Quinton's 338 Site

EDCI 338 Course Experience

Through EDCI 338, I have had the opportunity to create a reliable PLN. Before joining EDCI 338, my inner circle members were somewhat of an echo chamber, making my opinion, and the others within my PLN have relatively the same opinions. Now, after completing this course, I have had the opportunity to communicate and trust the other members of my PLN. This has really shown me how consistently contributing with the members who I learn with makes an impact on the outcome of my learning. Along with this, I have learned what media literacy is and how I need to question the reliability of my sources. Without knowing your information is coming from a reliable resource, there is no telling if the information you are getting is true. Also, I really liked learning about the importance of having personal and professional social media. Learning this information has really helped me understand how I should only be sharing positive content on my social media accounts. Without filtering the content shared on both personal and professional social media accounts, you can offend others, or potentially hurt your reputation as an individual.

PLN Development & Use of Social Media and Networked Publics

This course has really helped me understand the importance of using a PLN effectively to increase my understanding of topics. Now, I have been able to communicate and collaborate with a reliable PLN through this course on matter most. By collaborating with them, I have noticed how my understanding of topics has increased, and my understanding of course content has increased. This opportunity to collaborate with the members of my PLN is unlike other courses I have participated in and I can honestly say it has increased my learning outcomes. Going forward, I will be focusing on the development of my PLN so I can challenge the understanding of the others within my PLN. As I wasn’t aware of how to develop my PLN prior to this course, I have learned how using social media and networked publics can increase my knowledge.

How I Plan to Use my PLN Into my Next Steps in Life

Taking the newly learned information from this course and putting it into my livelihood is something that I intend on doing. Making sure the individuals I collaborate within my PLN are reliable is one of the first things I will work on. As mentioned before, I find my inner circle of friends are somewhat of an echo chamber, which makes us not have many conflicting opinions. To make sure that I am progressing my PLN, I will challenge the knowledge and opinions of my peers. This will result in a progression of my knowledge along with the knowledge of the members of my PLN. By learning from the opinions and experiences of the others within my PLN, I will be able to expand my knowledge on numerous topics.

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

Throughout this course, I have had the opportunity to communicate and interact with the other members of our EDCI 338 course. Now, as we are wrapping up the semester, I can reflect on all of the areas that I have furthered my digital identity. First of all, it was relieving to see that all of the members within my PLN on matter most were constantly active. Without seeing the members active regularly, I would not have been able to develop a reliable PLN. That is why I made sure I contributed to my group members as I knew that going into the final portion of the semester, members would not want to work with me on the final project. As I was communicating with the members of my PLN, I was able to trust the opinion of my group members, as they trusted me also.

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?

The takeaways from this course are important as I learned so much about my PLN. With that being said, I have always focused on having a positive digital identity for both my personal and professional life. Having a professional social presence will ensure that I am not talked negatively about by my peers, or viewed as a negative influence by future employers. Currently, my PLN has helped me develop a more professional presence. By consistently communicating, I have developed a reliable PLN, which I will take with me throughout my life. Without having a reliable PLN, you cannot trust the opinion of the others you communicate with.

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

I believe that my PLN has become more reliable since the beginning of the semester. I have been more careful of who I communicate with, how I communicate with others and make sure I am contributing in my PLN. As I have been in other courses where there are members who say little to none, I have noticed the importance of contributing in a PLN. Progressing through my career, the members of my PLN outside of school have been helping me progress towards professional opportunities. As they are also highly educated, I can trust their opinion and they can help guide me down a safe professional path.

What is media literacy? Why is it important? Why is it dismissed?

Media literacy is defined as a framework that allows people to access, analyze, and evaluate the information given to them (Trilling, 2012). In our society, understanding the meaning of videos, memes, and other forms of media literacy, as we are surrounded by it on a daily basis. Through media literacy, people are able to express their feelings towards a topic and we are to judge it. Media literacy is important because it can lead to false information a lot of the time. Often, the media is easily manipulated, which makes it hard to really know what information is reliable. This spread of false information is dismissed by our society because it is such a predominant act that happens on a regular basis. So it has become somewhat common for people to be media illiterate.

Why should you aim for varied views but the factual consensus in your PLN?Open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict, why does this happen?

Having varied views within your PLN will help individuals develop a more factual opinion. Without having a varied, reliable PLN, people will be in an echo chamber which means you will only hear one side of a story. Although a diverse opinion within a PLN will require a significant amount of debate, the information learned at the conclusion is really informative. Especially when considering media literacy, people can be led to have false opinions on topics, which can create conflict within a PLN. Despite conflict involving people who are trying to prove their point, you will really be able to get a firm understanding of where they are coming from. This gives people the chance to grow their perception of topics and make new connections with others to comprehend what they have to say.

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

Having a PLN that values media literacy means that you will not be mislead by the information you learn from social media. Having a media illiterate PLN will have negative aspects as you will not have a reliable PLN. Throughout this course, we have talked about the importance of building a reliable PLN, which means the members value media literacy. Having a PLN that values media literacy will avoid the spread of false information and false opinions.

References:

Fadel, C, & Trilling, B,(2012), 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times.

Explore the video provided and reflect on the themes of a PLN in a professional capacity – how does a PLN give power to messaging for an individual or community?

After watching this week’s video, I learned a few things about how messaging influences a PLN. Jesse stated in this week’s video “your professional learning committee is your support system” (Miller, 2021). With that being said, the individuals within your PLN should be there to help you in almost any instance. For example, if I needed an opinion on a blog post I am doing, I could message the learning committee within matter most and get some feedback from my classmates. By messaging others in our PLN, we will not only learn from the teacher, but we will also get information that can be learned from the others within our PLN. Especially in this EDCI 338 course, I know that almost everyone within our PLN is reliable and will give me helpful information when I ask them about the course content. The individuals you work with within a PLN will be the ones that will help you.

Education occurs in so many environments beyond the classroom, how does social media help expand education and associated needed communications?

When doing this week’s reading, I came across a quote on connectivism that really caught my eye for this topic. Veletsianos states that “learning can be managed through the better understanding of emerging technologies and their relationship to knowledge networks” (Veletsianos, 2010). When seeing this quote, it reassures me that social media expands through education associated with communications. As social media influences communications in environments beyond the classroom, this will develop a more complete understanding of a student’s knowledge. For example, in our EDCI 338 class, we are influenced to socialize with our classmates in order to maximize our learning outcomes. Within this course, I have made a few friends who I communicate with outside of matter most to ask them questions on our work. Without social media communications, we would not have the opportunity to learn so much from our classmates and would be stuck getting assignments started.

Community communications go beyond blogs and social media shares, how does a PLN help and hinder the development of thoughts and ideas in education discourse?

When watching the video on Brad Baker, I really liked when he said “[in my PLN] we don’t only support each other, but we also challenge each other” (Baker, 2021). By challenging the members in your PLN, you are pushing them towards new understandings and things they haven’t yet thought of. When participating in community communications, your PLN should be challenging your understandings. The more input the members of your PLN give on that topic, the more you will debate, which will result in a coherent understanding of a topic. On top of this, having a diverse and reliable PLN is the most effective way to get a proper understanding. Without hearing various opinions, there will be somewhat of an echo chamber and you will not be learning anything new.

How does the use of PLN raise awareness opportunities in education?
What is the role of social media in education?

As stated in the previous paragraph, Brad Baker uses his PLN to challenge the members along with support them. Once you have developed a reliable PLN, it is important to give your input within your PLN. For example, Baker uses his PLN to raise awareness for anti-racist movements here in BC. Your PLN can be designed to spread awareness just like this and it is effective as it spreads a positive message to others. The use of social media can also influence awareness as people such as Brad spread the positive messages they have on their social movements.

In education, social media plays an important role. Not only does it allow others to communicate with their classmates, but it gives them the opportunity to spread their message in the way they want it to be perceived. So, when using social media for education, it can really make the message someone is trying to get across effective. Communication on social media also benefits education. As social media has so much information within it, the users will always be able to share their opinion on a topic, as well as share it with others for discussion. This will further develop people’s understanding of what is happening in our society and educate students more.

What are some problems with social media communications in education settings?

As within countless PLN’s, social media proposes problems with communications in education. Not everyone’s opinion will be the same, so people will have some heavy debates on certain topics, especially in an education setting. As we are all trying to get a better understanding of something while getting educated, a topic with conflicting views is bound to happen. Although conflicting opinions may be seen as a bad thing, it can help contribute to a better understanding of a topic. As there is always a few sides to a topic, hearing what either side has to say can help develop a better understanding of that topic. Having conflicting opinions is common within PLN’s, and I know that I argue with the members of my PLN on a daily basis. This has helped me understand the topics I talk about with my PLN members more thoroughly.

References:

Miller, Jesse. “EDCI 338 – BRAD BAKER.” YouTube, uploaded by MILLER, 04 Mar. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy63SmEpvCw.

Veletsianos, G. (2010). Emerging Technologies in Distance Education. Retrieved from https://www.aupress.ca/app/uploads/120177_99Z_Veletsianos_2010-Emerging_Technologies_in_Distance_Education.pdf

Identify the risks and benefits of engaging with a public audience in a media space–what are the risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust (educator, lawyer, government official)?

Engaging with a public audience on social media provides our general audience allows everyone to express their feelings on a topic. When engaging with the public, there are several benefits and risks to consider towards the rebuttal on a topic. When considering the benefits of engaging with the public, it is noticeable how your engagement can build new connections and knowledge on a topic. Getting opinions from people outside your PLN will help you see how they view the topic, and often it will help you get a new understanding of a topic. On the contrary, the risks of engaging with the public can at times outweigh the benefits. When posting content with the public, it is important that the information will not be misinterpreted. Often, when information is misinterpreted by the public, there can be negative feedback given back to the individual from the public.

Public figures in specific need to keep in mind the risks of engaging with the public. As stated by Jody Vance in this week’s podcast, “I am my brand, unlike some people who have to be more cautious” (Vance, 2021). This specific quote tells me how people need to understand their ‘brand’ and understand the importance of being cautious on social media. For public figures, or people in a position of trust, the content you are posting is constantly under a microscope as the content you are sharing should not be intended to offend others. Owning your brand is also important as sharing your opinion on important topics should be kept appropriate and on topic.

How do notable individuals use social media?

Whenever I am using social media, there are always noticeable individuals who use their social media effectively. For example, there are plenty of influencers who pop up on my Facebook and or Instagram on a daily basis that are promoting something or fighting for a notable cause. These people who have been successful public figures are inspiring to me as I myself one day would enjoy being an influencer for the greater good. By using social media in a positive way, people of all ages, races, and gender will support the content you are sharing and you will make an impact on our society.

What are the benefits of being in the public eye and having a PLN?

When being in the public eye in a PLN, there are various benefits. First off, when gaining the trust of the members of your PLN, you will receive positive feedback from the others within the PLN. Some influencers can even get the support of sponsors who will pay them to be a public figure and support their product and or cause. By being in the public eye and having a PLN, it will be noticed that a lot more people will be invading the individual’s privacy as they want to know everything about them. Despite this, a lot of people like being under a microscope and enjoy being a public influencer; I know that I would enjoy a role similar to this.

Building community with online tools provided by the employer can be limiting, what are the perceived restrictions and benefits?

In a workplace, there is always an online community that comes with benefits and restrictions. I know for a fact that at my current workplace, we suggest to our employees that they should refrain from taking photos and or videos in our establishment, especially when they are doing something inappropriate. Our social media rules are not too demanding, but they do in fact require employees not spread a negative message about our establishment. By limiting the amount of social media presence our employees spread about our establishment reassures that our customers will not get a negative message of what we do and who we are.

On the contrary, we do in fact influence employees to spread positive news of Dairy Queen. When they have something positive to say, we actually influence them to spread the news that they received an award within our establishment, or our newest promotions. Along with this, we have a Whatsapp group chat going at both of our stores so our employees hear the latest updates from our managers. Whatsapp also helps our employees talk to each other so they can build a better relationship outside the workplace, or change shifts when they can’t make a shift.

Delivering information in a connected society requires verifiable resources, how to build a PLN to rely on?

Building a reliable PLN is one of the most important things to consider on social media. With that being said, you should always consider where you are getting your information from. Getting information from sources like the news, peer-reviewed articles, and other primary resources is an excellent way to build an educated opinion that can be trusted in a PLN. On the other hand, the information that is often found on social media is not typically accurate. Sources such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc have been proven to not be very reliable as their information is not checked to be accurate. By building a PLN that has reliable information, you first need to be able to trust the others within your PLN. This will develop towards learning vital opinions that can enhance your view on topics.

How do those, who are veteran storytellers, minimize the risk of sharing misinformation?

Making sure that you are not spreading false information is a vital thing for storytellers and everyone to keep in mind. At times, sharing misinformation can be offensive and can ruin the career of individuals. By keeping an eye on where you are learning your information from and doing additional research on that topic can refrain yourself from spreading misinformation. The largest risk of spreading false information is to do with the source. By adding references and showing people exactly where you got your information from, you will be defending your stance and can help avoid being labelled as someone who is spreading false information.

References:

Hirst, M. (2018). Social Journalism and the Gig Economy. Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism. Ch. 6. (pp. 142-143). New York, NY: Routledge.

Vance, J. (February 28, 2021). EDCI 338 – JODY VANCE. YouTube. https://youtu.be/dgZOJgJkdyI

How does social media engage in advocacy communications?

Social media is a tool that allows anyone to express their opinion on any topic. As stated in this week’s reading, “Social Media tools can be used for rabble rousing or for engagement across difference” (Clark & Aufderheide, 2013). This stuck out to me as I interpreted it as you can use social media for pleasure, or to express your voice and hear what others have to say. By engaging in communications on social media, people are able to develop their own PLN as they are receiving input from others online and will consider their rebuttal on the topic. This is why social media is used to “provide information, framing media, and platforms for debate, discussion, and negotiation of contested issues in a democracy” (Clark & Aufderheide, 2013).

How does social media use in public discourse potentially challenge advocacy communications?

Social media challenges public communications in our society. Whether it is for the better or the worse, people consistently debate and try to prove their standpoint on issues in our society. When participating in groups, the content within it is there to be discussed and to hear people’s opinions. When listening to countless opinions on the topic, there is often a conflict of interest as not everyone will align in opinions. When there is a discourse in public communications, this can potentially lead to negative things being said, or even cyberbullying.

Despite social media having lots of positive information, people need to realize that they need to consider the reliability of their sources. A lot of information spread online is in fact not true and can mislead people into thinking outlandish things. This is why it is important to keep a reliable PLN and avoiding conflicts within it.

Does your PLN amplify the views of others?

The intention of social media is “for people to meet, learn, exchange information, and discuss solutions” (Clark & Aufderheide, 2013). So, within a PLN, the opinion of someone will be amplified as others will consider what they have to say. I can personally say that within my PLN, the view of my peers is certainly being amplified. In specific, within this course, we use mattermost to communicate to other students and let them know when we complete assignments, discuss blog posts, etc. With that being said, we are all collaborating and hearing what the majority of our class has to say on a topic. So when I am hearing the opinion of my classmates on mattermost and I hear something that appeals to my interests, I am very likely to listen to what they are saying. This can be positive or negative as people may be expressing their opinion on a topic they are uneducated on.

How to better use social media to Build PLN – Influencers & Commentators

When watching the EDCI podcast with Markiel Simpson, he states that “the biggest help with social media is the networking” (Simpson, 2021). When saying this, he talks about how the input given by viewers on social media directly influences public figures. This is why I always keep in mind that my opinion on social media is always being heard, even if it is a comment on a photo. When using social media to build a PLN, it is important to express yourself in a positive way that is not offensive to the public. As everyone is an influencer on social media, the content you share is always under a microscope. The opinion of commentators in Facebook groups or on other social spaces contributes to your PLN and can be used in a positive way or in a negative way.

References:

Clark J., Aufderheide P. (2011) A New Vision for Public Media. In: Jansen S.C., Pooley J., Taub-Pervizpour L. (eds) Media and Social Justice. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1057/9780230119796_5

Miller, Jesse. “EDCI 338 – 2021 – 02 – 22 Markiel Simpson.” YouTube, 21 Feb. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCSpm1Lx8-A&feature=youtu.be.

How would you create a PLN before engaging a social media campaign on a topic of your choice?

I find that my PLN really helps me learn or comprehend topics better. When doing this week’s reading, I came across this quote that really spoke to me on this topic “A PLN should never be a one-way street. It should be a way for you to help others as well. The more you contribute to your PLN, the more others will want to help you.” (Woods, 2013). The reason this quote from Bianca’s article really spoke to me on this topic is because it is important to know who you are associating within a PLN on social media. Creating a PLN prior to engaging on social media gives you the opportunity to teach others your learnings and opinion on a topic. This also works the other way as they will be influencing you to listen to their opinion on a certain topic. This is why I am aware of the PLN that I am engaging with on social media as certain groups will engage on topics that are commonly discussed inside their PLN.

Building a reputation and trust in a connected culture can be difficult, how are you building a network of individuals who are dynamic, reliable, & participatory.

Building a reliable PLN is an important thing for me. Making sure the members of my PLN can be at times difficult as online I am constantly interacting with strangers. An example of interacting with strangers in my PLN would be in this course through mattermost. On mattermost, I am communicating and collaborating with countless university students who I have never met, nor will I probably meet. Through mattermost and these blog posts, they give me feedback on the content I can improve, and for the most part, I can honestly say I agree with all of the feedback they have given me thus far. By interacting with people who are also university students, I can trust their feedback and input on topics so I can expand my knowledge of certain topics and grow my PLN. From this weeks reading, Bianca said “You never know when an insight from economics, biology, theater, or even something random such as marathon running or coffee bean roasting can help you see things in new ways”. (Woods, 2013). Ensuring the information I am learning within my PLN is crucial as the feedback from a fellow university student will by far outweigh the opinion of someone I bump into on the street.

Are you leveraging healthy relationships from your PLN for growth?

Throughout this semester as I have been actively using mattermost, I have had the chance to create relationships with the members of this course. By actively communicating with the other members of my group, I believe that I have been able to create a healthy and reliable PLN. The reason I am attaining this healthy relationship is that everyone on mattermost has also been active and has therefore shown how they care about our learning as a whole. Without the members of my PLN on mattermost being active, there is no way that I can trust their opinions as I have no way of knowing if they know what they are even talking about. Along with this, it is refreshing to see those members who have been keeping up with their weekly blog posts to see they are keeping up with what is going on within this course.

References:

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, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A348998538/ITBC?u=uvictoria&sid=ITBC&xid=1010abdf. Accessed 28 Mar. 2021.

How diverse is your existing PLN?

Currently, my PLN consists of my inner friend group of my three friends (mainly because of COVID). Among my friend group, I associate with my childhood friends. I have been close friends with these individuals for numerous years now and have lots of history with them as we have all at one point or another played hockey together. Because I have only been associating with this friend group for the last few years, over the past while I have noticed the lack of diversity within my PLN. We have always associated with each other, so we all seem to have relatively the same thought process and are all into the same kind of things. For example, last summer my friends all began getting into dirt biking, so I brought up the idea to my parents. Even though I asked for my parent’s approval on purchasing a dirt bike, they wouldn’t let me get it because it was “too dangerous”. Despite my parent’s advice on not purchasing a dirt bike, I ended up getting one anyway because the members of my PLN were all enjoying dirt biking. I do not regret purchasing that dirt bike still to this day, but it really makes me realize how my friend group is somewhat of an echo chamber. The reason I say that is because all of my close friends are like-minded. When receiving feedback from any of them, I find I always get the same kind of response from them and don’t get a diverse opinion on certain topics.

In your PLN, are you learning from a variety of voices or are you the loudest in the room?

Although I believe that the opinion of my friends shapes me more as an individual than my family, I do value the opinion of my family members and other close friends. At times I can be the loudest in the room in a sense that I dictate what my peers and I will be doing a lot of the time, but at times I have to sit back and hear what my friends have to say. The members of my friend group all share the same interests, so there isn’t a large variety of opinions that I receive on certain topics. With that being said, I do seek the help of my family members and other close friends so I can get opinions that are often not in line with mine. For instance, I really like to hear what my brother’s girlfriend has to say on certain topics because she has a very neutral outlook on some topics and can often point me in a better direction. Often, hearing a different perspective is extremely valuable because it can help me better understand a situation.

Do you participate in a silo of information sharing (similar themes or a wide range of interests)?

In my PLN, I do not participate in a silo of information sharing. Within my PLN, sharing our opinions is gratefully appreciated and we all value hearing what we have to say about other people and various topics. Personally, I find that when participating in an information silo, it is hard to get a firm understanding of who your peers are and what their interests are. That is why I make sure to share my general interests with my friends so they can get a better understanding of who I am. Without sharing more meaningful information with my friend group, I believe that we would not be as close of a friend group and not have the internal connections that we have as a group.

How can you use a diverse PLN to broaden your views of inclusion?

Having a diverse PLN gives an individual a very broad perspective on any topic that comes up. This is why it is important to not be stuck in an echo chamber with such similar views. Without receiving other perspectives, the decisions made by an individual will be in line with the decisions of the members of their PLN. When hearing a different perspective on topics like inclusion, it is really noticeable how everyone will have a vastly different opinion on what is considered normal. This is why I like associating with both girls and boys as we all seem to have various opinions based on our gender. Often, the best advice I have received was not from the male peers in my friend group, but from miscellaneous girls who I have talked to who have a completely different opinion than mine.

In your professional setting of choice, do you think inclusion is actively embraced?

At my current job at Dairy Queen, I work with people from all around the world. There are workers from China, India, Mexico, Brazil, etc that I have the honor of working with regularly. Getting to know these people I will admit is a fascinating experience as they all have such a variety of previous work experience. From working on cruise ships to working in hotels or restaurants, these foreign workers tell me experiences they have had that fascinate me as they are unlike anything I have ever experienced. While working with these people, I have learned the importance of inclusion not only in a professional setting but in our everyday life is extremely important. People should find the need to embrace where they are from and their diversity as it makes them different than anyone else in our society. This is why at Dairy Queen, we make sure that everyone is included no matter who they are and where they came from as they have a valuable opinion.

What is the learning outcome of your PLN and how are you ensuring your exposure to diversity and inclusion?

The learning outcome from my PLN is that I need to make sure that I am not getting caught too much in an echo chamber. As the members of my PLN have all such similar opinions on topics, I find at times that my opinion is being reassured by my 3 other friends without hearing another opinion. That is why moving forward I will make sure to not make such impulsive decisions without hearing another opinion from someone outside my PLN. Having a diverse opinion on topics like inclusion is important to me as I like hearing what other people have to say on the topic at hand. This is why at times I really enjoy hearing the opinion of the employees at my work. Listening to what they have to say about a topic really broadens my perspective of what people think on a specific topic.

How has your thinking about inclusion and PLN evolved after reviewing the videos and readings?

After doing this week’s readings, I now have a more thorough understanding of how inclusion and diversity are directly related to my PLN. I have really learned the importance of having a diverse PLN as getting stuck in an echo chamber is very negative in a way that I am not getting a diverse opinion on topics like inclusion and diversity. Now after learning this information from the readings, I will make sure to always be effectively considering the opinions of people outside my PLN to get a diverse view.

References:

Moore, S. (2017). One without the other: Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca

What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?

There are countless digital platforms that students use to develop their professional networks. Some of those platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, and many other ones. Students use these applications to enhance their professional appearance when online by not only looking professional in their profile pictures but in the way they write and how they are perceived by anyone who stumbles across their profile. Keeping a professional identity when using online platforms is extremely important as anyone can look you up online. For example, I personally limit the amount that I post or share about my private life on my social media accounts. By doing this, I am ensuring that I limit the amount of information that can be found on me, especially if that information should be kept to myself.

Aside from limiting the amount of information that I make public about myself, there is certain information that I do give to people to build my professional network. I regularly update my information on my LinkedIn and Facebook profiles to keep people informed of my general interests and I post appropriate photos of myself. By allowing others to get to know my general interests and sharing limited information about myself, I appear as a nice, put-together young man.

Despite being in school, I work 3-4 days a week where I am an assistant manager at Dairy Queen. Working during school has been difficult, but it has been quite a learning curve as I have found a balance between my work, school, and everyday life. Along with working, I am consistently contributing monthly to my RRSP as I am excited to see what the future holds for me. At times it is hard to give up the money I am contributing to the account, but with time I am certain that it will be all worth the time and effort.

What can you (as a student) consider to expand your professional learning network?

There are numerous ways that a student can expand their professional learning network. The simplest way to expand a professional learning network is by creating professional social media accounts. By creating skillful social accounts, students can ensure that they are being seen for who they want to be seen as. This can be done by making a personal profile that lists all of the qualifications that a student has. Personally, my professional account would be my Linkedin profile; this is because on this network I list my qualifications, what I am interested in, and list my accomplishments. I believe that Linkedin is necessary for all post-secondary students as it is a professional platform that portrays an individuals professional learning network.

In your network, how can you create a digital identity/reputation?

Digital identity is created by everything that an individual accesses on the world wide web. With that being said, anytime you access a website or share a post, it is recorded and contributes towards your digital identity. Creating a digital reputation can work in your favour, or against you, depending on what an individual accesses most frequently. Personally, I make sure that anytime I am sharing a post, liking a picture or posting any content, I make sure that it reflects who I am and what I am passionate about. Although, there is a fine line of what information to be cautious of as a digital reputation can at times be a reputation for all the wrong reasons. For instance, I am careful not to be liking or accessing content that is considered cruel or offensive. On the contrary, doing things like sharing appropriate videos, or liking photos of friends and family is the kind of things that contribute to creating a positive digital reputation. When done properly, you can create a positive digital identity that all will be acceptable for both your personal and professional life.

Consider what a local employer would do if you applied for a job with them – can they search the content, is it of benefit to the career path, does it hinder the opportunity of employment?

Currently, I work at Dairy Queen where I am an assistant manager and am involved with screening applicants. How I help with this process is I search up the social media accounts are given on the resume of the applicant (usually Linkedin or Facebook). By going over these social media platforms, I get a decent understanding of who the person is and at times it can make or break someones chances of getting hired. After viewing these accounts, I will always search their name on the internet to see if any other accounts or information comes up on this individual. When seeing what the internet has to say about someone, you get to know who they are unprofessionally, which at times is vastly different than how they are portrayed in a Linkedin profile. Currently on my resume, I have my Linkedin and Facebook profile attached so an employer can see my qualifications and see that I keep my social media accounts professional.

Not only can there be negative information that you find on people when searching them up online, but at times employers can find information that makes them be more appealing as an applicant. Online, there are sometimes achievements of the individual you are researching on that can make them more attractive to hire for our available position. When using social media appropriately and professionally, there is no doubt that social media is a problem for people. This is why it is always important for students to keep in mind that social media is out there for everyone to see what you are doing , nothing is private anymore.

What is a digital identity?

Someone’s digital identity is determined by their presence online. With that being said, what you post, share, how you are online, how you engage with others, and how you use the online tools is what mainly determines your online presence. Digital identity is your digital footprint and it is assessed by what you access on the world wide web. Based on what you search, view and access, it can contribute to your digital footprint in a positive way, or in a negative way. This is why employers access your digital identity before they meet candidates for jobs as they can get a firm understanding of someone based on their social media presence. Keeping this information in mind is extremely important as it is often easy to impact your digital identity negatively by posting pictures or content that is seen as offensive or negative.

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

When accessing social media, it should be used vastly differently when used personally versus professionally. Personal social media can be used casually as it is mainly used for entertainment, to pass time, to be connected with your peers, and to socialize. The usage of social media personally is intended for friends and family to see what you are up to, what your interests are, and to share information. One rule of thumb for the personal use of social media should be to always make sure that whatever you are posting is reasonable for your grandma to see. Making a fool of yourself online by posting negative or offensive content not only will impact you negatively from your friends and family, but you can also offend others in society.

Professional usage of social media is very uniform as it isn’t used the same way as a personal social media account. When using social media professionally, it should solely be used to connect with others, search for job opportunities, and make a skillful identity. Avoiding posting things such as what you got up to for the weekend, or what your favorite place to go out for drinks is, can keep your profile at a high standard. Maintaining a professional appearance online is extremely important, as it is crucial to not mistake your personal life with your professional life.

How do digital identities converge in networked publics-what are the impacts and/or benefits?

With there being such a variety of social media platforms, our digital identity is determined by what we access and search while on the world wide web. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and various others are known to group individuals with alike opinions. By connecting people with alike digital identities, it creates a personalized learning network (PLN). Often, communicating with others who are like-minded is a positive thing as others can give you feedback on certain topics. On the contrary, having a PLN with individuals like-minded creates an echo chamber. Having an echo chamber in public networks can be negative as at times you will be only getting one opinion. An example of an echo chamber in my personal life is how my inner circle of friends influenced me to get a dirt bike this past summer. By me consistently being around my friends and hearing them talk about how they love being out in the trails, I found myself impulse buying a dirt bike. Even though I knew how my parents were completely against me investing in one, the thought of me missing out on being with the peers in my PLN, I still found myself getting a bike regardless.

Can a digital wallet provide trust in networked publics?

Digital wallets are a new feature on our phones that are becoming more and more common. Personally, I have both my debit and credit card available on my phone to access whenever I need to purchase something. At times, I have questioned the reliability of having a digital wallet as it seems like anyone who picks up your phone can access your cards with the touch of a button. Although at times it seems relatively easy to access these accounts, it is a lot more secure using digital wallets than anticipated.

It is said by the website credit card genius that digital wallets are in fact more secure than using your physical wallet. The reason why it is more secure is because with all cards in today’s society having the ability to tap for purchase, there is little to no security on your cards now. On the other hand, your phone requires you to constantly enter your passcode, or scan your face/thumb to allow you to access your cards. The tap feature can save a lot of time and is very convenient, but if you were to ever lose your wallet, it is necessary to cancel all of your cards as soon as possible. That is another benefit of having a mobile wallet, if you were to ever lose your phone, you wouldn’t have to worry about others using your phone to access your bank accounts.

References:

Stoller, Eric. “What is Digital Identity?” YouTube, uploaded by University of Derby, 25 Nov 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0&feature=youtu.be. Accessed 01 Mar 2021

Personal vs. Professional Social Networks. (2017, March 10). Personal vs. professional social networks. https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/personal-vs-professional-networks/#:~:text=People%20use%20personal%20networks%20to,affairs%20updates%20on%20professional%20networks.

Genius, C. C. (2021, February 5). creditcardGenius. https://creditcardgenius.ca/blog/best-digital-wallets.