Overall Goal and Purpose
As I begin developing my personal blog and online presence, I want my work to reflect who I am both personally and professionally. I hope that when others engage with my content, they experience a sense of safety, exploration, creativity, and authenticity. At the same time, I value presenting myself as a knowledgeable educator who continues to grow and gain experience. Because of this, I aim to strike a balance between being genuinely human and maintaining a professional voice.
My goal in cultivating my digital presence throughout the MALAT program is to develop an online identity that reflects who I am both personally and professionally. This aligns with Jisc’s view that “digital capability is not just about technical skills, but also about identity, wellbeing, communication, and participation in digital environments” (Jisc, 2015).
Approach for Achieving This Goal
My approach focuses on balance and sustainability. I intend to use my personal blog as my primary space for reflection and professional growth. Rather than trying to maintain an active presence across many platforms, I will prioritize depth over visibility. As Boyd (2010) reminds us, digital participation is shaped by visibility and audience, meaning that intentional choices about where and how we engage matter.
Skills and Knowledge Gaps
The topics I feel most drawn to writing about are closely connected to my lived experiences, including my work in education, family dynamics, personal growth, creativity, and community. These areas feel meaningful and sustainable, as they reflect my everyday reality and allow for authentic reflection.
In terms of my own writing, I often struggle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, particularly as I begin this master’s program. While I believe I have meaningful ideas, I tend to second-guess how I express them. My strengths lie in listening, reflecting, and building one-on-one connections. I hope that through consistent blogging, I can strengthen my academic voice while remaining authentic.
As I begin this program, I recognize gaps in confidence around academic writing and navigating emerging technologies such as generative AI. At this stage, my personal boundary is to use AI as a support tool rather than a content generator. While AI can support learning, it also raises ethical and pedagogical questions. Koseoglu et al. (2024) emphasize that “human authors remain fully responsible for the integrity, accuracy, and meaning of academic work created with the support of generative AI.” This reinforces my desire to use AI cautiously and intentionally.
Strategies to Address These Gaps
To address these gaps, I plan to blog consistently and embrace writing as a learning process. Maintaining an authentic human voice is important to me, and I believe that overusing AI risks losing that connection. I will use AI as a prompt and editing support, not as a content generator. As Mollick (2023) argues, “AI works best when it is used to support human thinking rather than replace it.” This perspective supports my intention to maintain an authentic human voice.
Measures of Success
For me, success in cultivating my digital presence is not about being highly visible or producing a large volume of content. Instead, success looks like developing a digital identity that feels honest, sustainable, and aligned with my values. I will know I am on the right path if my writing feels increasingly confident and clear, while still sounding like myself.
I also see success in consistency rather than perfection. If I am able to show up regularly in ways that feel manageable alongside my work and family life, that will be a meaningful achievement. Over time, I hope to feel less self‑doubt when sharing my ideas and more trust in my own voice as a learner and educator. White and Le Cornu (2011) suggest that individuals move fluidly between visitor and resident modes depending on purpose, and my success will be reflected in making those choices intentionally rather than reactively.
Looking Ahead
As the program progresses, I expect my understanding of digital identity and AI to continue evolving. I remain committed to learning, reflecting, and adapting my digital presence in ways that align with my values as an educator, learner, and human being.
Footnote: ChatGPT was used to refine the language in the final draft. All concepts and ideas are mine.
References:
Jisc. (2015, November 10). Framing digital capabilities for staff: Deliverables.
Koseoglu, S., Bozkurt, A., Havemann, L., van Mourik Broekman, P., Bali, M., & Kilburn, D. (2024).
GenAI et al.: Cocreation, authorship, ownership, academic ethics and integrity in a time of generative AI.
Open Praxis, 16(1), Article 654. https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.16.1.654
Mollick, E. (2023). ChatGPT is great. You’re just using it wrong.
The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-is-great-youre-just-using-it-wrong-198848
White, D., & Le Cornu, A. (2011). Visitors and residents: A new typology for online engagement.
First Monday, 16(9). https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3171/3049
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Hi Jenn,
I feel your story is very similar to mine, and prioritizing depth over visibility feels like a practical approach. There can be pressure to be active everywhere, but focusing on meaningful engagement makes a lot more sense to me.
I also related to your point about self-doubt and imposter syndrome. I feel some of that myself, and it helps knowing others are working through the same challenges.
I’d like to think I will start sharing more with people outside of the MALAT bubble as the program continues, but that would be a big step for me.
Do you think your blogging will stay mostly focused on your own learning and experiences, or do you see yourself sharing more with people outside of MALAT as the program continues?
Hi Craig,
Thanks for your feedback and question. It’s hard to predict the future, but I am enjoying the blogging thus far. I don’t see myself having much extra time to spend on blogging outside of the program. But you really never know? I am really interested in reflection, writing, and personal growth, so I am also curious to see where this current blogging practice takes me. I think only time will tell
Hi Jenn,
Your point about prioritizing quality over quantity really resonates with me. Even if we can repurpose content across multiple platforms, it quickly becomes time-consuming to curate and engage meaningfully — especially in an already packed schedule.
I also share your concern about over-relying on AI. There’s a real risk of losing your own voice over time. Have you developed any strategies to use AI as a refinement tool while keeping the writing authentically yours?