Rem’s Readable Recap

The Beginning

Where did I start?

I have a background that’s heavy in academic writing (PSYC degree) and talking about tech, even using WordPress specifically. However, my recent years as a CSC student and co-op programmer haven’t given me much opportunity for writing.

Jumping into this course was a bit of a refresher and a reminder: hey, I like writing!

What were my learning goals?

I’ve spent a lot of time doing research, and also chatting about communication tech, but I’ve never really researched communication tech. Bringing those interests together was my primary goal when I picked EDCI 338.

In other words, I wanted to scrutinize my PLN-related opinions and social media habits by absorbing some content, talking with peers, and skimming some academic papers.

The Middle

What were some key challenges along the way?

I’m not an educator!

Well, that’s not entirely true: I’ve worked in developmental psychology and behavior intervention, as well as tech support. But I’m certainly not a teacher, and I’m ignorant when it comes to the inner workings of the education system in BC.

To get some better context for this course, I talked with my brother (he’s doing his practicum this year) and a good friend (they’ve been a teacher for several years). I also paid close attention when my peers’ blogs discussed the course content from an educator’s perspective, since many of them know a lot more than I do in that area.

How did the coursework contribute to my learning?

I think I got a lot out of the basic structure of our weekly posts: “here’s some sources, now go find some more, and put them together to articulate a point”. That’s a great jumping-off point for the thoughtful examination of the nature of PLNs.

One of the trickier posts to write bucked that trend: reflecting on my own blog was useful, but took a little longer than the other posts. After all, I not only had to re-read all of my own work, but also find some gaps which weren’t easily filled the first time around. The result was a post which was more difficult to write, but contributed more to my learning than the others.

The End

How has my PLN changed?

This post describes some of the unusual ways I try to curate my PLN. But in the above-mentioned reflection post, I discuss how I’m not applying those strategies consistently and rigorously enough. That one-two punch (“here’s something I do well” followed by “here’s a way I fail to generalize it”) certainly had an affect on how I approach my PLN: I now try to curate my “Algorithm” more actively across more platforms.

On a related note, my internal VR map has been updated to include sites I did not consider as part of my PLN, such as reddit and even non-social-media video- streaming sites like Netflix. It is impossible to engage with media without learning anything, intentionally or not: as such, everything I experience online can be considered a part of my PLN.

What’s next?

I will continue to develop my PLN in a number of ways, but right now my focus is on a new job I will be starting next month. It’s explicitly focused on online learning, accessibility, and WCAG standards, so I should have plenty of opportunities to keep working on my own PLN while also improving the PLNs of many, many, many other people.

I took EDCI 338 out of interest, and perhaps a sense that one day it might be vaguely-applicable to my career. It’s nice to know that my learning will be rolled into my professional identity almost immediately, and in such a direct way.