Prompt #1
The digital world is becoming an integrated part of society. Society is becoming dependent on daily usage of technology. The growth of technology has significantly impacted the way we operate regularly. Since technology has come to this point, it has brought forth a lot of good features, but right alongside it are the bad. Let’s start by looking at some of the positives as it relates to my educational opportunities.
Our access to information and knowledge has been broadened. For the most part, we have total freedom to learn about any topic that can come to mind. All we must do is “Google it”. This is a regular saying in my classroom as I am a technology teacher. One of the first statements that I make at the beginning of the year is that “I don’t know everything, but I know how to figure it out”. I use this statement to get the point across that we can all become self-motivated learners. If a problem arises, instead of simply giving up, let’s see if we can find the answer. My campus is not a 1:1 campus, but my classroom is. Each one of my students has access to a computer in the classroom where they can do their work. I am working in a classroom that heavily relies on daily technology use. As a natural side effect, my classes are generally very popular. On the other hand, having to utilize all this technology in the classroom comes with its downsides. Students will often become distracted from the assignments and choose to look at content unrelated to the work at hand. Some students will simply listen to music and watch videos, thus causing a disruption to the point of where I have had to stop a lesson simply to correct their behavior. However, these are minor nuisances compared to what could be happening in other aspects of technology.
According to Perrin (2015), 56% of teens go online several times a day and 71% of teens use more than one social networking site. The social media sites that students use very well could be YouTube, twitter, snapchat, or any others. Let’s highlight YouTube specifically. YouTube is a place where people can post their own media and share other media. There is so much knowledge on YouTube, which I why I use it regularly in my classroom as a learning tool and I will be beginning to have my students post their content to YouTube, at least as a personal resource library of their work. For those individuals who would want to get themselves up and running with the aid of YouTube may be hindered by the potential limitations in place due to a non-neutral net. Because we are in a world that thrives on technology, we will have both the good and the bad because of sharing information globally over the web.
Prompt #2
According to the Internet Society, a digital footprint is defined as “all the stuff you leave behind as you use the Internet” (2018). This is full of your browsing history, shopping history, video watching history, anything posted to social media, etc. When we use the internet, there are two kinds of footprints, those that are intentional and those that are not. The intentional footprints are those that include any account we make or any post that we make or any shopping that we do. When we choose our activities on the web, we are making an intentional footprint, because we are in control of the actions we take online. The unintentional footprint works in the opposite way. This footprint is created by actions on the web that occur without us being in control. Examples of these footprints include posting a photo, but a “friend” shares it and posts something in addition to this. Another example is simply someone else posting a photo of you that you didn’t want anyone to see. One other example of an unintentional digital footprint can be based on how users shop. Based on intentional choices made by a user, the site will take information and tailor ads and the user’s experience on the web. This is a kind of passive unintended footprint.
In my classroom, my students are connected to the digital world. I have been working with them using google classroom to begin teaching them about appropriate use of an online social community. In the future, we will be utilizing more social experiences that are more accessible to the public. To cultivate a positive digital footprint, my students can think before they post. I have encouraged them to consider if that picture is worth posting. Students can begin to modify their privacy settings on their social media accounts to help improve their digital footprint. Additionally, students can stop posting about every aspect of their life. All these tips are a great start towards building a positive footprint. One other positive footprint would be to build and post an eportfolio. Students shouldn’t just post anything and everything. Students should plan their portfolios to showcase their work and achievements (Massey, 2015). Students can post their coursework, resume, brief bio, personal interests and hobbies, and even a reflective blog. All of these components can work together to truly make themselves shine in the eyes of a future employer.
Reference
Internet Society. (2018). Your Digital Footprint Matters. Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://www.internetsociety.org/tutorials/your-digital-footprint-matters.
Massey, T. (2015, March 31). Teaching Students the Value of Building an ePortfolio. Retrieved March 03, 2018, from https://blog.cengage.com/teaching-students-the-value-of-building-an-eportfolio/
Key Takeaways From Peer Discussions
Watch my videos, Ask a neighbor, Ask the Google... the google is wise
We are losing our privacy because all of our online actions are tracked and analyzed.
Digital footprints can be imrpoved