Week 4 Digital Identity & Being Connected

The trials and tribulations we experienced during class on Thursday helped me understand the reticence that some teachers have for using technology in the classroom.  When technology fails us, it is frustrating, but as our presenters showed us last night, we persevere and find a work-around. 

When I read the Visitors and Residents article, I found myself making connections to my own life.  I was particularly intrigued when I read, “Visitors and Residents typology should be understood as a continuum and not a binary opposition”.  After the class discussion on GroupBoard, I could see how different aspects of my life (personal vs professional) would place me in different areas on the continuum.  

I appreciated our breakout room discussion when we discussed the use of technology among the younger generation and how their “conceptions of privacy and the notions of friendship” (White and Le Cornu, 2011) is a factor in their use of technology.   

White and Le Cornu (2011) mention that some people who operate entirely as Visitors, may never leave a digital footprint behind.  This comment brought me back to the time that I created my own Twitter account.  I was at a COSL conference where the importance of protecting your reputation by creating a positive digital footprint was being discussed.  This ties in to the conceptions of privacy.  I found a great Prezi presentation that also contains three short videos.  One has a Ted Talk by Michelle Clark where she shares a powerful spoken word poem about Digital Footprints  https://prezi.com/jijoyq-jkdrr/the-importance-of-a-positive-digital-footprint/

As a mother of two teenage boys who would be considered Residents, the oversharing that happens on their phones is an on-going concern for me.   Although I am constantly met with an, “I know” response when I bring up the topic of being careful on what you keep or share on your phone, I also know that they are not yet fully aware of the possible future ramifications from a poor or impulsive choice.  My experience as a MY administrator opened my eyes to the ignorance that exists among young teenagers of the permanence of what is posted via social media.  When Jurgenson (2012) comments on the fact that "social media promises an audience" as it relates to the Occupy protests, this also applies in other contexts.   Too often, when being asked about an inappropriate post/comment/text/photo, I have heard a student say that they deleted "it" right after because they realized it was a mistake.  Unfortunately, "it" had often already been captured on someone else's phone, and shared, and so on.   Often, young students think that once "it" has been deleted from their phone, that it is gone.  It is heart-breaking to inform them that this is not true.  I am hoping that we are beginning to include more frank class discussions on leaving digital footprints these days.  I know that it is not yet happening in my K-4 school, but it may be something to explore for next year with our grade 3 &4 team.  If we can start that conversation before they get their hands on a phone, maybe we can make more of a difference.