My PLN and Inclusion
- How diverse is your existing PLN?
As far as I am concerned, my PLN is diverse enough. To start with, I am involved in lots of social platforms, ranging from the professional ones to the individual ones. I regard these platforms as channels of information and I want the sources to be as diverse as possible. In addition, in each platform I get in touch with and pay attention to people from all walks of life. My doing this because I think life has many facets, and information or suggestions from different kinds of people can bring me benefits. I also consider observing colorful lives can widen my horizon.
2. In your PLN, are you learning from a variety of voices or are you the loudest in the room?
In my PLN, I am learning from others and at the meantime trying to be a voice myself. Normally I just play the role of an observer and quietly collecting useful information from all voices. I view PLN as a free opportunity to participate in the process of knowledge sharing. However, when it comes to something that really captivates me or I happen to have experienced, I am more than willing to express my opinions. And if such comments ever received any compliment or appreciation I feel encouraged and motivated to contribute more.
3. Do you participate in a silo of information sharing (similar themes or wide-range of interests)?
In my understanding, a silo of information sharing is strengthened by social media’s targeted feeding. Once we search or show any interest in something, we are constantly fed by the likes of it, which ends up in a cycle.
I have always tried to engage myself in a wide-range of interests, such as subscribing both the official and entertainment news. However, when I reflect carefully on my network activities, I found myself subconsciously choose to read or absorb information from a small certain range of sources, and the accurate algorithm couldn’t be to blame in this case. The reason behind falling into information silo is that I want to be confirmed and supported by others online. The illusion created by the silo is absolutely unreasonable but is temporarily comforting.
4. How can you use a diverse PLN to broaden your views of inclusion?
In Shelley Moore’s sharing, inclusion is a potential shift in education. To broaden my views of inclusion, I can subscribe to her channel on Youtube. I can also follow her and her team on Twitter. Besides, I can pay attention to people who have teaching experiences of children with developmental disabilities and know more about the situation as well as the implications of inclusion in education. What’s more, I can talk with teachers in my PLN and learn about how they think about the issue of inclusion and what approaches they have adopted to realize inclusion.
5. What is the learning outcome of your PLN and how are you ensuring your exposure to diversity and inclusion?
I harvest professional suggestions, life lessons, and practical information from my PLN. On one hand, I can search and follow any topic of my concern. For example, several months ago I was preparing for a test and I don’t know where to start. After browsing others’ suggestions and shared experience, I could quickly get the whole picture. On the other hand, I often take part in the discussion among my friends. In this process I can learn how they deal with other people and how they handle tricky life difficulties. Furthermore, I browse websites or some platforms on a daily basis to screen some useful information, like a better way of note-taking or some keyboard shortcuts. Such trivial information could serve as inspiration to solve many of my current problems.
One of my useful skills in adding the diversity of my PLN is to ask for information source instead of information alone. Sometimes I could easily get answers to certain questions through the help of my PLN. Rather than stopping there, I would add another question for how they get such information. Then others may recommend me with some platforms, channels, professionals that I never heard about. This is an effective way to expand my network and ensure diversity.
As for inclusion, I never shut any person or platform outside without allowing myself some time to get to know them. The point of doing this is keeping possibilities. The person who seem to have nothing to do with my current life may provide a hand to me in the future. With an inclusive attitude, we can get the most of our PLN.
6. How has your thinking about inclusion and PLN evolved after reviewing the videos and readings?
Before I reviewed the videos and readings I thought inclusion is equal to integration, allowing people or students to be in the same place. Another myth I held is that inclusion is to help people with developmental disabilities to adapt to the pace of the average. However, many of these notions have been broken apart. In the introduction of Shelley’s book, I have learned the differences between inclusion and integration. Inclusion implies much more than place—it means voluntary, meaningful, and purposeful participation. The traditional education system is aimed at the average, however, at the cost of the special kids. As a result, the special kids are less cared and partially ignored. A shift of perspective is all it takes to achieve the balance and make sure everyone’s participation in education. The example of bowling by Shelley Moore impressed me. The problem is so easy to solve that we just need to switch our aim from the average to the special ones. Everyone can benefit from such inclusive education. (Moore & Schnellert, 2016)
What I learned about PLN is that I should try my best to expand the diversity of my PLN, exposing myself to as many voices as possible. In this condition, I can get many different perspectives. Besides, I should set clear purposes for my participation, or the inclusion may not be as effective as I think.
References
Moore, S., & Schnellert, L. (2016). One without the other (pp. 6-12). Portage & Main Press.
Hello Xi,
I think your post is quite clear, organized, and useful. I really liked how you explained the way that you participate in a silo of information sharing. Personally, I prefer to subscribe official channels or follow professional accounts that I feel interested in on my own social media. In my opinion, it will be a useful way for me to read latest news from people or accounts that I followed. In my post, I also shared a web article about what a silo of information sharing is specifically and I feel very glad to share this article with you: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/information-silo.asp Based on this web article, “information silo” can be considered as an information management system, which allows people who have different background to share information together. Moreover, I definitely agree that expanding the diversity of PLNs can help people to expose themselves to as many voices as possible.
Thank you for your comment and sharing, qiaming. I have read the article in your comment and I find it very helpful. In my own understanding information silo means we shut other perspectives outside our own thinking. However, in the passage information silo has a larger concept which means different information systems have difficulty collaborating.