital visitor and digital resident depending on what action I aim to complete online at a specific time. For example I would consider myself both a visitor and resident while using social media platforms. I enjoy posting my own photos and content as well as scrolling through others’ content. I also often choose to comment and like other people’s content but sometimes I also don’t interact with any content and instead just view it. To go into further detail I would call myself a visitor on tiktok as I don’t post on the app or interact with others besides watching their content. On the flip side I would label myself as a resident on Instagram as I am often posting or interacting with others. Whether that’s communicating with friends through their messaging system, liking and commenting on posts, or sending them around. 

This map is due to change with the popularity change in apps. As my peers and friends switch to using an app as a main form of communication, so do I. I enjoy staying in the loop and communicating my thoughts online. For example, my peers and I would use Snapchat as a main form of posting and communication but in the past few years this has switched to Instagram. Snapchat has now switched from being a resident to a visitor in my daily life. This is said to happen with many digital platforms over the next few years. 

Theories of Personalized Learning: 

Constructive and self directed learning are a part of my everyday life. The transition from high school to university has taught me that motivation and setting your own goals is the only way to be successful in learning. Making sure I am on track with assignments and studying has been a huge priority of mine. As well as further diving into research and readings when I don’t understand a concept has helped me achieve greater results in my schooling. Oftentimes I don’t feel that I have properly grasped a concept or idea that has been discussed in class and need to spend time reviewing on my own time to properly understand. University only gets harder as I move along and having these skills are vital for me to continue with my education. 

The aspect of having less support and relying more heavily on personal goals and motivation will continue to grow as I move on in my professional career. Learning new skills and ideas often will fall on me to achieve. With that I need to be aware of how I learn and how much effort and time I have to put into learning to achieve success. 

Privacy, Surveillance, and Digital Footprint Awareness

It is important to practice protecting your privacy and having a respectable digital footprint. Digital footprint is oftentimes viewed by employers, university and colleges, peers, future partners, etc. Our digital footprint plays a huge role in representing who we are in today’s days and age. Since social media is so predominant, we often get our first impressions from viewing others’ accounts and it sets the way in which we view someone. To ensure I am able to keep my social media private and on a positive page, I am conscious of how I interact and what I interact with. I choose to keep my social media pages minimal and when I do post my content is very light. I also make sure that what I am liking and commenting on is appropriate and something I wouldn’t mind others viewing. My accounts stay private at all times and I only allow for my friends and family to follow these platforms. These steps allow me to use social media safely and freely without worrying about how I may come across as negatively to others.