In the modern society we live in, it is important to have the abilities and skills required to be a responsible digital citizen. The “era in which we live in is known and referred as digital age” (Isman, C. Gungoren, 2014).  As technology is rapidly changing and developing, it is essential to understand how to conduct online engagement effectively and conscientiously. “Digital citizens must have extensive skills, knowledge, Internet and technology access” (Isman, C. Gungoren, 2014). Through the participation in this e-portfolio I have acquired many knew skills and feel that I now understand how to find, create, publish, curate and manage, and share information efficiently.

One of the first steps to starting this portfolio was to create a Padlet account and learn how to use Padlet. It is described as “an extremely easy-to-use tool that allows learners to collaborate online by posting text, images, links, documents, videos and voice recordings” (Warwick, 2017). I found Padlet to be an exceptionally useful tool to portray and share information in creative and unique way. Previously I had never used Padlet, so I had some hesitations as I was unsure of whether it would be a difficult platform to use. Once I followed the steps on how to create and use it, I realised that it was simple while still being a very innovative and unique way to display information. This is a platform that I will definitely use in the future as I find it to be a more engaging and interactive way to present various pieces of knowledge and facts. 

 

Pinterest was the next platform I set up. I had past experience in using this platform and find it to be very enjoyable. It is “visually appealing and user-friendly” and is an uncommon way to exhibit information, images and links (Whistance, 2015). When one creates an account you give information about your interests so that the relevant topics will show up on your Pinterest page. It is a very helpful way to find new pieces of information. You can pin anything you desire to your board and create different albums which contain similar topics. It is also good for interacting online as you can “share links and boards with others” and can also make your account public so enyone can have access to your fidnings (Whistance, 2015). Pinterest can also be used for educational purposes to engage with students and “to promote inclusivity and digital literacy skills”(Whistance, 2015). Pinterest has many benefits and advantages however the only negative aspect is that due to the fact anyone can create a public account “the lurking enemy on Pinterest is spam” (Arthur, 2012). People are at risk of being manipulated on Pinterest and clicking links that may lead to them being scammed on an online shop or they may be given false information as there is no filters to stop the spread of misinformation. 

 

The next step I followed was to set up a Pocket account. This is a platform I had never used or heard of before so I was very intrigued as to what it’s purpose was. It is “very useful for content curation” (Tech Lovers, 2020). By watching tutorials and reading descriptions, I gained new knowledge on how to set up and use this platform. Once I created an account I decided to explore this platform and test it’s different features. I found it to be very easy to use and unique. It allows you to save articles on the app and on other websites to read later. This is very convenient as often I would have not had the time to read an article but had no place to save it to. With this platform, saved articles are easily accessible and people have the option to convert it to audio which is extremely useful when someone is on the move. I will without a doubt use this in the future.

 

My next step was creating a short video to publish to Youtube. While I have used Youtube before to watch videos, I personally had never made or posted a video to my account. With the help of the platform Screencast-O-Matic, creating a video was made very easy. This will be very useful in the future as it is a good way to share information even if it’s just to friends and family. It is a great new skill I have learned through the process of completing this portfolio. Youtube is a great way to create, share and publish information and to advance people’s skills to become a responsible and effective digital citizen. It has important educational purposes as “students are motivated to getting new knowledge with the up-to-date channel for communication and sharing of the materials” (Svobodová). 

 

Lastly, we used google maps to make a mashup map in which I decided to put locations of different cheap clothes shops. This was very insightful as I had never known I could even create a map myself before. 

 

The use of the social media tools used to-date on this module has helped me develop my digital citizenship and has allowed me to obtain new skills in relation to online engagement.

 

Arthur, L. (April 3, 2012). Pinterest: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaarthur/2012/04/03/pinterest-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/?sh=44a0ea36326f

 

Isman, A. and C. Gungoren, O. (2014). Digital Citizenship. [Electronic version]  The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 13, 73. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1018088.pdf

 

Medina, B. (March 18, 2020). How to Use The Pocket App: A Step By Step Guide. Tech Lovers. Retrieved from https://techloversblog.com/how-to-use-pocket-app/. 

 

Svobodová, L. (2016). [Electronic version]    Utlization and Benefits of Youtube for the Educationa; Purposes: a Review Study. 789. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/openview/3f72fcd713b6fd746b9f7c9b08f69fec/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1796419

 

Warwick, L. (August 24, 2017). Padlet. The Digital Teacher. Retrieved from https://thedigitalteacher.com/reviews/padlet

 

Whistance, J. (2015). Reflective case study. My "Pinteresting" project: Using Pinterest to increase student engagement, promote inclusivity and develop employability skills. [Electronic version] Dialogue, 5, 50-58. Retrieved  from https://pure.solent.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/17417043/Dialogue_5_Jayne_Whistance_article.pdf

 

I found Peer Scholar to have both a positive and negative impact on my work. One peer feedback I received proved to be very helpful in giving me suggestions on how to improve my work while the other gave me no information at all. However the feedback from one of my peer’s was extremely useful and allowed me to make small adjustments to my work in order to make my essay’s standard as high as possible.  

 

Throughout this module and specifically during the process of completing this E-Portfolio, I feel as though I have learnt a lot about the impact and importance of creating and maintaining my digital presence. Through the application of this newly acquired knowledge that I have gained, I have learned how to create a personal digital strategy which will support my control of my digital presence. Digital presence is “tied to your visibility, credibility, and reputation” (McCormick, 2023). By learning about what digital strategy means in relation to the creation of one’s digital presence, I now know how to create my own strategy. This will help me set various tasks which will aid me in achieving my ultimate goal. From this module I can now recognise what applications are important when creating my personal digital strategy and when setting up online profiles. Additionally I learnt about the significance of social networking when establishing my digital presence.

 

The definition of a digital strategy is “simply having an action plan” and thus “when you have a plan, you have more confidence because you have steps to follow to achieve a long-term goal” (Eyre, 2019). This definition helped me align my goals of what I wanted to achieve for my online presence. In order to clearly organise the outline of my digital strategy I created an infographic using Canva. Previously I had believed that my digital presence wouldn’t necessarily have any impact professionally. However, from this module I have learnt that creating a digital presence is essential in the formation of social networking for both educational and professional purposes. I achieved this by utilising social networking sites whose purpose is to allow “users to post their profiles and create personal networks for exchanging information with others” (Morrison, Weaver, 2008, p. 97). 

 

As part of this portfolio we had to use Canva which I had never used before. Canva is a “online graphic design tool” that allows people to design posters, infographics, documents, presentations, videos and much more (Maiorca, 2022). I made an infographic using Canva to outline my personal digital strategy plan. This tool allowed me to be creative with my ideas and show visually, and with a small amount of bullet points, what my plan would be to establish my digital presence. It is an extremely easy and useful tool to use and it is one I will definitely use in the future when making other plans or presentations. 

 

From this module I learnt that is valuable to establish one’s own digital presence as it helps a person to manage what is seen online of them, rather than people only seeing what others post of or about them. Once a digital presence is created, in order to control or maintain this “professional online profile” it “requires active work” (Kuehn, 2010, p.68). I began creating my digital presence by following my infographic in Canva which included tasks such setting up different accounts such as LinkedIn and Twitter, creating online profiles on these social media platforms and connecting and interacting with other people. 

 

I had previously heard of LinkedIn however I had not used it before. It is an online platform which provides “access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that help you be great at what you do” (https://news.linkedin.com/about-us, 2015). It allows people to “extend their social networks” allowing for the growth of one’s personal digital presence (Utz, 2016, p.2685 & 2686). LinkedIn is beneficial for anyone with a job or without. It is an opportunity to impress people, specifically employers by showing your experience, certificates and accomplishments (https://www.sigmarrecruitment.com, 2023). By creating a LinkedIn account and connecting with other people it helped establish my digital presence and expand my social network. I will continue to use this in the future and update it whenever I gain any new experiences or if I make any new achievements. 

 

Additionally I have expanded my existing knowledge in regards to privacy policies. I had always accepted privacy policies without reading them when downloading different social media platforms. This module has brought to my attention more of the details which I had failed to read previously in relation to what parts of my data can be used once I accept the privacy policy. Now that I am aware of this I know to be careful of what I post of or about myself in order to control my digital presence. 

 

In conclusion, this module, and specifically this portfolio has helped advance my knowledge regarding digital presence. I have learnt how to create a digital strategy in order to develop and control my online presence. I now understand the significance of creating an appropriate online presence to expand my social network and the benefits this will have in both my educational and professional careers. 

 

Snapchat is a communication tool. It allows for people to communicate with each other through texts, pictures, videos, stories, voice calls and video calls. Snapchat allows for the sharing of content and information therefore it is important to further read on what information we can collect and to who your information may go. 

 

All the details used to set up an account (name, date of birth, email, phone number) is collected as well as all the content you share and upload, this will be highlighted to you when you begin the set up. Information on your activity is also collected including what you use and the time you use them. With your permission information such as device phone book, camera, photos, audio, location and cookies is accessible.

 

The users you choose to add have access to your username, name, location (with permission) and snapchat score this will be reminded when you go to add or accept a user. Users you share content with can save or screenshot what you have uploaded. If you are on public anyone, including business partners can see what you upload. Third parties and affiliates also have access to information in relation to ads and device usage. This is to further improve or change ads and prevent fraud. 

 

You can remove content which you have shared or uploaded but be aware that people who accessed it before it was removed may have screenshotted it or even used a different device to take a photo of it. Therefore, always be aware and careful of what you post and who you send it to. You can also block or remove users and customise who sees your content on your stories. 

 

An alert will appear on Snapchat when you have been on it for 30 minutes to make you aware of the time spent on the app. This will repeat every 30 minutes. 

 

There is a safety and support section to allow you to contact someone from Snapchat. This is for if there is an error on your Snapchat or if you believe there is any bullying, misconduct or inappropriate content being shared. 

 

There is a form of contact if there are any queries on Snapchat privacy policy. 

 

I gave a brief description of what Snapchat is and included to continuing reading to understand where your content may go. This is important to say at the beginning so people continue reading. I included what information is collected and who has access to it so users are clearly aware of this. I also included the reason of others’ access. I outlined what is in a person’s control but highlighted the fact that people can take pictures of your content before it is removed. I included a time reminder so that it makes people aware of the time spent on the app. There is a safety and support section to allow users to report inappropriate behaviour on Snapchat.