A Teacher’s Thoughts on Digital Professionalism and Digital Footprints
How do teachers maintain the confidence and respect of their superiors, their peers, and in particular, the students and their families in today’s digital world? …Teachers need to act with digital professionalism, and as Julia Hengstler (2012) states, “we must be aware of our digital footprint and vigilantly protect it” (p. 2).
A digital footprint is literally a ‘footprint’ or profile of one’s online activities – i.e., sites we have visited, items we have posted or blogged about, things we have ‘liked’, etc. Our footprint may be either (1) active – comprised of our voluntary contributions to the web (i.e., blogs, comments, images and photos we post) (2) ‘passive’ - data collected by others about us (i.e., via cookies or one’s browsing history), or (3) ‘second-hand’, a term coined by Hengstler, meaning “data others deliberately share about you” (Hengstler, 2011, p. 93). Therefore, if we are subject to the sensibilities of others, what can we do to protect our digital footprint?
Kuehn (2010) of the BC Teachers’ Federation notes that teachers have a new daily task: “online reputation management” (p.1). Kuehn (2010), subsequent to an interview with Hengstler, notes that it is important for us to develop a positive online presence, as this will help to balance those contributions to our digital footprint which we cannot control (a result of the ubiquitous nature of technology and the web).
To foster good digital citizenship among our students, I believe we need to actively engage in the online world so we can understand it, and thereby be positive role models for our students. As Hengstler comments (2011), educators have a moral responsibility to teach students how to manage their digital footprints, thus to protect and hopefully expand the students’ future opportunities. She questions whether “society and educators abdicated their responsibilities in regard to preparing these young people to handle this technology” (Hengstler, 2010, para. 3). Thus, we need to ask ourselves, how can we do better?
A digital footprint is literally a ‘footprint’ or profile of one’s online activities – i.e., sites we have visited, items we have posted or blogged about, things we have ‘liked’, etc. Our footprint may be either (1) active – comprised of our voluntary contributions to the web (i.e., blogs, comments, images and photos we post) (2) ‘passive’ - data collected by others about us (i.e., via cookies or one’s browsing history), or (3) ‘second-hand’, a term coined by Hengstler, meaning “data others deliberately share about you” (Hengstler, 2011, p. 93). Therefore, if we are subject to the sensibilities of others, what can we do to protect our digital footprint?
Kuehn (2010) of the BC Teachers’ Federation notes that teachers have a new daily task: “online reputation management” (p.1). Kuehn (2010), subsequent to an interview with Hengstler, notes that it is important for us to develop a positive online presence, as this will help to balance those contributions to our digital footprint which we cannot control (a result of the ubiquitous nature of technology and the web).
To foster good digital citizenship among our students, I believe we need to actively engage in the online world so we can understand it, and thereby be positive role models for our students. As Hengstler comments (2011), educators have a moral responsibility to teach students how to manage their digital footprints, thus to protect and hopefully expand the students’ future opportunities. She questions whether “society and educators abdicated their responsibilities in regard to preparing these young people to handle this technology” (Hengstler, 2010, para. 3). Thus, we need to ask ourselves, how can we do better?
Image Attribution:
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Footprint_Shiny_Icon.svg
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Footprint_Shiny_Icon.svg
References
Hengstler, J. (2010). "Fleas in a bottle? Will social networking stymie personal development of youth?' Blog post. Retrieved from
http://jhengstler.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/fleas-in-a-bottle-will-social-networking-stymie-personal-development-of-youth/
Hengstler, J. (2011). Managing your digital footprint: Ostriches v. Eagles. In S. Hirtz & K. Kelly (Eds.), Education for a Digital World 2.0
(2nd ed.) (Vol. 1, Part One: Emerging technologies and practices). Open School/Crown Publications: Queen's Printer for British
Columbia, Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.viu.ca/education/faculty_publications/hengstler/EducationforDigitalWorld2.0_1_jh89.pdf
Hengstler, J. (April 2012). "Digital professionalism and digital footprints". Document prepared for training session with
Vancouver Island University's Administrative Assistants, April 2012. Retrieved from Social Media Digital Footprints 2013_v3.pdf
Hengstler, J. (2015) About Boundaries & Professionalism. VIU OLTD 506 Course content. Retrieved September 10, 2015,
from https://d2l.viu.ca/d2l/le/content/76009/viewContent/767514/View
Kuehn, L. (2010). "Manage your digital footprint". Teacher Newsmagazine (23)3. Retrieved September 12, 2015,
from http://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=21794
Siracusa, G. S. (1991). THE JOHN AND ILZE SHEWAN CASE: UNCONVENTIONAL TEACHER BEHAVIOUR: PRIVATE LIFE IN
PUBLIC CONFLICT (Doctoral dissertation, Simon Fraser University). Retrieved from
http://summit.sfu.ca/system/files/iritems1/4590/b14442759.pdf
Hengstler, J. (2010). "Fleas in a bottle? Will social networking stymie personal development of youth?' Blog post. Retrieved from
http://jhengstler.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/fleas-in-a-bottle-will-social-networking-stymie-personal-development-of-youth/
Hengstler, J. (2011). Managing your digital footprint: Ostriches v. Eagles. In S. Hirtz & K. Kelly (Eds.), Education for a Digital World 2.0
(2nd ed.) (Vol. 1, Part One: Emerging technologies and practices). Open School/Crown Publications: Queen's Printer for British
Columbia, Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.viu.ca/education/faculty_publications/hengstler/EducationforDigitalWorld2.0_1_jh89.pdf
Hengstler, J. (April 2012). "Digital professionalism and digital footprints". Document prepared for training session with
Vancouver Island University's Administrative Assistants, April 2012. Retrieved from Social Media Digital Footprints 2013_v3.pdf
Hengstler, J. (2015) About Boundaries & Professionalism. VIU OLTD 506 Course content. Retrieved September 10, 2015,
from https://d2l.viu.ca/d2l/le/content/76009/viewContent/767514/View
Kuehn, L. (2010). "Manage your digital footprint". Teacher Newsmagazine (23)3. Retrieved September 12, 2015,
from http://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=21794
Siracusa, G. S. (1991). THE JOHN AND ILZE SHEWAN CASE: UNCONVENTIONAL TEACHER BEHAVIOUR: PRIVATE LIFE IN
PUBLIC CONFLICT (Doctoral dissertation, Simon Fraser University). Retrieved from
http://summit.sfu.ca/system/files/iritems1/4590/b14442759.pdf