Developing a PLN by Engaging with Social Media
I believe one of my biggest flaws is that I do not like to put myself out there or try new things. When I started my MLIS program, I decided my ultimate goal would be to “expand my horizons.” What this means to me is that I want to go against my typical behavior. I want to try new things, I want to put myself out there, and I want to connect with more people and form strong bonds. While I develop my own Professional Learning Networks (PLN), I want to grow and develop the social aspects of myself.
To further that goal, I participated in this week’s #TLSkyChat on Bluesky. They host weekly discussions regarding various topics relating to libraries and education starting at Wednesdays at 8pm Eastern Time. The discussion lasted one hour.
This was my first ever experience using BlueSky. As a result, I had to learn quickly how to post, reply, like, repost and generally engage with the conversation. I also quickly learned that I could not edit my posts after I posted them, which is not something I am used to, but I made it through. I am still a bit unsure how posting hashtags works. It was a surreal feeling to suddenly be thrown into an active discussion and interacting with and connecting with others so quickly and easily.
Image Source: https://bsky.app/profile/evanbreemen.bsky.social/post/3lkrg2d7j4k2l
I started with an introductory post. This was my first ever post on BlueSky. I wanted to make it clear that I was a student interested in music librarianship. While at first not fully confident on how to approach the discussion, I felt this was a good way to get my footing in the discussion.
Image Source: https://bsky.app/profile/evanbreemen.bsky.social/post/3lkrh5tjpws2i
Image Source: https://bsky.app/profile/evanbreemen.bsky.social/post/3lkrimkhx6k24
To expand on my response to Question 8, I think a big part of being a librarian or educator is making sure others around you are satisfied. Removing distractions is a great way to keep engaged with your surroundings.
I instinctively felt a lot of my posts felt self-serving, like I felt compelled to try to make a post that got the most reposts and likes. There was a strange rush from receiving notifications. What did people think of my post? Did they repost it or reply? Did they like it? A few of my posts got no notifications. This resulted in a sort of sinking feeling that my post made zero impact. Overall, I am uncertain if I even enjoy this type of social media. It feels like an endless cycle of trying to get likes and attention.
On the other hand, I think connecting with people through social media is such a valuable tool. It is worth setting aside these feeling of uncertainty. I need to have confidence in myself and put myself out there if I want to succeed in developing a Professional Learning Network of my own.
Hey Evan! I really appreciate your honoest reflections on developing a PLN through social media. It's great to see you step out of your comfort zone and engage with a new platform like BlueSky. The learning curve can be steep, but your willingness to embrace it, even with some uncertainty, is commendable and will surely pay dividends. Even if your post doesn't get immediate traction, it still contributes to the broader conversation and helps you grow professionally. Keep pushing forward and your PLN will develop naturally over time.
ReplyDeleteI love that you tried this, Evan! Don't get discouraged or hung up on feeling like your posts were self-serving. We are all in it to share our path and help each other so no one is looking down on you. I can tell you why some of the posts didn't get attention. When you participate in a #chat, you need to put "A1" in your answer to reflect that you are answering (hence the A) the first question (i.e., 1). If you go back and look at the chat, you'll notice others have a corresponding "A" to every "Q" post. This is done so that when the live chat is over, you can still go and participate! Also, in order for your post to get seen in the chat, you always have to put the chat hashtag in your response. In this case, it would be #TLchat. The hashtag acts like a magnet and puts all posts that use that term in the same feed. If not, you are simply posting to YOUR feed and only your followers will see it. So in this case, folks in the chat might not have seen your responses.
ReplyDeletePlease give it another chance (not for us, but just for you!). These can be very invigorating. Click on the profiles of those in the chat. If their profile fits the type of person you'd like to be in your PLN, you can follow them.
Correction: Use #TLSkyChat in your post, not #TLchat!
DeleteHi Evan, trying new things can be scary but I think it helps to broaden our horizons and help us grow, so I think it's great that one of your goals is to try new things. BlueSky can be confusing, so I can certainly understand your frustration with posts not getting much interaction. I don't think your posts were self-serving, everyone posts with the hope it'll be engaged with. It's great that you found a library related group and were able to relate your interests and work to grow your network.
ReplyDelete