Professional Learning Networks

My professional digital identity as of now has improved in the last couple of years, and now I have moved more towards outlets like Linkedin. I like to think that platforms like Brightspace and Uvic domains are all getting me towards my professional goals. I like to think of my education as my profession as well. While I use my personal social media accounts more consistently used than my professional ones, I can make a connection to how important it can be to help me network and build my future career, especially with my personal take on what I define as my current profession. I think one way I could broaden my PLN is to be more active on LinkedIn and be more open to building my connections on the platform. That could be connecting with more professionals in the areas I am interested in and engaging more in psychology and future  career content online.  Being a student myself, many others like me use platforms like LinkedIn, Microsoft Teams, and discussion boards or blogs as we use for this class, and even crazy enough, Instagram to build professional relationships. They can also be used to collaborate with others and open future career doors. This was looked at in research by  Staudt Willet et al. (2024), who looked at the use of these platforms for students at post-secondary, working toward becoming teachers. They found that these social media platforms have helped students in expanding their PLN’s with people in the same field and a support system from people who understand. With the end goal of focusing on collaboration, mentorship, and even professional development when they started in their teaching careers.     

Diversity and Inclusion in PLNs

My PLN has opened up opportunities to hear and learn from many diverse voices. I have been able to engage in content from people of all different backgrounds, cultures, and communities, which has given me the ability to understand a variety of ideas and viewpoints that are different from my experiences. I am able to abandon a naive mindset, and actually, from these individuals’ experiences, it is an amazing reminder of how important inclusion and respect are in conversations that need to and can be on these online platforms. When we have a diverse PLN, this can help us become more open-minded to people’s experiences and ways they live their life, whether that be based on culture, socioeconomic status, physical ability, and so much more. Research was published by Montgomery in 2018, and focused on ways social media is being used as a new tool for people and groups who are underrepresented to connect, communicate, and can even be used as an advocacy tool.    

Challenges and Risks of Social Media in PLNs

In my everyday life, when and if I post online, I’m not only mindful of single individuals viewing my accounts but also the professional or even future employers. As of now, I have my account private. This is to help me  protect myself and my image. With a public account, anyone can follow, whether that be a friend, family members, a fake account, or even accounts that could be damaging to my image and that don’t align with my personal views. One of the things that I am mainly focused on right now would be future employers and what they can see on my accounts. Imagine them looking through a group of applicants, and their digital identity could be the reason you do not get the job.  Your digital identity can have a real impact on your future opportunities. While people use social media to connect, it can also bring challenges because posts can be misunderstood, easily sent from person to person, and could even damage your reputation. I think social media has so many positives, but it also comes with some downsides or challenges. It is an amazing tool for people to learn from each other and stay informed about current topics around the world. This can be backed up with research by Carpenter and Harvey (2019), who looked into the challenges educators face when using social media personally and professionally. They looked at stress and online pressures, conflicts or negative interactions with others online. They found that these can lead to emotional strain, self-judgment, and privacy concerns with who is viewing their accounts. While they note that social media can be beneficial to their PLN’s, it can also impact multiple aspects of their lives.

 

Carpenter, J. P., & Harvey, S. (2019). “There’s no referee on social media”: Challenges in educator professional social media use. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, Article 102904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102904 

Montgomery BL (2018) Building and Sustaining Diverse Functioning Networks Using Social Media and Digital Platforms to Improve Diversity and Inclusivity. Front. Digit. Humanit. 5:22. doi:10.3389/fdigh.2018.00022 

Staudt Willet, K. B. (2024). Early career teachers’ expansion of professional learning networks with social media. Professional Development in Education, 50(2), 386–402. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2023.2178481