Before this course, I was unsure of what a PLN even was and I was also unsure about the difference between a professional and a personal learning network. I also had no idea what a digital identity was and it really made me take a step back and think of all the things I have posted on social media that will forever be on the “cloud”. I want to be extra careful of what I post and not give too much away in regards to privacy. I want to learn more about location and privacy settings eventually down the line.
I also had no idea what actually counted as a PLN. I didn’t realize that social media accounts were considered a way to network. I mean I knew you could but for me whenever I thought of people networking I just thought of businesses or “influencers” that I follow. I didn’t know I could and have technically networked myself. I network with my peers on Snapchat and Instagram and I network with my employers and professors over email.
I have learned what it means to be a visitor or a resident of a network. I use a lot of apps as a resident but there are also a lot of apps I use as a visitor such as my banking app, the Fitbit app, email, etc.
When I am a teacher I want to have a professional public Instagram account and maybe even a TikTok where I post about teaching whether it is lesson plan ideas, pictures of crafts my students have done (with permission), or teacher outfits of the day! A public, professional learning network is a great way to meet new like-minded people, especially teachers. To be able to network with a worldview but make an impact locally I can make sure to follow people from all over but let people know whereabouts I am from so I can have people locally be able to network with me and vice versa. It would be cool to have a community of teachers from all over the world. I am still unsure of exactly how to do that but during my conversation with Rebecca (@inquiryteacher on Instagram), she said to not be afraid to reach out to others to build that connection. I can follow people from all over and like, comment, and follow their accounts. This course has reminded me to keep my PLN diverse and healthy. I want to make sure I follow accounts from all different cultures and I will not continue to follow people who post negatively on social media. I still want to continue with a private PLN to connect with my friends and family. I want to keep some of my life private therefore making sure my privacy is on.
Overall, this course has opened my eyes to the positives of a PLN such as building a community of diverse individuals, staying connected, promoting a brand, and reaching people fast. But, it has also shown me some negatives as well such as negative comments, posting something regrettable down the line, and less privacy than having no PLN. Despite the negatives, I definitely want to enhance and continue with my PLN professionally and personally.
