I enjoyed reading your response. Your insights on digital identity and its growing significance provided an excellent analysis. As you mentioned, platforms like Instagram and TikTok contribute to a more casual, personal digital identity while a platform such as LinkedIn reflects your professional persona. I agree, I believe it is important to balance the two in today’s world and to keep them separate. Just as you would in your professional and personal life in real life. As University students our digital presence is like a snapshot of who we are to employers so it is important to ensure that our digital presence reflects our professional goals. Thank you for sharing Eliana!
I really enjoyed reading your second blog post Hanna. Your reflection on personal and professional digital identities is something I agree with. You mentioned that the separation of the two identities is vital for not only privacy but also for presenting yourself appropriately to different audiences. I agree, it is extremely important to establish boundaries between the two. This way you can maintain your personal authenticity while also having a professional identity as well.
I also enjoyed your insight into personalized learning theories, such as constructivism and self-directed learning. These align with the importance of critical thinking and as you mentioned autonomy. Self-directed learning has also helped me become more autonomous in my work. Thanks for sharing!
A Personalized Learning Network (PLN) is a beneficial tool for expanding knowledge in topics that you are interested in. Making a space that is tailored to your interests, you can engage with content resources and communities that support your personal growth. With social media platforms such as Reddit and Instagram, you can have accessible spaces to customize your learning journey. For me, a successful PLN has a mix of accessibility, personalized content, and active engagement. Inclusivity is also extremely important in your PLN. For it to be inclusive it is important to consider the principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This way you can ensure that your is accessible for all.
PLN Spaces Through Social Media
A personal learning network is extremely beneficial for growing your knowledge of what you are interested in. Places such as Reddit, Instagram, etc. can be used to customize your learning as you see fit. For me, my personalized learning network has to have a combination of a few things.
A PLN needs to be accessible. Personally, my PLN spaces are condensed information so it is easily accessible. For example, TikTok videos do a great job of this.
Personalized content and resources. A PLN needs to have content that is tailored to my goals and interests.
Active engagement. It is important to have PLN communities that are active in supporting. I use active subreddit communities for any questions I may have or information I am looking for.
I have found that when engaging with experts, communities, and resources that align with my interests I enhance my knowledge. By connecting with experts I have access to deep knowledge that would not normally be available to me. This also helps me keep up to date with the tops I am interested in. It also gives me somewhat of a mentorship as I build connections. This is great for when I need hands-on advice. I also gain knowledge from diverse perspectives that help me think in different ways. It is extremely important to me to learn from people with all types of backgrounds as they all have something different and beneficial to share. The combination of these has made my PLN substantial in developing my personal goals.
To ensure that your PLN is inclusive you must consider the principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The UDL principles support inclusivity in digital spaces by providing us with diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. “Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn” (Udloncampus, 2015). The UDL principles do this by
Multiple Means of Engagement: Multiple means of engagement refers to the “why” of learning. This principle provides options for how learners engage with the content and how they remain motivated.
Multiple Means of Representation: Multiple means of representation refers to the “what” of learning. This provides learners with different ways to present information so that everyone can understand it.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Multiple means of Action and Expression refers to the “how” of learning. It allows learners to use their knowledge and skills in diverse ways.
These principles design learning environments that are inclusive and cater to all types of learners, with the goal of creating “learners who are: purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed” (Udloncampus, 2015). With these principles, you can ensure that your PLN is inclusive.
In this post I am responding to Cadence’s post for EDCI 338.
Awesome post Cadence I enjoyed reading it! I like your idea of your online presence being an extension of your self. This is something that I think many over look. Most will view you through your online persona first and if you have a negative online presence then people will perceive you as negative in real life as well. You called it a “digital first impression” which I think sums that up perfectly. I agree with your point of being authentic. I think that is a extremely important detail for presenting your personality. Finally your view on ethical practices and how they create a positive online community is one I think everyone can agree on. I loved your final sentence saying we can create spaces that up lift people instead of tearing them down. Thanks for sharing!
In this post I am responding to Justine’s post for EDCI 338.
Great post Justine, I enjoyed reading it! What I took away from your post was that managing your digital identity requires professionalism and authenticity. I liked your idea of balancing the two instead of favoring one over the other and I agree. Maintaining that balance can have major benefits to your online identity. I liked how you included the core principles of being authentic, professional and mindful three things that I think should also be translated to everyday life. You provided a responsible approach to online presence management that not everyone thinks about. I also enjoyed your part on ethical practices and how important they are online. Thinking about the impact of what you post is extremely important to the landscape of the digital world. Thanks for sharing Justine.
In this post I am responding to Erika’s blog post for EDCI 338.
Erika I really enjoyed reading your blog post for module 1. You provided great analysis of social media in education, personalized learning and digital identity. What I came away with as a key point in your post was that social media is like a double edge sword. It can be a powerful tool for learning and connecting but it also requires cautious use, digital literacy, and attention to our online identities. I feel that it is extremely important to perceive social media in this way as it is the best to maintain a positive online presence while being safe. Another key take away I came out with is the idea that with social media, information has become more accessible and faster. Thank you for sharing!
Having an online presence comes with different aspects that need to be balanced to ensure a positive and safe online presence. Considering your personal and professional digital identities can be substantial for your future. That comes with watching your digital footprint and maintaining privacy. In this blog post, I want to explore the ideas of digital identities, online visitors vs. online residents, and privacy.
Your digital identity is how the people who see you only online perceive your personality. Maintaining a professional look online can be extremely beneficial for future career aspirations. In the article “Digital Professional Identity: Dear Internet! Who am I?” by Jawed, Mahboob, and Yasmeen (2019) they define your digital professional identity or DPI as a “professional identity that develops through internet‑based social interactions by utilizing online platforms and communication tools” (Jawed et al., 2019) while personal digital identity relates more to “your presence online” (Stroller, 2016) encompassing everything you do. By definition, personal and professional DIs (digital identities) seem to be fairly similar. So how can we differentiate between the two? It is not an easy task as your professional DI is directly linked to your personal DI through how you behave digitally. While you can build a professional look through online social media platforms such as LinkedIn or Instagram what you do outside those spaces directly affects your professional look. So how can we keep these separate and ensure that our personal DI does not impact our professional DI? If we look at David White’s framework of visitors and residents we can use it as a guide for our online usage. You see White’s framework “is a simple way of describing a wide range, or continuum of, modes of online engagement.” (White, 2014). In visitor mode, you “do not leave any trace online” (White, 2014) meaning you do what you need to do without linking it to your DI. In resident mode, however, engagement is socially visible, meaning what you do will be directly associated with your DI. With this in mind, we can use visitor mode to separate our personal DI from our professional DI. Keeping these separate will allow you to have the freedom to be yourself in both Identities. It is the same as your identity in the real world. You have your personal life and your professional life for which you behave differently in both. Maintaining that healthy balance is key to navigating through life. Â
With your DI, you need to consider your digital footprint, privacy, and surveillance. Everything you do online can be tracked. You are constantly being monitored online. For example, when you visit a website that uses cookies, these cookies often are tracking cookies that embed themselves into your computer to monitor your habits and online activities. “Internet privacy is important because it gives you control over your identity and personal information.” (Bitdefender, n.d.). Without protecting your online data, your online identity can be twisted by anyone who is willing to do so. Being aware of your privacy and digital footprint is beneficial to the way the people around you are influenced by your online presence. When reflecting on my own online presence I am cautious about what I interact with and comment on and I usually interact with stuff that will have a positive benefit to my digital footprint. When considering privacy most of my online profiles are set to public which was a conscious decision I made so people have an easier way of seeing the type of person I am online. However, doing this is not beneficial to my online privacy but by being aware of this fact I use caution before I post anything. Practicing good habits such as being wary of what you interact with, comment on, post, and setting your online profiles to private rather than public, these habits can ensure that your DI remains safe and respectful.
Being proactive and conscious of your presence online and understanding the differences between your personal and professional digital identities is vital for navigating the complex digital landscape. Practicing good online habits with an emphasis on privacy and knowing when to use visitor or resident mode can help you maintain a safe, positive, and respectful digital presence.
Sources
Jawed et al. (2019). Digital professional identity: Dear internet, who am I? Journal of Education in the Health Professions, 32(1).
White, D. O. (2014). Vandr. Daveo White.
TEDx Talks. (2016, February 29). How to filter your life [Video]. YouTube.
Bitdefender. (n.d.). What is online privacy? Bitdefender Cyberpedia.
