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.

What is a digital identity?

According to Eric Stroller, a social media expert, digital identity is one’s presence online, their digital footprint. The concept of digital identity encompasses how individuals post, interact and use digital tools. The majority of people today, especially those who use social media, have some kind of digital identity. With social media, you leave a digital footprint which can be searched and gradually build up your social identity as you post more frequently or interact with online communities.

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

Personal versus professional approaches to digital identity and how it affects social media use differ greatly but also have points where they converge. For instance, if someone were to have a personal social media account where they have only friends and family added, they would most likely feel more comfortable with sharing many aspects of their life that they would not share on their professional account. While if they were on their professional account, they would like to develop a good professional image of themselves for when an employer or coworker was to look them up and connect with them. The issue lies when an employer or coworker was to search them up and view their personal social media account which they did not intend to share. This can lead may lead to the employer or coworker having a potentially negative impression of the individual based on their personal account. In my opinion, it is important to maintain a positive image on both personal and professional social media accounts.

How do digital identities converge in networked publics – what are the impacts and benefits?

Digital identities converge in networked publics with social media. Social media is a great way to build your digital identity and enables fast and easy communication channels with your friends, family, and coworkers. An impact of this would be that since your information is out on the world wide web, you may have posts that you would not want employers to see. Even if you try to delete a post as you deemed it to be inappropriate or immature but made in your adolescence, that post may be deleted on the website but could be still floating around on the web without you knowing. It is hard to bury your digital footprint which can potentially lead to negative impacts when networking. On the other hand, having a social media presence can allow potential employers to see your portfolio, what hobbies you may have, and generally what type of person you are. This could open up employment and networking opportunities as people want to connect with someone that they would enjoy working with.

Can a digital wallet provide trust in networked publics?

The prevalence of digital wallets has increased over the years, with many people using digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. I think that a digital wallet does provide trust in networked publics, with many banks providing compatibility with digital wallets. Personally, for the past 3 years, I have mainly only used Apple pay for all my day-to-day transactions. Just by double tapping the power button, I can access my credit and debit cards that are linked to my digital wallet and use Face ID as a security method. Since mobile phones are practically always with us, it allows for a more convenient way to pay for items and also from my experience, tap-to-pay technology on my phone works better than my cards and provides haptic feedback for when a transaction goes through.

References

Stroller, Eric. “Eric Stoller – What is Digital Identity?.” Youtube, uploaded by
University of Derby, 25 November 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0&ab_channel=UniversityofDerby; (0:00-0:21)

What does it mean to network using social media?

Networking using social media is about building connections with people who share similar interests, beliefs, and backgrounds virtually using social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. The ability to network has never been easier, you are able to connect with people across the world and build personal or professional relationships without meeting the individual in person. These social media platforms have allowed their users to share information about themselves for other users to quickly search and find them based on their job, location, interests, or mutual friends. Networking through social media is crucial in today’s job market as it opens the individual up to many job opportunities that they would otherwise not have known. In particular, sites such as LinkedIn, which target users seeking professional connections, allow users to quickly search workplaces and find out who worked there. This allows the user to quickly find a mutual connection to an employee at the workplace and form a connection with them. These connections can then be used to help them in the hiring process of the company, whether it be through personal references or referrals. For instance, with Microsoft, I have had experiences where friends would offer referrals to other each other which would guarantee them an interview with Microsoft. By doing this, not only the referral but also the referee gained benefits from the company. Microsoft incentivizes employees to offer referrals for new employees, illustrating the importance of having and building connections.

How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

Due to the constant developments in technology and the adoption of new ones, the world is becoming more and more networked, and traditional physical networking is becoming obsolete. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, many companies switched from working entirely in-person to working online. As a result, networking is largely conducted online and shows that working and networking can be effectively accomplished. Many companies offer online remote or hybrid positions, even after the pandemic has ended, and it is important to engage in networked public participation or it may be difficult to build and maintain relationships through in-person physical means alone. When I worked at the Ministry of Health as a Co-op student, several of my colleagues worked from home primarily, but they were still able to attend networking events because the Ministry made these events hybrid, allowing employees who worked from home to network with other employees.

What are the risks & rewards of public communications?

Privacy and information security are some risks associated with public communications. While it may be convenient to have your personal information online for friends and family to find you, it is just as easy for a stranger to find information about you, which can lead to scams or identity theft. Another issue concerns the tracking of your activity by large social media companies and the sale of your information to third parties. The goal is to formulate advertisements that target you without your knowledge. The possibility of selling or sharing personal information about users without their consent or knowledge is concerning. On the contrary, one of the benefits of public communication would be convenient access to information about friends and family. Nowadays, almost everyone has access to the internet, making it easy to stay in touch with loved ones. This can be accomplished through text messages, voice calls, or video calls. People can communicate effortlessly. Social media sites such as Instagram or Facebook allow people to create posts and share their experiences with their friends or followers. This keeps everyone in a ‘loop’ of knowing what each other is up to without having to actively talk to them.