Blog Post #3 – Personal Digital Identity vs Professional Digital Identity

What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?

Digital platforms provide great opportunities for students to develop their professional network while still in school at school. Users can not only add friends to their contacts, but the platforms will automatically list what mutual friends between you and your friends, so that you can choose whether to invite to join friends. By doing this, you can quickly expand your network indefinitely. For establishing more professional networking, I would recommend LinkedIn. Students could upload their resumes to LinkedIn, connect with peers and teachers, and, most importantly, develop their personal brands.

What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?

Interaction, including sharing information and receiving feedback is most important for students to develop their professional learning network. I believe that EDCI 338 offers a good illustration of how to widen the network of professional learners. In a community setting with all of the classmates and the instructor, it is very effective to exchange ideas and get feedback. We first post blogs on WordPress to share knowledge and ideas. After that, we discuss in Mattermost and gain insightful feedback from colleagues. At UVic, expect online social platforms, UVSS also provide opportunities to find like-minded people.

How do data privacy and security limit and/or promote a PLN?

When we visit websites, download apps or post on social media, we are also sharing data about ourselves with these companies. Many of the details in an original photo can be read and retrieved by a social media platform when we send it to a friend. Not just the date and time of the shooting, the tools used, or the precise location where the shots were taken are included in this information. Now, whenever I want to write a new post, I usually think about whether it will cover sensitive subjects or information.

In your network how can you create a digital identity/ reputation? 

• Don’t post anything negative.
• Edit the inappropriate comments made by my friends.
• Avoid using emails with strange names.
• Google myself regularly.

How did pivots to work-from-home during the COVID-19 pandemic change how we should consider our social media connectivity and professional balance?

During the pandemic, people work from home and spend more time on social media during the pandemic. Employers and students may benefit from non-commuting and comfortable clothing. However, for someone like me, commuting to school or having morning coffee help draw important boundaries between study and life. In addition, connecting at home is challenging. Personal connections are often most effective when they build social connections and gain a sense of community.