Beginning
I am a senior majoring in economics. I chose this major because I believe it is the social science that I am most interested in. EDCI is also an elective course I have chosen.
The Start
I chose this course because I genuinely believe it will be helpful and I’m deeply interested in it. It all started because of my girlfriend; she had taken it as an elective, and we discussed the details. I really enjoyed the new media content, which greatly interested me. That’s my motivation for choosing this course.
Target
I am a Chinese student studying in Canada. My generation has witnessed the rise of new media in China and understands the importance of Personal Networks (PLNs) for individuals and even companies. Therefore, my learning goals are as follows:
1. Master PLN skills.
2. Develop analytical skills and improve my ability to adapt to changing circumstances (at the personal network level).
3. Learn the basics of PLNs to lay a solid foundation for the future. These are my three main goals.
Challenge
Looking back, I realize I faced considerable challenges when this course started. I didn’t know what a blog was, how to write one, or how to complete one. Learning is a gradual process starting from scratch. The second challenge was drawing our own social media map, which I clearly remember. I had no concept of it before; to me, these media were simply different functions. I’d never thought about it from such a professional perspective. So, when this assignment came up, I carefully tried to understand and recall the details and categories I usually used. The third challenge was group work and the communication and completion process with group members. But no matter what, I overcame it all. I really enjoyed the experience. It felt like there were endless hills to climb, but I was determined to overcome them. I loved this feeling, like a challenge; although there was no end, I knew the direction. I’m very grateful to Professor Jesse for diligently updating the weekly posts with great detail, which helped me a lot.
Reflection
Overall, I am quite satisfied with this course. Firstly, I have my own blog, and secondly, I achieved my learning objectives. However, there are still many shortcomings.
1. There was little interaction with classmates, such as commenting on other people’s blogs.
2. I think my own blog is not detailed enough. For example, I think catposthumus’s blog is quite perfect, and this is something I need to improve upon.
3. As someone who is new to PLN, I think my content is too simplistic and needs to be expanded.
4. My understanding of the network and PLN is too conservative and rigid, and needs to be strengthened; I need to view it in a more open way.
5. I focused too much on the harms, causing me to overlook the benefits and advantages brought by media such as PLN.
These are the five major reflections I made after this course that I need to rectify promptly. I have a great hope of overcoming these difficulties.
I will do what I do
First, I will expand my PLN to make it more comprehensive. Second, I will increase verification of information, avoiding reliance on one-sided accounts, and be cautious with artificial intelligence, as I cannot immediately verify the truthfulness of its reports. Finally, I will deepen my understanding of the network frameworks, laws, and ethical responsibilities among different countries in the international community to ensure the healthy development of my PLN without violating the red lines of any group.
Looking to the future
I will first focus on professional content, in order to build a network of potential future employers and colleagues.
By utilizing third-party tools and information, those in charge can reduce resource waste and public attention, and also avoid misleading information.
To expand and specialize my PLN, I will do so by joining professional communities and increasing interaction, etc.
The END
It’s a pleasure to see everyone here. Thank you to the professor for his meticulous guidance over the past few months, and thank you to all members of our group for their hard work. Wishing everyone who reads this all the best.
Reference
Hughes, J. (2017, July 12). See You Again from Furious 7 Is Now the Most Watched Video on YouTube. The Drive. https://www.thedrive.com/article/12385/see-you-again-from-furious-7-is-now-the-most-watched-video-on-youtube
Hello, thank you for sharing your honest experience with the course. I’m glad to hear it opened your awareness to some of the aspects or gaps in your understanding of PLN’s. I understand some of the difficulties you shared and I’m glad I wasn’t alone in experiencing them! I truly was not sure what a PLN was before this course and I didn’t really recognize that I was part of one because I don’t engage and post my own social media content so the idea felt irrelevant to me until I realized just how entrenched in PLN’s my life actually was! As well I have to agree there was a strange level of adaptation that I faced when trying to grasp how to actually post on a blog since I’m more typically writing in an academic or personal sense and not as a public “blogger” realizing others would be able to judge, agree, or disagree was a big adaptation. I appreciate some of the goals you mention particularly on diversifying your PLN- this is hugely advantageous for building your portfolio online like we learned about with the Sophie Lui interview. However there’s the added benefit of increasing the sources you are hearing perspective’s from which can challenge our thinking and limit the chances we end up stuck in feedback loops. Anyway, my comment has gone on far too long but I really resonated with your experience. All the best!