Worlds Collide
In looking at my own digital presence and mapping how all of my uses, uploads and platforms collide in this digital world has been an interesting task. Somewhere about halfway through creating my digital presence/footprint, I decided to make two maps. One that represents where I am now, and one that represents where I was at the beginning of the MALAT program.
I know the assignment isn’t technically designed for the few folks like me in this course who are at the end of our journey… but hey, curve balls deserve creative solutions.
Here is a look at how my map would have looked two years ago:
Now let’s have a look at today:
What I find interesting is the void area in the ‘Personal/Resident’ quadrant. It seems that I do not have any digital space that is truly just personal and comfortable. The platforms that I see as personal, also tend to bleed into my professional. What does that mean to me? About me? I will let y’all know when I figure that out.
Also, and more obvious is the additive presence in my professional comfort zones in digital spaces. The MALAT program has built up my confidence for trying new and unknown digital arenas. These maps for example, are a product of an unknown-to-me tool called Whimsical. I felt like trying something new, and so I did.
That is my take-away from this assignment; don’t be afraid of digital spaces, instead try something new. You just might like it.
References
White, D. (2013, September 13). Just the mapping [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSK1Iw1XtwQ
13 Comments
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Hi Sandra,
I really like how you compared where you were at the start to where you are now. Do you think that a majority of the new technologies you added were because of the MALAT program or the pandemic? Did your work shift to a more digital environment?
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the question. The answer is most definitely, both. I think the MALAT has given me the confidence to venture into the bigger digital space that I needed to be able to do my job to the best of my ability during the pandemic. I tried new avenues of developing learning outcomes for my students that I may not have pre- MALAT. It has been a good experience for me!
Sandra,
Looks like twitter and your blogs are the biggest techs to move as a result of your time here in the MALAT. Are there any technologies that you would have liked to or will be trying to increase your exposure after completing the MALAT?
Hello Patrick,
That is a good question. I think I will probably spend some time getting to know a few different LMS’s. I know Moodle (mostly), but would like to become proficient in Brightspace and possibly tinker with all that Adobe has to offer.
PS- Discord was also a big shift for me… all thanks to you!!
So fascinating to see your “before and after” tool usage. I see discord made a big move from personal to the centre of the map. I know you use it (from Patrick) for the MALAT 2020 group. Do you see yourself using that tool in your other professional work going forward?
Hi Micheal,
Thanks for your comment and question. Funny thing is, just before Patrick introduced me officially to Discord, my then almost 12 year old son had asked to join. My immediate reaction was to say ‘no’ (we are those parents who won’t let their kids have social media until they are 16). But then when I saw and became familiar with Discord, I asked my son exactly what he wanted it for. Turns out, it was to join a group of young people who all read the same book series as he does, and they ‘role-play’ stories through the characters of these books. After much sleuthing and maintaining they I also had to part of any channel he was part of, we let him have a Discord account. The socialization he gets there (he is Autistic) – not to mention the writing skills he is honing- are so valuable, that it has made me look at other social media with less scorn. As for me using it Discord in my professional life after MALAT…? Likely just to keep in touch with the awesome friends I have made grouch this program 😊
Hahaha… not sure how ‘in’ autocorrected to ‘grouch’. That’s what I get for answering these comments from my phone while walking my dog!
Hi Sandra, I enjoyed looking at how your digital use evolved over time. I am wondering, how did you become more of a resident on LinkedIn? Did you post more, or comment? If you posted, how did you come up with topics to write about?
Hi Heather!
Well, pre-MALAT I wasn’t even on LinkedIn. I was a LinkedIn virgin! Now, I usually peruse once a week, maybe read a couple eduction articles that have been posted. Mostly, I share interesting material I come across or just stalk people to see what they are up to. I am definitely NOT a contributor in any meaningful way. Maybe that will change after I have more time to write for me instead of for a course?
Hi Sandra,
Neat idea to do a then and now. I have a question around your Instagram use. I see that Instagram remained fairly constant for you, and I’m curious to know why that is so.
Hi Bart,
Instagram was actually one of the first social media platforms I became a resident of (aside from FB, of couse – I am over forty!). My first photo is dated 2013. I like photos, and at the time it was less about influencers and advertisement, and more about the photos. I stayed because I had teenagers that wanted to use the platform, and we have a rule about our kiddos and the internet; any space they occupy, we have to be a part of and be connected with their profiles.
Not a super fascinating answer, but there you have it!
Interesting comparison of “now and then.” My own personal/resident quadrant remains fairly sparse as well. The more I reflect on this, the more comfortable I have become with my own way of being and presence in the digital space. Foe me, the online world is more of a an office than a home.
This is really interesting, Sandra. It would be a fascinating project to look at people’s usage patterns over time. I know many people who have left social media entirely, or have severely scaled back their footprint.
I also have friends who “lurk” on social media, looking but not engaging. How weird is that? And what quadrant would that fit into?