Digital Map
Embracing Digital Residency
REACTIONS
I was not surprised by how invested I am as a "Digital Resident". As described by David White, residents tend to access a space for community rather than a simple transaction (2001). My life revolves around technology use since I take online classes, work remotely, and tend to stay home because I am chronically ill. Due to my health, I rely on digital communities when I am not able to access physical ones. I am surprised how some apps like YouTube and Facebook apply to both my professional and personal life. I thought I used those apps leisurely, but upon looking at my search history, I often looked up educational resources to use for work and class.
Additionally, I am surprised how many accounts and apps I have! I am so used to downloading things to devices that I never consider how much of my data I am providing to these sites. It does make me consider my digital footprint and brings the topic of privacy into question. Within the intersection of social media and education, how can we make sure we are respecting our privacy and the privacy of our classrooms?
VARIABLES
My digital usage remains consistently high throughout the week. I am guilty of bringing work home with me, so I engage in most of these apps nearly everyday! However, I did notice I used educational apps like Canvas, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), Teachers Pay Teachers, and Blogger on earlier weekdays since that is usually when I do my assignments. Apps like Hulu, HBO Max, and Netflix are also used heavier in the beginning of the week rather than the end as I like to have it in the background when I work.
Another variable to my digital usage is what type of tasks I have to do for work and school. If the assignments are more graphic-heavy, I will access PicsArt and Canva more often. If the assignment requires writing/research, I will log into the DLPA, YouTube, Kanopy, or Google Suite more frequently.
FREQUENCY
Over the past three days (Sunday, Monday Tuesday), I marked every time I accessed a site listed on my Digital Map. I chose to track those three days since it marks the beginning of my work week. I use these days to prepare for my clients, complete homework, and indulge in social media during my breaks.
Here are the results of my tracking:
As seen, most of my app usage is for Google Suite, YouTube, Canvas and Instagram. Aside from Canvas, the three other apps share a common theme: Versatility. I use YouTube, Google Suite, and Instagram for work, school, and my personal life. It serves me in many sectors of my life, which is why I decided to make myself a "resident" to these apps.
I also associate these most used applications with community. Google Suite provides a platform where I can share photos, slides, and documents with others. Instagram houses my friends, family, educators, and individuals with the same conditions as mine. YouTube hosts a variety of topics that I will comment on. Canvas also creates a sense of community since we can share resources and engage in discussions with one another.
Out of all of the apps in the first column, seeing how little I used LinkedIn motivated me to update it more often! I am planning to graduate this winter, so it would be valuable for me to engage with that app when job hunting.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Over the past week, I have been more aware of my digital usage. Now, I find myself pausing before I click on an app to ask myself: Am I using my time effectively? In wanting to take control of my learning, I want to use digital spaces as an opportunity to engage in professional development. One of the readings this week was a HuffPost article by Brad Spirrison. It provides ideas on how teachers can nurture their development. Two things I want to try from the list is participate in Twitter chats or EdCamp. I have attended a virtual conference in the past for AHEAD, an association for university disability services. I found it so beneficial to connect with others across the country without physical barriers! As I grow in this course, I would want to gather more resources for other virtual conferences or seminars.
Although I am a strong resident of the digital space, I am a quiet community member. I tend to be a listener rather than a contributor. I feel more motivated to share my experiences within forums, publish my resources, and interact with other educators online.
References
- Digital Map and Woman Graphic by Lauren Johnson
- Icons are sourced from Google Images
- Spirrison, B. (2017). 5 ways teachers can participate in their own professional development. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/5-ways-teachers-can-parti_b_11728660
- White, D. (2010). Visitors & residents. Retrieved from https://daveowhite.com/vandr/
Hey Lauren! I liked how you represented your digital map. It gave me a different way of looking at how we can map and organize our ideas. I think after reading your post, I asked myself the same question--am I using my time effectively? Digital tools surround our every move personally and professionally. I think it's easy to get caught up in time sucker apps or binge watching our favorite shows, I think after some deep reflection I'm going to work towards engaging in meaningful platforms to support my learning and instructional approach within the classroom. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI thought your digital map was really well laid-out, and the inclusion of your app usage was very insightful. I would be intrigued to know what my own actual level of access for different apps was, because I tried to modify apps slightly in my own map depending on how often I used them, but your system was obviously much better than that. One app that I feel as though could be a huge variable amongst peers, and one you referenced in your post, is Twitter. I saw you had it more on the side of visitor and professional-I definitely feel as though my use for Twitter has migrated toward professional over time as well, and my engagement in it for connection has lowered as well, to the point where it's now much more of a place to get news, but where I'm never really taking an active voice. I can definitely imagine it (along with some others like Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube) being an app where it does cross over between personal and professional, and even resident and professional, depending on the situation.
I also think your final thought, about how we use our time, is a great takeaway from activities like this. Especially as we move into a world (both personally and professionally) where there are so many apps and services out there that we can spend a lot of time on, having that clarity to reflect on our usage is an invaluable skill. Great post!
Hi Lauren! I love how different your digital mapping picture looks than mine! I love how you incorporated humor within yours. That is interesting to think about the intersection of your classrooms privacy. I also wonder how well-informed parents are with what their students are putting on the internet in class and at home? How do you manage your own digital footprint and also the footprint of a minor? I relate to you when you said you, "tend to be a listener rather than a contributor." I think a lot of people feel they enjoy to watch but not participate as much. Thank you for your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren, I enjoyed reading your post and seeing how it is different than mine! I also included YouTube and Pinterest on my digital space map, but I put those under the visitor side. On YouTube I just listen to music or I have my students listen to educational songs. On Pinterest I just get ideas for the classroom sometimes. I also had Zoom, but under visitor. In the past during the pandemic, I would have definitely put it under resident, but now I mainly use Zoom for professional development meetings where I am just listening to the speaker. I didn't track my app usage, but I know for sure my social media apps would have been way higher than yours!
ReplyDeleteLauren, I really enjoyed the flow of you response as well as your addition of your usage. I agree that this assignment was a great way to reflect on if we are using our online time effectively. I appreciated how you expressed interest in wanting to create more of a presence online. This is something I am also creating as a goal in my professional life. I am hopeful our Twitter chats this week spank an excitement to pursue this on a more regular basis.
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