Digital Footprint Checklist

The question is not whether you are leaving a mark.  The question is, "What kind of mark are you leaving?"

The following Digital Footprint Checklist is a brief self-check for all students (and adults) to determine if they are presenting a positive digital footprint.

(photo cred.)

• Do the photos included in your digital footprint show that you would be a good employee/student/team member/citizen?

• Are the comments that you have posted on your pages and the pages of others appropriate (not overly negative, free of crude language, etc.)?

• Is the music and video on your site of your own creation and copyright free?

• Do the movie and music files that are part of your digital footprint portray you in a positive light?

• When participating in online discussions, have you done so in a positive manner?

• Would you be comfortable with a parent, mentor, employer, coach, teacher, administrator, church leader, or college admissions officer viewing what is included in your digital footprint?

• Have you refrained from posting anything that could harm another person's reputation, perception, or emotions?

If the answer is "yes" to all of the above questions, then you are maintaining a positive Digital Footprint.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all other forms of Social Media are continuously forging a digital footprint for each and everyone of us.  While this checklist was originally shared with 4th and 5th graders, students of ALL levels, including college students, need to be continually educated on the importance of our perpetually evolving digital footprints. 

Educators need to be reminded, too.

This checklist was borrowed from the Hawks Nest Intermediate (Gaston County Schools) and has been modified.  

Thanks for reading,

CS

The opinions shared in this blog belong to Craig Smith and do not represent the school or district in which he works.