limit

I have learned that a Personal Learning Network describes the individuals and resources that facilitate the learning process throughout the course. Through a personal learning network, an individual can achieve mutual learning. At the same time, the teacher of this course has been advocating that our group members communicate with each other on social media and learn from each other. Through a personal learning network, it is possible for an individual to receive insights, feedback, new contacts, documentation, and new business opportunities (Neelen & Kirschner, 2018). The concept is based on the perception that individuals involved in the network will provide value-added information. Over time, the term has evolved because most professionals utilize it to create interaction and personal growth. It has also been established that there is the possibility of creating a hybrid of professional learning and a personal network. Within the next two years, there should be efforts to elevate teaching by the government. 

I have also established that Personal learning networks are not exclusive to education and can be found in other spheres, such as the business world. Through a personal learning network, it has become possible for professionals to learn in their jobs. For example, most teachers state that they have achieved greater learning through their personal learning network than through the professional sessions they attended (McMaster, 2019). This situation is related to what we discussed in week 5. The breadth of social media makes it easier and faster for each of us to learn more knowledge. For example, Shelley’s video sharing on YouTube is actually a kind of open teaching. It is also evident that teachers have relied on others to achieve inspiration, ideas, new perspectives, and support through personal learning networks. Since different individuals are more active than others in their interactions, they are able to achieve different levels of knowledge. 

In the past, it was quite hard for individuals to interact in one school community, but this has been achieved through a personal learning network. It was quite hard for individuals to interact with other educators from different locations, but it has become possible for the teachers to realize this through technology. In most cases, teachers interact through professional development opportunities and occasional conferences (Russo & Siko, 2018). I have realized that barriers have been eliminated, such as culture, geography, timezones, language, costs, travel, and logistics. 

Throughout the course, I have established that it is important to create a personal learning network because an individual is able to be in charge of their professional development. An individual can eliminate the sit and get approach through the personal learning network. It is also possible for an individual to explore their own interests, passions, and needs. If a student is struggling with their learning, then through a personal learning network, they are able to focus on the issues they consider integral to their interests (McMaster, 2019). Also, through the personal learning network, the student can request support and advice regarding their issues. However, when students seek help and advice online, they need to build relationship trust. This trust is especially important in online learning. For example, in the group cooperation in this course, we need to build mutual trust to complete the task together. As I mentioned in Wow and Wonder, building trust requires us to ensure that the information we share is accurate. It is our responsibility to use the Internet to learn about people.

Through a personal learning network, an individual can have 24/7 learning and have the flexibility to learn at any time. Using this approach, an individual does not have to wait for a conference or a professional development session for them to advance. The approach allows a student to decide the amount of time they invest in their learning and the specific time they want to undertake the learning process (Ekoc, 2020). Also, through a personal learning network, I have established that the student can connect and learn in the way they consider to be appropriate. An individual can undertake their learning through podcasts, text, videos, Skype, blogging, or social media. There is also the possibility of an individual having light or shade on their personal learning network. A student is able to engage in a general chat about different issues such as education or debrief the appropriate people through a personal learning network. The student is also able to unwind or laugh with other peers. When student uses the network, they can be able to engage in a debate, deep discussion, or reflect on various challenges that may transform their thinking. It is also possible for the individual to have a different approach to their learning process.The flexibility of online media platform learning increases the willingness of students to learn independently.

The student is also able to stay current based on the research they undertake. The best practices can be undertaken regardless of the information discussed at either the district level or their schools. A personal learning network also makes it possible for an individual to have a broad brainstorming platform or have the possibility for fine-tuning (Doak, 2018). Suppose a student does not have the relevant information regarding an issue. In that case, they can ask for advice on the personal learning network so that they can have the appropriate knowledge regarding the concept. It is also possible for an individual to fine-tune their ideas, especially if they have already done research on a particular topic. I have also established that globally connected teachers can cater to globally connected students. Students need to have a platform to connect and create new networks. This helps a student have a stable learning process and thrive in their studies so that they can be adapted to a labor market that is ever-changing. 

I have also established that there are four big ideas regarding the formation of a connected educator. It should be essential for an educator to create a model that is best suited to their students. When a model is suited to students, then it is possible for students to achieve the best results from their learning process (Thang, 2018). The second idea is that a teacher should stray from the concept of local isolation. When a student is isolated from other individuals in their learning process, they are not able to achieve the best results because they cannot consult or brainstorm so that they can reach the appropriate solutions. The third big idea is that students should utilize data crowdsource resources. Data crowdsource resources are essential because they help transform students’ teaching and learning processes. A crowdsource resource should be utilized to harness authentic data, connections, resources, and collaborators. Finally, a big idea that should be utilized is that a student should gain perspective. When a student has access to a connected educator, they can have multiple perspectives on their professional practice and worldview. This helps create a different perspective in the classroom, the learning process, and the teachers. 

In this course, we learned a lot of knowledge related to the Internet, such as social media promotion, open education, knowledge sharing, and self-directed learning, etc. We thoroughly researched the pros and cons of the Internet through some videos and materials. For example, the unfairness of online media and so on. I am personally very interested in self-learning on the Internet. Because before this course, I never considered that online learning will promote the awareness of self-directed learning. As I went deeper into this course, I began to realize the connection between the two. So I did check out some materials about online self-learning. At the same time, I have developed a keen interest in how social media can change and improve education. In conclusion, this course gives us a comprehensive understanding of social media.

References

Doak, S. H. (2018). Social media as a personal learning network for professional development: Teachers in international schools use and perspectives. 

Ekoç, A. (2020). No teacher is an island: technology-assisted personal learning network (PLN) among English language teachers in Turkey. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-17. 

McMaster, N. (2019). Developing a Personal Learning Network for HPE. In Teaching Health and Physical Education in Early Childhood and the Primary Years (pp. 82-98). University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. 

Neelen, M., & Kirschner, P. A. (2018). How to effectively build and leverage a personal learning network (PLN). 

Russo, T., & Siko, J. (2018). The Effect of Personal Learning Network Exposure on Pre-Service Teacher’s Digital Resource Search Habits. Journal on School Educational Technology, 14(2), 12-23.

Thang, S. (2018). Using Twitter as a personal learning network. Technology and the Curriculum: Summer 2018. 

Regarding our personal social media learning bin, we can discuss and learn knowledge from each other with classmates on the Internet. The study of this course gave me a deeper understanding of social media. There are pros and cons to our activities on social media. These drawbacks are things I haven’t discovered and thought about before. Another course of my study is also related to social media, which I would like to share briefly here. My class is making Wikipedia pages. I learned from my studies that Wikipedia pages are editable and published by everyone. There is a possibility that some information is inaccurate. So how we build trust with each other when using social media is especially important. I think it’s the responsibility of each of us who use social media to make sure that the information we share is accurate and reliable in the first place.

By watching short films from Screening Surveillance. We can see the impact of the current epidemic of big data on our lives. With the rapid development of online media, our lives are being monitored unintentionally. This kind of surveillance behavior makes many people feel that their privacy is exposed, but at the same time, some people feel that it has brought great convenience to their lives. Surveillance of network media breaks through the traditional definition of surveillance. It’s not customs clearance to install cameras, bugs to learn about people’s lives. Big data is to infer your preferences, spending power, etc. based on the website content you browse, the social media people you follow, etc. Therefore, the personal information stolen by big data is unknowable. Sadly, with the growing popularity of social media, people cannot avoid and get rid of their tracking by big data. It remains to be seen how much this prevalence of big data will affect people’s lives.

By reading It’s Not Misinformation. It’s Amplified Propaganda. We can get a closer understanding and experience of the extensive influence and powerful information dissemination ability of network social media. The influence of social media is inseparable from its powerful communication ability. We want to know how influential an event is, based on how few people know about it and are talking about it. Because of its powerful influence, we can understand the disadvantages and advantages of social media very intuitively. The article mentioned that online media has made society more democratic. In fact, the main reason is that online media is relatively fair, and any inconspicuous little person can publish his own posts and personal opinions on the Internet. Their thoughts will be noticed, and their voices will be heard by many. This makes our entire society feel like everyone has a fair say. Of course, social media has huge drawbacks. When people and government officials and entertainment stars find out that social media has powerful propaganda power, they will spend money behind the scenes to manipulate people’s true opinions expressed on social media. Many people’s scandals will be covered up because of this, and at the same time, some networks will use dazzling words to falsely attract traffic. This largely destroys the authenticity and fairness of online social media.

Shelley uses youtube social media software to share her views on different topics such as education. She makes a lot of videos on different topics, and her videos cover a very wide range of content. I find her videos very engaging, she throws questions to make us think first and then gives examples that surprise us. For example, she watched bowling games to learn how to hit more bowling balls. When her friend responded, she took into account that more ways to hit the bowling ball also apply to education. This surprised me very much. At the same time, she will share her favorite books, which we can easily buy online. We can choose between paper books and e-books. This is the knowledge sharing that online social media brings to us. We can listen to a lot of PhDs and professors on the Internet and listen to their views on a lot of things. I think this is the greatest convenience that network media brings to people.

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the use of social media due to the stay-at-home policy. People have found it essential to use social media to increase interaction since they cannot actively engage others. There has also been an increase in the number of students using social media because now students are required to engage in online learning (Gelms, 2021). The increase in social media use has also increased the vulnerability of its users. As such, it is essential to develop ways in which social media users can be protected. 

It is evident that one of the ways to ensure social media safety is by having a good offence rather than a defence. Since most people are using social media today, it is best to implement measures that can be utilised to make the interactions on the platforms intuitive (Malik, 2020). There should be active conversations to ensure the best results when using social media, such as how to prevent access to your accounts, how to identify individuals to interact with, and the appropriate times to post. The conversations should also engage students because they are now actively involved in using social media platforms and the internet. The students should be educated on the appropriate ways to engage others so that there can be mutual respect. 

There should also be education on the issue of digital footprints. It is evident that online content, to some extent, is permanent, and as a result, there should be an engagement to ensure individuals are aware of what is at risk. Besides, students should be engaged to ensure they can cover their digital footprints. The use of sites such as Common Sense Media ensures that digital users receive lessons and resources that can help uncover the issues about social media for both adults and children (Gelms, 2021). It is essential to develop students’ digital literacy skills because it will help them develop the appropriate frameworks to wisely utilise the various social media platforms and ensure their safety. 

When it comes to the issue of students using social media platforms, there should be measures implemented to ensure their safety. One legislation that was implemented to ensure the safety of children using the internet and social media is the Children’s Internet Protection Act passed in 2000 and later amended in 2011 (Grygiel & Brown, 2019). Through the legislation, it has been possible to implement filters to protect students at school and home. However, not most parents are aware of how to implement these filters, and this may create a challenge when trying to protect children. The implementation of these filters ensures students do not access inappropriate content when they are using the internet. Though the filters may not be able to catch all the inappropriate content on social media sites and other websites, they significantly reduce the amount of harmful content available to children. Most internet service providers have these filters available such as Chrome, Google, Yahoo, Firefox, and Safari. 

References

Gelms, B. (2021). Social media research and the methodological problem of harassment: Foregrounding researcher safety. Computers and Composition, 59, 102626. 

Grygiel, J., & Brown, N. (2019). Are social media companies motivated to be good corporate citizens? Examination of the connection between corporate social responsibility and social media safety. Telecommunications policy, 43(5), 445-460. 

Malik, S. (2020). Artificial intelligence for social media safety and security. International Engineering Journal For Research & Development, 5(5), 5-5.

Social media and personalized learning is an important course that has helped me to understand the ways to go about social media daily. One lesson that I learned through the course is agency; agency spiked an increased curiosity about what people post on their social media. Agency gives a person the ability and freedom to take action on social media. Sometimes, there is limited freedom in social media and education to take specific steps (Boyd, 2012). Reading through the lesson, there are best ways to ensure that people maintain an agency with interaction in the digital spaces. Freedom of expression is one thing that allows people to talk and give their opinion on social media (Del Giudice, 2014). Giving out views on social media does not involve bullying or harassment; it is essential to respect other people’s feelings while outlining the internet relationship. 

Safety and equity are another wow and wonder that I gained through the lesson. Equity means living with people with respect and understanding the challenges they face with respect. Using social media to judge others is something that any person should never consider (Jawed et al., 2019). Equity ensures that a person understands the agency and the freedom they have on social media. It is essential to respect other people and understand their backgrounds on social media. Community codes help address the needs of minority groups to help avoid harassment. Minor groups tend to suffer from numerous problems on social media, which makes it essential to develop guidelines on the social media platforms to control people’s engagement (Del Giudice, 2014). Today, millions of people are dynamic on privacy, yet many individuals have no clue how to remain protected on social media. People straightforwardly share information and regularly utilize inadequately safeguarded passwords. Every year, many individuals are the casualty of web-based media accounts hacks, had individual data taken, or succumbed to online tricks (Boyd, 2012). Figuring out how to remain protected via online media is particularly significant with the expanding pervasiveness of coordinated installment frameworks and applications, telephone checks, and contact innovation. 

Another significant wow and wonder that was in the study is digital privacy. Digital privacy is an important guideline that protects our safety and security. Digital security ensures data privacy for the people who are using the internet. Digital priacy comes in handly with freedom and agency which gives people the idea of relating with the social media. Digital security ensures that people have a safe place to give their opinions while learning from what is posted. When people talk about digital protection, they refer to the connection with the internet (Boyd, 2012; Privacy and Surveillance Quiz, n.d). It is important to understand that the internet and privacy should come in handy when learning from social media. 

The internet can be hazardous, and social media is no exemption. Investing in some opportunity to safeguard your information and utilize the security devices given by the application to control how and where you share information is simply the most effective way to protect the web. People ought to likewise invest in some opportunity to occasionally survey the social media accounts, change passwords, and audit any applications or modules

that approach your record so that you can keep up with long-term security. The internet can be somewhat protected since they are conscious of dangers and find ways to moderate them. 

References 

Boyd, D. (2012). Networked Privacy. Surveillance & Society, 10(3/4), 348–350. https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v10i3/4.4529 

Del Giudice, M. (2014). From Information Society to Network Society: The Challenge. In M. Del Giudice, M. R. Della Peruta, & E. G. Carayannis (Eds.), Social Media and Emerging Economies (pp. 71–88). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02490-5_5 

Jawed, S., Mahboob, U., & Yasmeen, R. (2019). Digital professional identity: Dear Internet! Who am I? Education for Health, 32(1), 33. 

https://doi.org/10.4103/efh.EfH_232_17 Privacy and Surveillance Quiz. (n.d.). Digital Tattoo. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/quizzes/privacy-and-surveillance/

Social media and personalised learning is an important course that has helped to understand the ways to go about social media daily. One lesson that I learned through the course is agency; agency spiked an increased curiosity about what people post on their social media. Agency gives a person the ability and freedom to take action on social media. Sometimes, there is limited freedom in social media and education to take specific steps (Boyd, 2012). Reading through the lesson, there are best ways to ensure that people maintain an agency with interaction in the digital spaces. Freedom of expression is one thing that allows people to talk and give their opinion on social media (Del Giudice, 2014). Giving out views on social media does not involve bullying or harassment; it is essential to respect other people’s feelings while outlining the internet relationship.  

Safety and equity are another wow and wonder that I gained through the lesson. Equity means living with people with respect and understanding the challenges they face with respect. Using social media to judge others is something that any person should never consider (Jawed et al., 2019). It is essential to respect other people and understand their backgrounds on social media. Community codes help address the needs of minority groups to help avoid harassment. Minor groups tend to suffer from numerous problems on social media, which makes it essential to develop guidelines on the social media platforms to control people’s engagement (Del Giudice, 2014). Today, millions of people are dynamic on privacy, yet many individuals have no clue how to remain protected on social media. People straightforwardly share information and regularly utilise inadequately safeguarded passwords. Every year, many individuals are the casualty of web-based media accounts hacks, had individual data taken, or succumbed to online tricks (Boyd, 2012). Figuring out how to remain protected via online media is particularly significant with the expanding pervasiveness of coordinated instalment frameworks and applications, telephone checks, and contact innovation. 

Another significant wow and wonder that was in the study is digital privacy. Digital privacy is an important guideline that protects our safety and security. Digital security ensures data privacy for the people who are using the internet. Digital security ensures that people have a safe place to give their opinions while learning from what is posted. When people talk about digital protection, they refer to the connection with the internet (Boyd, 2012; Privacy and Surveillance Quiz, n.d). It is important to understand that the internet and privacy should come in handy when learning from social media. 

The internet can be hazardous, and social media is no exemption. Investing in some opportunity to safeguard your information and utilise the security devices given by the application to control how and where you share information is simply the most effective way to protect the web. People ought to likewise invest in some opportunity to occasionally survey the social media accounts, change passwords, and audit any applications or modules that approach your record so that you can keep up with long-term security. The internet can be somewhat protected since they are conscious of dangers and find ways to moderate them.

References

Boyd, D. (2012). Networked Privacy. Surveillance & Society, 10(3/4), 348–350. https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v10i3/4.4529

Del Giudice, M. (2014). From Information Society to Network Society: The Challenge. In M. Del Giudice, M. R. Della Peruta, & E. G. Carayannis (Eds.), Social Media and Emerging Economies (pp. 71–88). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02490-5_5

Jawed, S., Mahboob, U., & Yasmeen, R. (2019). Digital professional identity: Dear Internet! Who am I? Education for Health, 32(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.4103/efh.EfH_232_17

Privacy and Surveillance Quiz. (n.d.). Digital Tattoo. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/quizzes/privacy-and-surveillance/

Digital privacy makes me feel wow and wonder. In fact, digital privacy is very common in our lives, we seem to use it every day, but it seems that we do not pay attention to its importance and security. When we use the Internet or log into a social media platform, digital privacy can protect the information of the network or account we use. It is not difficult to find that we need to set our own digital password to log in to almost any app in our life. These digital passwords are to achieve the greatest degree of privacy protection. Just like the equality mentioned in my last wow he wonder #2, there are internet pros who can use their internet knowledge to get your digital password. Therefore, people try to change their digital passwords regularly when using the Internet to ensure the security of their accounts.

Another thing i feel i wow and wonder is the safety and equality of the web. Cybersecurity is paramount, and it is about our identities and privacy. Therefore, people should pay attention to network information security. Many people are exposed to scams and harassment due to their lack of security on the Internet and their information being leaked.
I feel that cyber equity is part of cyber security. The relationship between them cannot be separated. We all know that information asymmetry will bring a lot of injustice to people’s lives. Therefore, network equality is to allow everyone who uses the network to receive the same information, instead of stealing or obtaining other people’s information through the computer knowledge they have learned like hackers.