This is your first participation activity for 522, which you should do once you’ve reviewed all of the preceding section materials. Activities in future weeks will be similarly identified and embedded at appropriate points in the course. 522 activities are considered as part of your overall participation (Assignment #4 – see Assignments for details).
Purpose
This activity begins your participation and establishes your presence in 522. The course is conducted within an open public blog environment, which means that anybody in the world will be able to read what you post here and elsewhere in the course, so this activity is also an exercise in identity management. Your identity risk in 522 is considerably less than on Facebook, Instagram, or other Internet sites, but we wish you to be aware and prudent.
As a general rule, you’ll probably not want to publish your email address, phone number, or other personal information (including mugshot-style photos) in the content of any of your posts here. However, this blog is also a classroom so you’ll want your cohort to learn more about you than complete strangers would. And as the blog is also a publishing channel so you’ll want to establish an enduring professional context.
The following instructions will help you to initiate these multiple identities. Please contact your instructor if you have any specific questions or concerns.
Instructions
Please make the following social-professional contributions to the 522 weblog:
- Global Profile: The right side of the WordPress menu under “Howdy” gives you access to your Personal Profile (by clicking your name) and your Public Profile (by clicking “Edit Public Profile”). Go to your Personal Profile first. This is where you can manage what the global public knows about you. All they will be able to see is: 1) whatever Picture you upload to represent you; 2) whatever name you select in the “Display name publicly as” field; and 3) whatever you put in the “General Information” field. You may leave all of these fields blank if you wish, but you’ll likely find it more productive to supply (for example) an informal image, a nickname, and a non-identifying descriptor to represent yourself to the world at large. You’re welcome to play with any other personal options you wish.
- Professional Profile: Now go to “Edit Public Profile”. Any information your enter here can only be seen by peers who have access to the blog. You may leave everything blank if you wish, but you also might want to supply additional Basic Info and Bio (separate tab) information so peers can understand your professional context and connections. Be sure to click the “Disable Pulses on this page” selection in the Pulse CBT area unless you wish others to have the ability to comment on your professional profile. Click “Update” when complete.
- Cohort Introduction: Compose and publish a first blog post that introduces you informally to your cohort and the instructors. Your post can include any aspects of your personal, professional, educational, technological, entrepreneurial, MET, etc, background that you believe might be of interest to our group. You might also want to say something about why you’re taking 522, and what you hope to learn or achieve with it. Include at least one image or video to augment your introduction. Be sure to select the Category “Authors” before you post, to send it in the right direction.
- Cohort Welcomes: Respond in an appropriately welcoming manner to at least three of the introductory postings from your 522 peers. This may be to greet existing acquaintances or to make some connection with elements of a new acquaintance’s posting that resonate with you.
Deadline
Unless otherwise impossible, this activity should be complete by the end of week 1.