"Digital Footprints: Preparing Students for Life in the Digital World"
Presentation to Parents & Friends Association
at Living Waters Lutheran College – Rockingham and Mandurah, Western Australia
14 August & 27 October 2008
Copyright 2008 by Tim Schumacher
Presenter’s Notes
Introduction
15 minutes
Begin with prayer
Dear Father in heaven. We thank you for the community at Living Waters that has been established here, bringing together teachers and parents who share an interest in raising our children to live lives of value, of integrity, of service… reflecting to the world around them the love that you have for them. We recognise that the world is a challenging place for kids these days, and that we, their parents and teachers, feel like we don’t always know for sure how to help them navigate the good and the bad that our technology overwhelms them with. Assure us through your Spirit that you are still in control, that you have plans for our kids that are good and gracious, and that, as we need it, you will provide the wisdom to lead our kids on paths in life that will give glory to you and a witness to the world. Bless the conversations we share this evening. Help us to listen well to each other as we share our collective knowledge and experiences, and ultimately build up this community at Living Waters. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Expectations for evening, and explanation of how discussion will happen, and comments about sources of information, and feedback form
“Woman Murders Virtual Husband” News story (SLIDE)
View opening video clip “Living Their Lives Essentially Online” (7:34) from FRONTLINE “Growing Up Online - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/main.html
Data on parents and teens from Norton Online Living Report (Australia)
Foundation #1: “Digital Footprints”
10 minutes
Slide:
(footprints) "We are living online, but have yet to fully realize the implications of doing so... One of those implications is that our tracks through the digital sand are eternal." -John Battelle, New York Times 12June2006
Brief comments on where digital footprints are left and why they are eternal.
Challenge question for discussion at tables:
To what degree should we (parents and educators) care about the digital footprints of our students? Why?
Extra questions:
Can we as a college ignore the digital footprints of our students…. wherever it is they leave them?
Would you recognise your child’s (or your student’s) digital footprint?... their avatar?
What impact should school and home have on a child’s digital footprint?
How much, or which portion(s), of your digital footprint should resemble the real you?
12 minutes
(Slide) Web 2.0
- coined in 2004
Video: “The Machine is Us/ing Us” (4:31) - http://mediatedcultures.net/mediatedculture.htm
(Slide) Web 2.0 with descriptors
“Participatory Web”
Challenge question for general discussion:
Why do parents and educators need to understand the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0?
Extra Questions:
What’s good about Web 2.0?
Is there anything worthy, wholesome, inspiring…?
12 minutes
Transition: (slide) virtual friends and “fakebook”
(Slide) Internet Safety and repeated survey data on parental concerns from Norton report
Challenge questions for discussion at tables:
What are the dangers/risks of using Web 2.0? How safe is it? What do you worry about as a parent? …as an educator?
Is the use of Web 2.0 at school or at home justified in spite of potential dangers?
Extra Questions:
How has the Internet changed the meaning of “friend”?
(Blank Slide) See notes from “Online Predator Myths”
Provide some reassurance that it’s not the end of the world.
Cite the Risky behaviour study and related myths
Dangerous behaviour list
Note links to resources for parents and educators
10 minutes
(Slides) Example of “Flaming”
(Slide) Present the 9 elements of Digital Citizenship from Mike Ribble and Gerald Bailey
Challenge questions for discussion at tables:
Where does “digital citizenship” fit in the current WA & LWLC curriculum? … at which age levels? How do you teach digital citizenship and netiquette?
What have you done (or could do) at home to teach this?
Extra Questions:
In the future, will a student’s record of “digital citizenship” be taken into consideration by potential employers? Would the absence of a developed/refined/managed digital footprint make one a less desirable employee in the future?
How important is it to establish an “online presence”?
Foundation #5: The Christian in the World Wide Web
15 minutes
View Frontline video short segment from “Private Worlds Outside Parents’ Reach” (1:00)
(Optional) Explain avatars impacting real-world behaviour – Proteus Effect
Challenge question for discussion at tables:
"In virtual worlds we do real romance, real learning, real business. Virtual reality is real reality." … Do our values permit us to be anything but our real selves online?
How much of the real me do I have to be online?
Commentary: To our kids, virtual reality is real reality.
Challenge question for general discussion:
What do Scripture verses like Romans 8:5-6, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 6:19-20, and others tell us about our online selves from a faith and Christian living perspective?
Is it essential that we take our spiritual self, our faith, online?
Extra Questions:
Are the standards and expectations for behaviour in each “world” the same?
What is the goal or end result at LWLC? We want students…
What should the expectations be for the digital footprint of LWLC staff? … of LWLC parents? Should these footprints be encouraged? …monitored?
9 minutes
(Slide) Looking Stuff Up snippet
Gary Stager quote: "I've said it a million times, but if the dominant metaphor for using a computer is looking stuff up, then kids will look up inappropriate stuff and adults will behave badly."
(Slide) In order to exist online we must write ourselves into being
Commentary on how students need to prepared to be content creators
(Optional) Challenge questions for discussion at tables:
What activities do students need to be engaged in at home and at school to learn to communicate effectively in today’s world?
How would the use of Web 2.0 impact current college practice and policy?
Future path and conclusion