Digital Footprint - Advice from the Experts at Tech Forum NY #TLTF14

If students want to run for office, run a business, or change how things are run where they live, work, or play, they need to be savvy users of social media. This starts with having a positive online reputation. I had the opportunity at Tech Forum New York to speak with four Innovative educators (see below for faces and end of article for names) from elementary, middle, and high school as well as a district administrator about how to best prepare students.  

Below is their advice.  

How can you ensure your students are well Googled by the time they graduate?

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10 Tips to help educators break into paid gigs

Cross posted at Smartblogs for Education

Have you ever been inspired by a great conference keynote speech?  A workshop presenter that your school or district hired?  Do you want to share your ideas, be useful to others, and make some extra money?. Have you ever wondered how that could be you some day?

Well, it can, but it takes time to position yourself to take your show on the road. Below are some suggestions taken from what I’ve seen work for successful speakers and professional development providers.

1 - Know what you want to be known for

Pick your focus. There should be just be one or two things you are known for as the go-to person.  This should guide your identity in all your profiles/bios and there should be keywords that you use that become tied to who you are and what you stand for. 

2 - Engage on Twitter

Find other people doing your work and who are the audience that would invite you to speak.  Know popular hashtags and chats. There is a big community of education thinkers and doers out there who might help you brainstorm. Put the topics you are passionate about in your bio using the hashtags you care about most.  This way when someone searches a hashtag, they’ll find you. For example, if #BYOD (bring your own device) ) is your thing, use that in your bio.  People can find you when they search for those knowledgeable in your area. You can see what that looks like here.

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3 Step plan for a digital makeover

Who controls your online identity? Google or you?

If your answer is Google, it's time to take control with this three step plan.

Step 1) Analyze your digital footprint.

Know what the internet says about you.  Think about what you like and what you'd like to change.

Search	Background checks	Social media	Credibility
Google Search Google ImagesGoogle Video Spezify	Spokeo Zaba Search Intellus People Finders	Facebook - Museum of Me Facebook - Year in Review Twitter Cloud Tweet Grader	Klout Kred Stackoverflow

Step 2) Determine a headline. i.e. Passionate about real and relevant learning.

Who do you want to be known as on the internet? Think of this in the context of a headline. This is important because who you are, your brand, is what you'll use to update your image.

Step 3) Update your digital image.

Create your digital resume, profiles, images, and clean up anything you don't want out there using the sites below.

Digital Resume	Profiles	Images / Video	Clean Up
Why a digital resume? Linkedin Profile LinkedIn InMap Vizify	Facebook Profile Titter Profile About.Me Flavors.Me Brand Yourself Google Profile	Images Tagging images Picasa Flickr Video Tagging videos YouTube Vimeo	How to unGoogle yourself - general How to remove yourself from background checks. Remove unwanted images Remove from Google Image search Remove a page or sites from search results

Once you've updated your image, be patient. Change won't happen over night. Think of it as your digital diet. It takes a little while to the see the fruits of your labor.  It also requires maintenance.  If you've followed these three steps however, in about 30 days, you'll be rewarded with an online presence that puts your best footprint forward.

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Infographic flyer: What's your digital footprint?

This infographic flyer was created to put important digital footprint information in one place in a graphically pleasing format.  Take a look and let me know what you think. 

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What's your digital footprint? Take this quiz and find out!

I developed this quiz with members of my personal learning network (found at end of post) to get students thinking about their digital footprint. The quiz was created at the request of high school students I spoke with who thought the creation of a such a quiz could lead to a smart conversation about ways students can update their digital footprint so that it is one that leads to college and career success.

Check it out with your students and let me know how it goes in the comments below. 

Per popular request, here is a link to the digital version of the quiz. Upon completion, quiz takers will receive a score.  

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4 things you need to know to help your students manage their online reputation

We often hear complaints about what students say and do online, but we often neglect to look into educators helping them manage their online reputation. This infographic is geared toward adults, but it can serve as a great starting point for conversations and activities that educators can engage in with students to help them to establish an active digital footprint that represents who they want to be perceived as online.

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