Category: edci338

As one’s PLN is situated among the broader PLE, one has to realize that our PLE in today’s context carries and covers more than it used to be while “our experience is formed in part by the virtual reality brought to life through digital networks” (Del Giudice, 2014, p. 78). Realizing that there are more opportunities and as well as challenges that may be brought by engaging in online communities is the premise for one to utilize a functional PLN for both personal and professional life. Previously I held a strong sense of insecurity towards my online presence, as it could lead to unpleasant experiences. Now I think I have to commit that that sense of insecurity always exists in both virtual and real-life experiences, and realizing its existence is rather the appropriate starting point for facilitating a functional PLN.
My previous experience with social media leans toward personal use, and my purposely limited presence leads to a no-community online status and further keeps me restained. I was always annoyed by “unprocessed” opinions showing up in front of me. Now that I know I can intentionally treat my PLN as a learning tool, not only limited to watching actual lectures online but also building connections with others. Just as Hermida (2014) says, people pay attention to other human beings rather than social media platforms. The line between interactions online and offline is, in a sense, blurred as social media becomes the normal part of our lives, as to how the concept of the digital divide develops toward e-inclusion (Del Giudice, 2014).
In my reflection on this course, I can see that my PLN has the capability for professional use, and to look from the bright side, I am now aware of it.

References

Del Giudice, M. (2014). From Information Society to Network Society: The Challenge. In: Social Media and Emerging Economies. SpringerBriefs in Business. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02490-5_5

Hermida, A. (2014). Telleveryone: Why we share & why it matters. Doubleday Canada.

• Explore the video provided and reflect on the themes of a PLN in a professional capacity.
• Which social media platforms are beneficial in education?
• When working with the vulnerable sector, how does social media fit into professionalism and regulations?

I think a PLN is helpful as it brings more opportunities for understanding and positive interactions within one’s professional community. As Baker mentioned, one’s professional learning community is also a support system, as it allows healthy challenges and understanding among the members based on respect. People bring their own stories and are able to hear from others, and understand others on the basis of authentic experiences – from the source of information to the PLN that allows them to see and absorb the information, PLN is surely functional and effective in expanding the one’s professional capacity.

I think popular social media platforms can all be beneficial in education if used with care, as utilizing PLE to build connections can be more important than the learning content (Wheeler, 2010, as cited in Martindale and Dowdy, 2016, p. 129). I would consider YouTube and Twitter to be the most up-to-date ones.

Social media platforms after all do provide chances for voices that used to be ignored/unheard to be present in front of the public, and it also provides opportunities for professionals to get to know authentic, first-hand stories before reacting to or mitigating problems. As PLN expands the capacity for professionalism, it also provides alternative spaces to better understand and maybe relook at the regulations. As discussed during the lecture, it is about being aware of information that keeps updating/changing in an online environment, and PLN acts as a space for people to communicate and update ideas/information.

References

Martindale, T. & Dowdy, M. (2016). Emergence and Innovation in Digital Learning: Foundations and Applications. In Veletsianos, G. (Ed.), Emergence and innovation in digital learning: Foundations and applications (pp. 119-141). Athabasca University Press.

• Identify the risks and benefits of engaging with a public audience in a media space Consider what the risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust (educator, lawyer, government official) may be?
• Include in your blog, how to best address negative replies and critiques reflective of your personal values and employer’s social media policy?
• Consider in your writing how open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict, why does this happen?
• And please include thoughts on the benefits of having a PLN that values media literacy?

I think the primary benefit for someone in a position of trust to meet the public audience is that their voices and ideas will be more accessible. Not only do the netizens want to join the online world simply because of the technological advances nowadays, but they may also want to reach out to reliable sources. The ones in positions of trust will be more likely chosen if one is looking for what they see as trustworthy, the sources of “fact-finding”.

In addition, I think the broader audiences could, at the same time, be the primary risk for them. As far as I know, not everyone cares about how they may present themselves online. That means critiques may either be cogent and reasonable or simply negative words floating around the online environment. I think the first thing to do addressing negative replies is to measure their content and (to a degree) selectively respond with respect and stay honest. Wider audiences will come with numerous ideas, and interacting with them could be time-consuming – another reason for responding to the negative ones selectively.

I would say that there are many ways of creating the conflict between media literacy and factual information, among which the “structure and economics of social platforms” (Hirst, 2018, p. 84) is a major one. The commodified “clicks, views, likes and shares” push the mass production and attention gained of low-quality content over high-quality ones, blocking people’s fact-finding journies online (Hirst, 2018, p. 82-84). Factual information, as a result, is undervalued for its neglect of profits. I have followed a zoologist whose series of short videos (as he fits in the realm of social media) are all about widespread false/fake knowledge about animals. I doubt if the correcting videos gained more views than the original ones that earned a lot yet delivered nonsense to their mass audience. As he gained more viewers, a lot of his audiences began to be the ones correcting false/fake information since they learned and remembered from watching his videos. I think that is a way to enhance and facilitate the existence of factual sources online while building a community.

Having a PLN that values media literacy is benefiting both the individual and the audience since valuable content will be delivered more effectively, as a result, the interactions within the community will be more efficient – and it will be more accessible to a potential broader range of audiences.

References

Hirst, M. (2018). Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315401263