Week 7 – The Final One

YAY! The time is finally here!

Blog Summation

At the beginning of this term, my main goal was to better understand how social media could connect to my future career as an educator. I had never heard of a PLN prior to taking this course and was unknowingly curating mine on platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn. However, as much as I was aware of how these platforms may support my future career, I had not given much thought to how these spaces could support professional learning or shape my digital identity. Ultimately, this made me want to be more intentional about the type of digital professional I am as a teacher candidate.

Growth & Reflection

Throughout the course, I gained knowledge, developed professionally, and critically thought about my current digital literacy. Creating my PLN and especially using platforms such as LinkedIn helped me recognize that professional learning can happen beyond a formal workshop. Connections with educators, organizations, practicum schools, and online communities can all become valuable learning opportunities. Our discussions around AI and media literacy also made me think more critically about the information I encounter online, and the responsibility educators have to recognize misinformation. Learning about Canadian privacy legislation such as PIPEDA also reminded me that responsible technology use involves considering privacy, ethics, and the policies that guide our digital spaces.

Some of my most valuable learning came from my PLN activities, and peer blog audit. Reading through peers’ personal thoughts and growth of their PLN expanded my understanding of what a PLN could be. For example, learning about the importance of Discord, GitHub or even YouTube in some peers’ PLNs has helped me utilize different platforms as well. The peer audit assignment was especially useful because I was able to see how another teacher candidate interpreted many of the same ideas differently or similarly. The peer feedback I received encouraged me to make stronger connections between course concepts, sources, and my personal experiences. As the term progressed, I tried to apply feedback by making my writing more reflective and allowing more of my own voice to come through.

A super important step in my PLN that was inspired by the course concepts was creating my first ever LinkedIn post, a step that was very nerve-wracking and vulnerable for me. For my first post, I decided to connect on my learning found from my international practicum, and channel both the emotional and professional connection I had to my experience.

I have been so grateful for the support I have had so far, and I would love to continue sharing my Tanzania memories with others, so if you’re a teacher candidate, a world traveler or just interested in reading more about an international practicum, please support my PLN and check out the post!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/priya-chauhan-78b3b2240_in-april-i-was-given-the-opportunity-of-ugcPost-7495648987987881984-cGxP/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAADvb8NsBVQbFbavlcUUr2kP5UXzHF38cwKg

Forward-Looking Goals

Moving forward, I have three main goals:

1. I want to continue expanding my PLN by connecting with educators, school districts, and professional communities through LinkedIn and other digital spaces.

I have started working toward this goal by timing future LinkedIn posts, reaching out to new tutoring, or education-related practices for job opportunities and mentorship, as well as connecting to my previous teachers to form a stronger PLN.

2. I want to continue advocating for less AI usage in schools and being a strong voice in the education field about the environmental and cognitive consequences from overuse of AI, especially for young learners.

I have begun by beginning to connect to leaders of environmental initiatives and signing petitions and joining advocacy groups to counter the immense construction projects for AI data centers in local areas.

3. I want to deepen my understanding of Canadian digital and AI policy, privacy, and media literacy, particularly as these areas continue to change alongside technology, and continuously will affect my future career and how I live as a digital citizen forever.

Before my 6-week practicum, I want to begin my deep research of Canadian policies to understand how they may affect teaching, lesson plans, etc. This goal will be gradual, as learning is continuous and policies will continue to change into the future.

Overall

To wrap up, I believe this course changed the way I think about being online. My digital presence is no longer something I see as completely separate from my professional identity and is instead something I can intentionally build and use to learn, connect, and contribute. As I continue my journey as a teacher candidate and eventually enter the profession, I hope to carry forward the idea that being a responsible digital citizen is an ongoing process.

Thank you for a wonderful summer term and I hope that readers enjoyed my thoughts and reflections!