Footprints in the Digital Age

The impact of Google in this current age of time is huge. Most people know what Google is and have used it before in their lives. I for one, use Google on a daily basis.  Since I have a smartphone, I am able to bring the Google App right up and start Googling away! I feel like I have learned many pointless fun facts just because I have the access to Google right at my fingertips!

The tools on Google seem endless! There's Gmail, which I use as my own personal E-mail account. I use g-mail everyday, all day as it is connected to my smartphone.  There's Blogger which I am currently on, writing this Blog! I have been using Blogger for the last 4 months in one of my Graduate online classes. There's obviously the search engine which I use daily to answer questions ranging from what recipe to make for dinner, to medical questions to help with homework! There's youtube which allows you to watch and record videos. There's Google+ which I am also very new to. One of my favorite Google Tools is Google Drive which allows access to Google Docs.  This tools allows for you to create group projects and presentations.  If you are editing the presentation, someone else in your group may be editing it as well. It is a great way to collaborate! There are many other Google tools that I have not explored yet. I have been told that Google Voice is also a great tool to use in classrooms; allowing students to be able to contact the teacher and leave a voice recording of an assignment! Great way to the students to orally present their projects without being in front of the class.

Using all these Google tools and other online tools helps build your own digital footprints.  I believe that having an online presence is critical for me because I someday want to be a teacher.  When an employer goes to Google my name, I'd like for all good things to appear. (Funny thing is, I actually Googled my name and absolutely nothing came up!)   I think it is important for students to also have a positive online presence.  I really enjoyed reading the article, "Footprints in the Digital Age," by Will Richardson.

He discusses his concerns of having children who may grow up to have a negative online presence.  He talks about the importance of teaching students how to be online in a positive way.  It's scary to think that most young children are teaching themselves how to use the internet but really they should have some parental or adult guidance.  He says, "It's a consequence of the new Web 2.0 world that these digital footprints—the online portfolios of who we are, what we do, and by association, what we know—are becoming increasingly woven into the fabric of almost every aspect of our lives."  That's not to say these new Web 2.0 tools are negative.  In fact, they bring extreme positive engagement and collaboration to the classrooms, its just a matter of teaching the students how to use them in a safe way.

Citation
Richardson, W. (2008). Footprints in the digital age. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 16-19. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov08/vol66/num03/Footprints-in-the-Digital-Age.aspx

I created my digital footprint using powerpoint and Present Me.  I created a powerpoint showing a few clips of my Professional Website, Prezi about me presentation, and some of my favorite websites and tools I learned about from my Literacy and Technology class.  Once I completed my powerpoint, I uploaded it onto Present Me. I was able to add music by recording a song I liked from the movie Frozen! Present Me was very simple to use. I plan to use it again for the final project!