Post #3

PLN, Inclusion & Community Engagement

As students, we are always taught to follow a standardized pattern of learning. Like Shelley Moore and Leyton Schnellert’s article mentions when there are students who are not wavy, they need to be fixed by the educators. This model turns education into a factory and makes the goal to produce more of the same, as the students are taught to do the same thing. However, this type of education is not desirable and it can be seen as a very broken educational system; Shelley Moore says in her video that people should remove SHOULD from education and drop average, comparison, competition, because there is no standardized student and no standardized teacher.

People are all diverse, we all have strengths, the ability to stretch, and we all need to get better at something. If we look at inclusion as the concept of teaching diversity for all, not just a special education program, we can bridge the gap between special education and curriculum. Therefore, diversified teaching is necessary, not to start with defects; but to start with strengths. Inclusive education not only promotes coexistence and tolerance but also thrives on the learning and interaction of everyone in the community, thereby expanding people’s PLNs. (Moore&Schnellert, 2017).

• How does social media use in public discourse potentially challenge advocacy communications?

Social media in public discourse can bring some challenges in terms of advocacy communication.

The advantages of using social media include: lower (or no) set-up costs; potential to reach a wide audience; and quick/instant sharing of information, these advantages often come with a challenge, and when someone deliberately spreads distorted facts, these information can also spread quickly. In addition, using social media in public discourse makes it difficult to reach diverse audiences, as Markiel Simpson mentions in the video; sometimes he will throw in political things which goes well with kind of the socialist demographic, however, most of his followers are people in education who do not tend to take a partisan position.

• How diverse is your existing PLN?

I think my PLN is fairly diverse, but I’m always looking to add more people to my PLN. As I progressed through my internship, I met a lot of people with different backgrounds. On different social media platforms like LinkedIn, Quora, I made a lot of new friends with the same interests as me, and they provided me with all kinds of help with everything that was happening in my life. In addition, I met a lot of classmates in my economics courses which made it easier for me to seek help in school than those who hadn’t made those connections. There are also a lot of people I follow on platforms like Instagram and YouTube that I don’t personally know, but they teach me lessons about life like fitness and cooking, which helps me with the whole learning process.

• In your PLN, are you learning from a variety of voices?

In my PLN, I will learn from different voices. I will express my point of view after listening to others’ voices. This helps me to think and learn more holistically. Other people’s opinions also let me learn more. I think it’s a good choice to blend in with people and gain experience, so we can exchange more meaningful ideas with each other.

• How does social media engage in advocacy communications?

In my opinion, social media can help expand advocacy communication efforts by reaching more people in more places faster than ever before. Users can get more feedback anytime, anywhere by posting on a high-traffic account, or by communicating with others through their own personal learning networks.

• How can you use a diverse PLN to broaden views of inclusion in a professional community?

As Shelley Moore and Leyton Schnellert mention in their article, people are all diverse, they all have their strengths and they all have the ability to stretch. This means that everyone we know in the professional world has different strengths. Therefore, a diverse PLN is the best way to expand inclusiveness. Try to cover more topics and areas in the PLN can provide more opportunities for discussion among different groups of people. People of all ages, genders, beliefs and regions can promote inclusiveness. Everyone has the same goals and strives to be personally meaningful. Different discussions and sharing allow each person to know their roles and responsibilities and to make meaningful connections with each other.

• In your professional setting of choice, do you think inclusion is actively embraced?

Yes, I can definitely say that inclusion is positively accepted on all fronts. As a Chinese, I can clearly feel that we are accepted in a very tolerant and positive way in spite of our cultural differences, and that each of us feels valued, thus facilitating the development of social relationships and interactions.

• What is the learning outcome of your evolving PLN and how are you ensuring your continued exposure to diversity and inclusion?

The learning outcomes of my PLN are very beneficial because the learning is not structured and is more interesting than sitting in a classroom for a while. I would listen carefully and consider carefully all the information learning desirable before making rash ideological statements or decisions to ensure that I am exposed to inclusion and diversity.

• How has your thinking about inclusion and PLN evolved after reviewing the videos and readings?

After watching these videos and reading the materials, the biggest change in my view of inclusion and PLN is that inclusion is not just on a physical level, but more on an ideological level. Different things and interests allow people to express different points of view. How different viewpoints are understood and accepted is what matters most. Now I am more interested in different views and voices. It’s great to be able to listen and respect everyone’s opinion. It means there are more opportunities to learn and improve.

References:

Moore, S. (2017). One without the other : Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca

Moore, S. (2018). Don’t Should on Me: It’s not easy being NOT green YouTube. http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeRNhz0nGts

Moore, S. (2018). The Evolution of Inclusion: The past and future of education. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQgXBhPh5Zo&feature=youtu.be

Moore, S. (2021) “EDCI 338 – 20 Minutes Moore.” Youtube, uploaded by MILLER, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSV0rUl1bA&ab_channel=MILLER

Simpson, M.(2021) “EDCI – 338 MARKIEL SIMPSON”. Youtube, uploaded by MILLER, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoDHGaXNNs&ab_channel=MILLER