edci338

Networking in social media differs in professional settings than in private settings. One of the biggest takeaways I learned from this course is creating and shaping an appropriate public social media image to best realize one’s professional interests. I finally decided to start my professional networking on Twitter this year because of this course; although not much information has been presented in it, I have to start somewhere.
For my personal use of social media, I have been more aware of the presence of media literacy. I became more aware of how news and apps like Tiktok could mislead users by using baits for commercial and political interests. Though some of us may be very conscious about what’s happening, our growing dependence on these sources of information would eventually change our ideas and the way we look at things.
The article also gives advice on being a good digital leader. It encourages leaders to think of anything from the perspective of “we” instead of “I” in teamwork. It also reveals the necessity to create awareness and engagement to realize the best outcomes. I would say communication and the patience to clarify are essential in any kind of teamwork.
I also learned that expanding and diversifying our PLN could eliminate personal bias and stereotypical views. As the article indicates, social relation is the key to any success. My next step is to build connections with more experts in the education field by networking online via emails and tweets. I would also use Uvic’s Co-op portal to participate in events and workshops to gain experience and insight while seeking job opportunities.

Reference:
Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success & Influence Ch. 16 Qualman, Erik – Empower Others https://learning-oreilly-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/library/view/digital-leader-5/9780071792424/ch16.html#ch16

Consider how you can use the PLN interactions of this course to further your digital identity post-term.

Mattermost serves as a professional and appropriate social media platform that helps me learn and communicate with my class this semester. What I’ve learned from the communication in the Mattermost is that I have to take the initial position to start a conversation in order to make everything else possible. At the beginning of the semester, I was a bit passive and timid about sharing my blogs with the class; and I would always read what others say in the group chat instead of participating. Looking back, I’ve lost many valuable opportunities to share my thoughts with my peers to produce better learning outcomes for all by creating a beneficial and competitive learning environment. In the future, I would actively and consciously use PLN interactions to get involved in communities to build a more accessible digital identity.

What does it mean to have a digital identity in your industry of choice, and can your current PLN be used to help professional development post-course?

I plan to start a career in education, and I’ve learned that having a digital identity becomes a necessity as education could take place online. Education is no longer limited to time and space, and it could even continue in challenging situations like the COVID-19. Realizing how the internet provides educators numerous learning resources, we must learn to make use of them. Professor Jesse Miller is a great example that I could follow. He invited many guest speakers to address issues and share their thoughts related to our topics during the course. I used to think of learning materials (e.g., textbooks, articles, videos and etc.) as learning resources, and he changed my mind. From another perspective, I learned that I need to connect with more people to diversify my PLN. My current PLN is mainly informative; it consists of academic articles, book reviews, and other learning materials. To achieve the professional development post-course, I must connect and include more human resources in my PLN.

Oliveira mentions the crucial notion of “collective intelligence” in the article. As the instructor, I will be responsible for the learning materials that the students will access in my class, and this learning process requires the media literacy and collaboration of both of us. (Oliveira, 450) Oliveira defines media literacy as “the ability a person has to perform, effectively, tasks in digital environments – including the ability to read and interpret media to reproduce data and images through digital manipulation and evaluate and apply new knowledge in digital environments.” (450) In my opinion, media literacy should be viewed as the ability to adapt new sources of information and identify the information’s validity. The development of this ability is crucial for every learner because the internet has already become our main source of information.

Additionally, as you progress through the steps of your career, can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?

I still have to work a lot on my current digital identity to make it a possible aid in my future professional career. At the moment, my PLN could give me a kickstart in my future career, but it is not mature and fully functional. This year I aim to network more to expand my PLN to better prepare myself for professional opportunities.

Reference

Digital Identity of Researchers and Their Personal Learning Network – Digital Identity, PLN, & Conclusion pp. 469-475 Oliveira N.R., Morgado L. (2014) UVIC LIBRARY https://tinyurl.com/yz82x2ly Link- Springer https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-07485-6.pdf

– What is media literacy?
Media literacy is the ability to distinguish true and false information perceived from media. The establishment of digital identity relies on media literacy since it is the most fundamental and essential skill that enables individuals to construct their digital identities.

– Why is it important?
Julie Smith mentioned a common dilemma called “2+2=5.” (3:00) By using this dilemma, she refers to the situations when internet users draw wrong conclusions from false information from media sources. Though it may seem apparent that 2+2=4, users may arrive at erroneous conclusions because the media sources have become complicated and numerous in recent years. Moreover, Smith argues that users tend to believe in the news that they find naturally agreed because the choice by design implants in human nature. (19:44)

Besides the subjective problem of human nature, we also should be aware that news industries are business firms that aim money as an end goal, and thus, news feed people what they want to best generate its financial outcome. (21:50). Taking the example of Donald Trump’s election as the United States government, his political and leadership competency did not account for his election success. Instead, it is the popular American culture that prefers a brave and somewhat distinct political figure that helped Trump secure his presidency. (25:50)

– Why is it dismissed?
Besides personal subjectivity that could misguide individuals and prevent us from arriving at accurate and valid information from media sources, fear comes in the first place when the media has gained momentum in social life. Parents were worried about kids being exposed to online information. (9:55) Instead of fear, I would argue that we need to adapt to this change, especially in circumstances as it becomes inevitable.

What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?

Having a PLN that values media literacy would lead to respect for others’ digital identity as well as yours. Though media resources could complicate the learning environment, students can also benefit from them. By learning how to use media resources and media creation tools, students could create communication products that enhance the learning experience. (Trilling, 2012)As we learned that news is not an objective reflection of reality, developing media literacy skills could help us understand how the media impacts our society and develop the necessary skills to accommodate it. (Trilling, 2012) By accepting changes and embracing media literacy, I hope it could positively affect young people in online learning and communication.

Reference:

Media Literacy – Facts Matter – Course YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/Z_T9RghwJlI

21st Century Skills – Learning for Life In Our Times Trilling, B & Fadel, C – Digital Literacy Skills – Media Literacy Chapter 4 pp.66 https://learning-oreilly-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/library/view/21st-century-skills/9780470475386/fade_9780470475386_oeb_c04_r1.html

This week we touched on PLN in education. This topic excites me since I aim to develop a professional career in education. Mr. Brad Baker talks about how his local and international PLN encourage him to speak up his voice. Leading positive figures such as Mrs. Walker (15:08) and Learning Forward Institution (16:17) provide him with examples and encouragement to take a stand for his community. A crucial question that professor Miller post is whether exploring indigenous and racial struggles in the classroom could leave Mr. Baker vulnerable. This question raises my awareness because I have the same concern. As an international student who may hold different understandings of culture, history, and values compared to my students, I worried about my words could leave me embarrassed and vulnerable, and thus I often tend to skip or go easy on controversial topics such as racism. However, Baker’s claim, regarding “vulnerable as growth.” (13:05), really altered my opinion. It’s apparent that individual struggle is challenging, and thus support from one’s PLN becomes necessary. Baker argues that his PLN provided him true stories in fixing the misunderstanding about indigenous people being unadvanced people. Another unneglectable function of PLN is to connect learners with society.

In the article 21st Century Skills – Learning for Life In Our Times, Trilling indicates the lack of social interaction is the most common and severe consequence of distance learning. (63) In my experience, my passion for learning has declined since Uvic shifted classes online as COVID-19 took place. I contribute the declination of my grade and interests in learning to the lack of interaction with my professors and classmates. To be honest, sometimes I would even question whether I am still attending university. Students’ learning patterns could easily fall into the category of passive learning as interaction diminishes. As Trilling argues, untimely feedback from the instructors is another problem (63), and it could also result in passive learning. In this case, Mattermost plays as an essential social media platform to eliminate these problems. Mattermost allows students to communicate with each other and create active engagement; it also makes communication with the professor less formal and more personal and accessible; although I would argue that it couldn’t replace social interaction in reality. Professor Miller indicates that fewer students are active this semester in this course which I regard as inevitable. At the moment, social media indeed improves students’ engagement in courses, but it couldn’t reverse the momentum of student’s inclination toward passive learning as time proceeds.

Reference

Media Literacy – Facts Matter – Course YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/Z_T9RghwJlI

21st Century Skills – Learning for Life In Our Times Trilling, B & Fadel, C – Digital Literacy Skills – Media Literacy Chapter 4 pp.66 https://learning-oreilly-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/library/view/21st-century-skills/9780470475386/fade_9780470475386_oeb_c04_r1.html

Social media has become the dominant source of news. In the article, Hirst states that newspapers, televisions, and other traditional media channels are longer popular; social media and online video platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Youtube have become the dominant powers in the media industry. When I first learned about the “Tweet President,” Donald Trump, I really took him as an entertainer and considered his acts unserious and unprofessional. However, after being challenged by EDCI 338, my views started to change. Trump was a successful businessman who has a large PLN even before he was elected to the U.S. President. After becoming the President, he used Twitter to expand his PLN by tagging and interacting with other political figures. The use of social media amplified his voice, and he earned much political support. However, it is evident that his acts on Twitter also attracted much hatred and controversies. The use of social media as a mainstream of news could be devastating in this situation. Public natural trust in governmental officials such as the President could lead to trust in misguided information. Though one could argue that traditional channels also operate on a political basis, I would say that social media reduces the difficulty of entering the media industry. In other words, everyone could be a reporter or a writer on social media. It becomes harder to distinguish between real and fake news, which is mentioned as “The New Media Crisis” in Hirst’s article. Jody Vance also reflected this change in the industry, and it has brought up challenges against her.

To resolve the trust crisis of new media, the solutions lie under the definition of media literacy. Hirst defines media literacy as taking responsibility individually and collectively. Therefore, I would argue that individuals should develop the ability to distinguish fake news and authentic news. (e.g., identifying publishers, cross-checking multiple resources, and considering potential political means) On a collective level, I do believe a more strict and constructed surveillance department is necessary for the new media industry. A trust system should be established to support authorized publishers. The establishment of such a system of an institution can also reduce vicious competitors, who often use fake news to attract audiences in the new media industry.

 

Reference

Vance, Jody & Miller, J. “EDCI 338 – 2021 – 03 – 21 JODY VANCE.” 03 Mar. 2021. doi: https://.youtube.com/watchv=dgZOJgJKdyl&feature=youtu.be
Hirst, M. (2018). Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.4324/9781315401263

I believe establishing a diverse and inclusive PLN in social media could benefit both the individual and society.

Establishing a more diverse and inclusive PLN implies expanding one’s PLN and accepting difference. It could be differences in competence and skills in professional fields or differences in personal identity such as race and nationality. As stated in Media, Democracy, Human Rights, and Social Justice, public communication in democratic societies is dominated by governmental, corporate, and public relations. In the long term, the monopoly of media could result in an uncompetitive environment of the public voice. (Jasen, 1)

Moreover, it could lead to the marginalization of minority cultures, races, and individuals. Ever since the human has entered the era of information, communications and connections between entities became more transparent and convenient. However, I would argue that social media in the context of globalization and the age of information could misguide us and offer us a limited and stereotypical view of the world. We are much limited to live in our comfort zone in real life as well as in social media, and we tend to select people, culture, and interests that we are familiarized with. There is nothing wrong with our inclination of our self-interests, but I believe that this inclination could bury the seed of prejudice in the long run. By the time you are so used to your carefully selected social media content, you have already become exclusive and biased in a way that you weren’t even expecting. Thus, reflection on one’s social media diversity is crucial to limit personal bias and stereotypical views.

Furthermore, I find myself developing competencies and skills while expanding and diversifying my PLN. In a beginner French course that I took at Uvic, the instructor forced the students to form different discussion groups in every class to practice French dialogue, and it was uncomfortable initially, but my views started changing as I was engaged with people from distinct backgrounds. Among my classmate, there was a guy from Jamaica. He helped me develop my French oral and listening competency through practicing dialogues because French was an official language of Jamacia. Besides, we became friends, and we shared many objectives. As Markiel Simpson states in the video: common objectives in PLN can promote better outcomes.(4:20) My Jamaican friend brought me his homemade Jamaican lunch and introduced me to their food culture. Our passion for jazz music inspired us to conduct a music project in the course. Through this experience of expanding my PLN, I had a better grasp of Jamaican culture and its people. Jamacia for me is no longer a name for a country in a history textbook, it became the culture, the music, the people with flesh and memory. The first step to approach a more justice world is to expand your PLN and get to know those from distinctive backgrounds. By diversifying our PLN, we not only could develop professional experience, but we also gain personal growth that enables us to shape a better world around us.

Reference

Media & Social Justice http://ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/login?url=http://www.palgraveconnect.com/doifinder/10.1057/9780230119796 CHAPTER 4 A New Vision for Public Media Open, Dynamic, and Participatory Jessica Clark and Patricia Aufderheide

Community Communications, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCSpm1Lx8-A

Launching a successful campaign on social media requires a well-constructed PLN planned ahead. I would argue that the process is similar to creating an online discussion group subjected to interest. At the beginning of January this year, I wanted to create a reading club to push myself to read more and create a space for discussion that can open my view. Before starting the club, I first went on Twitter and initiated a few topics related to reading. By communicating with some of the participants, I invited them to join my online reading club on Wechat. I believe that common interests are the most crucial in creating online activities. As initiators, we can use social media platforms to express and promote our ideas to attract those who hold similar beliefs. Being the one who takes a stand also demonstrates your leadership in others’ eyes, which is essential in launching campaigns. Ask and listen are another set of tangible skills in establishing a successful campaign. Woods also suggests that it is also worth trying other social media and technology that you may not be familiar with.

Reference

Woods, Bianca. “Building your own PLN: seeking new insights and ideas? Expand your personal learning network.” T+D, vol. 67, no. 11, Nov. 2013, p. 70+. Gale OneFile: Business.gale.com/apps/doc/A348998538/ITBC?u=uvictoria&sid=ITBC&xid=1010abdf.

In my perspective, I consider my PLN diverse, but I have remained relatively inactive within my PLN. Since I major in French literature, I spend most of my time reading and exploring literature, philosophy, and history. Although I participate in a silo of information sharing events, I tend to listen to others without expressing my ideas. Besides necessary communications in team projects, I prefer to study and ponder alone. Consequently, I shaped a passive learning pattern as time passes. Therefore, when I was concerned when I first heard about inclusive learning from the videos. I was afraid of bringing my passive learning habit into my future teaching as an educator. 

In the video, Moore argues that inclusive teaching is to teach based on the recognition of “we are all diverse.” She also stresses the importance of volunteering will in inclusive teaching. Her point really strikes me, and I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes, teachers could unintentionally ignore students’ motivation and experience in designing and exercising curriculum. She talks about her regret of forcing her students to participate in a pep rally for an inclusive purpose, yet the students were not motivated to participate. Most of the students do not know their purpose of attending school and thus feel less motivated when forced to attend events. Teachers could start with encouraging students to discover their talents and strengths. Moore argues that the focus on strengths instead of deficits is the key in teaching to diversity. (Moore, 9) It also allows teachers to know the students better. 

After reviewing videos and readings, I learned that I need to motivate students to explore their interests and strengths. Only by recognizing students’ talents and diversity on a volunteering basis, teachers could build an inclusive environment for learning. 

 

Reference:

Moore, S., Miller, J. (2021, February 07). EDCI 338 A01 Week 5 A Conversation with Shelley Moore. February 14, 2021, YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGx0ejnMLVc&feature=youtu.be

Moore, Shelley. One Without the Other: Stories of Unity Through Diversity and Inclusion, Portage & Main Press, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/lib/uvic/detail.action? docID=4832579.

While doing the VR map, I started to discover my PLN pattern and platform preference. I never really thought about my learning strength and weakness in PLN because learning online is not like learning in reality; I could not identify and analyze my learning habits and the consequences directly and concretely.

Firstly, my PLN pattern appears to be visitor and highly personal. I tend to avoid interactions with others even when I conduct institutional learning. I prefer to work alone and decide my learning and working objectives on my own. For example, I rely on the Wechat ebook and local library for personal development; and I often choose the Uvic library database when I need to work on my essays.

Google docs, Mattermost, and Gmail are my last options when cooperating and communicating with others in team projects. However, realizing that I lack communicative and cooperative skills, I now start interacting with others this semester. I believe it is necessary to separate one’s professional social platforms from the personal ones. I felt strained and stressed that I could not upload personal posts on my personal Instagram account because I also added my colleagues. Studying and communicating on Mattermost is a new experience for me. It’s highly professional and interactive, and my digital identity is shaped by my blog posts and communications with others. I do not need to worry about my privacy and identity as much as on Instagram. Therefore, I started attempting to keep my professional Wechat account separate from the personal one. It became easier to manage my different digital images because I was more aware of the difference.

Digital image weighs heavier and heavier in employer evaluations as technology advances. An unrespectful and unprofessional digital image can count against our interests and damages our careers. On the other hand, a respectful and professional digital image may make us more competitive and elevate our careers. Building a digital image requires time and consistency, and I would argue that one should start doing it as soon as possible. Meanwhile, we also guard our privacy more attentively. The Privacy and Surveillance Quiz conducted by UBC indicates many online activities that could invade one’s privacy and shape one’s digital identity, which one may not be aware of, including public wi-fi, blogs, and even gaming. Our online traces cannot be easily deleted and erased completely, and therefore we need to always be mindful in managing our digital identity and image.

 

Reference:

Privacy, Ethics & Security in Digital Spaces Developing Awareness of Privacy https://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/quizzes/privacy-and-surveillance/ Regan, P., & Jesse, J. (2019).

What is a digital identity?

Digital identity is the information of registered users on digital devices. Eric Stoller regards digital identity as one’s presence online. (Stoller, 0:06, What Is Digital Identity?) Digital identity is not limited to the preferred, and ideal image of yourself set up by you; it also contains and involves your online footprints and interactions with others. The emergency of social media accelerates the registration of digital identity for the mass. (Spracklen)

How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?

Personal use differs from the professional use of digital identity in social media by the users’ responsibility. In personal use of social media, self-digital identity is usually established by one’s subjective preference of one’s image. An individual is only responsible for his/her image and conduct. For example, I have to use my Twitter account under legal restrictions, meaning that I cannot and should not spread terrorism or other behaviors that are directly or indirectly harmful to others and society. Professional use of digital identity involving managing others’ digital identity. Governmental and business of digital identity are representative examples. Enterprises and states have digital identities just like individuals; however, they represent individuals’ digital identities and interests and their entities simultaneously. In the Medical Service Plan in B.C., the B.C. government has a professional digital identity. It is responsible for the privacy and interests of its registered users.

How do digital identities converge in networked publics? What are the impacts and/or benefits? – Can a digital wallet provide trust in networked publics?

Individuals’ digital identities merged in the network publics by interacting with others or establishing professional connections with corporations and states. In this process, corporational and national digital identities are spontaneously shaped and formed to best collect and utilize resources. As Manyiki argues, “digital identity could benefit individuals with the convenience of registration, education and economic benefits,” (Manyika, 26:14, World Economic Forum). Evidently, corporational and state corporations can escalate the benefits of the involved individuals; however, privacy remains an issue. Ratas indicates stable and reliable corporations at national levels require trust, transparency, data security between states. (Ratas, 28:55, World Economic Forum) Only trustworthy networked publics that operate under the proper supervision of the state can guarantee trust between individuals when using digital wallets.

 

 

 

Reference:

 

Davos 2019 – Press Conference The Value of Digital … World Economic Forum, 6 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-V7lyxrOmw.

Eric Stoller – What Is Digital Identity? – YouTube. University of Derby, 26 Nov. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0.

Spracklen, Karl. “Identity-Making and Social Media.” SpringerLink, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 1 Jan. 1970, link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137405876_6.