Month: July 2023

Media literacy enables the populace to understand and contribute to public discourse. Sometimes the media literacy is different from factual information which will lead to conflicts. There are several reasons:

• belief and culture: different beliefs and culture can cause different explanation about certain content on the internet.
• misleading and false information: Internet is an open space for everyone to speak. information is not always true. There are many misleading and false information on the internet. We need to learn how to distinguish them.
• individual differences: not everyone has the same media literacy, therefore their texts may lead to misunderstandings and disagreements about the credibility of sources and the accuracy of information.

Having media literacy enables us to build a better environment of PLN. A network that values media literacy encourages critical thinking and evidence-based analysis. Members are more likely to engage in thoughtful discussions and evaluate information objectively, and is more likely to encourage responsible sharing of information and discourage the spread of rumors, misinformation, and clickbait content. More important, it enables us to build a friendly environment for everyone to learn. Media literacy reduces discrimination, enhance empathy, and connect people all around the world.

Mainstream social media platforms(Which i am familiar with) that are beneficial in education are Twitter, YouTube, TedTalk, And newly emerging TikTok.

Twitter enables people to share text, images, videos, and audio. People can learn about the news and speeches of influencers. There are many influencers in variety of fields share their knowledge on it. Shortages: Lack of strict control over speech, The quality of content varies.

YouTube is a video-sharing platform where educators can create and share educational videos, tutorials, and lessons. It can be a valuable resource for flipped classrooms, supplemental learning materials, and engaging visual content.

It’s important to note that the selection of social media platforms should align with the educational goals, needs, and age appropriateness of the students. Educators should carefully consider privacy settings, terms of service, and adhere to school policies and guidelines when using social media platforms in educational settings.

For the protection of vulnerable sectors, social media platforms should review speech to ensure that there is no discriminatory speech. And protecting personal information and privacy of vulnerable sectors. It should also be user-friendly in terms of usage.

I think social media platforms facilitate communication and collaboration among students, educators, and educational institutions. They provide channels for sharing information, resources, and ideas, enabling educators to connect with colleagues, students, and parents. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can be used for professional networking, sharing educational content, and engaging in discussions.

To understand how to balance PLN and public discourse, let’s first break it up.

P = Personal, L = Learning, N = Network

Learning Involving interaction, communication, and exchange for knowledge and experiences with others, so Personal learning network may not be that “personal” as it sounds like. Networks are build up on the social media platforms.

Social space on the internet is a place where people can be anonymous and anyone can assess it. people don’t have to know you and you don’t have to know them. So, sometimes the comments by others can be harmful, disrespectful. While most people is friendly and glad to use it as a tool for learning. You can learn from people all around the world.

As a public figure, the most important thing is their reputation. No matter they are an educator, a lawyer, or a government official. They need to be trusted by the public, which means they need to be very careful about what they say and post on the internet. One small mistake can be overly amplification and interpreted. Losing the trust of the public means that loss their authority, and their speech will no longer taken by the public.

As I said, social media is an open space for everyone. Everyone has the freedom of speech, even when they make negative replies. Facing negative comments is something that each of us will experience to some extent. For me, I understand that it is an open space for everyone, and I know the purpose of why i am using social media. I am here to learn, and making friends with people have some interests with me. As for the negative replies, I will listen if the comments make sense and can help me improve myself. Otherwise, I will just ignore them.

In the last two weeks, I talked about how to build and expand PLNs, and what role social media plays in PLNs. This week, I will share my understanding of how social media can benefits our PLNs.

As an example of this class, we are asked to share our learning experiences in posts weekly. In this way, we can turn our understandings of the topic into text, and we can read others’ posts, and comment others. Other students can do the same thing. Discussion on Mattermost allow us to make  immediately communication and also asynchronous discussion with our classmates.

The point is —– interaction

I believe that interaction with others can help me learn better. Interaction is the exchange of knowledge.

Social media sharing can also help us to find people who have the same interest and learning the same subject as us. By connecting with people from diverse backgrounds in your PLN, you gain access to a broader range of knowledge and expertise. Each individual brings their unique experiences and expertise, allowing you to learn from their insights and benefit from their expertise in different areas.

A diverse and inclusive personal learning network (PLN) has brought many benefits in social media sharing. It provides a wide range of perspectives from individuals from different backgrounds, cultivates Critical thinking and challenges preconceived ideas. By establishing connections with people from different cultures and experiences, you can gain a broader knowledge base and expertise in different fields.