Blog Post #11
Reflect on your experience in the course, your development of PLN, your use of social media platforms and networked publics.
My experience in this course has been very positive! I get easily intimidated with online courses, because I feel like I can get lost easily online. However, this course I felt very supported by both my teacher and my classmates. I connected and created a PLN with many individuals in this class, more specifically my two classmates that I have connected with to complete our final assignment. My PLN went from a large broad group of individuals who were all enrolled in EDCI 338, to more specifically a group of six students, and now even a more engaged PLN of three of us working towards our final project together. Our final group PLN, I feel is the most connected as we connect once or twice a week via Zoom to go over our project together and offer help to each other if we need it.
Note any changes in your perspective of social media in professional settings and personal use.
My views of using social media in my professional setting has changed as I feel I now have the understanding and I am more digitally literate. I now know how to capitalize on social media in a professional way without feeling as if I may compromise my career as a teacher. Personally, I do not believe my social media use will change very much as I use few social media sites and try to keep my social media usage to a minimum, as it is easy to be sucked in.
Submit a closing blog post about your experience and consider how you can pivot your PLN into your next steps.
My PLN can be pivoted into my next steps as an educator because I feel as though I will be very supported with any questions or concerns should they arise and I bring them to the attention of my PLN. The PLN created in this course also includes other educators, and although we may not teach the same grade, we experience similar day-to-day events. Throughout the Covid-19 experience, I believe we will be able to rely on each other for help and suggestions on how to cope.
Hey Michelle,
It’s been such a joy to chat with you over the course of the term and it is a privilege to be working on the final project with you! I’m glad to hear that your experience in this course has been positive also. I wonder if we will continue to use Zoom once the pandemic has ended? I have found it to be really useful for working on group projects that would otherwise be completed in a mostly asynchronous, less interactive way. I am curious to know whether there are any specific technologies that you plan to bring into the classroom or integrate into class projects? I don’t have much of a presence online either, but I hope to change that in the future by engaging more with my PLN/community on LinkedIn.
Rachelle I agree it has been great to work with you on the final project! I think I will try and bring Zoom into my classroom more as a way for students to connect with others that may not be located near us. Thank you for your comment.
Michelle
I am happy to hear that you felt that EDCI 338 was a positive experience for you. I feel the same way. I found your blogs each week to be very real and informative for students who are considering going in to education. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to work with you on the final project because through out the entire course, I felt I could really relate to your posts. I wish you luck with all your social media challenges in your classroom!
Thank you! I agree I wish we could have had the opportunity to work together on the project. Thank you for your insight weekly as well, and good luck in your future endeavors.
I enjoyed reading about your new learnings in this course! I couldn’t agree more with your point about capitalizing off social media in a professional way. Prior to this class I thought social media was just for personal and entertaining purposes, but you can also utilize it in a professional manner to get into contact with individuals who are in the same career path as me in my situation. I did not realize that the positive impact a reliable PLN can have on an individuals potential opportunities before this class but now I have been able to apply this new knowledge to my own personal life!
Reply to Michelle
Hello Michelle! This a very insightful post! I learned a lot from. One of the points you raised that stand out the most is that you learned how to use social media without jeopardizing your career as a teacher. I could totally relate on this part even if I am not a teacher myself. I would say that teachers have a huge sphere of influence due to their students. For this reason, when you post something in your social media, whether you intended it or not, your students are going to take your post seriously. This means that you cannot joke around in your social media or else you will be judged for being an irresponsible teacher.