Overview

The Virtual Symposium week exposed you to many different thoughts and ideas with respect to digital learning environments. In Unit 2, you will focus on understanding participatory cultures, digital literacies, and on what it means to create a digital presence and identity. Questions of what, why, how, and for whom will be examined. The unit begins with a discussion of digital identities and design considerations surrounding digital presence. We will discuss the resident-visitor typology and you will identify your use of technology as it applies to this typology. In this Unit, you will begin to build your digital identity through the creation of your own WordPress site which you will actively use throughout your program.

Learning Activities and Assignments

• Create your WordPress site.
• Review your reflection written from Week 1 the Virtual Symposium, edit it and post it as your first blog post.
• Schedule your 1:1 with the Program Head (me). Drop me an email and we will find a time that works.
• Read the Unit 2 readings and analyze the resident-visitor typology.
• Map your use of technologies as it pertains to the resident-visitor typology.
• Begin Assignment 1: Creation of Digital Presence & Identity:
  • Review and analyze scholarly and popular literature on digital presence and identity;
  • Create a plan to support the cultivation of your digital presence and digital identity throughout the program; and
  • Provide feedback to peers on their proposed plan.
• Participate in interactive discussions and contribute to your colleagues blogs

Let’s get started!

Activity 1 | Create your own WordPress site

You have now been provided with access to your own instance of WebSpace powered by WordPress for you to customize and make your own throughout the program. This week you need to spend some time setting up your WordPress site and giving some thought to your plan for… and you even have your first blog post (Week 1 Activity 1)!

Activity 2 | Map your use of technology as it pertains to the resident-visitor typology

It’s now your turn to map your use of digital technologies as it pertains to the resident-visitor typology. You task is to create a conceptual map of your use. Examples of maps created by others can be found at Visitors and Residents Maps padlet.

As you can see there are many different way to create such a map. You could create a digital map using an illustration software of your choice or you could create this map on paper. To get started, we suggest watching this video: Just the Mapping in which Dave White, one of the authors of the paper describing the visitor-resident typology, goes through the mapping process himself.

Once you are happy with your map, please post a copy of it on your blog. If you created a map on paper, please take a picture of it and share the image. In addition to the image of your map, you should (a) post a 100 to 200 word description explaining your map to others, and (b) comment on at least one other person’s map ether to ask clarifying questions or to note issues of interest.

Activity 3 | Begin Assignment 1: Creation of Digital Presence & Identity

1. Review and analyze scholarly and popular literature on digital presence and identity through the Unit 2 readings
2. Create a plan to support the cultivation of your digital presence and digital identity throughout the program and post it on your blog. This plan should include many of the following areas:
   • your overall goal and purpose for cultivating your digital presence and identity;
   • your approach for achieving this goal;
   • identification of skills, knowledge gaps
   • strategies and approaches to address the identified gaps;
   • measure(s) of success
3. Provide feedback to two peers on their proposed plan by posting a comment on their blog