As the end of the Fall 2018 semester quickly approaches to a close, I can't help but ponder all the lessons I've learned throughout this time. In regards to this class specifically, I have learned a tremendous amount of information about the world of technology, particularly social media and its importance. While it may be common knowledge to know that the maintenance of one's social media profile is imperative to both current and future success, people may not realize that there is a lot more than meets the eye. Through this class, I learned to utilize tools that would pertain to both my personal and professional profiles on the Internet. For example, we learned a variety of Presentation tools that we can use for the next time we have an important presentation, we discovered new platforms to help us curate various content that pertain to our academic interests such as Flipboard, Paperli, etc. We also thoroughly researched an individual whose career was destroyed because of a negative posting that they published on various social media platforms. This project really allowed us to research into a situation that is very much likely to happen on any given day because of the prevalence of social media. I researched on Laura Lee who is a famous YouTuber in the Beauty community, and how her old racist Tweets resurfaced this part summer. This caused her to lose millions of subscribers and even the cancellation of the launch of her makeup line in Ulta beauty stores. Needless to say, you truly have to be careful and conscientious about the information you post yourself and the information that is posted about you.
This leads into another very important topic that we learned and that is maintaining a positive impression of your overall digital footprint. Your digital footprint is comprised of EVERYTHING that is related to you on the Internet. This includes previous and current postings and information that is relevant to you in ANY way. To reiterate, it is important to realize that one's digital footprint comprises of even information that is not directly posted by that individual. Users of social media are highly susceptible to setting themselves up for failure if they are careless about what they are posting. The books that were mentioned in class, Untangling the Web, LOL...OMG, Light, Bright, and Polite all successfully mention the importance of the various aspects of maintaining a proper social media image. Through different personal and professional experiences, these authors demonstrate tips on how to purposefully choose what you should or should not post online.
Another main topic that our class was built upon was the development of our Personal Learning Network (PLN). Our PLN primarily was based upon our Twitter accounts. By following professionals in our indicated field of interest, Tweeting posts and articles that pertained to our major, etc. we were kept up to date with the latest news. This allowed us to stay in touch with the relevance of our field and major.We also briefly explored LinkedIn which is a professional social media networking site. This platform acts as a universal place for professionals looking to network with others in their related fields, especially business-oriented individuals. Both of these platforms act as the perfect places to network on a professional level.
One of the final (and fun!) lessons we learned was the manipulation of various every day objects with Makey Makey. This is a very creative tool that allows students to be in touch with their creative side and use the objects as actual controllers of their computer mouse. It's very innovative and encourages imagination, which is very essential for younger students in particular. While a very general and broad knowledge of electrical circuits is required, this is a concept that can be grasped by even elementary students.
In Chapter 4 of Untangling the Web by Steve Dembo and Adam Bellow, more social networking tools are introduced to help expand your social media profile. One of the platforms that were mentioned is TodaysMeet. The aim of this platform is for educational figures to create what the book refers to as "back channels". The main idea behind this is that it's a communication tool that allows teachers to talk about classroom materials in a private setting that is set to only the specified parties in the discussion. This discussion allows each individual in the "back channel" to thoroughly communicate with each other without other interruptions. However, currently this platform has been shut down and is no longer in use. Another platform Skype in the classroom and how it can be used in the classroom. We all know that Skype is a video-calling platform, and lately its use has been turned to educational purposes. Setting up video conferences in the classroom atmosphere is a very helpful and new type of learning for the students because it allows a live, real-life interaction with a person that is helpful in whatever subject manner the students are learning. While video chatting initially may have started for personal reasons, its scope now expands to the classroom and is used as another learning tool. Another helpful tool is Kidblog. This is a very helpful tool to promote blogging to students. The main objective of this website is to do so while being safe and kid-friendly. It gives ultimate control to the teacher to monitor the posts and the overall environment. It is specifically designed for the classroom and its platform can help students also learn how to express themselves more effectively through writing. One of the last platforms this chapter mentions is Edmodo. Edmodo was specifically created with the intention of the educational community in mind. That being said, this was one of the very first social networking platforms for schools. Though it primarily allows teachers to share content and classroom materials, it also incorporates students and parents into the discussion as well. This way, it ensures that the entire educational community is involved.
Overall, I was very pleased with the amount of information I learned throughout this semester. Honestly, I feel that courses like this should be required to take in the learning environment because with the time now, social media and online networking is so prevalent to how we operate as a society. I feel like if more people took courses like this, they would have a much better and thorough understanding of the importance and impact of their whereabouts on the Internet and how it can affect them in real life. I took this class with the intentions of learning more about social media and online networking tools, how they can enhance my professional portfolio, and also how I can incorporate them into my personal YouTube and blog accounts.
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