My digital footprint

Last Wednesday our ECMP class focussed on our Digital Footprint. Additionally, Amy added a discussion on the forums on our class Ning that sparked a lot of thought about what I have made as my own digital footprint. I have been hearing a lot about the dangers of Facebook in regards to professionalism and the beginning teacher. Although I didn't really have anything on Facebook that could get me in any trouble, I took extra precautions to ensure that nothing can be interpreted as unprofessional.

Professionalism is a word that is used very frequently, and in many ways there is a lot of freedom within the nature of being professional in a number of occupations. Education however, leaves very little room for freedom in a teacher’s life. Teachers are constantly in the spotlight because of their potential for role modelling to youth. In many ways, teachers must act more ethical and more carefully than anyone in another other career. This is ironic in a way, for those who are expected to act so much more professionally are not necessarily considered to be professionals.

For example, professionalism for a server can entail something as simple as not being outright rude to a customer. In that type of industry, that is mostly all we are taught about ethical behaviour. A server in the food and beverage industry is by no means a professional, nor are they considered to be an employee of an essential service. However, coming from this type of industry, I have heard the term professionalism used very often. It is ideally what an employer would strive for, but there is usually a large degree of unethical behaviour is overlooked because of the type of work they are in.

Education is an essential service, for education is now more important than ever in our culture. There has been such an overwhelming increase in the post-secondary enrolment, and is difficult to attain a job in today’s society without some form of post-secondary schooling. Education is therefore an essential service, thus making educators, themselves, essential to society. Since this is the case, teachers are viewed as critical beings, and are respected as such. Teachers must maintain this respect by our actions. With this comes a great deal of responsibility and honour in which teachers must keep so we may be viewed positively in the community. Holding the position as an educator comes with a vow of social commitment. One therefore must hold a great understanding of the sacrifices he or she must make in order to honour this social commitment. The importance of this has the potential to actually end one’s career in the teaching field and is therefore should not be taken frivolously. This can be a very intimidating thing for new teachers, as even now, it may feel as though we are walking on eggshells when out in public, or what may result from an online search. Perhaps this is just the case for those of us pre-service teachers who have not had much of an opportunity to learn much about teacher ethics as of yet.

What comes to mind when reading about professionalism and the code of ethics of educators in Canada, is not as simple as I initially had thought. Teachers are consistently in the spotlight in social situations because they have had the opportunity to meet so many people throughout their careers. Coming from a small town, I have personally witnessed someone entering a licensed establishment, and having the majority of the other patrons recognize and comment on their presence there. In a small town like Yorkton, for example, where everybody knows everybody, this can get awkward for people in positions of authority. In practice, this may require a teacher to exit a facility where he or she may be uncomfortable frequenting if his or her students, or their parents are observing that teacher. There have also been cases where these authority figures, like teachers, have abused their power in abuse cases which seem to come out more frequently now than ever before. One may think that this would be common sense for teachers, but apparently this is not the case for all individuals. This becomes a case of general morality, but professionalism in the teaching field requires much more than this. Additionally, it is extremely important to be aware of any documentation of any “unprofessionalism”. Photographs on Social Networking Sites may seem harmless, but can have a huge effect on one’s teaching career. (Or, lack thereof, if measures are taken following these postings)

As I begin teaching, I will be taking a very careful approach to my own personal professionalism and digital footprint.

Following Wednesday’s session, I immediately visited my Facebook page, and started deleting pictures and comments. I really do wish I could get rid of Facebook altogether because of all of the negative rap it has been getting in the world of Education, but there are so many resources on this social networking site that can benefit educators. It is a great tool to connect with others around the world, and many pages offer great resources for teaching. There have been many schools and classes that have used Facebook as a primary tool for groupwork.
Its suggested that educators "Google" themselves every so often to ensure we know exactly what information about ourselves can be accessed by the public. I googled myself after the last Elluminate session, and didn't find too terribly much. On the discussion post, many of my classmates stated that because of their common name, they were gathering a lot more information from others with the same name. To my knowledge, I am the only "Christa Schmelinsky" with internet access, so it is very likely that all search results for my name are the real me. A lot of Twitter links come up, as well as Facebook, ECMP, and Music Education. I don’t see this as being problematic in the future, but I’d love to know exactly where the line is drawn between being professional, and being over sensitive to my digital footprint.