Hello and welcome to the course. My name is Maryam Shirdel Pour and I am teaching EDCI 338: Social Media and personalized learning Section A01.
I’m looking forward to getting to know each of you as we develop new skills and deepen our understanding of Social Media and personalized learning together over this semester.

In the following weeks, we will be exploring the application of social media in educational contexts in relation to personalized learning. We will be using blogs and other social media tools to develop our understanding of digital identity, diversity, and inclusion in online learning environments. 

This is an online asynchronous course and can be completed without attending a face-to-face class session. This site is set up to house the course contents. Readings, videos, and other important updates will be presented here. Please make sure to check the site regularly to reach out for class updates.

I will be available to meet with you If you have any questions or need further help or just want to have conversations about the course and build social relationships. Please reach out and we will find a time for us. I want you to know that I am here to support you in any way that I can, and please feel free to reach out to me and provide feedback on your experience at any time.

Please ensure that you are familiar with the EDCI338 website and how to find our section. All of the material needed for the course will be shared on the website, publicly. All assignments will be submitted to Brightspace. Anything requiring your personal information will be shared through email or through our Social Spaces page, which is password protected.

In the first week, you will start to connect with your classmates as you begin to form your personalized learning network with the participants of this course. You should also take some time to reflect and consider the themes of this course and introduce yourself to the concept of Personal Learning Networks (PLN). I have uploaded the syllabus of the course on Brightspace. It is also available on social spaces page. Once you receive it, you will need to carefully read the outline for our course, ensuring that you can identify the outcomes of the course as well as how you will be assessed.

I would appreciate it if you could complete the following tasks before next week:

1. One of your initial tasks will be to set up your own WordPress blog. If you’ve already created one from a previous course, you’re welcome to use it. You can support the community’s learning by sharing your journey through your blog posts. Tutorials for creating your own blog on UVic’s OpenETC can be found here, and getting started on WordPress is available here. After setting up your blog, you can customize it and post an introductory message.

Note: A template is available to use for your WordPress blog on OpenETC. However, if you have alternative ideas on how to organize your site or have an existing site from a previous EDCI course, feel free to use it. The key is to establish clear and consistent navigation to facilitate easy access to your work. In case you’ve followed the setup process with OpenETC, waited for 24 hours, and still do not have a site, please inform me via email or send me a message on Mattermost so that I can follow it up.

Once you’ve created your blog, please share the link to your blog URL here.

2. We will be using an instant messaging system to stay connected throughout the term both in class and beyond. It is called Mattermost (similar to the Slack messaging application) and will allow us to connect collectively, in small groups, or one-to-one via text. This service is hosted in BC and is specifically available for educational institutions. Please either use your first name & last name (e.g.: maryamshirdelpour) or use your UVic Netlink ID (e.g.: mshirdelpour) when you create your Mattermost user name. Sign up for a Mattermost account using the link on the social space page or on the course outline.

Post an introduction in Mattermost. Tell us a bit about who you are beyond the classroom and what interested you about this subject.

NOTE: this link should only be clicked on a laptop or desktop machine. Using a phone or tablet may throw errors. Once an account is created, Mattermost works well on mobile

The next post will be uploaded next Wednesday. Please make sure to complete these tasks before then.

You can always contact me if you have questions or concerns, and I will reply as quickly as possible. Mattermost will be the quickest way to get a response.