I cannot believe that this is my final blog! I want to take
this time to reflect upon my experience in my Digital Literacies class and to
take pride in how far I have come in feeling more confident navigating the
digital world. I jumped into this class literally having zero idea of what to
expect and honestly took the class because it fit in my schedule.
When I realized the class entailed exploring and engaging in
the digital world in a very interactive manner, I became anxious and unsure
because the thought of having a digital identify beyond Facebook was quite
intimidating to me. I always felt like others had more profound things to say,
and felt quite vulnerable putting myself out there in the digital space.
This class was very insightful because it enabled me to
better understand how to interact in the digital world in a positive way. I
appreciate the many opportunities to communicate and work in the digital space
that the class has encouraged us to capitalize on. I loved how we were all
supportive of each other and gained momentum and confidence together. This
really helped me to alleviate my anxiety and to feel more comfortable in the
digital world.
Most importantly, this class has helped me realize that,
despite my initial assumptions, I do have a voice that is powerful in the digital
world. In fact, everyone has something to say and a niche that they can find where
they can engage in dynamic and powerful discourse with people and bounce ideas
off of each other. I loved that we were encouraged to join a professional
community because it enabled me to see that many people are excited and willing
to have conversations regarding key issues in my TESOL field. I felt that I had
a lot to contribute and a lot to learn, and this was a huge boost to my digital
identity confidence. This class has been infinitely meaningful because it
instilled in me a deep philosophy that everyone has a place in the digital
world and can both learn from and impact others when they discover a digital
space that resonates with them. I aspire to apply this realization to my future
classrooms because I want to empower my students in digital spaces in the same
manner that I was empowered in this class. There is such a world of opportunity
to develop one’s identity in the digital world to enrich their lives and create
meaningful connections, and I cannot wait to take my new-found enthusiasm for
that and share it with my future students.
