How diverse is your PLN?
The people involved in my PLN are diverse from different races, sexual orientations, backgrounds, disabilities, and life experiences. I diversified my PLN by keeping an open mind when listening to others perspectives and life stories online and offline. One social media platform that has played a significant role in my PLN online is TikTok. Anyone on the app can be a creator, so I have had the opportunity to watch videos made by people from all parts of the world, of all ages and backgrounds. With all the content posted on social media, I have tried my best to use this as a way to be more diverse by educating myself about others experiences. Montgomery (2018) speaks on this and mentions that social media has also created a voice for individuals who are underrepresented in society, which has allowed the public, such as scholars and writers, to engage in meaningful ways. This is an excellent way to represent how social media can be used as a learning tool.
Are you learning from a variety of diverse voices and are you expanding your understanding of the views of others?
By having a diverse PLN, I have had the opportunity to learn from different individuals and voices. One way I find has helped me learn is using the internet and social media platforms to better understand the views of others I interact with in my day-to-day life. For a few months now, I have worked with children that have autism, which has been a new learning experience for me. I believe understanding different perspectives, opinions, and worldviews can be challenging when it is different from our own. Although, from the beginning, I kept an open mind and tried my best to expand my learning by researching how I can support and understand a child with autism. I have also taken psychology courses that touch on autism spectrum disorder. I find that what has helped me is looking for resources to learn has helped me better understand diverse voices. These resources can also be found through our interactions in our community. As Shelley Moore mentioned, everyone in the community is a teacher (MILLER, 2021). Therefore, there are so many ways to diversify and strengthen our education.
What is a learning outcome of your PLN and how are you ensuring your exposure to diversity and inclusion?
My PLN has taught me to be aware of the value of listening, respect, and being proactive in educating myself and others. What I have learned has allowed me to build friendships in school and work and have the chance to learn constantly. Not only has this been a learning experience for me, but also for my family, who come from a country where diversity was not valued. In addition, I have become more self-aware of how to respond to others while keeping an open mind. I am ensuring my exposure to diversity by using what I have learned through my PLN in new interactions with people in school, work and other areas of my life. As well as finding ways to engage with people of diverse backgrounds on social media.
References
MILLER. (2021, May 30). EDCI 338 – 20 Minutes Moore [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSV0rUl1bA
Montgomery, L. B. (2018). Building and Sustaining Diverse Functioning Networks Using Social Media and Digital Platforms to Improve Diversity and Inclusivity. Frontiers in Digital Humanities, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdigh.2018.00022
MsHiscox October 7, 2022
Hi Nat,
You are right that it is important that we not only talk about inclusion and representation but practice it, in meaningful ways, through our PLN’s. You included TikTok as a means to educate yourself and engage with diverse perspectives. I agree that platforms such as these have provided opportunities to challenge assumptions and expand perspectives on the experiences of people all over the globe. You also mentioned your work with people with autism and seeking out new resources to help you with expanding your knowledge. The video below is a TedTalk from a young man with Autism and I found it useful to deepen my understanding of the daily experiences of a person living with autism and the many misleading stereotypes that people have on the disorder. I hope it helps you too. Thanks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4vurv9usYA&t=18s
picpen October 9, 2022
Hi, Net
In your blog post you mentioned Shelley Moore’s comments about finding learning resources through community interaction. How do you apply it to learning about autism?
Pen
nataly October 17, 2022 — Post author
Hi Pen. Thanks for your question. I have used digital platforms like Tiktok and YouTube to educate myself online. I have used community interaction through my real-life experiences of working with children that have autism, as well as involving myself in courses that educate myself and others. I also think having conversations with others with autism or someone with a family member who has it is an excellent learning resource for me, as I did not grow up knowing anyone who did.