Digital Footprint

How to behave appropriately, safely and responsibly online; how to stay safe and to create a positive personal profile, a digital footprint that you are proud of...These skills that are very topical in educational discussions.

• awareness of the consequences of online behaviour 
• respect privacy and personal information – your own and others 
• select appropriate spaces to work in and contribute to 
• encourage appropriate, ethical and responsible internet use 
• be proactive about inappropriate online behaviour 
• actively create a positive digital presence and be proud of all you put online

We are preparing pupils for both their working lives and their personal lives by teaching skills of communication, collaboration, research, independent learning and networking. Many current vocations include the integrated use of technology and it could be argued that technology has become integral to everyday communication. Schools spend significant portions of their budgets on monitoring, limiting or restricting access to certain technologies or Internet usage. In many ways, while appreciating school liability and safety concerns, restricting access to technology creates a false environment and limits the development of those skills required for 21st century living and learning. Limiting access to technology reduces pupils’ skills in learning how to behave appropriately and keep safe when using technology. Our role as educators is to equip our learners and parents with the skills and resources they need to that they are able to understand and make sensible choices about cyber behaviour.

A colleague recently commented that with education one isn't sure until significant time has passed as to whether a particular method or technology has been successful or not. We therefore need budget to experiment, to try new things and to keep asking the question as to whether what we do adds educational value. I consider myself fortunate indeed to work at a school that has a single rule for the use of technology in the school; it must be used to improve educational outcomes. If pupils choose to use it in other ways then we regard that as a behaviour issue, not a technology issue. 

I do however, agree that there is plenty more that we can and should be doing to improve awareness and to educate about Internet behaviour...Watch this space!