My name is Brooklyn Restell, I was born and raised in Victoria BC. Currently I am enrolled in my second year of the social sciences faculty but that is subject to change shortly. I’m taking this course as I hope to pursue marketing as a future career and believe that the information in this course will benefit me. Social media plays a critical role in marketing today and I hope this class will add to my social media knowledge!
Topic 1, social media and its role in education: Social media can be a very useful tool in education. Younger generations are constantly online which means targeting social media platforms can help capture their interest and get students more involved in their learning. An example of when I have found social media especially helpful in my learning is in group projects. Younger students tend to be able to strongly connect and communicate on these platforms which helps with the creation of projects. Unfortunately there are some faults associated with using social media in education such as cyber bullying, misinformation, and inappropriate content. When social media is used correctly it has the power to outweigh its faults and can provide students with great benefits.
Topic 2, Personalized learning and digital literacies: Personalized learning keeps me motivated as it allows for me to not lose focus and continue to deep dive into my interests. An example of this can be seen in my course selection as I am able to pick classes that are of interest to me. by being invested in the content in my courses I am able to produce better work which allows for me to do well in my field of choice. Digital literacy is important in todays world as many career paths and jobs are turning digital. An example of this as a University student is being able to properly work Bright space. This includes knowing where to find class information, how to register for classes, take quizzes, pay tuition, etc.
Topic 3, Digital identity and online presence: As I previously noted in topic 2 many jobs are now going digital. This also means employers are hiring their future employees digitally, when you are being hired employees often will do a background check on you. It is important to make sure your social media accounts are appropriate and look kindly on you. It is also beneficial to keep your accounts on a private setting. For me this means, not posting everything I take part of online. I tend to keep my social media light and fluffy, and post content that can be seen as positive.
Topic 4, Navigating and using online platforms ethically: It can sometimes be frustrating to try and use a new platform, but I’ve found I am able to use my previous knowledge from navigating other social media platforms and apply it to the new one. There are often similar tools and settings in these multiple platforms that make it easier to learn the ways of each platform. As previously noted in topic 3 I feel it is vital to keep my content light and fluffy. That being said I also feel there is importance in sharing what you are interested in. As it can allow you to connect with a similar crowd of people and create new relationships. As long as social media is being used positively by creators it can help spark community online.