Dylan's Blog

Blog Post #1, about me

Hello everyone! My name is Dylan Bentley and I am going into my fourth year at Uvic studying sociology. I was born and raised in White Rock, BC, which is where I spend my summers and breaks when I’m not living in Victoria. I enjoy spending my spare time socializing with my buddies, playing and watching pretty much any sport (especially hockey), going to the beach, and just living life. I decided to go into sociology as I hope to follow the footprints of my father’s career who also studied sociology and has worked for the Vancouver Police Department for 35+ years.

What interests me about social media is the fact that we are able to use our devices to share, upload, watch, and interact with all kinds of different media and people from all around the world. It’s crazy to think about how society was so different before the creation of the internet as well as social media. I am a very social person, to begin with, so the fact that I am able to connect with and meet others online or even just play games and send videos to my friends and family is really cool to me.

What I find interesting about personalized learning is its ability to cater to individual needs and preferences. I find it really fascinating as well as useful how personalized learning can adapt to each person’s pace of learning, allowing learners to delve deeper into topics that interest them and move more quickly through them. It seems like a great way to make education more engaging and effective by focusing on individual strengths and areas where one might need more support.

I use digital tools in my personal and professional life whether it’s using apps like Google Calendar where I can see what my boss has scheduled for me on that given day. Another example is Google Docs which I use for the majority of my school papers and assignments. Overall, I find that using digital tools to get things done whether for school, work, or my everyday life, really enhances my production and makes things easier to accomplish and organize.

From my understanding, digital literacy seems to be about knowing how to use the internet and our devices to get things done and to understand how to find information online and how to use different apps and software to do so. So much of our lives and work are digital now, so being literate in this area helps with everyday tasks and staying informed. As far as its importance in education I would again say that it is a key element in modern education and learning. We are able to use technology to do all sorts of things that can help us better understand things and learn more about the world.

In the past, I have taken EDCI 337, so I am relatively familiar with how to use WordPress and I have also used PLNs such as Microsoft Teams and as we are all familiar with, brightspace. Throughout this course, I want to build and use my Personal Learning Network by actively engaging with my fellow learners. I’ll participate in discussions and online communities related to the course topics, aiming to exchange knowledge and ideas. I also plan on staying updated with the latest information related to technology and PLNs, helping me grow personally and professionally.

I am excited to be a part of EDCI 338 and I hope to get to know each and every one of you throughout this course!

Blog Post #2 Digital Identity

When I think of the term “Digital Identity” I think of one’s actions and the way they present themselves online. The combination of someone’s pictures they post online, comments they make, choices, and actions are all a part of their digital identity. In other words, if someone were to do a background check on every single post, comment and decision you make online, then they would essentially be uncovering your digital identity or your personal data. This is why I must always remember to be mindful of how I present myself online because even if you delete things, they remain online forever.

I consider myself to be quite active on social media and I tend to keep things rather public online. By this I mean that I will frequently post pictures and ideas for others to view, however, I never give others access to anything I don’t want them to know. That being said I do keep most of my accounts public as I have never experienced any negative aspects of social media to an extent. I will only let people who I personally know have access to things like my location or information ex) my phone #. I typically just post pictures of myself and my friends or pictures of places I’ve travelled. Occasionally I will post funny videos or posts I find interesting on my public story. If anyone ever harasses me or posts things I don’t want to see, I simply block them without hesitation. Like I said, I haven’t really had any negative experiences online so I choose to remain myself online which is very open and sociable rather than closed off and private since I don’t see the need to, however, I still do make safe decisions rather than ignoring obvious safety threats or sketchy people online.

When it comes to future jobs and careers I try to stay as professional as I can for the most part online. At the same time, I might refrain from posting stupid and goofy content, however, I do try and remain myself online which at times can be a bit goofy. I tend to keep profanities away from my public page and within the private chats I have with my friends, but other than that there’s not much I find that I need to hide. I’m a pretty open book and I’m not afraid to be myself online.

Personal approaches online in comparison to professional approaches are fine, as long as you are keeping things friendly and harmless. If you are someone who enjoys posting funny videos and goofy selfies with your friends, so be it. As long as you know where to draw the line and know what is appropriate for social media and what is not. Of course, if you are a very career-oriented person who thinks that scoring a top job will make your life complete, then by all means keep things serious and professional for your future employers but at least for myself, I am able to find a common ground between the two.

An example of how I ensure that the two complement rather than conflict with one another is by coming off as more “human”. What I mean by this is that a lot of people who want to appear as professional as possible, are really just putting up a smokescreen to hide their true selves. I on the other hand like to express myself professionally, but at the same time be myself. This shows employers that you have multiple layers to your personality and you might have ideas and interests that they resonate with or find useful, rather than the typical LinkedIn user who posts nothing but BS that they want their future employers to believe. An example is when I was hired for my current job, my employer saw on my social media that I played hockey, and he thought that was neat as he played as well. Although a picture of me playing hockey is a personal post, it helped me as I now have something in common with my boss. 

Looking ahead, I plan on remaining the same way I am now online, however, I do plan on being more aware and vigilant when it comes to strangers online, as people are getting better and better at scamming and remaining anonymous by the day. I plan on using new social media platforms as they arise so that I can stay up to date on news, trends and potential career interests. I will continue to be myself but stay safe at the same time.

Blog Post #3 PLN’s and Online Learning Communities

Growing up, I always loved music. It got me through everything, good and bad. Over the years I picked up many different instruments and just loved to make music—especially the guitar. That’s why I decided to research a guitar-learning community. I spent a good amount of time on Reddit’s r/guitarlessons community. It’s not only a great place to learn, share and play with others but other members of the community will post good websites, videos and content to learn outside of the page. Overall Reddit is full of different pages dedicated to specific topics and it’s an awesome platform to learn on. 

I plan on using various social media platforms to promote and build my PLN. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are great for marketing and promotion, as well as Google calendars for scheduling and organization. Sites like Discord and Reddit are also great for instructors and learners to communicate with each other as well as for teaching content. 

When it comes down to identifying the right media platforms to use, I will research what platforms my target audience is most active on and go from there. I will also identify any specific features my PLN will require and select the best platforms with these criteria. I will have certain goals in mind such as a certain number of followers, however, what I plan to focus on is expanding my PLN. I also plan on staying engaged with the community, making sure that everyone is happy and everything is going smoothly. This includes sharing content, scheduling events, and communicating with others in the community. 

Protecting information and ensuring ethical behaviour in a PLN is crucial for maintaining trust and safety. That’s why I will prioritize safety and security measures such as strong password requirements, 2-factor authentication, and limiting any public personal information. It is very important to provide community education on cybersecurity and how to safely use and maneuver the PLN. When it comes to ensuring ethical behaviour it is important to have a set of guidelines in place, and if anyone in the community breaches these rules then they are to be warned and if repeated then kicked out of the community. Human verification to prevent bots and catfishes is also something of importance, as anonymity can be potentially dangerous. 

When it comes to joining online communities and sharing content, I tend to have little to no privacy concerns just because I make sure to share only what I am comfortable with online. Hackers are common nowadays, so that is the majority of my concern just because I have my bank card on my phone, so I tend to stick to very strong passwords when I use these platforms.

Blog Post #4 PLN Diversity

Having a diverse Personal Learning Network is key to boosting learning and personal/professional growth. Engaging with a wide range of voices and perspectives has helped deepen my understanding and allowed me to see challenges from different angles. 

For example, I once joined an online discussion with people from various countries on Reddit to explore how different cultures approach social issues such as inequality and migration, as I am majoring in sociology. Their diverse perspectives and research methodologies showed me how cultural contexts influence sociological theories and practices. This experience expanded my understanding, helping me to hopefully integrate these varied approaches into my own studies, enabling me to view sociological questions with a more comprehensive and open-minded perspective.

To ensure that one’s PLN is inclusive, taking deliberate steps to incorporate various voices and perspectives is very important. First, I would actively seek out connections from different backgrounds, industries, and cultures. I would then follow educators and professionals from diverse fields on social media and engage with their content. Joining online communities and forums that focus on diversity and inclusion also helps you connect with people outside your usual circles. Additionally, I always make it a point to listen and learn from others, especially those with different life experiences than my own, to foster a more inclusive network.

Each social media platform has its own unique features which can significantly influence how one’s PLN is shaped. For instance, Twitter is great for quick updates and engaging in real-time conversations, so I use it to share ideas and participate in discussions. On Instagram, I follow certain accounts that provide unique visuals and artwork, which can help add a creative dimension to a PLN. These differences in platform dynamics can allow me to tailor my interactions and engage more effectively with diverse voices.

One of the main challenges in creating an inclusive PLN is overcoming environments where similar ideas and perspectives dominate. This limits diverse viewpoints and perspectives and can hinder one’s learning and growth. To overcome this, I actively seek out people with different opinions and experiences on various social media platforms. Another challenge is ensuring that discussions remain respectful and open-minded, especially with sensitive topics. To address this, I would set clear guidelines for engagement and actively moderate discussions to keep the environment supportive. By staying open to learning and adapting, I believe I can confidently build a PLN that is both inclusive and helpful for everyone.

Blog #5 PLN Utilization

As a university student, I actively use my Personal Learning Network for academic and professional growth by engaging with it regularly to stay updated on the latest developments in my field of study. By following researchers on platforms like Twitter or “X”, I can learn from their experiences and apply new insights to my coursework and projects. I’ve joined online communities and groups on sites like Reddit where I share and discover resources related to what I am learning that help me enhance my knowledge and skills.

Twitter or “X” is one of the most engaging platforms for me because it allows me to quickly connect with a wide range of professionals and participate in real-time discussions. LinkedIn is another valuable platform where I can build professional relationships, learn about internship opportunities, and gain insights into industry trends. Additionally, I find platforms like Reddit and Discord beneficial for engaging with niche communities where I can discuss specific topics and learn from others who share similar academic interests.

In my PLN community, I participate by contributing to conversations, commenting on posts, and asking questions to deepen my understanding of various subjects. I offer support and feedback when I know the answer to something, which helps create a collaborative environment.

To build a supportive PLN, I focus on identifying individuals with similar academic interests by exploring hashtags, joining student organizations, and joining groups or forums.

My long-term goals for my PLN include diversifying my network to include professionals and students from various disciplines, which will provide broader perspectives and learning opportunities. I aim to build international connections to gain insights into global trends and practices related to my field of study. By actively engaging with my PLN and continuously seeking opportunities to learn and grow, I can leverage the collective knowledge and support of my network to achieve my academic and professional goals.