Hello! My name is Rose Farkhondeh, and I am a fourth year student planning to graduate after the fall semester. I am doing a Major in Writing, focusing on screenwriting, and a minor in Art Education. I am originally from Metro Vancouver, but have been living on Vancouver Island for the past four years.

Photo by dole777 on Unsplash

Social media and personalized learning isn’t something I think about often, but when reflecting on it, I am constantly receiving information while scrolling through apps. Most of the facts I have memorized have come from something I saw on the internet, and I often don’t realize how much social media influences my thoughts and opinions.

In a professional atmosphere, knowing how to use digital tools is very helpful. Often, I still remember to use symbols in my Google searches to narrow down the findings. Although this is something I learned back in high school during media literacy classes, it is something that makes research a lot simpler. Another thing I remember learning was how to tell the difference between credible and non-credible sources, something I think a lot of people might benefit from today.

Photo by Ed Hardie on Unsplash

Digital literacy is so important, not only to ensure you’re using the tools correctly for a smooth experience, but also to conduct yourself properly online. Knowing what to post, believe, and stay away from will prevent you from attracting viruses or falling victim to fake news. I feel nowadays there is a lack of media comprehension that could easily be fixed with more education.

Personally, I feel I am well versed enough to navigate online smoothly, but I still am not the most tech-savvy. I have used sites like WordPress before for school, but have never been completely comfortable in my website-creating capabilities. For myself, the biggest issue is not knowing where everything is and what each button does. I prefer the layout of social media because it looks very clean and straightforward, however when you get into building your website from the ground up, it becomes tricky with that amount of freedom.

Over the course of this term, I plan to create a PLN that is easy to navigate whether you are a visitor or for myself as the admin. I hope to learn all the tools needed to create a straightforward website while still showing my personal style.