Weekly Blog Posts – Sarah Lang-Gould

July 29, 2025

Personal Learning Network: Building Meaningful Connections

Online Personal Learning Networks by EdTech 4 Beginners

Expanding My Learning Network Through Social Media

A Personal Learning Network (PLN) is a network of people you connect with for the purpose of learning and growing. These connections, whether personal, academic, or professional, support your development in many areas of life. Often people build their PLN through social media. The platforms I use most for my PLN are Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and Facebook, These tools allow me to connect with others, share ideas, and learning from different perspectives.

In my own life, I’ve built a PLN across multiple apps. Instagram is the one I use the most and where I have the most connections. I use it to stay in touch with old tennis exchange students, join group chats for school assignments, and share videos with my roommates. Snapchat is more focused on close friends and smaller group chats. LinkedIn is where I connect with people related to my career goals, school and professional opportunities. Facebook is mainly for staying in touch with family, friends abroad, and teams like my volleyball team.

Instagram is the platform where I follow the most people I don’t know personally. It is also where I discover the most inspiration for things like baking, sports and other hobbies. I use it as a space to learn from creators and communities outside my direct circle, which has helped me expand my perspective and add new ideas to my own life.

Some examples of influencers that I follow are:

Username/Account	What I’ve Learned From Them	The Content
@faithsfresh	New recipes, and baking tips	Baking and recipe insipration
@hollyb_fitness	Workout routines, meal prep ideas	Fitness and healthy lifestyle motivation
@reneenoe	How to stay motivated in running, balance daily routines	Everyday lifestyle and running inspiration
@jessconte	How to incorporate faith into daily life, and maintain a positive mindset	Faith, music, lifestyle
@emmaraducanu	Discipline, hard work, competing at a high level	Tennis and motivation
@rogerfederer	Grace in both winning and losing, tennis motivation, leadership	Tennis and motivation

A glimpse into my Personal Learning Network by Sarah Lang-Gould on Canva

I created this collage to share what a typical feed on my instagram looks like.

My Favorites

Roger Federer Inspiration: Here is a video from Roger Federer’s Instagram that really inspired me.

Faith’s Fresh Recipe: This is one of my favorite recipes from Faiths Fresh Instagram, it was super simple to make and very delicious.

Benefits of PLN

There are many benefits to building a Personal Learning Network (PLN), especially in a digital and social learning environment. One of the biggest advantages is that it allows for personalized learning; you can choose what, how, and when you want to learn based on your own interests and goals (Oddone, 2022). Personal Learning Networks also give you access to a variety of perspectives by connecting you with people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise. This helps expand your thinking and exposes you to new ideas. Another benefit is the social support that comes from being part of a learning community. It can be motivating and encouraging to share experiences, ask questions, and learn alongside others (Oddone, 2022). A PLN creates opportunities for collaboration, helping you work with others, share resources, and create new content. Overall, a PLN encourages self-directed learning and makes learning more engaging, flexible, and meaningful (Oddone, 2022). Below, I’ve added a video that does a great job of explaining what personalized learning is. It highlights how this approach helps adapt to each student’s individual needs to make learning more effective.

Why Diversity in a Digital Space Matters

Diversity in digital learning spaces is essential because it ensures that people from different backgrounds, cultures and identities are being seen and included. Without representation, many learners can feel isolated and their experiences are left out of important conversations. When I first noticed how powerful the #MeToo movement was, it hit me that sharing lived experiences can change minds and create safer, more understanding communities. Similarly, when Simone Biles opened up about her mental health struggles it showed how important it is for people to see someone they admire being honest about challenges. If we only ever hear one story or perspective, its easy to feel left out. However, when digital classrooms and online networks include people from all backgrounds, we learn more and are more likely to speak up for ourselves. That’s why diversity is what makes learning spaces real, relatable and inclusive.

Importance of Diversity

creates space for different perspectives
leads to better problem-solving and innovation
makes people feel seen, heard and respected

Appreciating Diversity by **Seda Unlucay**

Cho et al. developed a framework for social media literacy that highlights the need for people to not only access and understand online content, but also to critically evaluate and reflect on how it shapes our beliefs (2022). Digital platforms often reflect dominant perspectives and without awareness, this can reinforce exclusion and bias. Inclusion in online learning spaces is very important and we need to become more conscious of the decisions we make online.

References

Cho, H., Cannon, J., Lopez, R., & Li, W. (2022). Social media literacy: A conceptual framework. New Media & Society, 26(2), 941–960. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211068530

Oddone, K. (2022). The nature of teachers’ professional learning through a personal learning network: Individual, social and digitally connected. Teaching and Teacher Education Leadership and Professional Development, 1, 100001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tatelp.2022.100001

July 22, 2025July 22, 2025

My Digital Identity: Balancing Personal and Professional Online Use

Introduction

How you present yourself online can have a lasting personal and professional consequence. Everything that gets posted online can be shared and saved between people and is there forever. Whether you are posting a story while on vacation or sharing a work update on LinkedIn, your digital identity speaks for you. An important question when thinking about your digital identity, both personal and professional, is: How do we balance the two sides? It is important to find a good balance while staying true to who you are.

Personal vs. Professional Digital Identity

What is Digital Identity?

Digital identity is an individual’s presence online. It is the trace they leave behind when using any website or platform. This identity can be either hidden or public, and how you choose to present yourself often depends on the app or site you are using. Digital identity can show up in many different forms, like an Instagram profile or a username commenting on a Reddit post. Most people have several digital identities across different accounts. For example, I use my Instagram account mainly for close friends and family, so I keep it private. On the other hand, I use LinkedIn for future jobs and employers, so I leave that account public. I also change what I post depending on who I know will see it. I share more personal things on Instagram, where only close friends can see, while LinkedIn is more professional and work-related.

How Do I Differentiate Between the Two?

I keep my accounts separate based on how I use them. I also change my privacy settings. On Instagram, my account is private and people have to request to follow me. I have attached below a helpful video that shows how to change your Instagram privacy settings if you want to make your account more private.

Privacy settings

Think before you post

It is also important that every time I post, I think about who I am posting for and who follows me. Even if my account is private, I still stop and think before I post anything. When I post on LinkedIn, I think more about what future employers might think. On Instagram, I might post something more casual since it’s just for close friends. I found a great poster that uses the word THINK to help you decide whether to post something online. It includes five questions you should ask yourself before posting. This is a good reminder for both personal and professional accounts.

THINK Before You Speak, Write or Post – BStrong Together — Photo by Kyle Kick on Be Strong Together

Why Boundaries Matter

Maintaining boundaries online and ensuring that my online presence aligns with my personal and career goals is important. It’s important that I keep personal and professional digital identities separate because they serve different purposes. Without boundaries, it can lead to misunderstandings, privacy issues, or even missed opportunities. My identity reflects who I am in everyday life, my interests, sports and relationships, whereas my professional identity shows my skills, experience and goals. Keeping them separate helps me make sure that future employers see a version of me that aligns with my career path without mixing in content that’s just meant for family and friends. By setting clear boundaries, I can protect my online reputation and stay focused on my goals. It allows me to be myself while still being mindful about what I post and who sees it.

My Digital Visitor and Resident Map

The visitor and resident model is about thinking about how we interact and use different websites and apps. It looks at how we behave online and the trace of ourselves that we leave. A visitor is someone who goes online and leaves little to no trace of themselves. An example would be searching something up on Google and you don’t log in, but just search something up and leave. Residents have a visible presence online that stays over time. Creating content and interacting with others online are examples of what a resident does online that makes them visible. Below is my digital presence online based on how I use apps as a visitor or resident and if I use those apps for professional or personal use.

Platform	Visitor or Resident	Purpose
Instagram	Resident	Stay connected with friends and post photos of my favourite places or people.
Good Reads	Visitor	Keep track of books I’ve read and find new reading suggestions.
Snapchat	Resident	For daily communicate through photos and videos and groupchats with multiple friends.
Google	Visitor	To search for information quickly.
Pinterest	Visitor/Resident	For inspiration, ideas or saving crafts for future use.

Seeing where each app falls on the visitor/resident scale helps me understand how I present myself online and where I leave a digital footprint. It also reminds me why boundaries are important on the different apps that I use.

As I grow and my personal and professional goals change, I think my digital visitor and resident map will also shift. Some platforms I currently use for personal reasons like Snapchat and Instagram, might become less important to me over time. I have already started to notice this change as fewer and fewer people I know are using these apps regularly. I think apps like iMessage and WhatsApp will become more dominant in my daily communication, especially for staying connected in more private and direct ways. I also expect to become more active on professional platforms like LinkedIn, depending on what field of work I go into. When I begin to think about jobs after university, I know LinkedIn will be more useful, especially if I go into a business-related career. My online presence will become more focused on professional networking, and that shift will naturally affect how I use and prioritize different apps. I believe I will also encounter new apps for these different uses, and these will appear in new ways on my digital map.

Conclusion

Creating a digital identity that reflects both who I am personally and who I want to be professionally takes thought and balance. Through the visitor and resident model, I have been able to see how my online presence shifts depending on the app and its purpose. It is important to know who I’m sharing with and why. By keeping my accounts separate, adjusting privacy settings, and thinking before I post, I’m learning to keep my privacy while still being authentic online. Understanding my digital identity helps me set boundaries, stay focused on my goals, and build a presence consistent with my reputation that represents me both now and in the future.

July 15, 2025July 21, 2025

My Learning Journey Through Social Media

Introduction: About Me

Hi, my name is Sarah Lang-Gould, and I’m in my third year of Psychology at the University of Victoria. My educational journey has been a mix of in-person and online learning. I’ve learned a lot not only through school, but also through the different people and communities in my life like sports, school, and social media. In this post, I’ll share how I’ve grown as a student, how social media has played a role in my learning and friendships, and how I try to maintain a positive presence online.

About Me

My Educational Journey

When I was in high school, I found the move to online learning really hard. Without in-person classes, I had a hard time staying focused and motivated. I learn best when I am in a group with students talking through the material. I found it challenging to just listen to a teacher online and not have a chance to interact with the material with students. When I started university here in Victoria, I really enjoyed my Psychology lectures. It was challenging at the beginning to adjust to the amount of studying I needed to do, but once I found friends to study with, it became easier to learn. I joined the volleyball and tennis teams at Uvic, which really helped me meet new people and expand my personal learning network. Meeting people through school and sports had a big impact on me, not just socially but academically. I have learned a lot both inside and outside of class through these different social groups.

Competing at the Uvic Invitational 2025 with my doubles partner.

Social Media and Learning

Social media has influenced my life in both positive and negative ways. It has helped me stay connected to international students, siblings, friends, and family members. One of my favourite parts of social media is being able to connect with people who live far away. Social media has also been challenging. I sometimes struggle to keep up with the fast pace of social media and the pressure to always be active. In high school, it was hard to see posts about events I wasn’t invited to, and that feeling of comparison made it tough. I didn’t have social media when I first started high school, which made it hard because that was a main way that everyone was connecting outside of class. Once I got social media, it became a way to make friends and stay included.

Social Media During COVID

During COVID, I used social media a lot for learning. I found guitar tabs, recipes and workout routines, and that showed me how social media is not just for connecting with friends, but it can actually be a great way to learn new things. When we talked about this in class, it really made me think more about how social media can be educational, not just social. It helped me realize that I’ve learned a lot through platforms like YouTube and Instagram, even if I didn’t always see it as learning at the time.

In the article we read this week about the 10 different types of social media, I learned about the many different ways people use these platforms. I realized I use a bunch of them, including:

Instagram – for a social network
LinkedIn – for a professional network
Pinterest – for bookmarking
Snapchat – for video sharing
Goodreads – for an interest-based network

Each of these is a part of how I stay connected and learn outside of school.

Link to the above article: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/types-of-social-media

My Digital Identity

My digital identity looks a little different depending on the platform. On Instagram, I mostly post pictures of what I am doing, like trips, nature, or hanging out with friends. I am private on Instagram, and so these are posts for my friends and family. On LinkedIn, I try to be more professional, since this platform is directed towards school or future jobs. I have not used it a lot yet, but I know it will be helpful down the road.

Even though my social media accounts are private, I still remember that anything I post can be seen by others. I try to keep my posts and comments positive and kind, and I don’t say anything online that I wouldn’t say in person. Social media can become a negative place when people aren’t careful, and I want to be someone who spreads kindness and encouragement online. As a student and someone preparing for a future career in mental health, it’s really important to have a digital presence that reflects who I am and what I care about.

Conclusion

Looking back, I’ve realized how much my learning has been shaped by both my connections with others and the ways I use social media. From struggling with online learning in high school, to joining teams and study groups at Uvic, to learning new skills through social media, I realize all the different ways I’ve grown. I’ve learned that how I show up online matters, and that I can use digital tools in a way that reflects the person I want to be in school, friendships and the future.