MY FOOTPRINTS
“There’s something happening here…. What it is ain’t exactly clear” – Buffalo Springfield
Social Media has become an important part of my life. I probably spend more time having conversations, discussions and collaboration with people online then I do face to face. My Digital Footprints come from a variety of social networking sites – all tell you something about me. You don’t need to be a profiler to know what music I like or where I enjoy spending my off hours. It is my intention to have a digital footprint that demonstrates my core values -That I am a strong believer in social justice issues, that my family comes first, that I love teaching and sharing. It is my intention to leave my own legacy – one that depicts a person that fights for what is right, a person that believes in sharing, and commitment to a cause. Last week @dougpete (Doug Peterson) wrote a blog that prompted me to reflect on my own Digital Footprint. When it started, Why it Started, How it impacted me?
I use twitter as my news and information aggregate, and to converse with and from people around the world. I use Skype to connect and talk at a more personal level with colleagues, friends and family. Google Voice to make my long distance phone calls, Facebook to connect at a more personal level with friends and family, Diggo for group bookmarking, blogging to express my own reflections and ideas about the changing nature of education, Wikis to collaborate and share, Nings to facilitate my online courses, Elluminate to learn and share, Flikr to display my pictures, Delicious to share my bookmarks, blipfm to share my music, Google Docs to collaborate and share documents….and on, and on, and on…..
Don’t misunderstand who I am. I would prefer face to face connections 98% of the time. My online digital life however, has opened up many opportunities. I attribute many of my successes to my PLN (Professional Learning Network). I have developed friendships across the globe – with people whom I share my visions and passions about education, about music, about social justice and about our environment. I feel so incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most innovative and forward thinking educators.
Am I concerned about leaving a footprint that can never be erased? Not for a second. In fact, the impression that anyone leaves – especially, face to face can have impressions that last forever. Whether it be online, or in person, I have made a choice to uphold a certain standard. My choice of blogs, music, friends, bookmarks, collaborators, twitterers, are all guided by these standards.
Do I stop behaving a certain way when I am not online? The day that I chose to be an educator was the day that I knew that no matter where I am – I have ethical standards to model and uphold. That is my choice.
Have you thought about your DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS? Have you thought about your CARBON FOOTPRINT? Have you thought about your FACE TO FACE footprint?
A few resources that I’ve collected along the way thanks to many of you out there:
http://www.mydigitalfootprint.com/
http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/how-to-build-your-digital-footprint-in-8-easy-steps/
http://edupln.ning.com/video/digital-footprints-your-new
http://www.slideshare.net/wfryer/internet-safety-and-digital-citizenship
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3994/is_200207/ai_n9112056/pg_5/
Track your digital footprint:
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/koppel/interactive/interactive.html
http://seanbanville.com/2010/02/07/blush-my-digital-footprint/
“Oh, no , when did I do this?”
What’s a Digital Footprint and why would you want one?
Kids:
Online identity: http://kidshealth.org/kid/watch/house/online_id.html
Guidelines for teachers using social networking sites:
Teachers Beware of your digital footprint: http://www.classroominthecloud.net/2010/09/teachers-beware-of-your-digital.html
Digital Footprint- Your Online Data Trail:
http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/09/13/digital-footprint-your-online-data-trail/
My Digital Footprint:
http://georgecouros.ca/blog/my-digital-footprint
My FootprintSD – A talke of Two footprints – for students.
What no footprint?
http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/what-no-footprint/
Superintendent reacts to teacher Facebook pages
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMJM-SQjUBc&feature=PlayList&p=ADCB127568E198D9&index=0&playnext=1
Nice reflection, Zoe. I think that all educators need to sit down and take a similar review of their online presence. The comment that you hear often is that “I don’t have a digital footprint.” That may have been true once but consider the OCT website. Every educator in the province can be searched for a complete educational and name history. Such is the transparency that has been thrust upon us. But, is that all that you want to be? It’s too bad that the OCT wouldn’t allow links to individual blog, etc., so that we can complete the rest of the footprint. It’s only there that we can help show the rest of the story.
Thanks for asking the question – and no I have no idea about my digital foot print as I did not realize I had one!
Now that I know, I have some research to do …
Dianna from #eci831
Good stuff Z. I’ve been watching my google results with interest for a few weeks, as I changed my Twitter name and blog address to more accurately reflect the ‘real’ me. It’s taken a few weeks, but the ‘new’ things are climbing up the google list of results. Its’ been an interesting experiment in how we can still manage to control to some degree what people find when they look for information about you.
@dougpete – How many educators refuse to consider cultivating their footprint, and never think that they already have an OCT provided one? Interesting.
Thanks Zoe for writing and inspiring me. I have new blog post to think about. I have been blogging for three years and used many of the digital tools you have mentioned, but never thought that deeply about my digital footprints. I have to consider this. Thanks so much for pushing my thinking.
I think that it is such a wise decision for teachers to consider the influence that their digital footprints have in society. We are not only educators, but mentors, for every student that steps foot into our schools. Teachers are not just one-dimensional beings that exist in the confines of school walls. The use of digital tools to leave a positive “mark” in society is a practice that many more should consider.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for your comments and contribution to the discussion- to be honest, I have never thought this deeply about my footprints either, until I started teaching for the university and couldn’t believe how much information that my students already know about me. If we are going to teach the younger generation about their footprints, we need to be conscious of it ourselves. BTW, I really enjoyed reading your blog.
Great Blog!! It really caught my attention and how are you new students with the techonology because it said somewhere in your blog, that studdents are worried about privacy.
SPACE ROCKS!!!!!!!!
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Thanks for the reference to my work and book – My Digital Footprint . delighted that people are starting to think about the issues