Community communications go beyond blogs and social media shares, how does a PLN help and hinder the development of thoughts and ideas in education discourse? What are some problems with social media communications in education settings?

PLNs can help the development of thoughts and ideas in educational discourse by making it easier for people to access an audience and share their stories. PLNs remove the middle-man (for example, a publisher who needs to approve scholarly work before having it published in a university textbook) and allows for the greater spread of ideas. This is highly significant in regards to interview with Baker, in which social media has been a tool for Indigenous people to share their stories. Hashtags such as #LandBack and #NoMoreStolenSisters have caused greater awareness to issues that have been traditionally erased from our textbooks. In a way, PLNs allow for decolonization of education.

As we discussed in class, it is important to be critically aware of the news you are consuming. PLNs and social media can make it easier for well-intended individuals to spread false information, so make sure to vet your sources. First-hand experiences, as Baker mentions, are always a safe bet.

How does the use of PLN raise awareness opportunities in education?

One great advantage of using PLN to raise awareness opportunities in education is that you can attract learners from all across the globe. Therefore, education becomes more accessible to larger groups of people. One example of this is the free course on Indigenous Studies at the University of Alberta, which I saw advertised across my PLN. This speaks to Veletsianos’ article, in which they discuss a networking teacher, and the unique dynamic between learner and educator with PLNs (2010).

What is the role of social media in education?

Social media allows for greater recognition for educational projects. For my final group project for EDCI 338, my group intends to publish a podcast on Spotify. By releasing it onto Spotify, we are able to reach a larger market and create a sense of legitimacy for our project. Hopefully other students will listen and share what they think about the episode.

Works Cited

Miller, Jesse. “EDCI 338 Brad Baker.” YouTube, 5 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy63SmEpvCw.

Veletsianos, George. “Developing Personal Learning Networks for Open and Social Learning.” Emerging Technologies in Distance Education, Au P, 2010, pp. 109-128.