Digital Footprints
To no one’s surprise, I do not have a very distinct or profound digital footprint. I do not lose sleep over this. My digital identity should not be the issue. Let’s think about our future students. What is imperative is that we convey the message that their digital identity cannot be erased. As teachers, we constantly say “it’s all right to make mistakes” but unfortunately, the digital world does not allow that to happen. The digital world does not forget. It allows for a mistake to be constantly repeated. Students have a difficult enough time discovering their real life identity, and now they have to figure out their virtual identity. As a future teacher, I hope to instil the message that a student’s digital life should complement their real life. Do I know exactly how to do this? Nope. What I do know is that I hope to be a positive role model for them. I do not base my self worth on “likes” or “views”. I do not like selfies and will not attempt to get the perfect picture for social media. I will constantly tell my students that I only care about the real, not the virtual. Perhaps this is naive, but to me, real is real.
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