Month: October 2020

1.How does social media help engage in community-based communications?

Social media can help with engagement in community-based communications by building credibility within the community. Online platforms allow us to communicate with one another and build meaningful relationships. Creating this relationship will form trust with the community as well.

2. How does social media challenge community-based communications?

It can be argued that too many users are glued to their phones, either at home, in public, or at private/social events. This can inhibit us from having those meaningful conversations and making connections in real-time. Altogether this is seen as a cost to society because opportunities are being missed.

3. Are there cultural sensitivities that should be considered?

Cultural sensitivities involve the belief of accepting that all cultures and ethnicities are created differently yet equal to one another. I believe that cultural sensitives should be considered all the time not just in a workplace environment. Diversification creates an opportunity where everyone can share their knowledge, understanding, and skillset.

4. What should your PLN say about you as you communicate to the public via social media or communication tools?

My PLN should represent a well-rounded and respectful individual who is hardworking and very positive. I tend to set short- and long-term goals for myself in all aspects of my life (education, work, fitness, health) in which employers can clearly see on my social media. This shows that dedication, patience, and hard work are all personal traits exercised often in my day-day life. These attributes can show employers that I can be diligent and reliable; two skills employers look for.

5. What does it mean to balance your professional expectations and your personal beliefs- in curating a PLN for the purpose of career development?

I think when curating a PLN for the purpose of career development- it’s a good idea to establish boundaries between the platforms so users can get the information desired from that platform. More specific platforms are generally a good idea anyway- so users don’t get lost in the content (sharing professional advice and then sharing a personal post). In addition, it is important to note that not everyone shares the same opinions and beliefs as you- employers have a right to disagree with certain beliefs and terminate employment if necessary. Lastly, it can come across as unprofessional when an employer can see your personal social media accounts.

1. Explore how you would create a PLN prior to building a podcast on a topic of your choice. Please include an exploration of how would you emulate success stories in this space (podcasts that you’ve listened to or seen become noteworthy), and how would you use your PLN with the intent to expand your audience?

I would create my PLN prior to building my podcast on health/wellness, by allowing myself to reach my target audience on most (if not all) social media platforms prior. Once an online presence is established, I can follow and interact with other people who are also interested in this space. When you have access to more platforms you can inherently find a bigger more established audience. Another important aspect of a podcast is having guests that are also well established or well known in the field. Having guest speakers that the audience can relate too is also crucial for a relationship to form between the podcast and the audience- this builds trust in the relationship. One factor I thought of when building my podcast was what would I like to see, hear, watch, listen too? Who would be the guests I would like to see? And finally, what would I expect as a podcast listener? Mo Amir explains it is helpful to go on other social platforms and podcasts to introduce yourself to the different spaces and to others whom wouldn’t typically view your content- you might just spark their interest. Another policy I have adapted when starting a podcast is, I would allow myself to listen to other podcasts in my field and to interact with other podcast that don’t have as large of voices. Allowing myself to receive all information that surrounds the subject helps verify my knowledge as the host. Using life experiences as testimonies specifically in the health and wellness space can help platforms receive that validation as well.

2. Additionally, explore some of the privacy/security concerns to consider when developing an audience on any social media platform? What are the concerns for individuals who become influential in a social space?

One can have many concerns with privacy/security when developing an audience on social media. One should be extremely mindful of what is posted on forums, chats, platforms etc. Often as someone seen in the spotlight (having a podcast) you will have many speculators, and anything said that is differing can lead to discussions- but sometimes harassment, death threats, private information leakage, stalking etc. Privacy is so important as an individual- even though we have platforms to share our personal lives yet sharing too much can be extremely dangerous. Some professionals hire social media consultants to edit out familiar images/locations in their photos so their locations can’t be traced easily. This goes to show how impactful letting thousands or millions of users into your personal life can be. It is recommended that having differing personal and public social media platforms could be beneficial to avoid privacy harassment.

1. How diverse is your existing PLN?

I believe my PLN is very diverse. Due to my experiences in high school as well as post-secondary, I have been fortunate enough to travel to different countries studying. These experiences have broadened my educational space and have allowed me to reach an array of opinions, ideas, perspectives, and teachings from people all over the world. I have been able to keep connections and reach out past my PLN ‘s limits. In addition, my PLN has become more diverse due to Covid-19. Educational institutions have been able to provide platforms for students from different countries to get together and share ideas. In particular, EDCI 338 has allowed me to discuss all my opinions and get feedback from different voices in my class. My PLN would not have been as diverse as it is now if Covid-19 never happened. Definitely interesting to think about.

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

Currently, I am learning from a variety of voices. As I mentioned before Covid-19 has changed many platforms we communicate on. I am currently one of the loudest voices when it comes to matters, I feel extremely passionate about. If I don’t know complete information on a subject, I usually tend to take a back seat and listen/ observe other voices. The reason I do this is that I have learned that listening to others is just as important as sharing all my own ideas. In EDCI 338 we have been put into groups with individuals from across the globe, we chat within these groups and discuss on our forum. This is a perfect example of learning from a variety of voices.

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

I tend to mainly stick to similar themes and learn more about specific subjects so I can have a loud voice in the room. However, I am learning to branch out and explore some of my other interests or potential interests.

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

By using a diverse PLN, we can expand the voices we’re hearing on a regular basis and expand our personal knowledge and opinions. Inclusion is extremely important because everyone has a voice and deserves to share their stories, knowledge, opinions, and skills with others. In this day and age, too many people are marginalized and not heard. However, this year marginalized groups have been extremely vocal (black lives matter) and deserve to do so. They have never been able to be the loudest voice in the room and now they can be. In EDCI 338, every week the members of the group share blogposts- we are able to learn more about these individuals every day. Each member in our group is different (age, sex, race, education, personal experiences, etc.) so differing life experiences and opinions are welcomed as well as encouraged.

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

The learning outcome of my PLN is to welcome voices from various spaces- all are welcomed and encouraged to share their experiences or expertise. If we all were to ensure diversity as a top priority in our own PLN’s then we can have a community filled with value and understanding. Personally, as I mentioned above Covid-19 has put a halt to person-person contact so many of us have had to lean on expanding our PLN’s to keep up to date with everyday stories, occurrences, news, etc. In addition, if we keep encouraging diversity in all aspects of life, we can ensure constant growth as a community or even as nations.

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

My thinking about inclusion and PLN has changed for the better. As S. More mentions in “Transforming Inclusive Education” (Youtube) the video touches on an analogy comparing bowling pins to children in a classroom. Often pins (children) that are harder to knock over are the ones we should be paying more attention to. She describes these children as the two pins left standing in the far back corners. However, if you approach bowling from a different angle you can knock down all of the pins in one shot without leaving two pins left standing (children with learning disabilities or underdeveloped).

Moore, S. (2016). Transforming Inclusive Education. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYtUlU8MjlY&feature=youtu.be

1. What sites are students using for their professional network?

Students seem to currently be using LinkedIn, email, and school websites to showcase their professional networks. Many websites can vary between students however, the three mentioned above are predominantly used. With education being primarily online, many educational institutions have chosen like zoom as platforms for means of communication. This has spread throughout many academic institutions because of class restriction.

2. What can you (as a student consider expanding your network (professionally)?

As a student, I should consider using LinkedIn more actively, as future employers will be searching for potential candidates as well as connect with students from similar faculties. As mentioned above because of covid 19 restrictions-students are using zoom academically. This app in itself will aid students in expanding their professional networks because it makes room for conversation, relationship development, and participation.

3. In your network- how can you create a digital identity? Reputation?

I can create a digital identity by updating my current professional and academic platforms. Updating my resume, updating courses I have taken in post-secondary, and any volunteer work or school activities done with this professionalism in mind.

4. Consider a local employer- can they search the content? Is it a benefit to the career path? Does it hinder the opportunity for employment?

A local employer can absolutely search for content on future prospects. One benefit and loss of the internet is you can find pretty much any information about anything or anyone. This being said- it is important to be mindful of what you are posting on social media platforms because potential employers can see this information if it’s public. My current- social media is on private- so potential employers would have to request to follow me if they want to see any content. However, that being said my social media is professional and presentable at any given time. As we’reseeing in 2020, many allegations from social media have followed professionals causing some sort of scandal and have unfortunately ended their professional careers because of it. These platforms can be used to aid potential employers to find the best fit for the company.

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EDCI 338 Blog post 3 VR map