I would like to develop my digital presence to grow, share, and collaborate with my students, fellow MALAT students, and colleagues in the education field and manufacturing sector. In this post, I will reflect on where I currently am and the steps I need to take to grow in this area.

Being an elder gen Z (or young millennial), I was raised with the internet and computers and “[grew] up with the formations of social media, which has altered the way [I] think and do everyday things.” (Seymour 2019). I have had a profile on several social media sites for as long as I can remember, and I am very comfortable in online spaces. Despite growing up with technology at my fingertips, I have not utilized digital spaces professionally until the pandemic hit in 2019. White and LeCornu (2011) describe people who use the internet for a specific goal as “visitors.” While working as a machinist before starting in education, I only used digital spaces as a “visitor” with email being the only “tool” I utilized. Even when I started in my current role at SAIT in 2018 everything was done in a traditional face-to-face learning environment. Learning Management Systems (LMS) were used solely to update students with their marks and share the PowerPoint slide decks. The rollout of more widespread use of LMS had begun, but the process was slow. However, this all changed during the pandemic, and it has opened my eyes to how effective digital learning environments can be when developed in a thoughtful and intentional way.

 I have several strengths in terms of learning and implementing new software. However, this implementation sometimes lacks the correct processes, design, and pedagogy required to communicate my thoughts and ideas. My hope over the program is to develop these skills to enhance the digital spaces I help design. I will need to pay close attention to these concepts and critically reflect on how I can implement them into my practice.

One of my greatest hesitations in taking on a graduate level education was the academic writing portion. Before starting this program, I took an academic writing course through Royal Roads University. The course helped me feel more comfortable with APA formatting and reading academic articles. However, I still recognize this as an area of improvement. I plan to communicate with Royal Roads Writing Centre for additional support to help strengthen my knowledge and skills in academic writing.

To help cultivate my presence online, I will also focus on Rheingold’s (2010) five social media literacies: attention, participation, collaboration, network awareness, and critical consumption. I will briefly touch on how I hope to implement these literacies as a student in the MALAT program and in the online spaces I will develop.

Attention

Rheingold (2010) stated, “attention is fundamental to all literacies.” In the spaces I develop, I will need to be aware of where participants’ attentions are going and help direct it into beneficial areas. As a student, I need to be mindful of where my attention is throughout the course, and I need to ensure that I am focusing on my studies. To respect my group members, I also need to give them 100% of my attention when working together.

Participation

I must keep in mind how marginalized groups will be able to participate in the spaces I help develop. Hargittai and Walejko (2008) found that a person from a higher socioeconomic status “are significantly more likely to create content.” It is essential to consider this as I wish to create spaces where everyone can contribute regardless of their socioeconomic status and other potential barriers. I will also need to be an active participant in the MALAT program to reap this journey’s full benefits.   

Network awareness

“Faculty and staff must be willing to lead by example — to demonstrate and discuss, as fellow learners, how they have created and connected their own personal cyberinfrastructures” (Campbell 2009). To be a “leader,” I must be aware of my personal “cyberinfrastructure” and reflect on what is working and what is not. I also must be mindful of how much time I spend online and on online networks. It is critical for my mental health and well-being to not always be online. To help prevent burnout, I will take one day a week to unplug and recharge throughout the program. 

Critical consumption

“Literacy of trying to figure out what and who is trustworthy—and what and who is not trustworthy—online” (Rheingold 2010). In this program, I will need to think critically when reading academic literature. I will keep in mind the source of information, who has written the article, why they have written the article and who is funding the research.

Early in this stage, it is hard to measure success. It is important to be “comparing yourself to yesterday’s self” (Indeed Editorial Team 2021). To do this, I have set up weekly, monthly, and yearly reminders to reflect on where I have seen personal development and what theories I can implement into my practice. I hope to have some more concrete goals once I am more established in the program.

References:

Campbell, G. (2009). A personal cyberinfrastructure. Educause Review, 44(5), 58-59. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/9/a-personal-cyberinfrastructure

Hargittai, E., & Walejko, G. (2008). The participation divide: Content creation and sharing in the digital age. Information, Community and Society, 11(2), 239-256. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691180801946150

Indeed Editorial Team (2021, September 27). How to measure success in 7 actionable steps [Editorial]. https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-measure-success

Rheingold, H. (2010). Attention, and other 21st century social media literacies. Educause Review, 45(5), 14. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2010/10/attention-and-other-21stcentury-social-media-literacies

Seymour, E. (2019, August 25). Gen z: born to be digital. Student Union. https://www.voanews.com/a/student-union_gen-z-born-be-digital/6174519.html