In my first-ever intro post in this course, some of my goals were to better understand different digital spaces, social media apps, and how I can find a way to support myself in my last year at UVIC and into my future career.  At the beginning, I had no clue anything about Personal Learning Networks (PLN’s), and while I now know that I am engaging and connected to multiple PLN’s, it was interesting to learn I was contributing in that way. I also had  not given much thought to how meaningful building those connections could be in my personal and professional life.

During this course, we were introduced to multiple concepts and theories, and through that, I was able to develop a better understanding of digital literacy, digital identities, and the importance of engaging in a PLN not only for myself but for others. I was able to take a look more in depth at this by creating my very own Visitor and Resident Map that helped me look at how I use certain digital platforms and how they all contribute not only to my professional life but also to my personal life too (White & Le Cornu, 2011). My blog posts also gave me the opportunity to challenge my current perspectives and critically think about media literacy, misinformation, and different AI-generated content, and my online responsibilities because of our course content during Week 4 (Miller, 2026). During this specific week, we dove into topics about Canadian Government initiatives like PIPEDA and MediaSmarts, which have helped me get a better understanding of just how important it is to understand privacy for myself and on the sites and apps I am using (Government of Canada, 2026; MediaSmarts, 2025).

 

One of the things that I found hard was realising I normally participate online more as an observer as opposed to actively contributing. I tend to lie to keep up with what is happening, but not actively participate in groups or forums where I haven’t established a huge connection. Through discussions and readings, I learned how strong PLN builds on the things I wasn’t doing before. They build through engagement, collaboration, and help create strong relationships. Giving and receiving feedback was one way where I could practice moving away from being an observer and start not only helping myself grow, but also my classmates. Some research also highlighted that meaningful PLN’s rely on that exact two way engagement and feedback rather than what I was used to doing (Staudt Willet, 2024; Emelo, 2023).

 

One of the most valuable things from this class was the group project, and while I am not studying Education most, if not all, of my groupmates were. We were able to look into how teachers utilise their PLN’s and which social media apps help the most. We looked at three of the most popular ones, being Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, and how they all can be used as a support, a tool, and a way to network with like-minded people. It also solidified our ideas and course concepts on how social media, when used responsibly, can help build a person both personally and professionally.

Beyond this course, I have made three goals for myself. Those would be

  1. Expand the way I use the internet professionally, whether that be using Linkedin.
  2. Continue my digital literacy skills and keep up to date with new policies.
  3. Protect myself properly when using the internet.

Overall, this course has opened my eyes and changed the way I think about technology and the use of tech and social media. I have an amazing tool in my pocket and have the ability to make connections and grow in so many ways.

 

P.S Thank you Jessie for everything. Have an amazing summer  

References: 

Carpenter, J. P., Morrison, S. A., Craft, M., & Lee, M. (2020). How and why are educators using Instagram? Teaching and Teacher Education, 96, 103149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103149

Emelo, R. (2023). Building reciprocal relationships in professional networks.

MediaSmarts. (2025, October 27). “Wait… What?” Media literacy week highlights growing concern over AI-driven misinformation. https://mediasmarts.ca/about-us/press-centre/wait-what-media-literacy-week-highlights-growing-concern-over-ai-driven-misinformation

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. (n.d.). PIPEDA in brief. https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/pipeda_brief/

Qualman, E. (2012). Digital leader: 5 simple keys to success and influence.

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

White, D., & Le Cornu, A. (2011). Visitors and residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday. https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3171