Blog Post #3

How diverse is your existing PLN?

I think my PLN is quite diverse as I have many different kinds of social media, and each of them connects me with different people for different reasons. When it comes to my personal life, I connect with family and friends through Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. This is where I post my more personal things for a select number of people to be able to see. Next, I also have my professional PLN which I believe is much more diverse. I use LinkedIn for this and my connections on here are much more diverse then on my personal network. I connect with various groups of people from all different ages, genders, occupations, backgrounds, and world views. Since my account is public, many different people are able to see it, follow me or comment on my posts which also makes it more diverse. Lastly, I have my workplace PLN where my managers, bosses and co-workers can see and comment on what I post. 

In your PLN, are you learning from a variety of voices or are you the loudest in the room?

I personally like to listen and read what other people are saying especially in my workplace and professional PLN. I am not the type of person that is going to actively comment and give my opinion on others posts. I will for sure read them and think about what they are saying and what my opinion is, but I will rarely actually post or comment about it. I enjoy being in the background and learning from all of these different people, without actively engaging in the conversations. 

Do you participate in a silo of information sharing (similar themes or wide range of interests)?

I usually also do not participate in silo information sharing. I do read all of the information, but I usually do not share or post it, as I like to keep very neutral on social media. I think for me it’s important to keep neutral and not share a ton of information therefore I can always have an open mind when I read or see posts. 

How can you use a diverse PLN to broaden your views of inclusion?

I think having a diverse PLN can be a huge factor in your views of inclusion. If an individual has a very close-knit PLN that shares many of the same values, they will not benefit from looking at different views. Across the world, there are an abundance of different worldviews, opinions and thoughts and if you are able to connect with different people and broaden your PLN, it will allow you to be more inclusive. By looking at other people’s perspectives from another culture or another country, you will be able to understand and broaden your opinions therefore becoming more inclusive to other people’s thoughts. 

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

I chose to discuss healthcare in Canada as my professional setting, specifically long-term care facilities. I believe inclusion is actively embraced in this setting because no matter who you are, where you lived and how much money you make, you can be placed in care when you need it. Majority of individuals who live in care have their expenses subsidized by the government. Further, some facilities will take 70% of whatever amount of money the individual is making in a month which means whether you make a lot of money or not you will still be able to get the care you need. This makes the facilities very inclusive to everyone. 

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

I think the learning outcome of my PLN is to learn about areas I wouldn’t normally engage with. For example, when I am scrolling through Pinterest looking for a craft to make, or something to cook or bake, I always try to look at a variety of different people’s posts. This allows me to view different backgrounds, cultures, people, ages and see the differences in the things they make. Further, I like to try searching and exposing myself to a very diverse network of people therefore I can learn things from them and try their recipes or their crafts. Learning and using other individuals’ ideas from different backgrounds or cultures all across the world allows me to be more inclusive and try new things. 

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

I think my understanding on inclusion has improved after reviewing the videos and readings. One thing that really stood out to me in the reading was how when it comes to inclusion, there is no “other”, and everyone is diverse in their own ways. This stood out to me because usually when I think of inclusion, I think of the special education initiative where we are including people who are different and not acknowledging how we are all in fact different from each other. I really liked the way she created a new model showing that everyone was different and that was the real definition of inclusion.