How has my thinking about inclusion and PLN evolved?

My perspective on inclusion and PLN have each evolved throughout my participation in the EDCI course.

One way that my thoughts around inclusion have changed is in relation to how I personally ensure my own exposure to inclusivity and diversity. I haven’t taken the time to actively ponder on and assess my own efforts toward surrounding myself with diverse people with equally diverse perspectives, and now that I am aware of this idea, I will absolutely put in the work to A) consider where I am at, B) compare where I am at to where I would like to be, and C) work on closing the gap between the two points.

One way that my thoughts around my online PLN have changed is in relation to what a PLN is and how it can be capitalized. Before entering the EDCI course I hadn’t taken the time to reflect on the ways in which I am growing through participating in networks, let alone had I ever asked myself if I could be doing more to utilize my PLN by seeking out the professional, educational, and personal opportunities that are offered in the metaverse. Both of which are notions that I hope to continue to ponder on and put into action.

Reflecting on how social media can play a role in establishing messaging and themes that are inclusive and diverse in a given professional setting.

I act as President for a local ‘women in STEM’ group and we actively use social media, such as Instagram and our website, to broadcast messages about how, yes, we are focused on supporting women, but that everyone, no matter their gender, is welcome to join our group and benefit from it. We have even gone as far as appointing one of our executives to manage the inclusivity of our group, which is operationalized through acts such as posting inclusivity posts on our Instagram account and monitoring the language we use on social media to ensure that everyone feels included when engaging with our content.