10 Things Students Should Know About Their Digital Footprints

DIGITAL FOOTPRINT: On the a digital footprint is the word used to describe the trail, traces or "footprints" that people leave online. This is information transmitted online, such as forum registration, e-mails and attachments, uploading videos or digital images and any other form of transmission of information — all of which leaves traces of personal information about yourself available to others online. - www.webopedia.com

1. College admissions and employers do read your online profiles and they do make decisions based upon information they find out about you online. In fact, colleges will make decisions based upon many forms of questionable involvement.

2. Educators and parents do see, read, and hear about your online escapades, even though you go to great lengths to hide them from us. There have been many times I wish I hadn’t stumbled upon a student Twitter or post, but I have.

3. Educate yourself on the basics. What does Digital Citizenship mean to you? What should it mean? These are important lessons that students can research on their own.

4. Create a profile that says simple, non-specific details about yourself, but that is still identifiably you. Ultimately, we are all personally responsible for our digital , but many of our students, and quite frankly many adults, don’t know how to accomplish this important task.

5. Create separate accounts so you can consistently remain positive in public online spaces. If you have already developed a full identity online, you don’t necessarily need to “scrub it clean”, but it would make sense to create a professional identity, and limit the amount of personal information you share publicly. Increase your settings on all of your personal information, and publicly share all the wonderful things you are contributing to the world.

6. Learn from others. Find teenagers, professionals, or reputation resources that are doing things the right way and model your online presence in a similar manner. Read the survey’s that have been conducted and make informative decisions on what personal material is appropriate to share publicly, and what is not.

7. Keep private information private. Have you heard the saying the “Internet is forever?” You may think you can easily hit delete, and what you sent goes away. But it truly doesn’t. Be aware and learn why the Internet is permanent.

8. The Golden Rule. 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. Remember, you can’t truly delete when you SEND.

9. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. But be mindful that being careless, too open, or too trusting, or spending too much time on the Internet, has real consequences.

10. Build your own positive image and brand yourself in a great way. Say “I Am” to the world. I created a wonderful lesson for my class by asking them who they are as people, not as students. I then asked them to create a short video to show me who they are. It was a great success and I learned a lot about my students in a very positive way. Don Goble http://edreach.us