Foster Laycraft

Here is our final project: a Podcast on PLNs and using online tools during the COVID19 pandemic with Kyla, Caitlyn, Ryann and Foster.

You can hear it here, or in the message we sent you on Mattermost. Enjoy!

Social vs. Professional PLN

Throughout my undergrad my PLN has probably doubled in size. I have found that university facilitates meeting a wide variety of people in all different contexts. Even if I just met someone at a party two years ago and we followed each other on Instagram, that connection still exists now even if we haven’t spoken since, and if I needed to, I have a way to contact that person and reconnect. However, this course has helped me to realize that my connections on social media exist primarily in social contexts, as opposed to professional. I think this is at least partly due to the platforms I use, namely Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Using Professional Platforms

While I have been aware of LinkedIn for a long time, I have never felt the need to create an account since I have always felt so far from my professional life. In this course, I am continuing to be more and more surprised by the mention of Twitter with the guest interviews. Almost every guest has mentioned Twitter, and more than one (Mo Amir included) have attributed much of their professional success to connections made on Twitter. Amir specifically went into detail, talking about how beneficial it has been for meeting people, since it is, as he states, “a real social network”. I also liked that he mentioned that using Twitter requires a lot of personal boundaries and restraint, but that with that there can exist a confrontational back and forth that Amir really appreciates. This week’s article talks about how social media platforms are not just tools, but are now whole environments. They say that these platforms are so engrained as a part of our culture that it has become a culture in itself (Guidice, Manlio, et al).

Personal Reflection

I think that this course is making me realise two things: one, that I can start using my PLN to help professional development even though my career as a teacher hasn’t started yet; and two, that in order to utilize social media I need to start utilizing platforms that cater to developing a network of professionals.

Works Cited

“EDCI PODCAST – 2021–10-24 Mo Amir.” YouTube, uploaded by MILLER, 24 Oct. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgoDet6pwaI.

Giudice, Del Manlio, et al. “Chapter 5 – From Information Society to Network Society: The Challenge.” Social Media and Emerging Economies Technological, Cultural and Economic Implications, 2014th ed., Springer, 2013, pp. 71–88.

What is Media Literacy

Media literacy is using media resources in a learning context, and allows students to both learn from and create with these resources (Trilling and Fadel). It is important for students to not just be exposed to the internet, but to learn how to navigate the firehose of information available to them. Also, through learning about media literacy students often will start to develop their own PLN, which allows them to broaden their network wider than just their family, friends, and school. As Julie Smith mentions in her interview, through her PLN she is able to feel connected to people she has never met in person.

Using Media Literacy Effectively

I think that using media in schools can be difficult for some people, specifically those of an older generation, to understand. I really like what Smith said about current society being more visual than literate. This is true, and I think another aspect that the newspaper generation has a hard time understanding. As previously stated, there is so much information available online – and a lot of it is crazy, inappropriate, and incorrect- so sometimes it can be easy to dismiss all media based on the loudest and most outrageous parts of it. But therefore, media literacy is even more important. If we can teach young people how to use an educated lens when engaging with media, then they will be able to use it as a tool to create dialogue on important subjects and connect with people of varied viewpoints.

Early in the interview, Smith mentions that one of the great things about your PLN is that you can curate who you are interacting with, in the context of weeding out people who are always negative or mean. But she is also very specific to say later on that that tool should not be (although often is) used to create an echochamber of affirmation (Smith). She shares that “sometimes we tend to be more interested in what we believe than what is true”, but we need to keep our PLN varied (Smith). The more perspectives we are able to see, the more we will be in a position to make an educated decision on what we choose to believe.  

Works Cited

“EDCI 338 – MEDIA LITERACY with JULIE SMITH.” YouTube, uploaded by MILLER, 6 June 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=57r3-aEnci0.

Trilling, Bernie, and Charles Fadel. 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times. 1st ed., John Wiley And Sons Inc, 2012.

Equality of Information

If everyone has access to the same platform, then everyone has access to the same information. Obviously how people interact with and use this information is completely up to them – or even what information they choose to look for – but it at least creates a level playing field.

Having access to the same platforms not only means everyone has equal access to information, but that everyone has equal opportunity to share their own stories and opinions. Once again, what individuals choose to do with this opportunity is completely up to them. Baker talks about how social platforms have allowed indigenous voices to be put out there. Because of social media, now Canadians have a source to hear about indigenous issues other than a textbook (probably) written by a white man. As Baker says, hearing a story second or third hand often results in a good portion of it being lost or misinterpreted. Now, real stories are being told by authentic sources.

Baker on PLNs

I really liked what Brad Baker said about the importance of a healthy community. He talked about how an ideal PLN can both support each other and challenge each other, and how this comes from healthy and respectful dialogue. I really appreciated this comment, because I think right now people on social media are so afraid to challenge anything or say anything that could be taken the wrong way. But I think when you have a “healthy” community, as Baker puts it, you’re PLN becomes a safe space to explore conversations in a respectful and honest way.

Social platforms in education

As Couros states, educators need to “acknowledge the complexities of learning in the digital age” (115). There are so many different social platforms, and different platforms are beneficial for different reasons. For example, Twitter works really well to spread a short message, and allows people to interact quickly with their PLN- and often expand it. A completely different example is Pinterest, which is a great way to find artistic inspiration in all sorts of areas, but offers little to no space for interaction and dialogue. Despite their differences, both of these tools could be really beneficial in a classroom setting, depending on the class and project in question.

Educators also need to be aware of which platforms will allow their students to connect with the material. I had some teachers in grade school that thought they were being really “cool” when they would create a project that got us to use technology, but it was a platform we had never heard of and would never use again after the project.

Works Cited

“Brad Baker EDCI 338.” YouTube, uploaded by MILLER, 10 June 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5z8iHxW2n4&feature=youtu.be.

Veletsianos, George. “Developing Personal Learning Networks for Open and Social Learning.” Emerging Technologies in Distance Education (Issues in Distance Education), Illustrated, Athabasca University Press, 2010, pp. 106–28.

With the people-centric public media model we are experiencing, the social platforms we use are catered to the needs of the individual (Clark and Aufderheide 58). This means that you get to use your platforms in whichever way best fits you! However, this can get tricky when people don’t take stock of what it is they actually want to do with their social platforms. Often I will be sucked down the social media sink hole and spend too much time aimlessly browsing content I care nothing about. So, this model centered around the individual is great, but it also means it is the responsibility of the individual to check in with themselves and their usage of media platforms in order to best use the resources available to them.

Community engagement is a great way to use your social media platforms. “Social networks are increasingly common platforms for distribution” (Clark and Aufderheide 58). Being able to share good things happening in your community, as well as raise awareness for impactful causes, can be done so much more efficiently when you reach out to your PLN. And I think it is important to note that these two things don’t need to be mutually exclusive. You can talk about good things while also discussing ways to further improve. Too often awareness for social issues is painted in panic and blame, as opposed to the concern and hope I think it usually stems from. Markiel Simpson talked about how instead of yelling at everyone, it’s meeting people where they are at and trying to make productive change. These words really resonated with me, and think it’s something that needs to be put in practice more often.

Another aspect of sharing messages through social media is displayed in Figure 4.2 of the Clark and Aufderheide article. Not every message will appeal (or even be applicable) to every person on the web. But there are different groupings of people that are connected by region, interest, profession, education, common goal, and other categories. Simpson mentions that different posts deal with different subjects, which mean they will appeal to different people. He mentions this in reference to himself as an example, meaning even within his PLN a message he shares may be more applicable to some of his followers than others. But Simpson emphasizes that this is totally normal. It just means to utilize the variation within your PLN you need to amplify your message within its niche. Not all messages will have the same reach, and that’s okay.

Social platforms are a great way to share messages within your many communities and PLN. Users of these platforms will have the greatest success when they remain aware of the intentions behind their usage. Then, users can spread messages they believe are important for their community and share those messages in productive way.

Works Cited

Clark, Jessica, and Patricia Aufderheide. “A New Vision for Public Media.” Media and Social Justice, 2011, pp. 55–67. Crossref, doi:10.1057/9780230119796_5.

MILLER. “EDCI – 338 MARKIEL SIMPSON.” YouTube, uploaded by EDCI – 338 MARKIEL SIMPSON, 2 June 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoDHGaXNNs.

Restrictions and Benefits of Online Tools

Using online tools in the workplace can be really beneficial in terms of expanding your PLN. Interacting with coworkers via social platforms makes it really easy to share contacts and expand networks. Interaction via online platforms also brings with it a level of inclusivity, since you are no longer limited to the people in your physical office. Being able to include voices from remote locations allows for more opinions and perspectives to be considered.

However, like Jody Vance mentions in her interview, it can be really difficult to create meaningful connections without face to face interaction. I think that while online tools can be extremely beneficial, the work that comes out of them won’t be comparable unless they are interwoven with in-person collaboration.

Public Eye Benefits

Social media is an extremely beneficial tool for public figures. Social media platforms have the economic favourability of being able to promote one’s brand. Every like, comment, and share generates free publicity. The larger your followers, the more free promotion you can get every time you share a new idea/project/product. In addition to the free advertising, public figures have a wonderful platform to create awareness and raise money for causes that are important to them. While I see this a fair bit, I think more people with blue checkmarks should be using their platforms to create social change and make a difference in ways that are important to them.

Misinformation and Social Media

Before you share anything on social media, you should take a minute to check both the information and the source. Check what other information the source has shared and what their background is. Then, see if you can find the same information from a different source, ideally one you already know and trust.

For veteran storytellers, or anyone wanting to publish original content on a topic, it is important to have people from your network you trust who can peer-edit and fact-check your work. Find others whose opinions you trust and who are close enough to you that they won’t be afraid to correct or contradict you.

Notable individuals and public figures often have an easier time with weeding out misinformation, since many of them have a team who works on their social media platforms. This means that they can pay someone to make sure information being posted/shared is accurate and comes from a reputable source. Of course, not all notable individuals have access to this kind of outsourcing, but that doesn’t negate their impact. Although anyone interacting on social media platforms is technically in the public eye, the more popular you become the more you need to be careful that what your posting is accurate and appropriate.

Works Cited

Hirst, Martin. Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism. 1st ed., Routledge, 2018.

“Jody Vance – Media Voices.” YouTube, uploaded by MILLER, 6 June 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NnpQJdl0A.

Due to the pandemic, the last year and a half has shown a large shift for many working professionals to working from home. Everyone who has had to work from home, whether it be for 2 months or 18 months, has an opinion on the benefits and downsides. I would create a social media campaign encouraging companies to start giving the option to its’ employees: where employees can choose to work from home or in the office. As Rossotto states in his article, there are numerous benefits to working from home. While this environment helps the creativity of some, it can be really damaging to others.

Prior to creating this campaign, I would start reading other articles similar to Rossotto’s. I also would start looking into social media groups of working professionals working from home, and create forums and polls asking their opinions and preferences. I also would look into companies that are currently giving the option of either at-home or in-office work, and look at the models they are using to apply this to their companies.

Works Cited

Rossotto, Alberto. “Working from home is just different.” Medium, Oct 15, 2021. https://medium.com/@albertorossotto/working-from-home-is-just-different-4817f15df86c

DIVERSIFYING YOUR PLN

This week’s material has made me reflect on my PLN and ways I can diversify it. I would say my existing PLN consists mainly of school, work, and podcasts. I am very active on social media, but I use it almost uniquely for personal/social interaction. I think I need to be more actively searching for new opinions/perspectives to expose myself to, because I genuinely think that the more variety of ideas you are exposed to the more you can form your own educated opinions. Diversity and inclusion in your PLN come from engaging with your network: ask for recommendations on platforms where other people are getting information; ask questions to your community and then actually listen and engage with the answers you hear. But also, I think it’s important to broaden your network – diversify it. Google searches, youtube videos, ‘for you’ pages are great places to start, as long as you are being purposeful like Moore says in the interview. She mentioned algorithms, and I learned a lot about this from a podcast with Tristan Harris. You can’t let the computer do all the thinking for you, because that’s how we get into the loop where “the things that we see are our own perspective” (Moore interview 18:16).  

HOW TO HEAR MORE VOICES

The notion “don’t be the loudest in the room” is a difficult one for me, and I have thought a lot about it this week. I totally agree with the concept, and as I stated I really believe the more perspectives you are exposed to, the better it will serve you. However, I also think (especially in a classroom setting) we must be careful how we are presenting this idea. We are all “an other” as Moore states, and each student comes in with mindsets framed by social constructions and personal experiences (Moore 9).

For example, I am currently in a 400 level French lecture on Monday afternoons that consists of 28 students (22 female and 6 male). After class one day, my friend who I sit next to told me she got bored in class, so she started tallying every time someone spoke in class based on their gender. She showed me her notebook, and the male column had more than double the number of tics compared to the female column. This really got me thinking, and I have started noticing who speaks up in class and when. I totally understand that some people naturally talk more in class than others, and I could write a list of both the men and women in that class that are more likely to speak without being prompted. Yet between the women open to speaking up and the men open to speaking up, often the men will speak first and more often.

I should clarify that I really like this concept regarding listening and inclusion, but perhaps it could be framed in a different way. Maybe we can say “don’t be the loudest in the room, but when you find something that resonates with you, or doesn’t sit well with you, share your opinion on it”.
Because the girls in that class already have reservations about sharing unprompted, and when they do, they try to be aware of when they share and how often so as not to overstep. So, if you tell one of them “don’t be the loudest in the room”, chances are they won’t speak at all.

Works Cited

“EDCI 338 – 20 Minutes Moore.” Youtube, uploaded by MILLER, May 30 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSV0rUl1bA

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

Shephard, Dax. “Armchair Expert.” November 19, 2020. https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/tristan-harris

Based on Prompts

Any time we interact on any social media platform, we are adding to our digital identity. I think people need to be very aware when using social media sites. Often people tend to react to situations online quicker than in person, because the illusion of anonymity provided by our screen gives us a semblance of protection. But as we are learning in this class, the internet’s memory is a lot better than ours, and once we put something out into the void it can be there forever.

Interactions

I responded to @kylapattie ‘s blog post (which I have linked down below). One thing I found difficult with the prompted questions for our responses was the part about suggesting a new social platform. The digital platforms you use in developing your professional learning network is very dependent on what type of profession/field you are in. I tried to suggest a couple of platforms I thought might be helpful to Kyla based on her VR Map and the introduction on her website. However, I fully understand that my suggestions may not work for her and how she uses media platforms, and that is totally fine.

Personal Learning Networks

Networking using social media is a way to connect with other professionals. There are many social media platforms set up in a way that facilitates engagement with your community of connections as well as to create new relationships. This type of networking is useful because it allows your reach to extend a lot further than it would from strictly face-to-face interactions. Social platforms allow quick and efficient engagement not only within your network but branching further to making new connections as well. This kind of professional networking allows you to find outsourcing for a project, advice on career growth, and general support when you need it. Something that got my attention from the readings was the idea that these personal learning networks allow for non-formal learning. When you are connecting with other professionals (within or outside of your field) the conversations and interactions you have with them allows for self-reflection and personal growth – often without you even being conscious of it. In my experience, often the best professional development comes not from formal training but from experience and conversations about your experience.

However, nothing comes without its risks. For social networking, this is the issue of privacy. Conversing via the internet comes with a degree of autonomy that can make it difficult to be sure if you are talking to a credible source. Also, to fully engage with social media networking you often need to divulge a certain amount of information about yourself to allow others to find you and to find the kind of people you are looking for. This ties in with the following discussion on digital identity.

Digital Identity

A digital identity is your online presence. People can have more than one presence online – for lots of people this is divided into a “personal” and a “professional” identity. Even the same social media platform can look very different depending on which lens you chose to see it through. For example, Instagram is a popular social media app used by all sorts of age groups for all sorts of reasons. Using this site in a professional context could look like: showcasing information and updates about your business on your main feed; interacting and collaborating with other local businesses in your area; drawing inspiration and connections with other businesses in your specific field around the globe; generating community engagement through polls on your story a few times a week; and creating free advertising with “share this post” style contests. But the same social media platform can look completely different if used for a personal account. This could look like: posting photos from crazy nights out with friends or lazy mornings with a partner; commenting an inside joke on a photo of a friend; sharing favorite songs or shows in your stories and asking for advice on new ones; following a variety of celebrities, friends, public figures, and businesses creating a unique feed without a theme linking them.

But it should be noted that having separate accounts for your “private digital identity” and your “public digital identity” does not mean that never the two shall meet. Returning to the earlier discussion of the risks of digital communications, people need to be aware that anything put out into the void of the internet can and will be accessible by anyone at any time. Even if you are very careful about who you let follow you in your private account, you still need to be careful about what you post. You never know, for example, who is sitting next to one of your followers on the bus when they happen to scroll past a picture of you in a compromising situation that could affect the perception of your business.

Works Cited

• Boyd, Danah. “Networked Privacy”. Surveillance & Society, vol 10, no. 3/4, 2012, pp. 348-350. Queen’s University Library, doi:10.24908/ss.v10i3/4.4529.
• “Eric Stoller – What Is Digital Identity?”. Youtube.Com, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0.
• Rajagopal, Kamakshi et al. “Understanding Personal Learning Networks: Their Structure, Content And The Networking Skills Needed To Optimally Use Them”. First Monday, vol 17, no. 1, 2012. University Of Illinois Libraries, doi:10.5210/fm.v17i1.3559.
• “What Is A Personal Learning Network (PLN)?”. Futurelearn, 2021, https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/learning-network-age/0/steps/24644.