Week 3 Reflections

 This week I challenged myself to get more involved in the class social media discussions. This is particularly difficult for me because I don't like to post a lot online. I managed to interact with two classmates' posts on Instagram, join our class group on LinkedIn and interact with a classmates' post, join the class subreddit and post there, and set up a Twitter/X account for my class blog. I can safely say that I was more active this week on social media than I have ever been in the past.

I also spent time reflecting on how my use of various technologies has changed over time. When I was younger and cell phones were not as ubiquitous, I spent more time using email to maintain relationships. As cell phones and social media became more commonplance, email got shunted to the side in favor of more frequent, shorter communications mediated through SMS or social networking sites.

Finally, I contemplated the PLNs I have constructed over time. The first one that pops into my head when I think about PLNs is the newest one: all things German Shorthaired Pointer. (GSP). I have had GSPs for a little over a year and have discovered that they are a special kind of dog. Active and smart, they are purveyors of shenanigans and destruction -- sometimes their own. Having quickly deduced that I was out of my league with my new GSPs, I quickly set to work developing what I thought of as a support network, but that I now know as a PLN. It started with joining an online Facebook group about GSPs that was recommended by the breeder, getting very familiar with the vet, and connecting with a local dog trainer. Over time, I met other GSP parents at the dog park; as we got to know each other, we started exchanging tips and advice to one another. In the future, I hope to get my GSPs involved in sports like Dock Diving. In a relatively short amount of time, I was able to build out a complex network I can tap into as I learn about integrating my GSPs into my family.

Before I end my post, here is a picture of one of my dogs, Willow, for tax: