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
I love the diagram. I just saw it in another post the a classmate made.I would agree that our digital footprints have really grown since we have been in these classes and making blogs and different pages on wiki sites just for this class alone. I think it is important for us to set a good example as ambassadors to technology integration by having a positive digital footprint.
ReplyDeleteI do a discussion starter at the beginning of every class. Some pertain to what we are doing for the day and some are just fun to give us a quick break from intense writing. I usually throw in a discussion where I ask students to Google themselves and tell me what they find. They then have to answer some reflection questions over whether they would be confident if their employer or potential college Googled them. This is always an eye opening,fun discussion for the students. They are often surprised by what comes up and some of the kids feel down that nothing comes up, so we talk about their digital footprint and why it is good for them to have a positive one.
ReplyDeleteI like the poster you posted! I need to get some posters about digital citizenship in my classroom.
Great post! I try to do the same with my digital footprint, keeping it professional and always aware that others can see what I post. I actually recently deleted my Facebook account and it felt really good to break away from the constant updates. I agree that your digital footprint and digital citizenship work together. When I first began using social media this wasn't emphasized to my generation enough. I also loved this Infographic, that was in our resources this week. I actually posted it in my classroom "news" bulletin with an article about proper digital citizenship, and the students made a lot of great comments about the topic.
ReplyDeleteDear Amanda,
ReplyDeleteYou post really hit to the core of why teaching students about digital citizenship is so important; to assure the the mark they leave on the digital world is a positive one. I second Adam in believing that we need to act as ambassadors of technology integration and as such support your idea that we as educators of technology need to lead by example, not just in the digital footprint we leave on the virtual world but in how we guide our students to understand both the benefits and dangers that come with sharing, interacting, and communication online as well.
Thanks for sharing your experiences
Terri
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Like yourself, I am very conscientious in regards to what I post online. Although most of my online activity is for professional use, I find that even private use should be carefully considered. Posting one's information (pictures, profiles, personal thoughts, etc.) is the norm nowadays. Some take it as far as if you do not have a social networking account then you simply do not exist in today's world. These people put their entire lives online for everyone to see. What they may not realize is that they are putting sensitive information out there that can negatively impact their lives. Whether right or wrong, many businesses are requiring applicants to disclose their social media activities. Posting inappropriate pictures, for example, can cost the applicant a potential career. I like how you pointed out that when teaching digital citizenship, digital tools should be used. It's a simple idea, however to really drive the point home, students need to see real life examples. They only way to do this is to give them a hands-on experience. Students need to be able to make connections to what they learn about in class to actually putting it into practice.
As I was reading your post, I was reminded of just how young students begin their digital footprints. Parents these days are posting pictures and Facebook statuses of their children from BIRTH. These children already have a digital footprint without even having knowledge of it!
ReplyDeleteI like the image you posted. I saw it somewhere else earlier this week I believe and I like how it demonstrates how to respect others' digital footprints. I think that if you introduced this poster to your students, you could begin the discussion by asking how many of their parents posted something online that they wished they hadn't. I know some parents have even told me that their kids (3rd graders) told them to "stop Facebooking pictures of them" and that they did actually stop.