When I first started teaching in a middle school, the rule about social media was , "Don't do it, or do it in an extremely private way. Students should not be able to find you. Absolutely no friending current or past students." That seemed simple enough. Twitter was out there, but teenagers weren't using it. No TikTok, no Instagram, no What'sApp, no Facetime, etc. Most teachers didn't even have a web presence because they were so worried students would find them.
Today, things are quite different. Educational technology teachers really must create a web presence. If we expect to teach our students about digital literacy, we must practice what we preach (Lowenthal et al. 2016).
Being digitally literate means managing one's online presence in an active way (Lowenthal et al. 2016). Understanding a digital footprint can be the beginning of this learning curve. "A digital footprint, according to Hewson (2013), outlines a person’s online activities, including their use of social networking platforms^ (p. 14). A digital footprint is therefore created whenever we use networked technology."
But, before you go out into the 'professional' digital world, there are some precautions one must be aware of. Having a passive/digital shadow presence can lead audiences to finding less than professional material. One must make sure to portray not only professionalism, but their true authentic self. Pseudonym profiles are ok, but be careful about what is posted even in a 'private setting'.
A technology education professional should start with a home base (Lowenthal et al. 2016). Start with a personalized website. There are plenty of templates on sites such as, wordpress, blogger, weebly, etc. Most sites are free with many templates to help you personalize. Start blogging!
"But what should I write about?" you may ask. Well, keep in mind that your website is not an e-portfolio. I actually had the great experience to be a scorer for Pearson's EdTPA assessment. Although, this was an authentic way for pre-service teachers to showcase their teaching and reflection skills, it was not something that would be relevant beyond their first few interviews. Lowenthal comments, "Further, in our experience, graduates often do not understand the relevance of maintaining a portfolio of select and recent artifacts or of developing a web presence apart from an ePortfolio throughout their professional career (Lowenthal et al. 2016).
In a 2014 study conducted by Vanessa Dennen, she outlines the different types of bloggers.
Role Description
Blogger Individual who authors posts on
own blog.
Commenter Individual who comments on other people’s
blogs. Bloggers typically also play he role of commenter, but bloggers who
comment are viewed differently from people who just comment.
Lurkers Individuals who read blogs
regularly, but who never or rarely leave a comment. Their presence is usually
known because of site counters or their status as a follower of a blogger’s
feed.
Passersby Individuals who visit a blog or
group of blogs but who do not become regulars within the community.
Characters Individuals who do not blog, comment, or read blogs, but who are featured regularly in a blogger’s storyline. Recurring characters typically are family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers of the blogger.
Which one will help you establish a better professional web presence? Which one are you?
Ultimately, your blog should include some career information, self-authored posts, curated articles/information from other sources (including other professional blogs!!), and links to other social media outlets you participate within. For a more in depth list take a look at Lowenthal's recommendations (Lowenthal et al. 2016):
- Current personal statement
- Biography
- Resume
- Philosophy on instructional design and technology integration
- Teaching, and/or research
- Projects, products, and other showcased professional activities
- Testimonials, awards, and other professional achievements
- Contact information, including social networks participation
Keep in mind, your writing style, affiliations and comments will reflect back onto you (Dennen 2014). As you begin to make connections and affiliations you will start creating a personal learning network, or PLN. In a recent study PLNs were studied to see how they can help current educators 'connect'.
"Many educators in the 21st century utilize social media platforms to enrich professional learning networks (PLNs). PLNs are uniquely personalized networks that can support participatory and continuous learning. Social media services can mediate professional engagements with a wide variety of people, spaces and tools that might not otherwise be available. Teachers who once might have had access to only a handful of colleagues can now employ Facebook, Twitter and other mediums to learn from peers across the globe at any time." (Krutka, D.G., Carpenter, J.P. & Trust, (2017)
More on PLNs next week!
So go forth and create your website, start blogging, and enjoy the beginning of a wonderful professional relationship with you and Web 2.0!
Resources:
Dabbagh, N., & Kitsantas, A. (2012). Personal Learning Environments, social media, and self-regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning. The Internet and Higher Education, 15(1), 3–8. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.06.002
Hewson, K. (2013). What size is your digital footprint? A powerful professional learning network can give a boost to a new teaching career. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(7), 14.
Lowenthal, P. R., Dunlap, J. C., & Stitson, P. (2016). Creating an intentional web presence: Strategies for every educational technology professional.TechTrends, 60(4), 320-329
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