A diverse Personal Learning Network (PLN) can significantly improve one’s learning and personal or professional growth by providing multiple topics from different perspectives. Schools always teach about academic topics, but they may not address personal interests or future career goals. Recently, I have been considering a career in the human resources field after graduation. As a result, I have been following HR professional profiles on LinkedIn and participating in discussions on the r/humanresources subreddit. One common link between successful HR professionals is their practice of sharing posts and connecting with new employees. I engage in these discussions whenever the topics are intriguing. Someone shared an experience where their boss flirted with an employee. I enjoy reading these posts because it feels real. These platforms have provided valuable insights into the challenges within HR and have helped me better prepare myself for a potential career in this field.
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To ensure my PLN includes various voices and perspectives, I plan to be inclusive. For example, I try to connect with people from different backgrounds. I am also a visible minority and I understand how our voices may be underrepresented. My experience in UVic has taught me a lot about diversity and equity, which has inspired me to apply these principles to my PLN. Moreover, I actively participate in discussions and ask questions whenever possible. I am open to being challenged by others and listening to different perspectives. I believe this approach helps to promote inclusiveness and make sure no one is left out.
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Different social media platforms have unique features and cultures. Overall, I feel like Reddit is more realistic because people comment anonymously. Everyone speaks freely and I feel like a lot of people online are supportive and helpful. A lot of people talk about topics that are difficult to discuss in real life because they do not want others to know. LinkedIn can be useful for professional connections but found everyone quite conservative. People tend to hold back and carefully consider what they write on LinkedIn because it can impact their careers. There is a lack of personal expression and everyone is focusing on the goal of advancing their careers.
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Creating an inclusive PLN can be challenging and figured this out when I tried to connect with people from different backgrounds. Everyone can present themselves in a certain way and we do not know their true identities. Moreover, It’s difficult to determine the trustworthiness of some comments. Therefore, I have to rely on my instincts when it comes to reading information.
brucemao
August 6, 2024 — 8:41 pm
Hi Macro! I totally agree with you about how important it is to have a diverse Personal Learning Network (PLN) in order to get different perspectives for personal and professional growth. It’s also really cool that you recognize the inclusivity and diversity of PLNs and see the value in listening to different voices. Your insights into the unique cultures of Reddit and LinkedIn have been super helpful for me in figuring out how to use these platforms. I think it’s definitely tough to build an inclusive PLN, but being open to different points of view and thinking critically about information are key for overcoming those challenges.