The Luddite in Me!
What a wonderful exercise it was to create a personal technology-use map on the framework of the Visitor-Resident and Personal-Professional tension pairs (White, 2011). It really was next-level in light of having Digital-Analogue, Individual-Collaborative, and even Peer-Instructor guidance craftily integrated as we take baby-steps developing both community and personal awareness. As you can see by my map, I landed firmly in the analogue format for this activity. I spend a great deal of time online as a teacher-administrator for an online school, and there are times when I weigh the risks/benefits of digital or analogue processes. Some of the risks in this case include time-investment and more screen-time, and benefits include polished final product and strengthening graphic production skills. In this case, the benefits of analogue won out!
Other notable observations from this exercise from a personal perspective are that while my map is fairly full and colorful, representing the extent of my online activity in a generalized way, it is also notably stark in the Personal-Resident quadrant. This bears true to my personality in my non-digital life, but gives me pause as I feel, or perhaps simply interpret, undercurrents of value ascribed to various aspects of these typologies. A not-so hidden learning outcome in our recent activities is what Dave Cormier addresses in his blog post dated March 31, 2018: development of a community, the balance of peer support and instructor influence or direction, and ultimately, professional practice. The tension pair of Individual and Collaborative (Cormier, 2018) in light of peer versus instructor direction intrigues me as we have launched into the MALAT program as a cohort with a strong back-channel of peer communication but minimal discussion on our two internal platforms since an initial surge in The Link: Moodle and WordPress blogs. I’m intrigued by the initial energy, activity, and use of tools, and what this trajectory will look like over time. Returning to a self-reflective stance, I look forward to continuing this journey of exploration of digital identity and expanding my horizons.
Cormier, D., (2018, March 31). Digital Practices Mapping – Intro activity for digital literacies course. Daves Educational Blog. http://davecormier.com/edblog/2018/03/31/digital-practices-mapping-intro-activity-for-digital-literacies-course/.
Cormier, D. (2013, September 13). Just the Mapping [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSK1Iw1XtwQ
White, D. S., & LeCornu, A. (2011). Visitors and residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, 16(9).
Hi Alisha,
Your typology map and reflection are thought provoking, and the title of your post made me chuckle! Your observation about our active peer-driven “back-channel” of communication is very intriguing. I also am keen to see how our use of tools will evolve as we progress through the MALAT program. I have very much tried to keep my personal and institutional digital identities completely separate and distinct. The thought keeps coming to mind that perhaps I need to rethink that separation and attempt to cultivate a more blended digital presence. Perhaps the lines between personal and institutional are blurring?
– Amber
Thank you so much, Amber! I have been grappling so much with exactly what you described about the separation of personal and institutional identities. My response has simply been to minimize my public presence, and I have found the exploration of this limitation a bit uncomfortable. I suspect that cognitive dissonance is the beginning of great things for us!
Alisha,
Great reflection!
Along with many of your arguments, I completely agree with you, especially the questioning of typologies as having value ascribed to them (as I touched on in my post). I ask if in 2021, we can truly fragment our perceptions of our engagement into Resident and Visitor types. I would extend this to question the role of audience in this schema.
After reading your post, and Amber’s comment, I feel confident we will have much discussion on this subject and grow closer to conclusions that better fit today’s conversations.
Angela
(I edited my comment and didn’t read though, and of course after posting I read it only to find it sounds like Yoda wrote it! – Sorry!)
Hi Alisha,
Great title for you post. You refer to having a “non-digital life”in your post. May I ask the reason why this is or is this in connection to your title? My map is similar to yours with little to none in the upper right corner. I am not surprised because I have never felt the need to have a digital online presence even though I have been encouraged to and sometimes have felt like I was missing out. However, I am starting to reconsider as I learn more and wonder what digital identities will look like towards the end of the journey. I would also like to say good observation for pointing out about the flurry of activity on back-channel rather than use of the tools in Moodle. Very interesting. -Gail
Thanks so much, Gail. I recently completed some formal Myers-Briggs personality testing (hadn’t done it in years) and my reference to “non-digital life” was actually just alluding to my introversion in general. As I dug deep and reflected on how I might want to cultivate my digital identity and presence, I realized that this does not necessarily mean making quick, dramatic changes. I am exploring the identity and presence of some of my mentors and idols within my field as part of my process.