Creating a Positive Digital Plan

What type of footprint do you want to leave?

Maintaining a positive digital footprint?

1.  Pay attention to where I go.

“A digital footprint is the collection of all the traces you leave in electronic environments as you use or move through them. Some is content you actively volunteer—like your Facebook profile. Other material is passive—the cookies a site stores in your browser, the content your district collects about your use of their equipment, etc. All this data can be aggregated to build a profile of you and your behavior” (Kharbach, 2013)

2. Stay on top of things

Your digital footprint says a lot about you. "But why should I care," my students ask. Future employers, colleges, and recruiters are now Googling your online presence. "That's my personal life, it should be considered separate." Your profile and what you post paints a certain picture of you. What do you want them see? Consider the following infographic from KBSD.

3.  Create a solid online identity

In today's digital age, not having a digital presence at all could be seen as a red flag, similar to not having any credit background is problematic when applying for loans. When we make a payment on time, it positively affects our credit. Every time we go online we leave a digital footprint. "Having a solid digital identity is more important now than ever." (Taub, 2012)

4.  Pay attention to my privacy settings

Keep my personal accounts private and my professional ones public. "Change the privacy settings on your social networking sites so that only your Friends can see your information" (Educational Technology & Mobile Learning)

5.  Share helpful information, not banter.

Shirky (2008) suggests, "with an understanding of how transparency fosters connections and with a willingness to share our work and, to some extent, our personal lives. Sharing is the fundamental building block for building connections and networks."

6.  Acquire a domain name

"help control what people see when they search your name" (Taub, 2012).

7.  Apply the Golden RuleBe respectful online. Never post anything that could be hurtful or seen as an insult. "Never has this rule applied more than to how you speak to others online. What are you truly accomplishing by saying things behind the veil of a computer screen, that you would never say to someone in person? Treat others as you would like to be treated. Simply put, if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all" (Digital Media in the Classroom).

8. Google Myself

Make sure what is out there is really me, pay attention. "We can fully prepare students not just to be Googled well, but to be findable in good ways by people who share their passions for learning and who may well end up being lifelong teachers, mentors, or friends" (Richardson 2008).

9.  Think twice before posting

Never post anything you wouldn't say in real life or that you might find embarrassing later. "Always keep in mind that once information has been posted online, it can be almost impossible to remove because of archiving and file sharing. Even though you deactivate your accounts, the information may still be retrieved by others."(Educational Technology & Mobile Learning)

10.  Don't post personal information

Watch who you share your personal information with. "Do not disclose your personal address, phone number, passwords. Bank card numbers...etc even in private messages. There is always the possibility of somebody hacking into your account and finding them." (Educational Technology & Mobile Learning)

Resources

(2013). A Great Guide on Teaching Students about Digital Footprint ... Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/04/a-great-guide-on-teaching-students.html.

(2012). 4 things you need to know to help your students manage ... Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2012/10/4-things-you-need-to-know-to-help-your.html.

(2012). 10 Things Your Students Should Know About Their Digital ... Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://www.teachhub.com/10-things-your-students-should-know-about-their-digital-footprints.

(2012). 5 Key Things Needed To Improve Your Digital Identity - Forbes. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/alextaub/2012/06/07/5-key-things-needed-to-improve-your-digital-identity/.

(2011). Digitally Speaking / Positive Digital Footprints - ASCD. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr11/vol68/num07/Positive-Digital-Footprints.aspx.Richardson, W. (2008). Footprints in the digital age. Educational Leadership, 66(3). Retrieved fromwww.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov08/vol66/num03/Footprints-in-the-Digital-Age.aspx