Who AM I When EVERYONE is Looking??

Posted on August 16, 2013

ED 714 Online Brands, Reputation Management, Digital Footprint and Digital Identity

Wow. First let me say what a mind blowing experience these first 3 courses have been.  I had no idea how much I didn’t know.  I thought I was pretty technologically savvy…until I met Ian and my peers at UNH. I have learned so much, so quickly, that sometimes I have to sit and be still so I can sort though it all to complete a task, or assignment.

So, I can Tweet now. Not with my kids. They won’t have me. They moved to Twitter, Snap Chat and Pinterest a year ago, because I was communicating with them through Facebook. I guess that was uncool, so they changed their accounts so I cannot post on their walls. I can only Message them. I now have a LinkedIn account…I’m not sure why.

I have had a Facebook account for years.  I make sure all pictures are G-Rated. I have un-friended people who post r- and x-rated pics and posts, because there is nothing quite so special as opening your Facebook account in school and having a mostly naked fireman or Adam Levine picture jumping off the screen.  I make sure all of my pictures are private, especially pictures of my children. And I never post anything about work, my supervisors, teachers, or children.  Though our school system does not have a social media policy, I do not allow teachers or staff to post any pictures of children on any social media. In a previous post I discussed in length the session at Endicott College my daughter and I attended about Digital Footprints. The message definitely hit home for both of us.  I have shared the information with my other kids too.

This class has pulled me so far out of my comfort zone, I feel agoraphobic in all this cyberspace. I have learned to videoblog, mindmap, use Padlet… I’ve learned about an entire universe called Google, which includes: Google Drive, Gmail, Google+…which includes Google Communities and Hangouts… Google Docs and a plethora of Google apps beyond what I could possibly find time to explore.

I have often looked to my peers in this session for many reasons:

1. I was overwhelmed.
2. They have classrooms to make meaning and use of these tools.
3. They bring a wealth of information, experience and different tools they’ve used in the past, and “two heads are better than one”…  15 is best!

In looking to Joan and Joe’s Mindmapping posts, I realize how different brains organize information and use tools to suit their learning preferences.  I chose the Connected-Mind organizer because I want to reflect my position in Early Childhood Education. This Mindmap is child friendly to look at, with simple concepts and images.  However, this tool was NOT easy to use.  It took me much longer than it should have to create this simple map.  But I do like the end result:
I also realize that not having a classroom is putting me at a disadvantage and I need to think out of the box for the duration of this program.  I am very concerned about learning everything myself, but without the application part, it is difficult to retain and connect so much information.  I try to think of Professional Development applications, but many do not apply to Pre-K level instruction.  So I then think about college level instruction and panic. How can I teach what I do not yet understand completely.  I know we have far to go together.  I am excited to continue this journey and see where it leads me.

As far as who I am when everyone is looking..?  I hope to present myself as an educator/ advocate for children and families, loving parent and a strong woman with a good sense of humor. I try to post timely articles and petitions about early childhood and higher education issues.  I encourage people to get involved, not just use FB and Twitter to complain about the conditions of our world, then shrug and move on. At work I send meaningful ECE articles and information about Professional Development to teachers through email. I encourage all educators and parents to continue to learn about child development.

I have Googled my own name to view any pictures that may appear, and change FB settings as necessary. One thing I have learned, is to be very careful about comments one makes online on any site.  Whether Yahoo News, The Voice website, or other people’s Facebook posts, these comments appear when you Google a name!  I was startled to realize this. I have read some very offensive posts by other people on many sites, and wonder if they know that employers, college admissions officers, and potential bf’s/gf’s can pull these up by just typing a name.

I am glad for this information, as being well informed makes one well armed..to protect one’s digital identity. I will share what I know with  my own children and my staff to help them design their own digital footprint.