Good teachers resource on Digital Footprints

 

http://myfootprintsd.com/index.html

 

I am delighted that “Digital Footprints” is a common conversation in the world of teaching.  Most of the material, as with this one, are focussed on asking our kids to take care with what they say about themselves.   I would like to see this conversation extend to help them understand that this is the data that they control.  What others say about you, you cannot control; but what others say also contributes to your digital footprint. 

I understand that conceptually it is hard to teach that digital footprints also include data that describes what you are doing and your behaviour (location, attention, purchases, key strokes, search terms, clicks, time, activity …) but this hidden data is as important, and in many cases more important)

I believe that those teaching need to understand that the model of “public” has shifted.  Digital natives have grown up with the internet and the presentence of data; it is us old guys who harp back to the days of broadcast TV and newspapers where yesterday’s news is already forgotten. 

Going viral is the part of a digital footprint that provides the opportunity and threat.  You want it if your content is fabulous but not to become infamous!