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See all the wonderful things Andrea Hernandez has made

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See all the wonderful things Daniel T Leaver has made

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The idea of a digital footprint is something quite familiar to me, despite my reticence to engage with technology. I clearly remember reading over posts in an online forum in 2000 and thinking to myself "Wow, internet people are HORRIBLE to each other!" I had many friends who actively engaged in online discussion, mostly in various fandoms, but every time my curiosity was aroused enough to look over their shoulders, I was immediately turned off by the acerbic nature of the comments I encountered. I read up on the psychology of anonymity and decided that I was not interested in engaging with people who thought they could get away with saying anything they liked, simply because no one could see their faces or names. I knew people are never quite as anonymous as they think, and actions always have consequences. Years later, as the "gamergate" saga unfolded, my hypothesis was proven quite correct. The younger brother of one of my friends had gone a bit too far in his "trolling" and was facing some pretty serious consequences. Not only was his name printed in national news reports, exposing his digital harassment of a certain game developer, he also faced criminal charges. He falsely thought he was protected by the relative anonymity of the internet and basically ruined his reputation and his future. After he was doxxed in retribution, he realized he had threatened the safety of his family as well. The most important idea I saw in Module 1 is a lesson I watched a young man learn the hard way. There's no such thing as anonymity and no disconnect between one's digital life and one's physical life. Digital actions have real-world consequences. 

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The idea of a digital footprint is something quite familiar to me, despite my reticence to engage with technology. I clearly remember reading over posts in an online forum in 2000 and thinking to myself "Wow, internet people are HORRIBLE to each other!" I had many friends who actively engaged in online discussion, mostly in various fandoms, but every time my curiosity was aroused enough to look over their shoulders, I was immediately turned off by the acerbic nature of the comments I encountered. I read up on the psychology of anonymity and decided that I was not interested in engaging with people who thought they could get away with saying anything they liked, simply because no one could see their faces or names. I knew people are never quite as anonymous as they think, and actions always have consequences. Years later, as the "gamergate" saga unfolded, my hypothesis was proven quite correct. The younger brother of one of my friends had gone a bit too far in his "trolling" and was facing some pretty serious consequences. Not only was his name printed in national news reports, exposing his digital harassment of a certain game developer, he also faced criminal charges. He falsely thought he was protected by the relative anonymity of the internet and basically ruined his reputation and his future. After he was doxxed in retribution, he realized he had threatened the safety of his family as well. The most important idea I saw in Module 1 is a lesson I watched a young man learn the hard way. There's no such thing as anonymity and no disconnect between one's digital life and one's physical life. Digital actions have real-world consequences. 

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The most important idea for me in the materials from Module 1 is that it is critical that each individual curate his/her/their digital footprint. The materials also suggested that most people are relatively unaware of the trace of personal information that exists on the internet, therefore, we must educate ourselves and our students around how to control that footprint. What this means for me personally is that I would like to continue to carefully release information into the realm of the internet. At Baxter I have an advisory of juniors who have been assigned a personal portfolio website as an online resume or portfolio. I feel like this could be a powerful place to talk about digital footprint and experiences that individuals have had with wanted or unwanted information on the internet. Finally, I often think my students know more about the internet and how it works than I do, so I wonder what other high school educators have done in approaching this topic. Thoughts?

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For me, the most important part of module 1 was the importance of teaching awareness of one's digital tracks. Technology is constantly improving and becoming more accessible to the lay person. While once we could wait until children were older to teach them about the world, now we have young kids already using IPads and the internet. Learning basic skills is one thing, but digital citizenship is a major issue now that children can log into and post on international forums. I have heard stories about people getting embarrassed by old posts they've made, even cases where people have gotten into trouble for things they have put on their social media sites. It is important for our young people to understand that anyone can see what they post, directly or indirectly, and that those impulsive comments or pictures can have lasting impacts on their lives if they aren't careful.

As a life-long learner I am still figuring out how to properly use the tools available to me, but I've made an effort to stay up to date on what's going on around the world. It bothers me to have so much information online; we did not have facebook or twitter when I was born, even email was still growing in use. The video about "Andy's" digital footprint was still applicable though. I have since taken part in social media, my records have likely been updated to digital formats. Even though I don't regularly post online, the posts I do make can be seen by virtually anyone, even potential employers. The module reminded me that as a teacher I need to provide a positive role model for students to follow. As a pre-service teacher I have already begun thinking about how I can tie lessons on digital citizenship into my content area.

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The most important take away for me was how significant your digital footprint really is as well as the fact that you are only partially in control of it. I was very surprised to hear that 87% of people can be identified through only their zip code, birthday and gender and with the massive amount of information that goes into our digital footprint it is intimidating to think of how easily that information could become available to others. I know through my own experiences as well as those of my friends that often we only have limited control of our social media accounts. Others can post things of or about you and those things are out there for others to see even if you remove yourself from it. I really liked however, that the articles addressed ways to improve your own digital footprint by creating sites that are tailored to present yourself in the way you want to be seen and monitoring your own google results.

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For me, the most important take-away was the comprehensiveness of a digital footprint. I've been aware of the social media aspect of it for some time, as it is an idea that teachers and older professionals have been telling me (and my generation) for years, but I had never considered just how insidious digital footprinting really is. When the video talked about Any's footprint beginning before his birth and went on to the scanning of his hospital bracelet, images taken on security cameras, and a million other things before even including his obituary, I gained a much wider view on the subject. 

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For me, the most important take-away was the comprehensiveness of a digital footprint. I've been aware of the social media aspect of it for some time, as it is an idea that teachers and older professionals have been telling me (and my generation) for years, but I had never considered just how insidious digital footprinting really is. When the video talked about Any's footprint beginning before his birth and went on to the scanning of his hospital bracelet, images taken on security cameras, and a million other things before even including his obituary, I gained a much wider view on the subject. 

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I like to think I have been careful and intentional about how I've been shaping my digital footprint for the past half-decade or so, intuitively implementing the THINK protocol without being aware of it specifically. Still, the idea that everything we do is stored somewhere is sobering.

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This idea of a digital footprint is very interesting to me. I wish that I had received this information while I was still in high school. When I look back on some of the silly and ridiculous things I posted back then, I can only shake my head.  When I reached junior year of college and I was applying for internships, I began to become more concerned with my digital footprint. A hiring manager said to me "oh you're wall girl." I asked what he meant, and he replied, "well, we look everyone up on Facebook when they apply here, and in your profile picture you were leaning against a wall." That was a major reality check for me. Since then I have made sure that I was conscious of everything that I posted online.  While looking through this module, I felt that the THINK acronym was particularly interesting. If people follow the steps within that model, they will be sure to post valuable and positive content.

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The most important take-away from the first module was the sheer depth and breadth of my digital footprint. Everything has become digitized. The ability to reproduce anything and everything digitally is a power so immense I shudder at its impact. First, the depth of a digital footprint. The idea that anything I produce digitally will go on into perpetuity boggles my mind. This is really hard for me to wrap my head around; I can imagine it’s impossible to for teens to comprehend. The idea that while texting or ranting online one late night 40 years ago, someone may have said something that will now come back to hurt them is pretty inconceivable, but it is true. What about after you die? Your digital footprint will be alive and well forever. Does our idealized online version of ourselves – the person we purport to be in the digital universe – change the substance of who we were when we were alive? What then is the reality of our existence? The daily version or the snapshot-selfie version we show? Second, the breadth. Digital media companies vie for our attention so they can monetize our rituals and habits. Every digital footstep we take leaves a trail of digital breadcrumbs companies such as Face book, Google, Amazon, and every credit card company are all too willing to use in service of monetizing our interests. Beyond our likes and purchases, the idea that smart-phones can digitize our life’s travels through cell-tower recording is downright creepy. But do I ever leave home without the cell phone? Heck-no! The takeaway here is that the wall separating your personal and professional lives has vanished quicker than that snap-chat photo you just took. The right to privacy, while still a tenant of the law, has evaporated quicker than a snowflake in the Sonoran desert.  As long as there is a digital trail to follow, the expectation of privacy separate from your professional life is folly. 

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The most important take-away from the first module was the sheer depth and breadth of my digital footprint. Everything has become digitized. The ability to reproduce anything and everything digitally is a power so immense I shudder at its impact. First, the depth of a digital footprint. The idea that anything I produce digitally will go on into perpetuity boggles my mind. This is really hard for me to wrap my head around; I can imagine it’s impossible to for teens to comprehend. The idea that while texting or ranting online one late night 40 years ago, someone may have said something that will now come back to hurt them is pretty inconceivable, but it is true. What about after you die? Your digital footprint will be alive and well forever. Does our idealized online version of ourselves – the person we purport to be in the digital universe – change the substance of who we were when we were alive? What then is the reality of our existence? The daily version or the snapshot-selfie version we show? Second, the breadth. Digital media companies vie for our attention so they can monetize our rituals and habits. Every digital footstep we take leaves a trail of digital breadcrumbs companies such as Face book, Google, Amazon, and every credit card company are all too willing to use in service of monetizing our interests. Beyond our likes and purchases, the idea that smart-phones can digitize our life’s travels through cell-tower recording is downright creepy. But do I ever leave home without the cell phone? Heck-no! The takeaway here is that the wall separating your personal and professional lives has vanished quicker than that snap-chat photo you just took. The right to privacy, while still a tenant of the law, has evaporated quicker than a snowflake in the Sonoran desert.  As long as there is a digital trail to follow, the expectation of privacy separate from your professional life is folly. 

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The most important idea from Module 1 was "T.H.I.N.K". With the way the World is going now information is so easily accessible and it's so much easier for people to see our views on an event or incident. What we need to realize though is that once we press send, it's out there for the World to view.

From previous jobs, I've always been told to be mindful of whatever I put on social media. Unfortunately people today will post things on their social media page irrationally without thinking about the consequences that come from it. We may think that if you delete it then it's gone, but in reality it's up to the world forever. We see a lot of celebrities today who post things on their social media pages and attempt to delete it but the world has already seen this. As teachers we have to set an example for our students and ensure that we are using social media responsibly and make sure that we "T.H.I.N.K." before we post anything on our social media pages that may be damaging to ourselves, our school, and also our community.

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The idea that your digital footprint is easily accessible, and can follow you for the rest of your life. The "Digital Footprint" article suggests that in 2009, 45 percent of all hiring managers used search engines to research potential applicants, and 63 percent of managers didn't hire someone based on "questionable online behavior." I imagine that kind of vigilance has increased in the 8 years since the study was conducted. Students should   therefore be mindful of what they post online, if not for the common good, than at least for their own job prospects. There are practical reasons, as well as ethical reasons, for being a responsible person online. Teaching the practical side of things might help educators to reach students who are not persuaded by the ethics of it all.

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The greatest takeaway from question one is just how little privacy we have online. Even when we think we're using privacy settings and not providing a lot of information about ourselves, our information is out there. The fact that websites and stores can access exactly what we click on on our computers, that information we put out there years ago is still obtainable online, and that 87% web users can be identified by just three facts: zip code, birthday, and gender is a bit alarming. Even just signing on to Padlet here, I opted to sign on using my Google - by doing so, agreed to let Padlet access my profile info and contacts.

From a personal level, I have struggled with how to balance my own activity online, especially with having children. I have done what I think is somewhat balance - I don't have my children in any public profile pictures, don't post about my children on more public outlets such as Twitter, and keep a very limited following on Instagram where I post the most pictures of them - for my family (that probably is good for my FB friends too because I'm sure they're not that interested in seeing so many pictures of my kids).

In terms of my professional life, this is interesting. I come from the world of public relations which incorporated a great deal of social media into the work in the last few years. I have spent some significant amounts of time working behind the scenes on social media advertising and the glimpse behind the curtain is pretty interesting. Advertisers can really slice and dice the audience so it's a perfect fit. Income amounts, friends, likes, locations, just about anything you post online can be used by advertisers to decide if they want to target you and how they want to target you.

In terms of moving professions to teaching, the most interesting part of Module One was the idea that we cannot be afraid or avoid social media. We need to be able to teach students how to create a digital footprint. I really liked the idea of having students think about what they want to look like in the future, and then building back to where they are now and what types of posts and activity online will get them to that future goal. That was a really interesting idea.

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I have always been aware of how what I do online not only creates a lasting footprint of where I have been but a constantly evolving and changing digital image of who I am.

I think I come at this from a unique perspective; I was working on multiple startups during the 1990s when the Internet really became a part of everyone's life. I probably wrote some of the code that is used today to track people's online activity. :) So I have always been aware of how what we do online will always follow us.  But most people haven't done that.

The very first video, that lays out in exquisite detail how big your digital footprint actually is, I found to be quite useful because I don't think many people understand how much of your personal behavior is actually being gathered and used. Especially teenagers; I have been shocked at what they will put on social media without any thought of how it will follow them in the future. The THINK acronym, combined with that first video, would be very useful in making people aware that what they do online has an effect on their "offline" life.

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I have always been aware of how what I do online not only creates a lasting footprint of where I have been but a constantly evolving and changing digital image of who I am.

I think I come at this from a unique perspective; I was working on multiple startups during the 1990s when the Internet really became a part of everyone's life. I probably wrote some of the code that is used today to track people's online activity. :) So I have always been aware of how what we do online will always follow us.  But most people haven't done that.

The very first video, that lays out in exquisite detail how big your digital footprint actually is, I found to be quite useful because I don't think many people understand how much of your personal behavior is actually being gathered and used. Especially teenagers; I have been shocked at what they will put on social media without any thought of how it will follow them in the future. The THINK acronym, combined with that first video, would be very useful in making people aware that what they do online has an effect on their "offline" life.

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Going through the videos and articles, a couple things occurred to me:

1.) I was making a digital footprint as I was completing this assignment,
2.) Despite the ominous tone that I detected while watching the first couple of videos, a digital footprint is not necessarily a bad thing (if you have nothing to hide, I suppose).

I also couldn't help think about the advice one might get when they're made at someone.  You may have heard this: "Write that person a letter.  Then put that letter in your desk.  Come back to it in a day or two and read the letter.  Then ask yourself: 'should I send this?'"

As we must be mindful of our actions and words in and out of the classroom, we must also be mindful of our "actions" and words online. You can T.H.I.N.K., and you can also think. The other day, I thought of an inappropriate joke inspired by out current political and cultural climate. I shared this joke with my wife, informing her before I said it that it was inappropriate, yet that I felt the need to tell her. The first thing she told me was, "Don't post that on Facebook." Luckily, I have that filter already, and I knew better than to do that.

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The most important idea for me in the materials presented in module 1 was the posting criteria presented in the “5 Ways to make a positive digital footprint” video. The THINK acronym provides a simple and straight forward way to assess the content you are putting online. Much of the information presented in this module seemed straightforward and obvious to me. Of course you have a digital trail and should make sure that what you put online presents you in a positive light. However, the THINK acronym reminds me that I have already internalized these criteria and that students need to be taught the habits of mind to be positive and contributing digital citizens. While we often focus on how to prevent kids from having a negative presence online we also need to teach them how to leverage the possibilities provided by the internet and social media to positively contribute to their own lives, their communities, and the world through their online presence.

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The idea that really struck me in Module 1 was the focus on monitoring. I actually had a very real, scary experience in this area. Much like Daniel, I grew up just as the internet revolution was really taking shape, and no one really taught me how to curate my presence in the digital world. Most of what I know comes from common sense and an acute awareness of the power of reputation. In the "Follow Your Footprint" article, they talk about the importance of monitoring your footprint via Google. I must admit, I don't do this nearly enough. However, once when I was checking in, I found that someone had stolen my pictures and set up a fake Facebook account (very Catfish). I quickly reported the profile as fraudulent--but this was a very real experience that I feel I can take with me into the classroom. There is a sense of false security that we millennials have, thinking fraud and theft can't happen to us. But it can, and if we're not careful, it will.

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The most important idea from the first Module is that everyone has a digital fingerprint and we have to be aware of what we chose to post online. This means I have to be careful of what I post online in case students or employers find it. I have to use the principles being T.H.I.N.K. before posting anything. As a teacher, I think that it’s important to maintain a professional image in public domains. Parents and students would probably want to be assured that they don’t have an obscene or offensive teacher to work with. The more interconnected we are, the more of a chance that personal information about ourselves will be leaked. This personal information might be information we would rather keep private. As teachers, we also have to teach students that everything that they post on the internet is permanently there. We have to teach them to think about what they want other people to know about themselves and to warn them what they post now can have an impact on their futures. 

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The most important idea from the first Module is that everyone has a digital fingerprint and we have to be aware of what we chose to post online. This means I have to be careful of what I post online in case students or employers find it. I have to use the principles being T.H.I.N.K. before posting anything. As a teacher, I think that it’s important to maintain a professional image in public domains. Parents and students would probably want to be assured that they don’t have an obscene or offensive teacher to work with. The more interconnected we are, the more of a chance that personal information about ourselves will be leaked. This personal information might be information we would rather keep private. As teachers, we also have to teach students that everything that they post on the internet is permanently there. We have to teach them to think about what they want other people to know about themselves and to warn them what they post now can have an impact on their futures. 

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Coming of age at the onset of the rapid proliferation of social media meant that I was never taught about digital literacy in school, never mind the drastic impacts of my digital dossier or online footprint. Facebook didn’t exist when I was in high school and cellphones were just starting to be adopted as an essential personal item. As a result, when I began to explore the use of social media at its inception with Myspace and later Facebook in college, I had very little understanding or appreciation for the lasting implications of posting inappropriate material. I was never one to bash others online, or post incendiary comments, but I often shared photos of myself partying or was tagged in other, related posts. At the time, the potential long-term effects meant very little to me. Ten years later, as I continue to progress in my professional life, I’ve found myself starting to regret my shortsighted decisions. This week’s focus and readings are another reminder of how important it is to be a responsible digital citizen. And an additional incentive to be more mindful of my online activity.

I think my own experience, while a tad embarrassing and humbling, can serve as an example to my students who are navigating digital waters that are much more complicated than what I encountered in high school and college in the early 2000’s. Being open and honest with my students is an important part of establishing meaningful relationships with them, which we’ve learned is an essential component to effective teaching. It also could serve as an important lesson in digital citizenship and responsibility.

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I’ve always been careful about my digital footprint. I don’t regularly use social media, but I have a Facebook and a LinkedIn profile. I Google myself semi-frequently, mostly to make sure that nothing has changed. The realization that Module 1 caused for me was that I should update my LinkedIn with up to date information. Since deciding to become a teacher, a lot of the things on my LinkedIn are not super relevant. Now that I’m halfway through this program, I have more examples of my work and experience to add which would really spruce up my page. I’m working on updating my resume, so it occurs to me now that I should update my LinkedIn with that information as well.

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After watching the videos and taking the surveys, I feel both nervous and confident about my digital footprint. I am nervous because I am not 100% sure what is out there.  But I am confident that everything I post/decide to share is something that I am confident about.  I have always had this question, "Would my Grandma call me complaining about this post?" before I post anything.
I think the big idea from module 1 was to be aware of what a digital footprint is and how it can be positive/negative depending on how responsible you are online.  Personally, I will continued to take positive strides to make my digital footprint something that I am proud to show future employers.
As a teacher, I think it is important for my students to be aware that being digitally responsible is important. Most of my students talk about how they log into their friends social media accounts and tag/post inappropriate things. Now that I am more aware of digital footprints and how they work, I can shed some light on the impact their friends are making on their identity.

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The most important idea I took away from Module 1 is my expanded definition of digital literacy. The articles and videos from the module helped me to understand how interconnected technological resources are and how we can use them to our advantage as educators. In addition, I also recognized that once these resources are implemented, it is the responsibility of the teacher to not only follow through with using them, but also make sure students are actually getting something out of them. I have been told by a handful of teachers that too often a new technology is introduced in the classroom, but then never followed up with. Because of this, I will work to be cognizant of the technology I choose to integrate so students and myself can become critical consumers of materials using our shared digital literacy skills.

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The most important concept for me was the idea that you can make your digital footprint "more positive" or "work for you" when it comes to future employment. I knew that hiring managers often googled prospective employees but I never really thought about ways too make my digital footprint more attractive to these searches. Essentially I was aware that I should be avoiding negative online activity, but never considered actively adding positive stuff. This makes so much sense now that I think about it and moving forward I hope to do just that. The idea of a linked-in page is a good one and already building a PLN on twitter has helped in that area.