Month: October 2021

• How diverse is your existing PLN?

My existing PLN is diverse in how I utilize each social media platform to fit a specific need, either professional or more personal in nature. I keep my personal social media accounts (Instagram, etc.) private and use it primarily to connect with friends and family. I also use these accounts to explore other areas of interest that don’t necessarily  translate over to my professional/educational goals. The accounts I do use in a professional/educational context (i.e., LinkedIn) are used to connect with classmates, professors, and past co-workers/supervisors.

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

In the context of my PLN, I would say that I’m learning from a variety of voices as I’d rather filter through everyone’s thoughts on a specific matter before reaching any conclusions myself. This is primarily the case for my professional accounts as I’m still within the context of a student/learner in my field of study/career.

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

I’d say for the most part I do participate in a silo of information sharing but in a slightly limited context, I’m not posting/sharing much of anything and mainly read or comment on what others share and/or post.

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

A diverse PLN is helpful in broadening your views of inclusion as it means that you have more opportunities to connect with and understand others unique perspectives on situations

• In your professional setting of choice, do you think inclusion is actively embraced?

My professional setting of choice as a HINF major would be a healthcare organization (ex/Island Health). Based off my previous co-op placements in this field I believe that inclusion is actively embraced as inclusion is a key factor in delivering healthcare across the province and country. Inclusion is also prevalent in the workforce in how we were trained prior to starting employment.

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

I’d say the learning outcome of my PLN would be to further add to my existing knowledge in relation to my field (Healthcare) and learn skills that would apply in the context of a career as a Health Informatician. I’m ensuring my exposure to diversity and inclusion by engaging with a variety of different pages and accounts on LinkedIn, this allows me to keep up to date with what is happening in the field as well as make new connections with other professionals who come from a variety of different backgrounds.

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

After reviewing the videos and readings my understanding about inclusion and PLN has become more rounded as I’ve learned that inclusion and diversity is beneficial for all involved parties as you are able to learn from other’s unique experiences and apply that knowledge to your own work.

Reference:

Moore, S. (2017). One without the other : Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca

What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?

If you are looking to strictly build your professional network platforms such as LinkedIn are a great resource as it is strictly geared towards being a more business-oriented application where potential job opportunities are abundant. Other social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter can also be used to build your professional network as it allows for you to have a platform where you can promote yourself.

What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?

The biggest factor to consider when expanding your professional learning network is how active you are on professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Engaging with an online community through commenting, sharing posts, etc. allows for the opportunity to make new connections through community engagement.

In your network how can you create a digital identity/reputation?

Your digital identity or reputation is formed by your collective activity across social media/professional platform accounts. This is why most people curate their online presence to appear more professional or just keep separate professional and personal accounts as the content of what they post always has the possibility of coming under scrutiny by prospective employers.

Find out what a local employer would do if you applied for a job with them?

If I had applied for a job with a local employer they would most likely run an online search to screen for my online presence (i.e., a background check). They would come across my LinkedIn page which contains all of my relevant professional information. All of my other online accounts would stay hidden in a regular cursory search as I’ve set my privacy settings accordingly