If your PLN can be used to help professional development post-course?
I definitely think forming a strong PLN can be used to help professional development. In the interview with Amber Glauser she stated that its important to have an open mind around new people that you meet, as they may be able to expose you to knew teachings or opportunities that you would of otherwise never experienced. I think my PLN has given me opportunities to grow connections with others who may be able to help me with my career path in the future. For example, when I graduate I want to become an elementary school teacher, so I have made sure to make connections through volunteer opportunities and with people in the field, in hopes that i could use it to my advantage later down the road. Its important to foster professional and personal relationships, not only for your health and wellbeing, but also any chance to “get a leg up” for a job opportunity is always a bonus.
Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities and on which platform does your emerging expertise get good exposure?
I don’t think you can solely rely on your PLN on social media for all professional opportunities. However with in increase in internet users, and technology and science progressing more rapidly, great advances in society are being made (Del Giudice, 2014), and thus, its opened many professional opportunities for individuals. Additionally, with the rapid expansion of online communication and information resources, you are not only able to make beneficial connections outside of your friends and family, but you are also able to showcase your expertise, promote your business or your work, and enhance the credibility of your brand.
This course has shown me that there is so many social media networks that will allow me to grow my PLN that I had always seen, but never thought they would be beneficial to myself. These include, platform such as linkedin and twitter. This course has allowed me to reevaluate how I can grow my PLN in order to promote my skills and knowledge. Right know, I have been using facebook for professional opportunities, which has allowed me to join groups and interact with like-minded people, but I think i will be able to expand this by joining platforms such as linkedin and twitter.
Can you leverage your PLN in future endeavours?
I definitely think I can leverage my PLN to help with my future endeavours. Not only have I made valuable connections within the online community, but I have also gained knowledge and experience through real-life connections. For instance, volunteering in schools has given me a great connection to administrative staff that I can reach out to in the future. Additionally, by going into schools I am able to learn things through first-hand experiences, which I can then share within my online PLN to showcase the skills I have developed. Furthermore, with the globalization of media markets, we can interact across national borders and access information from a diverse range of individuals who share different experiences and knowledge (Del Giudice, 2014). As someone, who wants to teach english in a third world country when I graduate, I love connecting with people from across the globe who have had drastically different experiences with education then myself. It allows me to learn what eduction means to them and how I can help benefit their learning experience.
With consideration to the reading and video interview, how do you ensure that you expand your PLN via social media platforms into spaces that may be outside of your comfort zone?
The part that stuck out to me the most in Amber Glauser’s interview was when she talked about how she likes to align with the people that challenge her. She stated the importance of learning from people who are critical of her, and thus, going outside of your comfort zone, as it allows one to improve and expand their knowledge. By taking Amber’s advice, i think its important for me to put myself in a position in my PLN to move outside of my comfort zone, and engage with people who challenge my opinions and ideas. Additionally, I think its important for me to expand my PLN through different social media platforms and begin to familiarize myself with twitter and linkedin. This will allow me to grow my leanings through engagement with more people.
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.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1007/978-3-319-02490-5_5
Miller J. (2020) EDCI 338 A01- Amber Glauser. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiWaXNfnHAg&feature=youtu.be