Professional Development Activity
The professional development activity I chose per my assessor’s permission was learning how to make a blog site. My assessment already required me to create a website and blog so I decided to use at as my professional development activity to challenge myself with a new experience. I did some research online and employed the services of Hostinger to gain access to a WordPress website where I could start writing my blog.
What did I learn?
At first, I felt very confused as I was not familiar with making a blog and I am not particularly technologically savvy. I dedicated myself to watching Youtube videos and reading blogs to learn the skills necessary to make a blog site on WordPress.
I grew to understand that WordPress was one of the more popular options due to the tools and formats available for it. I used Hostinger to pay for a WordPress account and constructed my blog. Using the knowledge learned, I created the blog for this very reflective entry.
How is it relevant to your professional practice working with children and young adults?
The relevance of blogs with children and young adults was discovered by Ayo-Olafare, F.R (2020) who argued that
“Blogs can be used to initiate debates and interaction amongst users and staff” (p. 9).
Ayo-Olafare, F.R (2020)
Understanding how to blog is a great way for children and mainly young adults to develop information technology skills and social media knowledge as Sarmiento (2023) discovered that
“Young people mainly use social media to maintain their existing relationships especially with close friends” (p. 2).
Sarmiento (2023)
What were the gaps in your knowledge revealed? How will you fill those?
The biggest gap in my knowledge was making a blog and understanding the IT skills. It is why I chose making a blog as my professional development activity.
Using the internet from reading professional websites to YouTube videos, I was able to teach myself how to use Word Press and format the blog. I then added images and widgets for a professional look.
Discussion of the topic in relation to the activity:
Digital materials and emerging technologies will always be the fascination of the youth and blogging has been used by the younger generations to express their thoughts, feelings and experiences. But Radovic (2019) found,
“Blogging may provide psychosocial benefit through writing, editing/receiving feedback, and self-disclosure” (p. 128).
These benefits are crucial for giving developing minds good information technology skill sets that help them as they grow up and can provide a foundation for later development.
In conclusion, the activity of blogging in relation to digital materials and emerging technologies can provide a first step for beginners to learn crucial information technology skills that can help them as they grow up in our increasingly technological world.
References
Ayo-Olafare, F. R. (2020). GLOBAL TRENDS AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1–13. https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/global-trends-emerging-technologies-libraries/docview/2467625746/se-2?accountid=10344
Radovic, A., & Miller, E. (2019). EXPERIENCE OF PEER BLOGGERS USING A SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY, GIVING BACK IN A SAFE SPACE. Journal of Adolescent Health, 64(2S), S66. https://primo.csu.edu.au/permalink/61CSU_INST/q3scnc/cdi_proquest_journals_218817088
Sarmiento, C. S., & Duarte, C. (2023). All Paths Leading to the Library: Youth Mobility and Community-Based Planning. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 43(2), 388–401. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X19882985
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