Module: Blog Post #1

Hello everyone,

My name is Jaswant and i am a 4th year computer science student. My cousin is an software engineer so when i was in 11th grade, i already decided i will be studying computer science as well. His passion for technology and problem-solving greatly influenced me. Moreover, He was the one who told me to continue my study in Canada, he also provided me with guidance on what courses to focus on. His support gave me a strong foundation and confidence as I embarked on my educational journey.

What interests you about social media and personalized learning?

Everything is now connected to social media. It has revolutionized how we communicate, share information, and learn from one another. The thing that interest me about social media and personalized learning is not that they just connect us but also how they impact our health. The amount of data generated by social media can be reviewed statistically to observe various trends and behaviour. On the other hand, personalized learning can be used to provide education to people who did not have access to it before, it can be very helpful in terms of increasing self-growth i.e individuals needs, interests and strengths.

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

For Academic uses, i use digital tools like Bright space, youtube and google scholar.

For Professional uses, i use digital tools like Zoom, Google meeting , Microsoft teams and discord.

All my school/UVic work is available on bright space, if i need more information on certain topic then i use youtube to understand the topic further and i use google scholar to read article which can again help me understand the topic better.

In order to work collaboratively with others , i use tools like zoom, google meeting, discord and Microsoft teams for better and direct communication.

Overall, all the tools have been really helpful in my learning and professional life.

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

My personal knowledge of digital literacy was that how easily and correctly we can access digital resources. But after reading the article, it made me understand that Digital Literacy is not just using computers. You have to develop range of skills to become digitally literate. You should have problem solving skills, innovations, and should be able to create content using technology. You should be able to connect and communicate effectively and share and access information. And while doing all of this, you have to be careful of risks, viruses, threats and emotional wellbeing.

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

Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) is a tool for lifelong learning. I have used discord to connect with my classmates, to gain information regarding missed lectures or upcoming midterms or class activities/homework. I also used discord for game purposes, it helps me communicate properly with my team players. In this course i will be using wordpress as my PLN , i will be writing blogs every week to show my learning in this course so far, i will also be enjoying using this PLN to create some projects for this course.