Who Needs to Know About Your PLN?

Against popular belief, school might actually be about more than just grades. The resource by Qualman this week showed me that a simple lesson we learned as kids may be one the most important social skills, the “Golden Rule”: treat others how you want to be treated. Just as it takes more work to frown than to smile, it takes more energy to intentionally hurt others than to be kind and positive. It is shocking how much hate exists in this world.

Digital Leader by Erik Qualman reminded me that networking online relies on intentionality as “we need to remember what we like and don’t like as followers” (Qualman, 2012, Chapter 16). Oftentimes people forget that those “big name” celebrities are humans too. It’s everybody’s first time living, and we ought to give some grace for that.

In today’s age, anyone can be an influencer. Or as Alfred Hermida (2015) puts it: “You dont need to be famous to be famous on social media.” People are naturally drawn to charisma, people who can connect with you in a moment. This quote made me think back to the TV survivalist show Dream Academy, where a group of judges were creating a new global pop star group. The judges weren’t looking for the best dancer or singer, but for star quality.

The final group: Katseye

This idea of being drawn in by charisma extends further than just pop groups, but also in digital networking. Communicating and collaborting in an authentic and confident way will allow you to reach more people and grow your PLN. Qualman gives many points for effective leadership (clear goal-setting, summarization, leaving no decisions up in the air), but his most important statement is how “you must network before you need the network” (Qualman, 2012). This rings true for me, reminding me that, as a young student in a hands-on program at UVic, I am probably in the best place to network right here, right now.

Reflecting on this course, my developing PLN, and my use of social media platforms, I have definitely grown in my thinking. Most of all, I have learned that a PLN is so much more than just LinkedIn or Instagram, but the community that shapes your education and growth. Through exploring course concepts, resources, and creating a Visitor & Resident Map (which challenged my thinking most of all), I have seen that my personal and professional identities overlap and together create my individual digital footprint.

I see the value of networking and the way that digital platforms, which I currently treat as “diaries,” can be used to collaborate and connect with diverse perspectives and create a community of lifelong learning. Nonetheless, I have become more aware of the ethical responsibilities of an online reputation, especially as a young woman going into education and working with children. Moving forward, my biggest takeaway from this course so far is the importance of media literacy and the opportunity and responsibility I have as an educator to prioritize teaching this skill in the digital age.

Your PLN and the Evolving Internet

It blows my mind how many people use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their day-to-day life. I remember a few years ago, when ChatGPT was a lot newer than it is now, I was taking Calc I and was stuck on a homework question. I googled it to no avail, searched for YouTube videos of similar phrasing, but couldn’t find anything. I turned to ChatGPT and it…gave me an answer. A very wrong answer. One with impossible formulae, imagined out of thin air. It was at that moment I realized that I am smarter than an AI. It may have more knowledge and better memory, but it’s just not as intelligent as true, egotistical, first-born-child, HUMAN intelligence.

From that point on, it amazed me to see ChatGPT get so popular. Its summaries were worse than SparkNotes, its explanations were more convoluted than a YouTube video, and it had this annoying way of explaining things, like how it feels when someone “mansplains” something to you. Everyday it’s killing the environment, our home, our land, our animals, our oceans. Why is it so popular?

In the study by Estateyeh & Mindzak (2025), it did not surprise me to see that the amaze and shine of using AI wore off from the 2024 Teacher Candidates to the 2025 group. I reckon, if they were to do this study again for 2026, pre-service teachers would be even less inclined to use AI or feel like they benefit from it.

When I was in school, we had 45 minutes to plan and write an complete essay by hand. I have seen, through my own experiences teaching, students unable to write a single paragraph with a Chromebook, several class periods, and one-on-one aid. Estateyeh & Mindzak point out how AI may harm critical thinking and problem-solving skills, stating that “students may be less likely to engage in deeper cognitive processes necessary for meaningful learning” (p. 138). This turning-your-brain-to-much impact harms not only students, but teachers overrelying on AI too, as AI may “limit teacher decision-making abilities and autonomy”(Estateyeh & Mindzak, 2025, p. 137).

Basically, we are on track to end up like the humans from Wall-E:

The study mentions that AI can support equity and accessibility in the classroom through tools such as speech-to-text/text-to-speech, immediate responses to questions, and personalized adaptations. I argue that it’s 2026, we are running out of time to save our planet and reverse (or at least slow!!!!) climate change. I sincerely doubt that generative AI is the best way to be equitable and accessible. Teaching is perhaps the most human profession, and thus cannot be taken over by a robot.

My current PLN spans from online platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and WordPress to in-person peer groups, Education Students’ Association meetings/events/professional development workshops, and teacher connections from previous practica and volunteering. While my online presence is mostly used for personal use, I now see that these platforms can positively contribute to my PLN by allowing me to connect with educators from all around the world.

The article Empowering Older Adults’ Informal, Self-Directed Learning: Harnessing the Potential of Online Personal Learning Networks by Morrison & McCutheon shows that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks. The authors argue that the development of online PLNs lead to lifelong learning, such as “self-directed knowledge acquisition, personal transformation, meaning-making, and contributions to facilitating healthy aging and community well-being” (Morrison & McCutheon, 2019, Introduction). This showed me a particularly valuable point of PLNs, because so many seniors end up isolated and lonely in their old age. Through the use of online PLNs, seniors were able to socialize and connect with others, create a community for similar interests, and, most important, “learn new things and learn from others” (Morrison & McCutheon, 2019, General Discussion). This showed me that PLNs are important beyond the classroom and beyond career goals.

Interacting with this resource also made me think about the strengths and weaknesses of my own PLN. The greatest strength of my PLN comes from growing up in the digital age: I inherently posess the skills to use social media and other digital platforms with ease, due to growing up learning with computers. Being able to use social media in my PLN allows for diverse perspectives and research/resources that would be unavailable without it, but also carries the risk of misinformation and the creation of my own echo chamber.

Another strength of my PLN is my wariness and disgust with generative AI, which makes a difference in ensuring that there is still an Earth to have a PLN on! This also makes sure that I am never falling into the trap of overrelying on AI or using it in a hurry without verifying facts/resources, leading to better critical thinking and better quality resources! Of course, my PLN is just beginning and has so much room to grow. Moving past this course, with the tools I’ve learned, I plan on branching out and exploring how I can use digital platforms to the fullest extent, taking after my peers and finally creating a LinkedIn account.

To echo Qualman (2012) one last time, treat others how you want to be treated. Treat the Earth well. It’s the only home we have.