Exploring my Digital Footprint and more!
By continuing my learning through my graduate school course, Digital Citizenship, I reflected on how the internet and technology impact my day-to-day life. In doing so, I was able to track my online presence or use of technology. In other words, I was able to find my digital footprint. Through completing engine searches of myself, I was made pretty aware of how my digital footprint can affect my life both personally and professionally and that any actions I take while working on an online platform need to be done in a positive light.
Looking into my digital footprint, I was impressed with how my engine searches turned out. I am always careful what I post on any social media platform and have since deleted many of my accounts because they consumed me at a younger age. When inspecting my digital footprint, I used a checklist provided by the Family Online Safety Institute that I found online, an excellent source found regarding safe digital reputation. Second, after going through and checking off the items on the checklist, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the information on keeping others safe and informed on how to keep a positive digital footprint. I took that as an opportunity to share some helpful resources on my eportfolio. My main goal is to ensure students are aware of becoming effective digital citizens, especially in this day and age. I am no expert, by any means, but I have so much to learn about how to continue to develop a positive digital footprint myself, understanding it can affect both my personal and professional life.
We also were introduced to and learned about net neutrality and filter bubbles. A filter bubble is a change in how the information is presented to you through your various social media accounts. Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers must treat all internet communications equally. The internet was essentially designed to connect people, information, and learning experiences all around the globe. Now, with net neutrality in addition to a filter bubble, how can we ever really be sure that the information we are given is reliable and impartial. I was never made aware, nor did I truly understand the impact that the various topics would have on education.
In conclusion, I plan to continue being more aware of how to manage my digital footprint. Advancements in technology have provided students with unlimited access to various information via a plethora of online sources. As an educator, I have learned that it is also my responsibility to ensure students understand the importance of their online behavior in and outside the school setting. Reflecting over this week, I plan to continue doing more research to manage my online presence. I am eager to see what the future holds as I am prepared to utilize my digital footprint to navigate through my career, but I understand the importance of educating myself and others on the importance of maintaining a positive digital footprint. Below I created a presentation over Technological Advances and Digital Citizenship, please check it out.
Other great resources:
Videos:
Generation Like: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/generation-like/
Websites:
Common Sense Media Website: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/