The following self-made digital artefact involves Internet safety questions and answers involving two primary aged students, as well as a series of scenarios on how a seemingly innocent post can have undesired consequences. To access the digital artefact, click the YouTube link below.
Mark and Shannon are having a wonderful time while on holidays and decide to take a selfie and post pictures of themselves online. Once posts are in cyberspace this becomes a digital footprint. This video teaches children to think first before clicking.
The teacher pauses the video at the point when Mark posts the selfie online. The class discusses the pros and cons of this selfie being put online.
The teacher continues the video. Once the video is finished, student led discussion groups discuss the scenarios that took place. Students discuss who sees what is posted online and shared publicly with other people and how this affects their digital footprint in the future. In this case, Mark and Shannon’s selfie being viewed online by strangers.
Strangers are able to see where they are travelling and the tourist attractions they are visiting whilst on their holiday. Students discuss strategies that Mark and Shannon should have put into place so that their holiday pictures aren’t made public to people they don’t know.
The acronym poster that Morris (2018) refers to is a useful way for teachers to teach students about being a positive digital citizen.
Further Links
Below are other links on being a safe digital citizen and being mindful of our digital footprint:
- Digital Footprint – Behind the News. Be mindful of what is posted online, as what you post may affect your future job prospects.
- Common Sense Education – Teen Voices: Oversharing and Your Digital Footprint. Teenagers discussing no matter the length of time a post has been posted online, no posts are ever deleted – it’s there forever.
- Everyone think before you post-PSA. The digital artefact made for this web guide was inspired by this video. Be careful what you post online, as you don’t know who is viewing your posts.
References
Elliott, T. (2021, April 16). Digital artefact – Leaving a digital footprint [Video]. YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3tfSinBe90
Morris, K. (2018, June 12). Teaching Children About Digital Footprints and Online Reputations (With Student Poster). Primary Tech.
