Social Media and Learning Communities

I decided to research craft ideas as this summer I am working as a summer camp leader and I am always looking for new craft ideas I can do with the kids. I looked at Pinterest and found many different learning communities. Most of them, however, were led by moms. There were some that were targeted towards older kids, some that were based on crafts only using paper, and some that were eco-friendly, like this one: Green Kid Crafts Pinterest page. This community was my favourite as it had activities as well as crafts for all ages. It had the most variety and was even eco-friendly, so kids would be learning about science and our environment. I also found this community more organized as they had captions on each of their posts and even had a website: Green Kid Crafts Site!

Building Your Personal Learning Network (PLN)

Like most people, I use an abundance of social media platforms for different purposes. I use Snapchat, almost as a text message platform. I use it to message and quickly get in contact with my friends. I use Instagram to see what my friends are up to, especially those who I have not seen in a while or those who live further away, as it is harder to keep in touch with them. I use Pinterest for inspiration, such as craft ideas, but also outfit, nail, room decor, and hairstyle ideas. Lastly, I use TikTok to pass time, by either watching TikToks or creating ones with my sister. When creating a PLN, it really depends on the individual’s needs and desires. Every platform has its benefits and challenges.

Photo by Nik on Unsplash

Setting Professional Goals and Engaging with the Community

I plan to identify the right media platform for my PLN by taking a step back to understand my goals and values, in order to make sure they align with my platform. As a teacher, I want to create a professional space that feels like a community, where everyone can share ideas, experiences, resources, and advice, as well as ask for help and support. This is especially important as of right now, as I have not begun my practice, so connecting and hearing from those who are more experienced will be a great help. Next, I value content that uses both audio and visuals, as this seems to better capture my attention. This kind of content is most common on TikTok. As TikTok also has a comment section where everyone can participate, this platform may be a good choice in developing my PLN.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Protecting Your Information and Ensuring Ethical Behaviour

In order to protect my information and ensure ethical behaviour in my PLN, I will maintain a professional image online as I talked about in my last post. I will keep my account private and closely watch who I let follow. I will also frequently check my following to see if I am comfortable with everyone on that list. I will also ensure that I am using strong passwords, and will make sure that what I am posting is appropriate for all audiences. Next, as we are strongly advised to include pictures in our posts, crediting the author, I was reminded that I need to be giving proper credit when it applies. Therefore, if I take an image, video, or idea from somewhere other than myself, I will make sure that I am giving credit to that person or place.

Privacy Concerns and Online Participation

Although I have always taken privacy seriously, this course reminded me to continue to do so and ways I can go about doing so, such as using strong passwords, keeping my accounts private, and going through my following. I definitely feel hesitant to join online communities, especially those that are public as anyone can participate, and no one is going through the members, ensuring their legitimacy. Since anyone can see what is going on in these groups, I would not feel comfortable sharing and being myself in these interactions.

I watched Glenn Greenwald’s TED Talk, “Why Privacy Matters” where he shares the importance of privacy for freedom. Without privacy, most people feel they cannot be themselves, which can prohibit meaningful connections in online interactions.

“Mass surveilance creates a prison in the mind”

Gleen Greenwald

I picked out this quote from the TED Talk, “Why Privacy Matters” as I found it best captured how the absence of privacy can feel. Having no privacy can be considered “mass surveillance” as anyone can see what you are sharing, which can lead to stress and anxiety, or “a prison in the mind” as Gleen Greenwald would say.

References

Greenwald, G. (2014, October 10). Why privacy matters. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from www.ted.com website: https://www.ted.com/talks/glenn_greenwald_why_privacy_matters?subtitle=en