About me:

Hello everyone! My name is AV, I am a second year BCom student here at UVic and I am delighted to be sharing this term with you all. The main influence on my educational journey would most definitely be my love for music. You heard me right…music! In the eighth grade, I found myself highly engaged in the world of music, however, I lacked the skills to be a talented singer or exemplary instrumentalist. Instead, I found myself within the realm of electronic music and creating art digitally. This catapulted me into the world of business as one day, I dream of making a living off of music, and I seek to obtain the necessary skills and connections to do so!

Professor Hotchin mentioned a love for pets and while I myself don’t have a pet, I have grown extremely fond of my girlfriend’s cat Mittens! I love you Mitsy!

What interests you about social media and personalized learning?

As previously mentioned, my fond love for music intertwines with my interest for social media and personalized learning. At a relatively young age, I learned that I could use the internet for not only recreation, but also comprehension of skills learned outside of school. Having done so, my perspective on the internet changed as rather something I onced used for fun could also be used as a tool. This idea is similar to the one discussed in the Digital Literacy: Realizing the Promise of Technology video provided in this week’s resources. 

How do you currently use digital tools in your learning or professional life?

In this day and age, I find it close to impossible to function without digital tools. It seems as though every workplace and education system requires some type of prior knowledge on how to use modern technologies, which includes the institution of UVic! We use various systems such as Brightspace and Office 365 commonly as they benefit us in a number of ways. Generally speaking, the applications of such tools are essentially endless and we only expect to harbour more usage as technologies advance further in the coming years.

What is your understanding of digital literacy and its importance in education?

Given the concept of digital literacy was only introduced to me today, my understanding is fairly surface level, however, I feel as if I have a sense of how it goes. Digital literacy not only refers to the ability to use technology in the context of learning the English language, but the skills to fully utilize technology as a tool for learning. Integrating various modules of digital learning will prove useful in our present world as we see technological advancements becoming more and more complex. Having our youth (and adults) learn and adapt these skills allows for possibilities that were once a dream! We have powerful tools that allow us to share the flow of ideas to people all around the world. Understanding the ways around the web can help us step into the world of endless possibility. 

Describe any experiences you have with Personal Learning Networks (PLNs). How do you plan to develop and utilize your PLN through this course?

In my life, there are two major PLNs at play: music and academia. One of the two heavily utilizes social media as I have built a number of connections and relationships through the web based solely upon common interest. As a student, I want to develop my academic PLN by creating more relationships with fellow peers. Additionally, I want to learn ways I can utilize social media for an educational or professional setting.