Month: February 2023

How would you create a PLN prior to engaging in a social media campaign on a topic of your choice? Consider how you would introduce yourself to others consider how you would engage in initial conversation to generate interest in your campaign professionally.

In order to create a PLN prior to engaging in a social media campaign, I would recommend first researching and looking at existing communities surrounding the topic. Choosing the right platform to reach a niche audience is essential if the topic is niche. For example, one of my hobbies is building custom mechanical keyboards and in this hobby, I was a designer for custom keycaps. To market the keycaps I was trying to sell, I created posts on both Reddit and Geekhack because they were the best platforms to reach out to users in the hobby. The platforms enabled me to connect with a network of individuals who were also interested in the hobby and my product, resulting in its overall success. When introducing myself to others, I would talk about my background and how I relate to the topic. It is crucial to sell yourself and build rapport if you want to campaign professionally. Afterwards, I would ask them questions about the topic at hand and their background and see where our interests align. Keeping in touch with the community is also important as trust is built over time and is something that can not be rushed. Communicating and hearing the story of the individual is crucial to building a PLN with dynamic, reliable, and participatory individuals.

Explore the videos provided and reflect on the themes of a PLN in a professional capacity

Some of the themes that are reflected in the video are social media, privacy, and ethics. Social media plays an important role in developing a Personal Learning Network (PLN). Being able to connect with people online through social media is crucial in developing a PLN as we live in the digital age where a large population of individuals are on social media. With social media, the theme of privacy and ethics came up in the videos. These two themes go hand in hand, with the privacy you should be aware that everything you post online can be used against you in the hiring process. So you need to make sure that your privacy settings are set so that unfavourable posts are not viewable by employers. In addition, you should have ethical practices, and make sure that your posts, methods of advertising, and connecting in a professional setting are ethical.

Which social media platforms are beneficial in education?

Most social media can be beneficial in education. For example, Facebook can be beneficial in education by allowing the user to join specific groups that promote learning. In my personal experience, when trying to learn a new language I like to join a language learning group which makes it easier to find a conversational partner. Especially with learning a language, having a partner to practice a language will help accelerate one’s conversation knowledge of the language. Even after spending several months studying textbooks and workbooks, I felt that I only made real progress after finding someone to talk to on a regular basis. YouTube is another platform that is beneficial to education, there is a lot of free educational material available on YouTube that can be better at explaining a topic better than classroom lectures. In some of my Math and Physics classes at University, I watched a YouTube channel called The Organic Chemistry Tutor and found that his explanations helped me tremendously in picking up a topic.

When working with the vulnerable sector, how does social media fit into professionalism and regulations?

The privacy settings on social media should be more robust when working with the vulnerable sector. For example, in an elementary school setting, teachers should limit students’ exposure and reframe from posting personal information or pictures to social media unless there is parental consent. As social media can expose underaged students to the world wide web and can lead to potentially troubling scenarios such are stalking and scams. However, social media such are YouTube can provide splendid educational material for elementary school students which can enhance their learning. There are also parental settings which can block out specific content so that parents can regulate their child’s media consumption. To conclude, social media can be an important tool in a vulnerable sector but should be regulated vigorously through privacy settings as it can potentially lead to dangerous situations.

Discuss in the Mattermost group aspects of education outside of the traditional classroom, include dialogue about how education in the workplace in any capacity can consist of social media & what boundaries should be considered before encouraging discourse in a professional environment.

The use of social media outside of the classroom is a great tool for exchanging information. With YouTube, you are able to learn from experts in their field and have access to an abundance of educational resources for almost any topic you can think of. In my past experience working at the BC Ministry of Health, we often used sites like YouTube when learning a new software program. For instance, in my position, I needed to learn how to use Mural, which is an online collaboration and engagement board. I watched several YouTube tutorials to quickly and effectively learn how to use Mural and apply it to my job. Boundaries about social media should be established before encouraging discourse. Ideally, it would be important to separate work social media from a personal media account. I think that coworkers should only connect on professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn and should ask before adding or following someone on their personal account. In my past work experience, I had a coworker ask to add me on my Facebook which is my personal social media account. The gesture of them asking and respecting my boundaries helped me appreciate and understand how to properly connect through social media in a professional setting.

Visitor and Residents Map

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

The most popular digital platform that students use to develop their professional network would probably be LinkedIn. From my experience, most students connect with employers and with coworkers in a professional setting using LinkedIn. With LinkedIn, it is quick and easy to see if an individual has any mutual connections as well as their past and current work experiences. I have used LinkedIn to connect with many of my classmates and also coworkers from my co-op position, it has helped let me stay in touch with everyone. Another platform, although less common in developing a professional network, would be Facebook. Although Facebook is generally not used for professional networking, it can be a good platform to expand your network by viewing Facebook groups that are in a similar field/professional as your own and connecting with the people in the group.

What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?

The student should consider expanding their professional learning network to different regions around the world. Although it might be easier to limit your professional learning network to local individuals, it is best to expand to different regions of the world and interact with individuals with varying experiences. Digital platforms have made it increasingly easy to communicate with people across the globe and can be used to easily expand your professional learning network globally. Another thing to remember is that you need to maintain the network. Building a professional learning network is not just about connecting with reaching out to someone once to connect. A network should be one where you develop a positive learning environment and relationship with everyone in your network and communicating semi-frequently to frequently is crucial in this process.

How an employer would respond if you applied for a job with them and they assessed your social media presence via your digital identity.

An employer would find it hard to find anything about me on social media as I do not participate in social media often. I have no posts on any of my social media accounts. The only thing an employer would be able to view is the connections and job experiences I have on Linkedin. I do think that I could improve my digital identity to have a better impression on employers.

Thread Discussion: How do data privacy and security limit and promote a PLN? In your network, how can you create a digital identity/ reputation?

Data privacy and security are limiting to a professional learning network (PLN) by making it difficult for users to find and connect. If someone chooses to set hide their personal information and their privacy settings on, it would make it hard for someone to look up their personal information, employment background, or school to find them. Data privacy and security can also promote PLN as people feel safer only by allowing specific users to connect with them and having a safe environment that promotes learning. In my network, I can create a digital identity by updating my LinkedIn more often and interacting with connections frequently. Liking and commenting on posts is a great way to develop your reputation. For example, I have commented on a post made by a connection on LinkedIn and this led to making a connection with someone who was a mutual connection. This method is a good way of building up your reputation and presence online.