One of our tasks as learners on the OERu's Introduction to Digital Literacies course (LiDA101) is to create a Personal Learning Network map. You can find an explanation of what this on the PLN mapping challenge pages of the course.
Here's my map (you may have to zoom in a bit to read it properly):
I've used a colour code to distinguish how I use the different tools:
- Solid green = tool used mainly for formal learning and professional development
- Solid blue = tool used mainly for work
- Solid yellow = tool used mainly for social life and personal interests
- Green border = Any tool used for formal/professional learning
When I did this mapping exercise, I was surprised how many different tools I use regularly (and there are probably more that I've forgotten). I was interested to realise that even tools that I think of as being just for inter-personal professional communication (email, Teams and Rocket.chat) are channels for my learning as well - email because I receive various newsletters that way, and Teams and Rocket.chat because colleagues share links to useful articles and resources on those platforms.
The process of creating my PLN, together with working through the various activities and assessment tasks in the LiDA micro-courses, made me aware of gaps and weaknesses in my own digital literacies. (You can look at my previous post to see how I define 'digital literacies'.) So here's my plan for filling those gaps over the next year.
- Learning and development: Use of journal databases. Preparing for the LiDA101 essay was the first time I had used journal databases properly, as I have always relied on a Google search before. I did not have as much success as I expected with the DOAJ and BASE databases, so need to spend more time reading the help pages and practising refining my searches. I will do this next time I have a research project to do, so that I have an incentive to learn and real search terms to practise with.
- Creation: graphic design and video-making, including simple animations. These are both useful for conveying information digitally and will help me, as a teacher, to create more effective, varied and engaging learning materials. At present, I am overly reliant on text. Next year I plan to do an instructional design course which will include graphic design. For instructional video-making, I will look for online materials. My target will be to include at least four instructional videos for a course I am starting to teach next year.
- Participation: Although my PLN shows that I am moving towards being a resident on a number of platforms, I do not post very often and nearly all the platforms where I make substantive comments are associated with LiDA.
- Reading and posting in professional forums/social media. Before starting to study LiDA, I was not at all active as a contributor professionally online. Through LiDA, I have found it valuable to read posts and blogs from others, and enjoyed being able to comment on them occasionally as it helped me to process their message and I've begun to appreciate how we can contribute to each other's learning. When I complete LiDA, I need to find ways to keep this up on different platforms. I will spend some more time finding some worthwhile contributors to follow on Twitter and LinkedIn, and look for some dedicated education forums to join. By the middle of next year, I aim to be posting something once a week on a professional forum/social media site.
- Creating blogs. I am feeling more confident about creating a blog in my own name now that I have had some experience with it through LiDA. I need to work on finding my ‘voice’, and some unique content that I think will contribute to knowledge-sharing, for a blog in my own name. I have found Blogger easy to use for LiDA, but will evaluate whether I want to use WordPress or Blogger in the long-term. I'd like to say that I will start writing a blog regularly next year, but I am not sure whether I will have the time or have really found my voice by then. So this may be a longer-term plan.
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