Digital Spaces

Mapping My Digital Spaces

The internet can be used in many different ways. David White broke down how people engage with the internet into two categories: visitors and residents. 

• Visitors use the internet for a specific purpose. They may be looking for a specific piece of information or completing a task before going offline or starting another task.
• Residents are going online to connect or be with other people, they want to have a social presence. 

This concept helps explain the context of how people use the internet and in what ways. Different modes are used depending on the motivation and context.  

As I was creating my digital map I began by looking at the apps on my phone and deciding how I use them - personally or professionally - and whether or not I use them as a visitor or resident. I also wanted to think beyond what I use on my phone and looked at my most frequented websites. While looking at all the different apps/websites I use I noticed that there was some crossover between personal and professional. Some apps (like Instagram) I use more on the personal level, but will also use it in my professional career as well. 

Author's Image

Personal

I started my map by thinking about what apps/websites I personally used and noticed that many of them I also used professionally. On the resident side, many of the apps I use (iMessage, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat) are a way to stay in touch with others. I use Facebook and Instagram to post pictures of my life and keep in touch with friends and family from out of town. I will also use these apps professionally by following groups and teachers that share resources and content that I will use in my own teaching. Cricut is an app that I use to create craft projects. I have also used Cricut to create signs and labels for my classroom. 

On the visitor side, I use Apple Music or Spotify the most, especially for finding playlists for my dance classes. I use Pinterest to find inspiration for new recipes but will also use it as inspiration for classroom set up and organization. Hulu and other streaming services make it so easy to watch shows from anywhere. Google Maps is a must-have app on my phone, mainly to avoid the never-ending construction and Chicago traffic. 

Professional

When looking at the apps I use on a professional level, I noticed I use more as a resident than I do a visitor. GSuite is a major part of my professional life: gmail, docs, sheets, and slides are all a part of my daily life at school. From answering emails to creating presentations for lessons I always have at least some form of GSuite open in a tab at all times. GroupMe and Slack are the communication methods we use to stay in touch throughout the day. 

As visitor on the professional side, I noticed that the websites I use are beneficial for students and parents. Clever is the portal that stores all the apps that students use during the day. GoNoodle is great to use throughout the day when a brain break is needed (for students or teachers). Finally, Remind is how I stay in contact with parent and how they can reach teachers with any questions.  

I really enjoyed thinking about the concept of Visitors and Residents and where I fall on my own digital map. Mapping out my apps allowed me to think about how I use the internet to my advantage as well as consider new ways to use what I already have.