My focus was based on the Ted talk and one of the three that stood out to me was āThe public service announcements fail to address the biggest online concerns and the biggest threat to our children not the predator on the other side of the world but the child who ventures into a world of communication without fully understanding the power and reach of the online voiceā. As a future educator I want to use technology in a positive way in the classroom, but I can not control what goes on in the home. Technology can be used in a positive way in the classroom. For example, most schools do not have a computer lab, instead they have chrome carts with laptops for children to work inside the classroom. This is great for the innovation happening in our schools, what needs to be taught is the digital footprint and the impact it has on children in this new generation where technology is everywhere. To understand the digital footprint, we all have because of technology we can teach a baseline of understanding and the power it has for childrenās voices and how to use it responsibly.
āWe educate children about predators but not about their own opinionās onlineā.
This statement was said multiple times in the Ted Talk, and they are right. We see all the adds about online predators, but we do not teach the future generation the importance of what to post and where to post our opinions online. Especially young children who have access to their parentās phone or their own device to use at home. The changes that can be made is the knowledge of power we have with a digital connection. For example, students can learn about the connection they have online and how to use it responsibly with online pen pals. I did this in school but by letter. Communication helps children learn what to say to someone they do not know personally but through technology they can facetime and video chat with others without knowing the harm of sharing to someone they can not meet in person. This is a great experience for children in a classroom because it could be a different school district and write between classrooms to implement the positive strategies online and prevent children from oversharing online and what their digital footprint will look like if they are not careful. This is also up to the parents to teach their children about the digital footprint as well.
āNew generation of parents, friends, and society as a whole that all has to be documented and put online for everyone to see for followers and likesā.
Digital footprints are more than a topic taught at school it is also in the home. Technology is everywhere and your actions could be affected by what you post online. Even if the post was from years ago or it was deleted it was still online for people to see. Even with the internet there are consequences to our actions if we make the wrong decision and that should be taught in the home. What parents post online also reflects their children and other family members especially if itās an open account for everyone to see. To teach the future generation we need to teach more than the digital footprint but also the actions that come from it. Children learn very quickly and mirror what their peers do including adults. The digital footprint is not just what you post but what your friends and family members post about you. It should be with your consent but sometimes people forget to ask and assume its ok to post their children or loved ones online without their consent. The posts are more than followers and likes, it is also to share your opinion. To keep it from getting out of hand we need to start teaching the next generation about the positive side of technology and how to use it responsibly. By starting in the classroom then including parents into the situation it becomes more than digital citizenship. This helps the next generation become digital leaders and educate others on what they are comfortable posting online and how to communicate with others online responsibly.
Resources
https://www.commonsense.org/education/family-tips/k-5-digital-footprint-and-identity
