Hello everyone and welcome to week four!
I’ve enjoyed reviewing your first blog posts. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions to the discussion on personalized learning. As we move forward, I hope the course readings and videos are helping to form a broader understanding of Personal Learning Networks in your minds.
Building on last week’s topic, this week we’ll dive deeper into how you present yourself in digital spaces, where you have control and where you may need to regain it. We’ll also explore the differences between personal and professional digital identities and how to navigate both.
Personal and Professional Digital Identities
Last week, we explored the idea of digital identity, how our online presence is shaped by the ways we participate, share, and connect in digital spaces. This week, we’ll take that conversation further by looking at the different dimensions of our digital selves. In particular, we’ll focus on how personal and professional digital identities can overlap, intersect, and sometimes even conflict.
As educators, learners, and professionals, managing our online presence involves making intentional choices about what we share, how we engage, and the audiences we address. Together, we’ll consider questions such as: How do we curate a professional identity online? In what ways does our personal identity influence or complicate our professional presence? And what strategies can help us maintain authenticity while also protecting our reputation in digital spaces?
Privacy, Ethics & Security in Digital Spaces
To begin with, consider the Privacy and Surveillance Quiz developed by the University of British Columbia. It consists of a series of questions that help you develop an awareness of your privacy and learn more about taking control of your privacy and your data. Make sure to follow the links, which will be provided by submitting your answers, to read more about the subject.
What kind of social media user are you?
To start thinking about how your personal and professional digital identities take shape, try this quick quiz from UBC’s Digital Tattoo project: What Kind of Social Media User Are You?.
The quiz isn’t about right or wrong answers; it’s a way to reflect on your habits, preferences, and motivations when using social media. As you go through it, think about how the results align (or don’t align) with how you see yourself online, and how these patterns might influence both your personal and professional presence.
Visitors & Residents
What determines our engagement with technology and the Web? Have you ever thought about the difference between digital visitors and residents?
There is a range of ways that individuals can engage with the Web. It is not possible to simply divide individuals’ engagement into distinct categories, as it is a continuum of ‘modes of engagement’.
In the following video, David White from the University of Oxford explains how the Visitors and Residents model provides a framework to understand individuals’ engagement with the Web based on motivation and context.
David White – The Digital Visitor and Resident Continuum
Readings for Week Four
Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement
by David S. White and Alison Le Cornu.
Task for this week
Make your Visitors and Residents Map!
David White provides more guidance on how to create your Visitors and Residence map on this page.
This will help you better understand your engagement with technology and the Web.
Please create your V&R map, share it with your group, and discuss your online presence with your learning pod. You can create your V&R map using any platform you’re comfortable with—whether you draw it out and take a photo, or use a digital tool to share it on your page or in your learning pod.
Take a few minutes to watch these two TEDx talks, each offering a unique perspective on digital identity.
What Do Your Digital Footprints Say About You? | Nicola Osborne | TEDxYouth@Manchester
Digital identity – weighing the risks of misuse and missed use | Dakota Gruener | TEDxMarrakesh
Blog Post #2: Reflecting on Your Digital Identity
This week, we are extending our exploration of digital identity by considering both your personal and professional presence online. As you move through your academic and professional journey, the way you present yourself digitally can have lasting impacts on your learning, networking, and career opportunities.
Write a blog post (approximately 300–500 words) reflecting on your personal and professional digital identity. In your response, you may want to consider the following questions:
Prompts (choose one or more):
- How would you describe your current personal and professional digital identities?
- In what ways are they similar or different?
- How intentional are you about managing these identities?
- What challenges or tensions do you notice between your personal and professional digital presence?
- How do you imagine your digital identity evolving in the future?
Tips for your post:
- Draw on examples from your own online activity (social media, academic/professional platforms, digital portfolios, etc.).
- Connect your reflections to ideas discussed in the course readings, videos, or activities.
- Remember to write in your own voice. You are encouraged to be reflective and personal, while also linking to broader course themes.
- More tips can be found here: What Makes a Good Blog Post Reflection
Please publish your post on your course blog site by October 1.
Take care of yourselves and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Mattermost is the quickest way!
Leave a Reply