My Development of a digital portfolio:
"Education is the process and the on-going learning product of living" (Bagnall, 1990)
Before starting the #UOSM2033 'Living and Working on the Web' module, my knowledge of the digital world for PERSONAL - ACADEMIC - PROFESSIONAL use was fairly limited as you can see!
Reflecting on my Self-Test at the end of this 12 week module, I feel my development as a 'Digital Resident' [as described in Topic 1] , is clearly evident.
Topic 1, gave me the opportunity to identify myself as a 'Digital Resident' among my use of social networks. However, upon reflection it was clear that this was not the case in my [non-existent] professional online identity. I created a LinkedIn account, which is slowly growing in the number of professional connections, reflecting an authentic professional online profile. Recently, it has enabled me to find and communicate with professionals, such as an employee from the 'Royal Bank of Scotland', useful for my dissertation project. I have learnt the importance of keeping my information updated, adding and joining connections/groups, whilst also taking full advantage of other professional tools to enhance my employability . . and in the future.
Topic 2, I learnt that social media plays a major role in building my online identity. What hadn't been brought to my attention before this topic, was that both my accounts in Twitter and Facebook could be used to also develop my professional profile [Potential Park, 2011]. As these two networks are used so frequently by myself, it has meant that they are always up-to-date, and interactions and activity is high. Nevertheless, I have now become more aware of my 'professionalism' on these sites, and have carefully and conscientiously ensured that my personal settings are secure, refraining from sharing 'highly' personal/sensitive information, engaging more with business and professional circles/pages/contacts and being aware of what I tweet and upload.
My about.me page, was also a new undertaking, and I have ensured to keep it up-to-date as possible. It has enabled me to easily access and share my online identities. It has also helped me to achieve a number of useful skills to enhance my employability, now and in the future such as; improving my online presence and enhancing my job search.
Ring . . Ring . . Did someone call a 'Google Hangout?' One of the highlights of choosing this module, was the opportunity to participate in a Google Hangout with my lecturers and a fellow peer alongside the #MANG2049 course in Singapore. Despite the early morning session, the inter-module discussion within the hangout, and the subsequent discussion in Topic 5 was particularly valuable as it enabled me to share, learn and discover new interdisciplinary insights on a topic, and also develop my critical skills further. While this experience has certainly improved my confidence [and the same goes to my Vlogging experiences] and exposed me to developing a new set of skills in digital conferencing . . I certainly believe that this might be a useful medium in the world of work.
All in all, my Digital Portfolio has significantly grown both socially and professionally. I have actively maintained all my social accounts, in addition to creating an about.me page to easily locate and share my networks. More importantly, I have created and actively continued to develop my professional accounts in LinkedIn. I've similarly expanded my professional contacts within the world of Twitter and also aim to remain professional on Facebook. Having chosen this module, it has proven to be a fantastic, new and innovative experience to say the least . . and has certainly improved and widened my digital literacies. [Words: 562]
Please check out my other page:
1. Storify of 'Living and Working on the Web'
2. Powtoon Video of my development of a professional profile
Reflecting on my Self-Test at the end of this 12 week module, I feel my development as a 'Digital Resident' [as described in Topic 1] , is clearly evident.
Topic 1, gave me the opportunity to identify myself as a 'Digital Resident' among my use of social networks. However, upon reflection it was clear that this was not the case in my [non-existent] professional online identity. I created a LinkedIn account, which is slowly growing in the number of professional connections, reflecting an authentic professional online profile. Recently, it has enabled me to find and communicate with professionals, such as an employee from the 'Royal Bank of Scotland', useful for my dissertation project. I have learnt the importance of keeping my information updated, adding and joining connections/groups, whilst also taking full advantage of other professional tools to enhance my employability . . and in the future.
Topic 2, I learnt that social media plays a major role in building my online identity. What hadn't been brought to my attention before this topic, was that both my accounts in Twitter and Facebook could be used to also develop my professional profile [Potential Park, 2011]. As these two networks are used so frequently by myself, it has meant that they are always up-to-date, and interactions and activity is high. Nevertheless, I have now become more aware of my 'professionalism' on these sites, and have carefully and conscientiously ensured that my personal settings are secure, refraining from sharing 'highly' personal/sensitive information, engaging more with business and professional circles/pages/contacts and being aware of what I tweet and upload.
My about.me page, was also a new undertaking, and I have ensured to keep it up-to-date as possible. It has enabled me to easily access and share my online identities. It has also helped me to achieve a number of useful skills to enhance my employability, now and in the future such as; improving my online presence and enhancing my job search.
Ring . . Ring . . Did someone call a 'Google Hangout?' One of the highlights of choosing this module, was the opportunity to participate in a Google Hangout with my lecturers and a fellow peer alongside the #MANG2049 course in Singapore. Despite the early morning session, the inter-module discussion within the hangout, and the subsequent discussion in Topic 5 was particularly valuable as it enabled me to share, learn and discover new interdisciplinary insights on a topic, and also develop my critical skills further. While this experience has certainly improved my confidence [and the same goes to my Vlogging experiences] and exposed me to developing a new set of skills in digital conferencing . . I certainly believe that this might be a useful medium in the world of work.
All in all, my Digital Portfolio has significantly grown both socially and professionally. I have actively maintained all my social accounts, in addition to creating an about.me page to easily locate and share my networks. More importantly, I have created and actively continued to develop my professional accounts in LinkedIn. I've similarly expanded my professional contacts within the world of Twitter and also aim to remain professional on Facebook. Having chosen this module, it has proven to be a fantastic, new and innovative experience to say the least . . and has certainly improved and widened my digital literacies. [Words: 562]
Please check out my other page:
1. Storify of 'Living and Working on the Web'
2. Powtoon Video of my development of a professional profile