Mike and I often talk with our students about leaving positive digital footprints for others to follow.  These positive digital footprints could be called digital citizenship, but footprints sounds better and sends a deeper meaning to kids.  

To help kids understand this, we teach them about how the web really works.  We show them the Way Back Machine, read the Facebook user agreement, and explain how google works.  Students facial expressions show their reactions to what they are learning.  They really do understand what you do on the web, is forever. 

We even show the youtube "Digital Footprints--Your First New Impressions" about the impact your digital footprints will have as life moves on.  They are truly impacted.   

However, as teachers, we have to "assess" their learning. That can be a difficult task. How do you evaluate what they do on their home computer at 12:30 am on a Saturday night?  How do "grade" their personal digital footprint?  How do you make sure they are leaving a "positive digital footprint" for others to follow?    I guess the answer is we don't.  But teaching them how to make positive footprints on the web is a life long skill. Yes, one that will never be graded for "value added" or "merit pay", but one that I would argue is as important as the effects of the Crusades.  In fact, I would say much more important in the world of the 21st Century.  

While Mike and I were skyping a few nights ago, making changes to the middle ages webquest, I tweeted out a blog link on some new big thing--don't remember.  I use two accounts on Twitter (@HistoryHolman, for my students to follow, and @garthholman for my professional tweets).  I sent it out to my students and in a second it was re-tweeted. I comment to Mike I did not recognize who tweeted it.  I clicked on the name and to my surprise below is what I found: 

I love the bio this student wrote.  In case its to small I will retype: Hello Internet and all who inhabit it! Hmmm...How Shall I leave a positive digital footprint. 

I guess we have to believe what we do makes a real difference in student's lives and just because it will never appear on a test does not mean it does not add value to our students.   Keep teaching and keep building a digital footprint for others to follow.  

Cheers, Garth

This week both Mike and I were teaching about leaving positive digital footprints.  We skpyed a few times and shared ideas between the schools with great discussions on this topic.  We set up a wallwasher page inside our blog for students to post ideas, links, comment, images and so on.  We thought a few kids would post.  However, over 110 posts total on the first day, not to mention 13 post on the blog.  

The work is embedded below, but after so long it will delete the work (click the pink "Post a sticky" to open full screen). But, you can see an image to the left after day one.  Great work by kids and they found some great information on digital footprints.