This unit I started thinking about the diversity of my PLN. I think my PLN is not very diverse. There were many things that I had not really thought about that showed my PLN was not diverse at all. One of the main reasons is that I grew up mostly with people who spoke my language, so ethnically we all came from the same background. However, as Moore and Schnellert wrote, there is no such thing as people being the same, because each person is unique (Moore and Schnellert, 2016). Even within a group of people that might look homogenous, there are actually different learning styles and experiences that they have gone through that means it is a diverse group.

            One of the great things about online learning that I have noticed though is that I can hear about more diverse voices that I would not have the chance to in an in-person learning environment. In a classroom, it is difficult to get to hear many people in a limited time. Often, the classroom is teacher-centred and then tutorials are very short and it is hard to hear from many people. However, through the online platform, I can read the submissions or posts by so many people from different backgrounds. 

            The learning outcome of my PLN is that I am finding out about how media platforms can help to bring people together. As the interview with Markiel Simpson showed, it takes time to find one’s voice. He also said that when he started his social media account that he spoke with many different people, such as politicians and educators (Simpson, 2021). I have learned that social media is a great tool to get out of the comfort zone and to try and connect with people from different backgrounds as well. 

References

Moore, S. & Schnellert, L. (2016) One Without the Other: Stories of Unity Through Diversity and Inclusion. Portage and Main Press.

Simpson, M. (2021) “EDCI 338 Markiel Simpson.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsoDHGaXNNs&t=143s