Category: EDCI338

Using Your PLN for Growth: Describe how you actively use your PLN for professional growth and learning. What social media platforms have you found to be the most engaging, informative, and able to share resources, seek advice, and collaborate with peers?

I’ve personally found Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to be the most engaging, informative, and resource-rich social media platforms. These sites are driven by collaboration, as comments, likes, and connections cannot take place without engaging with another individual. I like to make an effort to connect with individuals I meet in professional settings to stay up to date on their achievements, and to keep them in my PLN without needing to meet with them in person.

Site	Promotion of Growth & Learning
Instagram	Something that I’ve found particularly valuable with respect to using Instagram in order to promote professional growth and learning is the “suggested followers” feature. When I search for any individual on Instagram, it presents me with dozens on suggestions based off of that individual, suggesting that they likely have a connection to one another. This promotes the expansion of my PLN by encouraging me to connect with a broader range of followers.
Facebook	I maintain a professional presence on Facebook, as I’ve personally benefitted from networking and job prospects from this site. I’ve become friends on this site with individuals from work who hold degrees and roles that I strive to achieve one day. I often find it easier to reach out to these individuals on social media, as messaging can take place on our own time away from the distractions of work. This is also helpful for the seamless sharing of resources, such as links to volunteer/job opportunities or professional development courses. Within my connections to these colleagues, I would have never discovered my passion for clinical social work. Check out this article for further suggestions on how to use Facebook for professional growth.
LinkedIn	Growing connections on LinkedIn are especially helpful when I no longer have a common meeting place when an individual. For example, I co-facilitated a youth support group with a fellow UVic student through a volunteer agency with whom I shared a lot in common. I knew we had similar career goals and she began a program that I was interested in. Therefore, once our program ended, I connected with her on LinkedIn in order to stay informed about how she was continuing to grow professionally, so that I could be inspired to do the same.

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Engaging with Your Community: Think about how you engage with your PLN community. How do you participate in discussions, offer support and feedback to peers, and share valuable content?

I enjoy sharing resources with members of my PLN in order to mutually share knowledge about our field of interest. For example, a friend of mine is beginning her counselling degree and we often share information we find on Instagram about various topics and controversies in mental health. She’s engaging in research focused on eating disorders and their interrelation to maternal relationships. I’ve really enjoyed reviewing her findings and providing suggestions for references for her to consider. Although this is her research, I really enjoy learning about her findings and how I can apply them to my own interactions with clients.

I have a group chat on Microsoft Teams with coworkers who are in the same role as me. We use it as a tool to stay connected to one another, ask for shift coverages, as well as to update each other on professional development opportunities and resources. Recently, a coworker shared an article about how to better support individuals experiencing psychosis, as this is relevant to our position. Additionally, I recently shared the link to sign up for UVic’s upcoming Nalaxone training opportunities. This promotes opportunities for professional growth, as well as encouraging relevant discourse and greater resource sharing.

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Building a Supportive PLN: What steps have you taken or plan to take to build a supportive PLN? How do you identify and connect with individuals with similar professional interests and goals?

1. Consider their reputation: I try to ask myself whether or not the individual is well respected by their peers and approachable before I take the time to reach out to them. I was told by one of my coworkers to never reach out to one of our physicians via email and that she “learned this the hard way”. Although there could be many reasons for that interaction to have taken place, I still noted that I would likely not be making an effort to connect with that individual. Alternately, I’ve had people suggest that I connect with their friend/colleague/family member due to our similar work interests and their well respected reputation.

2. Consider their openness to contributing to learning: There are plenty on individuals who are stretched thin in their careers and simply don’t have the capacity to share resources and advice with others. I completely respect this reality and strive to remain mindful of others’ boundaries by reaching out to individuals who I believe to be open to sharing their knowledge. As an example, after sharing with my coworker that I was interested in UVic’s social work program, she asked about my experiences and goals, and informed me that I could reach out to her in the future if I had any questions. This helped me recognize that she would be a great resource to help build my PLN.

I generally find it easy to identify whether or not an individual shares my passion for mental health and the barriers that exist to receive adequate support. I’ve found it most effective to allow others to freely share their perspectives in order to gauge their authentic opinion. This allows me to decide whether or not they would contribute to a supportive PLN. For example, a newer colleague of mine was discussing the barriers for youth in care to obtain post secondary education and that she was pleased with BC’s initiative to waive their tuition fees and lift the age restriction on this support. I immediately identified with her standpoint and recognized that she would be a great individual to contribute to my PLN. Contrarily, after overhearing a different colleague discuss how she believed that there were plentiful high quality mental health resources to support indigenous youth and that she didn’t understand the need for more, I noted that she may not be as well informed on the needs of our community and she wasn’t someone that could contribute meaningfully to my PLN.

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Expanding Your PLN: What are your long-term goals for your PLN? What strategies will you take to expand your network to include international contacts or experts in specific fields?

I’ve had to opportunity to make connections with individuals from across the world after backpacking through Asia and Europe. Although I still have many of these individuals on social media and will comment on their posts occasionally, I know that I could be doing more to maintain these relationships. A strategy that I hope to implement moving forward is to maintain consist communication early on, so that reaching out for advice on something in particular doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. I used to feel uncertain about contacting individuals for advice even after they assured me they could ask me questions whenever they popped up, and I now recognize the importance of doing so. Ultimately, I’ve found my biggest barrier to expanding my PLN is feeling nervous to reach out, as I worry I could be inconveniencing someone. I’m actively working on this and have been trying to challenge these beliefs by recognizing that I personally love when people reach out to me for advice about work or school, and I enjoy collaborating with them to see ways that they could expand their experience. Therefore, there’s always the chance that others may feel the same!

Diverse PLN Benefits: How does having a diverse PLN improve your learning and personal/professional growth? Share any experiences or examples you have.

Having a diverse PLN has been paramount to expanding my personal/professional growth and overall learning. Connections in my life with individuals with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and barriers have greatly influenced how I interact with others, as well as my worldview. Further, having a diverse PLN encourages me to be mindful of my privileges, broaden my perspectives, and have greater empathy.

A colleague of mine with cerebral palsy relies on automatic doors to enter rooms, as she uses an electric wheelchair. She revealed to me that she had to wait nearly 6 months for accessible doorways within our work building. I was devastated to hear that she had to wait so long just to have her basic accessibility needs met at her workplace, especially working at a healthcare facility. This has caused me to continue to be mindful of the accessibility features in public and private spaces. Rather than waiting for an individual with accessibility needs to have to advocate for themselves, I aim to identify concerns as I see them. This equips me act from a disability informed lens, rather than assuming everyone has the same mobility capabilities.

A friend of mine was sharing with another friend of ours about how she had starting dating someone abroad. My other friend instantly asked, “where is he from?” This immediately made my friend feel uncomfortable, as she had to correct our other friend by sharing that her partner was a woman. Watching how quickly my friend’s excitement turned into discomfort motivated me to ensure I use gender neutral language when talking about someone I don’t yet know. From that point forward, I also made a mental note to use the word “partner” when asking about who an individual may be in a relationship with.

Advantages of a Diverse PLN

1. Promotes inclusive language: Knowing individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, and identities promotes the use of inclusive language. For example, some folks without trans friends or families may not recognize the power of using one’s proper pronouns, as well as sharing their own to promote feelings of inclusivity. Using inclusive language fosters an environment of respect, leading those around you to feel safe and comfortable.

2. Discourages living in an “echo chamber”: When exclusively interacting with those with the same experiences and views as you, it’s possible to fall victim to misinformation that simply validates one’s preexisting ideas (Gao et al., 2023). Conversely, having your opinions challenged with different perspectives can contribute to better learning by providing more varied information.

3. Encourages you to check your privilege: Being aware of your positionality and how it may benefit you is important for personal and development growth, as it contributes to an understanding how others can be disadvantaged without such positions. This article and embedded video illustrate the reasons for which many struggle to see the positions of others. I found it important, as it relays the basics of equity, and encourages inquisition in relation to one’s privilege.

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Creating an Inclusive PLN: What steps can you take to ensure your PLN includes various voices and perspectives? Think about actions you can take to promote inclusivity.

I believe it’s crucial for me to reflect on whether I’m inadvertently contributing to a lack of continued diversification within my PLN. I believe it’s important to ask myself whether or not I’m interacting with individuals out of convenience, and consider why I’m not putting in more effort to diversify my PLN. I find it especially easy to connect to those who are close in age, within my field, and extroverted. Consequently, many of the people within my PLN share these attributes.

There are various ways I can provide opportunities for voices and perspectives that may diversify my PLN, including:

• Branching out from my work bubble. I could make a greater effort to connect with colleagues not within my field or department.
• Asking questions to those who may otherwise not feel sharing on their own, in order to foster feelings of comfortability. These may be individuals who are shy or are newly learning English and are hesitant to start conversations.
• Making a greater effort not to always gravitate to someone simply for sharing similar outward qualities.
• Continue to use inclusive language. When someone hears another use exclusionary language, they’re unlikely to feel safe around that person. Thus, when I use inclusive language, I signify to others that I am an ally and that I respect them/their voice/their perspectives.

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Challenges of Inclusivity in Digital Spaces: What difficulties have you faced, or do you think you might face, in making your PLN inclusive? Consider ways to overcome these challenges and build a supportive and inclusive PLN.

Many of the digital spaces in which I exist are inherently exclusionary. There are specific barriers that exist to access and engage with these spaces, therefore making it challenging to keep my PLN inclusive at times. I’ve noticed that an individual I knew from high school provides image descriptions on his Instagram posts and closed-captioning in his videos, as he is both blind and an advocate for inclusion. I greatly admire this feat of inclusivity and strive to make similar adjustments to my own content.

The algorithm on various social media platforms shows you content that you’ve previously engaged with and shown interest in. This means you’ll likely continue to encounter the same kind of content unless you make an effort to seek differently. I would consider the content I see on TikTok very curated to my specific interests, such as mental health. There’s one creator in particular who ends up on my feed frequently who goes by the username @TherapyJeff. I watch many of his videos, meaning I’m likely to share them or the information they contain with members of my PLN. As previously mentioned, solely engaging with those with the same view as you, especially on social media, increases your risk of falling victim to misinformation (Gao et al., 2023). This likely encourages me to seek information that validates my previously held beliefs and share it with people I believe will agree with it.

How to Promote Inclusion →  The nature of algorithms and follower suggestions can actually be used to diversify my PLN. For example, I can see videos from anyone with a public profile, not simply those I follow. This means that even if I put in minimal effort, I can engage with a variety of perspectives, broadening my PLN. By following hashtags that represent diverse communities, I can directly access content from different voices, enhancing my network. For example, when exploring content about mental health, I can search for perspectives that reference intersectionality and how racism, sexism, and ableism can nuance discussions related to mental illness.

References

Gao, Y., Liu, F,. Gao, L. (2023). Echo chamber effects on short video platforms. Scientific Reports. 3(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33370-1.

Research on Social Media and Learning Communities: What topic did you research from the task above? What social media platform did you use, and what learning communities did you find? Be specific.

Our group decided to begin researching the astronomy community on TikTok. We were initially debating between the astronomy community on YouTube vs TikTok, but after a few searches, it became clear that there was an immense amount of easily accessible content on TikTok. We noted a user called Astrokobi, who appeared to be a significant contributor to this community, often replying to questions posted by users. Something that really drew me to this community was that many learners spark meaningful conversations in the comments, and when the poster of the specific video didn’t reply directly to a question, other members would join in to share their knowledge.

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Building Your Personal Learning Network (PLN): What social media platforms do you use or plan to use to build your personal learning network (PLN)? How do platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, or Youtube help you connect with others and stay updated?

The social media platforms I use to build my PLN the most are Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin. Being intentional with digital PLNs is key, and it’s important to remain mindful of our goals for creating them (Gray, 2019). Consequently, I aim to continue to remind myself of my motivations for engaging in online PLNs.

Linkedin is undoubtedly useful for gaining employment, however Instagram and Facebook may be underrated platforms for gaining employment as well. As stated in this article, Facebook is a valuable vocational tool, as it allows you to showcase your social media skills, professional accomplishments, and connect with potential employers or companies simply by “liking” a page or sending a quick message. I’ve personally successfully made content with companies by doing the same. Further, a friend of mine beat out many competitive applicants for a position at a professional marketing agency with nearly no experience due to her Instagram presence. She took a risk to set herself apart from other candidates by sharing her highly popular “meme” account, which had nearly 100,000 followers. This gave her employer sufficient evidence that she had the skills to successfully market to large demographics.

Here are some examples of how I have already built or plan to build my PLN through social media:

Facebook: Given that Facebook appears to be a more accessible platform across generations, I’ve found this to be a great place to stay connected with older relatives and coworkers. I’ve recently reached out to an old coworker who is involved in my field of choice and who used to work for the program I’m hoping to attend. Through Facebook messenger, I was able to give her a call and ask for advice about how to improve my credentials and get into the field. She provided invaluable insight that I likely would have not been able to receive without Facebook, as I didn’t have her contact information and she didn’t have any other social media accounts.

Linkedin: In addition to maintaining a positive digital presence on this platform, it also helps me keep tabs on the professional lives of those within my PLN. For example, I was looking at an old coworker of mine’s account and I noticed she began volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Kids Help Phone. I messaged her and we were able to connect about her experience, and she was able to get me into contact with one of her supervisors. Ultimately, I ended up volunteering with both of these agencies and I believe they’ve played a big role in helping me gain similar paid positions in the field.

Instagram: This site has helped me stay in touch or reconnect with people I wouldn’t otherwise be able to, due to proximity or simply convenience. For example, an old friend of mine from high school posted a picture on her Instagram story of herself studying at UVic and I could see in the corner of her laptop screen that she was taking the same class as me. I responded to her story and we confirmed we were in the same class. Due to the nature of the 200-person lecture hall, we would’ve otherwise been unlikely to notice one another in the class. We were able to connect, help each other with homework, and even plan future courses and program applications together. This exemplifies the idea that by spending more time interacting on a social media site, the easier it is to strengthen your digital relationships (Gray, 2019).

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Protecting Your Information and Ensuring Ethical Behaviour: How do you protect your information and ensure ethical behaviour in your PLN? Discuss any security measures you take to keep a safe and trustworthy digital environment.

Site	How I protect info:	How I ensure ethical behaviour:
Indeed	I keep my profile as “unsearchable”, meaning it cannot be viewed unless I have submitted an application. I ensure the workplace I’m applying to is valid by looking up the company to see if their Indeed profile matches their website.	I ensure my engagement on Indeed is ethical by not curating false content. This means all of my workplaces, achievements, and credentials are accurate and verifiable.
Facebook	My profile is private, meaning although my account is searchable, posts cannot be viewed by non”friends”. I’m mindful about limiting my friends to only those I know personally and I’m quick to block accounts I believe have been hacked.	While not overly personal, all of the information I post on Facebook is accurate to the best of my knowledge. My workplace, educational institution, and hometown are not falsified. Further, I do not spread unverifiable news or information, usually limiting my non-personal posts to Go Fund Me’s from individuals I know personally.

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Privacy Concerns and Online Participation: Do/How do privacy concerns affect your willingness to join online communities or share information?

Noting the nuances of online privacy is paramount to feeling at ease when posting on social media. I personally try to remain mindful of the privacy risks I face when posting online, however there are many considerations which I don’t often think about. Regan and Jesse (2019), note several key concerns regarding online security of which I will choose a few and explain my own experiences:

Collection of information: This information is meant to be obtained minimally and with full user consent. When I join online platforms, I’m almost always required to affirm that I’m aware that my information is stored. This is usually in the form of checking a box at the end of paragraphs of fine print or by clicking a “accept all cookies” pop up box. I find myself annoyed with having to mindlessly consent to these, however I always promptly accept them and move on. Ultimately, this doesn’t deter my willingness to join an online community.

Anonymity: Users are meant to have the option to remain autonomous in choosing whether or not they wish to remain anonymous. Social relationships and algorithmic searches become used as data points, making efforts to remain anonymous increasingly challenging. This is something that greatly influences my willingness to join online communities. I often err on the side of caution when creating a username with my first and last name, as I want to ensure I’d be comfortable being found by anyone in my life. I’ve used sites such as Grad Cafe and Reddit to gauge program acceptances, as well as others’ experiences at schools. I keep my interactions minimal and respectful, however I use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity, as I’d likely feel embarrassed if admissions communities were able to view my anxiety-fuelled questions to fellow members.

Ownership of data: This pertains to the question of whether one is entitled to their own data/contributions or if it actually belongs to the site. For example, when I or others in this course use pictures in our blogs, we cite the author of the image in addition to the site name (often Unsplash) in order to credit the owner of the image. Although signing away one’s rights to the ownership of their data via a quick click is commonplace on most sites, ethically, I believe that the creator of the content is the actual owner of the information. Similarly to the collection of information, this is something that annoys me, however it doesn’t deter me from joining a platform or online community, as it’s necessary to engage in the site I need to build my PLN.

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References

Gray, K. (2019, May 15). Leveraging social media to build a digital PLN. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/leveraging-social-media-build-digital-pln

Regan, P. M., & Jesse, J. (2019). Ethical challenges of edtech, big data and personalized learning: twenty-first century student sorting and tracking. Ethics and Information Technology, 21(3), 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-018-9492-2

How do you present yourself on social media platforms for personal use?

I undoubtedly present myself differently depending on which social media platform I’m using. There are several factors I try to consider when I post on social media:

1. What are my privacy settings?
2. Who is following me on this account?
3. What is my goal with this post?

The main social media platforms I have used are FaceBook and Instagram. I monitor what I post on each of these platforms through different degrees of diligence depending on how I believe they are impacted by the questions above.

FACEBOOK: I generally consider FaceBook to be the social media platform in which I present myself the least “authentically”. My reasoning for this includes, being able to be searched by anyone, including potential employers and landlords, grandparents, and coworkers. My privacy settings are insubstantial, as I make a conscious effort to present myself somewhat professionally. This means that I sacrifice presenting myself in a way that conveys my real personality. Although my FaceBook account is technically for personal use, I maintain a degree of professional identity on the site by limiting the information I share and only posting respectful images.

INSTAGRAM: As I maintain a private setting on Instagram, I’m more lenient with my posts on this platform. I have control over who I allow to follow me, which makes me feel more comfortable showing more humourous aspects of my personality. I also have the opportunity to remove and block followers seamlessly, limiting the number of people my posts can reach. Thus, I post on Instagram more for fun and with greater ease. 

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

With respect to digital identity, it’s important to note that overall identity formation is socially created, encompassing the behaviours, beliefs , and knowledge of those around us (Ferreday, Jones, & Hodgson, 2006). When applying this to social media use, we can infer that social norms influence how we express our digital identities. Since there are specific social media sites that are intended for professional and/or personal use, individuals often conduct themselves according to the platform they’re using. Therefore, one may consider implementing their personal digital identity on a site, such as TikTok, differently from how they would use a professional digital identity on LinkedIn.

Examples of how different digital identities can influence the use of social media platforms:

Professional Digital Identity

LinkedIn: Grammar, language, and tone are highly intentional. Digital identities are created on this platform specifically in order to seek employment, thus encouraging curated and professional profiles. Profile pictures are often headshots or professional-looking photos. FaceBook: To maintain professional boundaries, users may choose to limit sharing personal interests. Users may be less stringent on privacy, as they may only be using the app to showcase positive aspects of themselves.

Personal Digital Identity

Instagram: To promote a positive personal digital identity, users may share images of day-to-day life, including friends, family, and travelling. One may choose to keep their profile private or choose a username that isn’t their first + last name to maintain privacy. TikTok: The user can share content that represents their personality more authentically. They can post videos as means to express themselves, demonstrating talents, telling stories, or collaborating with friends. Users can feel more comfortable sharing personal content when using a private account.

Looking ahead, how do you plan to manage your digital identity as social media continues to evolve?

I find myself becoming increasingly uninterested in posting on social media, and I imagine this will continue as time goes on. By posting less frequently, I hope to maintain a degree of privacy; however, I recognize that consistency in posting is necessary to maintain positive digital identity for professional purposes. Therefore, I will mainly post for the purposes of adding to my positive professional digital identity and limiting my engagement on personal social media accounts. I plan to do this by posting content related to my academic and vocational achievements on professional sites, such as LinkedIn.

My clinical colleagues often choose to use social media pseudonyms in order to be inaccessible to patients in non-work settings. Many of them use their middle names as their online last name, still keeping themselves accessible to coworkers who know them in real life. I plan to do the same to protect my privacy when I become more established in my career. As social media continues to evolve, I will continue to guide my choice of content by asking myself the same questions I do on current platforms (see content under my first header).

References

Ferreday D. Jones C. R. Hodgson V. (2006). Dialogue, language and identity: Critical issues for networked management learning. Studies in Continuing Education, 28(3). 10.1080/01580370600947389