From my Showcase post, I chose my first wow and wonder post as I feel I have gained a better overall perspective on understanding personal learning networks and made meaningful connections regarding this course as the last few weeks have passed.
The third article from week one “Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them” by Rajagopal, et al. 2012 caught my interest as it refers to one’s professional development and growth through networking. This includes learning strategies built from refections and social interactions and experiences (Rajagopal. et al, 2012). By reading this article, I gained a new perspective on networking in a professional setting. This includes the three-layered approach proposed by Grabher and Ibert (2008) (Rajagopal. et al, n.d). Which explains the communality layer/strong ties, sociality layer/weak ties, and connectivity layer/very weak ties. All of which, play an important role in creating, and maintaining relationships as well as, the structure of professional networking skills (Rajagopal. et al, n.d). Not only is networking a skill that can be further developed, but it is also an attitude towards learning and can help in various stages of one’s career(Rajagopal. et al, 2012).
My peer, Riya’s feedback gave me the perspective regarding the changes in networking within professional environments after the switch to online work and school due to covid -19. For example, Riyas’s post stated “It also makes me wonder if covid-19 has changed these professionally networking methods forever? As I have noticed and you might agree with me as well, it is difficult to network in your workplace when most of the staff is working from home.” I agree I do think our form of networking has changed immensely as now it is done over zoom or Microsoft team calls, emailing, etc.. This has made it much harder to build, activate and maintain connections (Gutierrez, 2021). I too do question if this will become a new normal. However, personally, I would like for it to go back to building in-person connections. The reason why I chose this article as my WoW topic was that I have recently started my first Co-op in the Health Information Sciences program. I am currently in a new workplace and have the opportunity to network professionally. My orientation was done online which was a new experience to me, meeting my fellow co-op peers was a different experience to do via MS teams and was also a new normal the company had to get used to. (Sandy, 2020) explains the changes university students are experiencing networking through this pandemic. Sandy also provides great tips for those new to this online version of networking as she promotes doing your research, asking the right questions, and sharing your goals while making these connections (Sandy, 2020).
Furthermore, as time continues to progress learning strategies also continue to change. We have found alternative ways to teach. For example, using technology in classes. In high school, I was introduced to Kahoot, an interactive game-based learning platform that was continued to be used in my years of university. This form of learning produced friendly competition, recall, and easy access for a large group to be interactive from while in person or online learning environments.
Moreover, from later weeks I have also understood that as learning has evolved humans’ perspectives evolve as well. This was also expressed in my peer, Riyas’s post as she touched on the notion of the half-life principle in her. I find this principle very fascinating as well and it is also a new concept to me. Personally, I believe as more diverse groups of individuals are able to share their opinions and perspectives freely, it has opened a gate to understanding concepts in a deeper manner. This ultimately is allowing us to understand new information and retire the past notions that were geared to specific demographics.
I continue to wonder, what future information or notions will change? how will they be accepted? and will notions that seem soo correct at this time seem wrong or outdated at a later time in my life?
References:
Gutierrez, K. (2021). What are personal learning networks? What are Personal Learning Networks? Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/personal-learning-networks
Rajagopal, K., Brinke, D. J.-ten, Bruggen, J. V., & Sloep, P. B. (n.d.). Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them. First Monday. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3559
Sandy. (2020, September 30). How covid-19 has changed networking for students. YouAlberta. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.ualberta.ca/youalberta/2020/09/how-covid-19-has-changed-networking-for-students.html
(Photo)
8,000+ free networking & network images – pixabay. (n.d.). Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://pixabay.com/images/search/networking/
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