Digital Footprint; More Boom than Bust

"If Google sees that you're searching for specific programming terms, they'll ask you to apply for a job. It's wild." - Max Rosett, theHustle

Modern learners need to understand the permanence of a digital footprint, & this footprint can be advantageous or detrimental. #edslowchat
— Robert Schuetz (@robert_schuetz) January 17, 2016

The common dialogue is to tell learners, young and old, to tread lightly into the digital fray. Digital footprints are permanent, thus, there is danger afoot. Certainly, there is potential for long-term damage to one's reputation by sharing material, or information that paints us in a negative light. Conversely, our online activities can be very advantageous to our personal and professional growth.

Like many folks, I enjoy listening to music while driving. Additionally, I frequently use time behind the wheel to get caught up on current events. Yesterday, while riding in the car with my teenage sons, we listened to a story explaining how Google uses computer algorithms to identify potential programmers and software engineers. Predictably, my sons started hypothesizing.

Trevor asked, "I wonder if Microsoft and Sony are tracking my gaming, and evaluating my skills?"

"Minecraft and League of Legends could be used by employers to judge a person's problem-solving abilities.", added J. P.

We laughed at some of the extreme possibilities, but our discussion was closer to the truth than fiction. More employers are utilizing a variety of measures and assessments for evaluating candidates for hire. Some of these include online challenges hidden from most visitors. One of the easiest, and most frequently used, techniques used by human resource personnel is the simple, yet effective, Google search. More than 90% of hiring agents will search a person's name prior to scheduling an interview. College recruiters are following suit.

"Although a resume has a place in many institutions, a digital portfolio definitely can be seen as giving someone an advantage as it gives a deeper look into someone’s skill sets, and is accessible 24/7." - The 10 Reasons I Ignored Your Resume... George Couros, 2015

A friend and colleague, Fatimma, is going through the process to change her last name to her husband's last name. The U. S. Department of Homeland Security, as you would guess, had a series of questionnaires as part of her processing. During the interview phase, a government employee asked Fatimma to divulge her social media presence and confirm that she has not posted any threatening, or dangerous messages. A Google search confirmed her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, and the spirit of their communication.

"What are you doing to make sure your students are well-Googled?" - Bill Ferriter / Will Richardson, 2012

The realization is, knowing how our modern "real world" works, now is not the time for learners to bury their heads in the sand. The prompt on this week's #EdSlowChat on Twitter asks, "What are the top things your students should know in order to be considered digitally literate?"

My response mirrors the perspective of several of our most influential PLN members. Our students need to understand the far-reaching impact of their online activities. They also need to be aware of the advantages of having a positive digital footprint that contributes to the betterment of others. It behooves educators to learn more about making themselves "well-Googled" in order to encourage and guide our younger learners with their own digital literacy. As Tom Whitby says, "If we are to better educate our kids, we need first to better educate their educators."

How would you respond to this question?

"What are the top things your students should know in order to be considered digitally literate?"

Your words are welcome in the comment section, or on Twitter using the #EdSlowChat hashtag.

Self-Directed vs. Self-Determined Learning; What's the Difference?

"We need to move beyond the idea that an education is something that is provided for us, and toward the idea that an education is something that we create for ourselves." - Stephen Downes In this age of abundance of information, shifting classroom pedagogy isn't nearly enough to make learning in school more relevant and authentic for the learner. Self-directed learning ( andragogy ), and self-determined learning ( heutagogy ) are the ideals necessary in making students " future ready " to live and learn in a web-connected world. While original research applied these concepts to mature learners, it has become apparent that even young children have an abundant capacity for recognizing and directing their learning. Anyone who has observed toddlers learning how to walk and talk understand the motivation and skill development that quickly develops during these processes. Considered by some to be on a learning continuum, self-directed learning, and self-determined

Board Games in the School Library: 3 Reasons Why It's a Winning Play

"Play is the highest form of research." - Albert Einstein “Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori In our recently remodeled school media center, we have a space dedicated to active engagement in fun learning activities. Part maker space, part literacy lounge, board games are being incorporated to promote a culture of joyful learning. Whether it's a game of Rummy , Yahtzee , or Scrabble , family game night serves as a communication elixir and solidifies our domestic climate of togetherness. Shouldn't similar opportunities for interaction, challenge, and fun exist somewhere in our schools? Broken families, cultural fragmentation, and poverty are impacting opportunities for children to play. As we unpacked and tagged our new media center games, I was more disappointed than shocked by the number of students who had never played Monopoly , Boggle , or Sorry . One skeptical teacher commented, "Oh great, now we're letting students pl

The Classroom Experiment - Strategies to Promote Engagement and Learning

Dylan Wiliam is a prominent educator in the United Kingdom. His ideas and strategies are consistently mentioned in education reform circles. On an uncharacteristically quiet evening at home, I stumbled across these BBC videos, The Classroom Experiment . Although it took nearly two hours to get through the videos, I came away thinking that the teacher is certainly the most important factor in student learning, and that student learning can be improved with persistence and a willingness to become better at failure. For those folks that feel that teachers can be replaced by technology, these videos suggest otherwise. The Classroom Experiment - part 1 (58:00) The Classroom Experiment - part 2 (59:00) Dylan Wiliam at The Schools Network Conference (38:00) Here is a summary of the strategies and changes that Dylan Wiliam instituted to increase student engagement and advance student learning. No raising of hands - use Popsicle sticks, or some other mechanism to randomize th

Nocking the Arrow

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