What is digital identity or your digital footprint?
This is your online identity, who you are when someone looks for what you do with technology. As future teachers it is something that we all really pay attention to. We focus on making sure that our digital footprint is clean and appropriate, so that employers will never question our professionalism.
However not everyone looks at their digital foot print the same way, some people even look at their digital identity as something totally different from who they are in the real world. This is not the case though, we are not two different people, our real selves and our online selves. This is part of the problem that has lead to extensive online bullying, people think that they are a different person, so what they says online does not matter. The other scenario is that people say it is just an online comment, so no one will ever take it seriously.
There are several things that can be done to protect one's online identity, including not posting personal information online, paying attention to what websites they go to, and practicing respect and manners, even online. Parents need to pay attention to what their children are doing online, knowing what social media sites they are using, who they are chatting with online, and actually talking with them and educating them on proper digital citzenship.
This is a huge topic to bring up in a classroom, as teachers are expected to teach citizenship and now that includes digital citizenship. Teachers need to discuss digital citizenship including, your online identity, protecting yourself online, and being respectful in all settings. This starts with creating a classroom of respect, making sure all students know what is appropriate, and what is not. After that students need to be taught how to use technology, since it cannot be assumed that students know how to use all technology. Finally, teachers need to model proper use of technology and actually allow them to try using technology in a safe setting.
No comments:
Post a Comment