Digital Footprints

You know that everything we do online leaves an imprint. Did you know, however, that "According to a CareerBuilder survey from 2015, 52 percent of employers Links to an external site. use social networking sites and search engines to research job candidates" (Heikkila Links to an external site. 2016)...or that "a recent survey Links to an external site. by On Decide Research, one out of ten 16- to 34-year-olds have missed a job opportunity because of their social media profile" (Gills  2013)? Decisions about the ethics involved in borrowing content, how we interact with others, and the information we leave about ourselves are complex topics of which most students give little thought.

Through subtle and intentional reminders as we navigate online resources and candid discussions about online behaviors and their futures, we can educate students about the impact of their online choices. Here are some topics we should be helping the teens in our care navigate:

Quick Hitters

Passwords: 

Protect Them: Students must know to protect their passwords. Remind them to log out of browsers and computers, especially at school. They should be in the habit of changing their passwords often, every 3 months or so. Using a program like LastPass Links to an external site. is a great (and free) tool for tracking passwords. Use 2-step verification on any program that offers it (Facebook, Gmail, Bank Accounts, etc.)

Create Securely: They should also know to create secure passwords. CoolCat Teacher offers these tips. Links to an external site.  

When to Discuss: At the beginning of the year when students are logging in to Novell for the first time or changing their passwords. (A line in the syllabus is always a nice reminder, too.)

Privacy: 

Protect their Personal Information: Talk to students about their address, online-privacy-surveillance.jpgphone number, etc., online. Sadly many parents are not diligent about having this conversation or showing students HOW to do it. Additionally, remind them that sites can track their information and sell it to third parties, and show them how to avoid it Links to an external site.

Photographs: Students should know that their smartphones automatically tag their locations in photos unless they turn off that feature. Sharing locations via social media and sharing patterns in behavior (like bike paths and trail runs) can set students (and adults) up for disaster. Cool Cat Teacher has compiled some great tips for photograph safety here. Links to an external site. 

When to Discuss: At the beginning of the year when talking about passwords or how to contact each other/teacher for class, after a current event story of relevance,  or before a research project. Download Here is a quick lesson

on this topic you can use! 

Copyright and Permission

Copyright: Students need to understand when something needs cited. They need to know when songs and photographs can be used. They need to know how to tell if something is part of the creative commons (free to use) or has stipulations. They need to understand the ethics behind downloading movies/music illegally. 

Permission: Likewise students need to know how to obtain permission to use work that is not under a cc license as well as how to protect their own creative rights when sharing their own work online.

When to Discuss: Before research projects/presentations using media. iKeepSafe has an in-depth 3 series lesson on the topics of ethical use of material. It is located on the Resource Page. It has links to videos within the documents and is hands-on.

Professionalism

Online etiquette and bullying:  Students need to learn how to construct proper communication online with professionals and, quite frankly, with one another. How do they construct an e-mail to a potential employer or to a school administrator? How should they navigate the emotional waters of an argument on social media? What do they do if they are being bullied (or know someone who is)? These are tough subjects that warrant our time in the classroom. 

Building a Positive Online Presence: We should help students develop positive online presence. We need to advise them to untag those photos, start posting good ones, and to begin being involved in bigger online activities to build a name for themselves that future employers and schools will want to see. This article Links to an external site. and this one Links to an external site. have a few tips. the-golden-rule.gif

When to Discuss: All year long. Bring it up often. Give them time to practice. Have them Google themselves.  Help them write letters to editors, to government representatives. Require them to publish their work online and/or create online portfolios. Encourage them to post about volunteering in their communities and to engage in intellectual Twitter Links to an external site. conversations. Help them leave a positive trail for others digging into their online profiles.