Month: November 2022

Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course?

Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?

This course teaches me a lot about the application of PLN in education and professional fields. By establishing PLN, I can meet people from different majors and different identities, and through them, I can be exposed to more new information and expand my own professional horizon. When it comes to professional development and professional opportunities, as a graduating student, I think PLN can effectively help me to get more information about my future development. For example, through LinkedIn, I can learn about the recent job market needs and which career openings exist, so I can plan and adjust my own career path. Likewise, PLN provides me with an opportunity to present myself to others, and people get to know me and learn about me by viewing the content I post. Employers can also visit my personal platform and profile to get a preliminary understanding of me and make a selection.

Which social media platforms are beneficial in education?

Using social media platforms in teaching process can help students and teachers break the limitations of space and time, and improve teaching efficiency and learning motivation. Different social media have their own strengths and weaknesses, and all can have a positive effect if used wisely. As in the case of this class, EDCI 338, students read or watch assigned material every week and share their opinions by posting blogs, as well as browsing other students’ views online. This type of information exchange reduces the burden of face-to-face communication, and everyone can be bold enough to express their opinions. However, there is also a problem with this way of teaching, which may also have a negative impact when students post articles that reap little attention or readership. This leads to an understanding of what group learning is all about, namely, the communication and interaction between group members, thus enhancing student motivation.

When working with the vulnerable sector, how does social media fit into professionalism and regulations?

Social media is full of information, and as a generation born in the Internet age, we can quickly distinguish what is reasonable, wrong, or false information. However, for some elderly people and children, they are the vulnerable group of social media platforms. For children, social media platforms should impose age restrictions on some content or have their parents monitor it. For the elderly, we sometimes need to guide them properly because they lack the ability to judge some false information. Besides, social media provides a platform for some vulnerable sectors, such as indigenous people, to have a voice and let more people know their stories with a first perspective.

Identify the risks and benefits of engaging with a public audience in a media space – What are the risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust (educator, lawyer, government official)?

For public figures or people in positions of trust, any posting they make on social media is highly influential. Firstly, social media helps public figures to shape and spread their identity by posting information, for example, through photos and videos. Moreover, since most public figures have many followers, many of their statements can easily lead the public and become the focus of public opinion and attention, and even have an impact on politics. As social media has matured, many companies and government agencies have become aware of the need to connect with the public through social media in order to achieve greater publicity.

However, precisely because of the enormous influence of public figures on social media, the content they post can inadvertently have a negative impact on their reputation and may cause bias in public opinion or even lead to cyber violence. To avoid unnecessary risks, public figures should vet the content they post to ensure that the information is not misinterpreted or maliciously interpreted.

How to address negative replies and critiques that reflect your personal values and your employer’s social media policy?

When I encounter negative responses and comments, I may be emotionally affected at first, but I think it is important to quickly calm down and make an analysis of the problems that have arisen. First I will reflect on what I have posted and determine if there are inappropriate statements or opinions. And, by reading and understanding the negative comments will also allow me to see things from a different perspective. If they simply disagree with my point of view, then I think that is perfectly normal and acceptable. Everyone should have their own ideas and we should accept different voices and criticism so that new ideas and connections can be made in the interaction.