One of my colleagues once said “I wish they paid me to be a student”. That would be one of the ideal jobs for a teacher; eternal learner. Don’t you think?

I enrolled in an on-line course that’s designed as Massive Online Open-source Course (MOOC) and I have become one of the Web 2.0 students for 6 weeks.

Visit Student 2.0

The course is called “#DigiFoot 12” and it will focus on “Exploring Our Digital Footprints Together” and experimenting with social media providers. It means that I will be directed to on-line resources, carry out on-line tasks, and share output with other colleagues in a cooperative community of practice. I am grateful and very excited.

In an attempt to fulfil the first task I conducted a Google search about the concept of “Digital FootPrint”.
Here is what I have found:
• What’s digital footprint?

Wikipedia and Webopedia define a digital footprint as a trail left by a person’s interactions in a digital environment as a result of their usage of TV, mobile phone, internet and World Wide Web, mobile web and other devices and sensors.
• Whose concern is “Digital Footprint”?
As far as I have understood different parties are concerned about cyber safety. Stakeholders vary from educational policy makers, educational leaders, teachers, students to parents. Often modelling usage of responsible Internet is suggested. Furthermore, it’s suggested that teachers can demonstrate ways of maintaining cyber safety by posting their own blogs, portfolios, and content through web providers which focus on education and illustrate how users can control content and privacy rights, e.g. who gets to see the content.
In a blog post entitled “3 Considerations for 21st Century Digital School Leaders” J. Robinson cited Qualman who claimed that “Digital footprints and shadows constitute our permanent imprint on the world: a detailed summary of our life for our contemporaries and for people of the future to view and consider.” (Qualman, E. (2011). Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence). According to Robinson now 21st century school leaders consider their influence globally and on a large scale because their digital shadow will eternally be there, immortalised. Therefore it’s argued that in the digital age, educational leaders encompass a wider sphere of influence and their role of leadership has expanded on a large scale.

• How can teachers assist students in leaving smart digital trail?

Raising awareness; e.g., Understanding the impact of digital footprints video

A Prezi presentation: Digital Footprints: Your students’ New First Impression by Steve Johnson

Helping students create positive digital footprints
Providing Tips; Being Cyber Smart on the Net; Tips for Kids , Tips for being cyber smart

• Assessing your digital footprint
According to data from PEW Internet Report 47% of the internet users in U.S. in 2007 have searched for information about themselves online. However, data yields that few monitor their online presence- digital shadow regularly. Only 3% of self-searchers stated that they regularly checked their digital footprints and 74% checked up on their digital footprints only once or twice. Another source to check out was this.
Also in an excellent blog post on “The Innovative Educator” I read about suggested tasks and reflection questions to discover what one’s general footprints on the internet.

• Advantages of your Digital Footprints.
Here is a useful list which summarises the benefits of one’s digital shadow.

• Potential harms of Digital FootPrints
In “How muddy your tracks on the Internet?” Kate Murphy of The NewYork Times pointed out that any information shared on-line including your photos, personal e-mails and videos you watch can all be gathered to create a defining profile of you since there are no secrets on-line.She stated that “your information can then be stored, analyzed, indexed and sold as a commodity to data brokers who in turn might sell it to advertisers, employers, health insurers or credit rating agencies”.

So far these arewhat I came across on the net about Digital Footprint and I am looking forward to exploring more…

 

Photo by Mrmayo released under a Creative Commons 2.0 generic lisence