Blog 4

• How diverse is your existing PLN?

Currently, in this EDCI 338 class, my PLN is fairly diverse. Three of our group members are from China, another from Calgary, and one speaks French. I think all of us have a unique perspective and our own individual ways of perceiving course information, which makes for great discussions. Outside of EDCI 338, I consult several different people and have made an effort to contact people from around the world in an effort to see variance in different master’s programs or careers. Although I would say my PLN is fairly diverse, I also think I could work harder to learn from even more perspectives.

• In your PLN, are you learning from a variety of voices or are you the loudest in the room?

In my EDCI PLN, I think we’ve all done a great job of participating equally. There doesn’t seem to be one person who sits back and doesn’t comment, but instead, everyone shares their own thoughts. I think it’s also worth noting that the beginning of this semester has been a tad chaotic for everyone with this new set up due to COVID-19, so I believe our communication will only get better as we settle into our classes and new routines. Outside of EDCI, I think I would be the quietest in the room. I am currently trying my hardest to learn from as many people as possible, so I may prompt with questions from other professionals, but at this current stage in my life, I am mostly acting as a sponge trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible.

• Do you participate in a silo of information sharing (similar themes or wide range of interests)?

Although we have yet to truly discuss a lot of course content in our group, I think we all have vastly different interests. We have a few economics majors, as well as teachers, health information sciences majors, and me, in recreation and health. Therefore, I think we all have different career goals and aspirations. I think it’s interesting that although we have a lot in common such as doing at least a few years of an undergrad at UVIC, we also probably had very different experiences and information given to us. A lot of my degree involved active classes or human anatomy, whereas others probably had more computer labs and so on.

• How can you use a diverse PLN to broaden your views of inclusion?

I think by having people with different backgrounds, including different races, genders, sexual orientation, and social economic status, we gain a broader perspective, which in turn, encourages inclusion. In many of my other classes, we discuss recreation in nature. One of the concepts that comes out of recreation in nature is that we want to teach children about nature and wildlife with the hope that when one knows about something, they will want to take care of it. In short, if we increase our knowledge of nature, we will increase our desire to look after our parks and so on. I believe the same rings true for people. As cliché as it sounds, knowledge truly is power. The more information we learn about something or someone, the less abstract it seems, and when that occurs, we will accept each other and want to look after one another. Having an inclusive PLN means you are broadening your opportunities to endless perspectives, thoughts, and ideas, which is beneficial to anyone’s learning.

• What is the learning outcome of your PLN and how are you ensuring your exposure to diversity and inclusion?

For me, I want to hear as many different opinions and perspectives as I can in my PLN. In my opinion, exploring ideas that are not your own can facilitate critical thinking. To ensure diversity and inclusion in a PLN, I would first evaluate my current PLN. I would make note of who’s included, and what other perspectives, opinions, or backgrounds are currently missing from the group. Inclusion requires effort from everyone to ensure all voices are being heard equally. As Shelley and Jesse discussed in their interview, everyone needs to have a seat at the table, and all the chairs need to be of equal size. I think it is also worth noting while discussing inclusion that, as Shelley said, when someone’s perspective is oppressive, it is no longer a perspective. I believe that although it is important to hear everyone and their thoughts, in order to be inclusive, we must also ensure no one at the table is being oppressed.

• How has your thinking about inclusion and PLN evolved after reviewing the videos and readings?

Before this week’s reading and videos, I thought I was pretty well versed in inclusion as it is a large part of my degree, but as Shelley mentioned in her interview with Jesse, there is always more to learn. When I read this week’s reading, I was surprised when Shelley described a student stating that bubble C did not represent inclusion. I had the same reaction it sounded like Shelley had, and couldn’t understand how that diagram did not illustrate an inclusive circle. The concept of not having an “other” shifted my way of thinking about inclusion. It made me reflect on my own PLN in this class. As mentioned above, it seems like we all came from different places and all have a different educational background among other things. However, if I were to label all of us on a diagram similar to the one in Shelley’s paper, I would make us all the same. We’re all students, we’re all in EDCI 338, and we’re all learning about the same theories and concepts each week, so why should there be any ‘wavy dots’ in our circle?

References

Moore, S., & Schnellert, L. (2016). Introduction & Part 1: What Is Inclusion? Debunking the Myths. In One without the other: Stories of unity through diversity and inclusion (pp. 6-12). Winnipeg, Manitoba: Portage & Main Press.