MLIS Journey '98

If there has been one constant in my life all these years, it's that my mental health has had its share of ups and downs. Most notably, the COVID-19 pandemic totally destroyed it, with me being completely consumed by fear and anxiety, and even depression at first, due to the unprecedented stress of being confined inside and having to adapt to virtual learning among many other things. The pandemic aside, however, there are many other things that certainly shape our mental health, for better or worse, and social media is a prime setting for such things. I was both intrigued and unsurprised simultaneously to read about how even (or perhaps especially ) celebrities such as Tom Holland are not immune to the potentially corrosive effects social media use may have on us all from a mental standpoint. As Holland noted, these platforms can be "overstimulating" and or overwhelming, causing us to "get caught up and spiral," as has happened to myself given that COVID basica...

As someone who majored in political science, I’ve always been fairly outspoken about my views and have found it hard to shy away from sharing them. My parents, however, have always advised me to be careful, as one post, whether right or wrong, could land me in trouble with other people, especially a future employer perhaps. The reason to be cautious about what we post is because everything we post becomes what is referred to as a 'digital tattoo', what many of us once referred to as a "footprint." Defined by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction as  " the information that exists online about you and your activity," d igital tattoos are hugely important for us all, but it's especially important that younger people who use the internet and other digital platforms understand the potential consequences of their trails. That is why they must learn it as early as possible. Indeed, as Sarah Ludwig puts it, "digital citizenship is a messy subject...

I first joined Twitter in 2014 back in high school, alongside Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Unlike the latter three social media sites, however, I've almost never used Twitter for casual purposes for a number of reasons. For one thing, I'd always found its features to be fairly boring compared to those of the other apps, and many of my friends and peers used the others more often. But most of all, I have come to see Twitter as having greater use for more professional purposes. For example, I commonly retweet stuff pertaining to politics, my undergraduate major. Image Source: Screenshot It's because of the more professional lenses I viewed Twitter from that my presence on there has historically been on-and-off to put it bluntly. I've used it in times that I needed it, such as for an internship with the advocacy group Common Cause Illinois , where I learned to use it to spread awareness regarding political causes among other things, and once those times were done I ...

Learning with disabilities is something I have always had an interest in, as I've had a number of friends throughout my school years in those shoes. I myself, although I don't have an actual disability, have mild obsessive-compulsive disorder. That's why I especially know the importance of Universal Design in Learning, or UDL, when it comes to academic planning and teaching. UDL is different from traditional teaching and learning in that the instructors focus as much on how their students learn rather than them merely doing so, i.e. what it is they're learning. It means students learn in ways that make it possible for everyone to learn. For example, a video presentation with subtitles may be used to accommodate those with poor hearing or deafness. Basically, all students have access to accommodations, not just for specific students as in traditional learning. Most important of all, teachers actually work with students in helping them decide their learning goals and mos...

I was born in 1998, which is a bit of a fuzzy year when it comes to assigning a generation lol! Depending on who you ask, I’m either among the last of the millennials or the first of Generation Z, or Zoomers if you want something more creative. Since a majority of demographers now consider that year a Zoomer birth year I’ve generally considered that my generation, but yeah it’s a little confusing. Image Source: Gifer Yet I’m not here today to t alk to you about what my generation is, but rather the impact of that generation and the one after: Gene ration Alpha. Gen Z alone is already making its mark on society in tremendous ways. They are among the most educated age cohorts in the world, and they feel as if education is more important than others. For instance, one study done by Generationz.com.au, an initiative of McCrindle, found that, w hen asked what they felt was more important – sports or academics – 22% of Gen Z’s opted for ‘sports,’ 29% chose ‘academics,’ and almost half of r...

The concept of active learning is very intriguing to me personally, seeing as I myself have evolved greatly through my education in ways that go beyond what was taught in my courses. According to the University of Minnesota's Center for Educational Innovation , active learning is " any approach to instruction in which all students are asked to engage in the learning process."  This is done via a number of activities students may take part in such as journals, group projects, presentations and much more. Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario provides a number of effective strategies for active learning which I believe from personal experience. One simple example is asking and answering questions, as it has been shown to promote interaction between teachers and students. Another example is holding discussions, whether in the classroom or remotely, as they challenge students to think critically and share their own perspectives on matters pertaining to what they are le...