Mapping My PLN (Without Overthinking It... Hopefully) 🤔

This weeks module has me thinking more intentionally about Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) and where my learning actually comes from.

As someone interested in ISLT in public health, I’ve been trying to identify who & what makes up my PLN. I began by thinking about classmates, instructors, coworkers, and professionals in the field, but then started considering other options beyond my direct connections.

A lot of the information I come across comes from podcasts, social media accounts, and the people I follow on platforms like Twitter & TikTok. These connections all influence what I learn and how I think about different topics.

I haven’t set out to build a PLN… it has mostly developed through my interests, work experiences, & online interactions, but moving forward, I want/need to be more intentional about it.

I’m curious what everyone else’s learning ecosystem looks like. What keeps your attention, shapes how you think, or naturally teaches you things.

I'd love to hear what's in your network!

Sul Sul… I Finally Picked My Communities

At first, I thought choosing online communities for the community assignment would be easy, but it was harder than I expected.  I had to stop thinking about platforms and start thinking about actual communities.

After thinking through a bunch of options, I decided to focus on the life simulation gaming community - specifically fans of The Sims who are now trying out Paralives.

Since I’ve been playing The Sims since the first game, this topic felt like a really good fit. A lot of "Simmers" have become frustrated with the game over the years because of bugs, expensive packs, and gameplay issues, so there’s been a lot of excitement around Paralives as a possible alternative (or at least some competition).

For my communities, I chose:

• the Paralives subreddit on Reddit
• the official Paralives Discord server

I’m looking forward to comparing the communities and getting more familiar with the new game at the same time.

Week 2: Soft Challenge

I recently learned that...lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun. 

The surface of the sun is about 9,932°F (or 5,500°C) and lightning is around 54,032°F (or 30,000°C.)

So technically, if you ever see a lightning strike, you’re witnessing something that is several times hotter than a star...which feels…unnecessary?

Learning Has Left the Classroom

Most schools still follow a model where information is handed down to students. But in "Beyond Difference", Axel Bruns argues that the internet has opened up a different way of learning. Bruns believes schools should focus less on memorization and more on skills like:

• Critical thinking
• Evaluating sources
• Collaboration
• Digital literacy
• Contributing responsibly online

His idea of “produsage” describes how people now learn by creating, sharing, & collaborating online.

Example A: Wikipedia 

Instead of information coming from a single expert, pages are updated by a huge number of users. People can also check where the info comes from, look at edit history, & judge how trustworthy it is.

Wikipedia.com

This supports Bruns’s main argument that knowledge today is shared, collaborative, & always evolving.

Example B: YouTube

YouTube shifts learning away from a one way lecture & into something people build on together over time. Instead of information coming from one teacher in a classroom, anyone can post videos, reply to others, or share their own take on things & viewers can interact through comments, ask questions, check accuracy, & respond with their own videos.

The main takeaway from the reading is that, in today’s digital world, knowing how to participate in knowledge networks is just as important as knowing facts.

🌐 From Pages to Platforms

Quick watch - This video breaks down how the internet went from “read-only” websites to the social, interactive platforms we use every day.

👉 Web 2.0 → Social Media Evolution (Modern Explainer)

Scrolling, Sharing, & Learning: My First Week in Web 2.0

Hi all, welcome to my first EVER blog post! 

Since this course focuses on Web 2.0, social media, participatory culture, and digital learning, I can already see how closely it connects to the work I do professionally. My roles involves managing content, encouraging participation, and analyzing engagement data to improve user experiences. Because of that, I’m really interested in learning more about how people interact, communicate, and learn in digital spaces. I feel like this class is going to help me better understand not only how people engage online, but also why they engage the way they do. 

💬 The Discussion That Got Me Thinking 

For this weeks discussions, I chose to focus on whether Web 2.0 and social media are primarily for sharing information, teaching, or both. My overall perspective was that these kinds of platforms tend to blur the line between learning and expertise. The balance between engagement and credibility is something I think we’re all navigating online every day.

Outside of the main discussion, I interacted with classmates by commenting on a blog post and replying to classmates in the introduction discussion. I liked seeing everyone’s different backgrounds and perspectives because it already makes the course feel more interactive and like a community, not just a set of assignments. I also enjoyed looking through everyone’s blogs and seeing the different styles and ways people express themselves.

Final Thoughts This Week

• Things I explored this week: One of the biggest things I worked on this week was learning how to create a blog. Since I hadn’t done it before, it was helpful to go step by step and get familiar with how the platform works.
• Biggest takeaway: Feels like learning online today is often self directed, where people choose what to explore based on their own interests or needs. Instead of following a set path, learners move through content in a way that fits their goals. This course reflects that by allowing flexibility in how we engage with tools and ideas.

Still getting used to this whole “blogger” thing. Until next week, logging off, scrolling less (maybe), and learning more.😊