Digital Footprints and Digital Citizenship

My digital footprint has grown a lot lately, especially after creating new blogs and social bookmarking sites for the grad courses I have recently taken. The majority of the information I put out on the Internet is professional, like these blog posts! However, I also have Facebook and Instagram accounts. Since these accounts are mainly used to stay connected and share photos with family and close personal friends, I keep them more private. Even with my privacy settings, I am always conscientious about what I post. I believe that if you’re going to create a digital footprint, then you should also practice digital citizenship.

I try to convey this message to my students as well. Our students have grown up with the Internet and they started creating and maintaining social media accounts at a very young age. Many students leave a large digital footprint with all of their videos, pictures, and statuses. Some don’t realize how their posts could affect their future. A silly video or an inappropriate status could turn off a potential employer someday. Students should be educated about digital citizenship at an early age, since they are getting on the Internet and starting to create their digital footprint at a young age. We need to be proactive. Students need to learn that what they put on the Internet could be out there forever. Students should be to taught “the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use” (Ribble, 2012). This could be done by posting the poster below in our classrooms, which teaches students to “self-reflect before [they] self-reveal online”  (Common Sense Education). When teaching students about digital citizenship, we should also use digital tools in order to engage them, monitor their use, have a plan, and be ready to deal with objections (Davis & Lindsay, 2010). “When students graduate from high school, they should have a positive digital footprint with academic material included” (Davis & Lindsay, 2010).

References

Common Sense Education. Digital citizenship poster for middle and high school classrooms. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/middlehigh_poster

Davis, V. & Lindsay, J. (2010). Navigate the digital rapids. Learning & leading with technology. Retrieved from http://www.flatclassroomproject.org/file/view/DigitalCitizenship_Mar2010.pdf

Ribble, M. (2012). Nine elements: Nine themes of digital citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html

Reflections on the Role of the Technology Integrator and on Teacher and Student Use of Technology

In the last course that I took, Integrating Digital Technology II, I learned that the technology integration specialist has a lot of responsibilities. They are responsible “for creating and implementing sound pedagogical curriculum as well as providing professional development, going as far as ‘coaching’ teachers within schools” (SNHU, 2015). They need to ensure that the curriculum they create addresses the ISTE Standards and the Common Core Standards. Their greatest responsibility, however, is to provide professional development on technology. They need to provide group workshops on how to use the technology available at the school, and they need to be available to work one-on-one with content teachers. Teachers need the technology integrator to work with them and their students to effectively integrate technology into their lessons in meaningful ways. “The role of the technology integration specialist has evolved as technology is advancing at a rapid pace” (SNHU, 2015).

Nowadays, students and most teachers use technology all the time. Technology plays a huge role in our everyday lives. Most people have smartphones, and there really is an app for everything. We use apps to track our workouts and diets, to manage our bank accounts, to check the weather, and for entertainment. We use social media to connect and communicate with one another. We can also check our email and search the internet on our smartphones. Other popular devices that are used by many include tablets, such as iPads, and eReaders, such as Kindles. Devices like these have changed our lives on many levels.

It has taken a bit longer to integrate technology into education, but we are getting there. Students used to be asked to “‘power down’ and put away all technology” when they got to school (SNHU, 2015). Now teachers are allowing students to use their personal devices for educational purposes. I, personally, have found great success when allowing students to use their smartphones and tablets as a part of a lesson. For example, one of my classes recently completed an activity where they were to discover the rules for the end behavior of the graph of a polynomial on their own. This activity was supposed to be done using a graphing calculator, but I didn't have enough for each student. I, instead, had them download a free graphing app called Desmos, which worked perfectly. The students loved using their phones and they loved the app too. “Any statement about handing out iPads (or netbooks or laptops) should begin with the word ‘So…’” (Warlick, 2010). I wanted to facilitate a learning experience for my students to discover some concepts on their own, so I had them download and use Desmos on their smartphones.

References

SNHU. (2015). Module One Overview. Retrieved from https://bb.snhu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5505202-dt-content-rid-11313205_1/xid-11313205_1

Warlick, D. (2010). Technology for 21^st Century Learning: Part 1. 2 ₵ Worth. Retrieved from http://2cents.onlearning.us/?p=2712