Hello World!
With so much emphasis on education online, and allowing students to use Web 2.0 tools like Instagram and twitter as a means of teaching and learning… I could not help think about the term discussed in lecture of “branding yourself” online. I say this as this concept looks to how, once you post something online, it will ALWAYS be there and WITH THIS students should be learning how to safely post, share and be part of the world wide web. The idea of “branding yourself” reminded me to the term “digital footprint”.
(http://langwitches.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Google-digital-footprint-1.jpg)
A digital footprint is like a mark of a footprint left in the sand, as they are marks left online. To be specific digital footprints are traces and pieces of information that are left as “footprints” on the World Wide Web.
Cyber Space Safety Net has a blog spot dedicated to digital footprints: what they are and how to safely use them check out their resourceful link and the image taking from their blog:
https://cybersafetynet.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/year-5-whos-watching/
I have come across a video by the YouTube user Digital Native that introduced me to the term “Digital Dossier”. I cannot even to begin to express how shocking I found this video, as I learnt that before even being a born you have already become a digital citizen with the posting/sharing of things like sonograms for example… incredible, never considered this!
PLEASE PLEASE check out the video, I assure you your perspective on “branding yourself” will completely shift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79IYZVYIVLA
I cannot even express how important it is to educate yourself about such things to learn about HOW we can leave positive digital footprints that will ultimately help us, and not harm us. This is especially important for my peers looking to work with children, in hopes of becoming innovative teachers for example, who plan on implementing social media and technology in the classroom. With this, WE NEED TO ENSURE that students are leaving positive digital footprints by teaching them about netiquette.
Netiquette is a term that we can use to help us better understand HOW to leave such positive digital footprints. Network etiquette known, as “netiquette” is the do’s of behaving online and ensuring digital citizens are safely and appropriately partaking in online activities. The Albion website lists numerous ways to use netiquette on the World Wide Web, but personally, one of my favourite tips that I found substantially important was the idea of “being human” online. To be specific, this idea states that it is important to always remember there is always someone on the other end of the screen, so when you say something or post something, someone on the other side of your screen is going to read it/see it/hear it/watch it.
So with this, you must ask yourself: would you say this/show this/do this to someone who standing in front of you? If you answered no, then why would it be right to do this to someone across the screen from you?
You can find more netiquette tips on: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
I’m SO glad this term was discussed in lecture, as my blogging experience has allowed me to educate myself a little bit more on the HOW easily we are leaving marks online- without even noticing it! I have learnt SO MUCH from this concept, and for whoever is reading this; I truly hope I have taught you a thing or two about branding yourself, digital footprints and netiquette!
Thank you for stopping by, feel free to leave me some comments, tips, maybe even personal experiences you have had with this topic!
Until next time,
Zein!
References
Cyber Safety. (2012, May 10). The cybersafety net. WordPress. Rreietved from
https://cybersafetynet.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/year-5-whos-watching/
Digital Natives. (2008, august 13). Digital dossier [Video file]. Retrieved from
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