Blog Assignment #14- College Bound

Do a search for a celebrity or a well-known person.  The search results reflect everything that can be found on the Internet about that person. It includes everything they have posted about themselves (websites, blogs, Facebook pages, etc.) as well as everything others have posted about them.

Consider what your own lives might be like five years from now from an online search. Here is an example:

• Jonathan P. Garcia exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago
  March 4, 2016 … A fresh new exhibit from photographer Jonathan Garcia. Garcia’s work will move you, enlighten you, and educate you about the history of Chicago neighborhoods.
• Jonathan P. Garcia – Web design workshop
  April 15, 2016 … Enroll in tech guru Jonathan Garcia’s Web design and programming workshop for teens ages 14 to 18. Enrollees will design a virtual reality webpage.
• Jonathan P. Garcia’s Blog
  July 30, 2016 … I’ve got only two more months to go in my Peace Corps service, and it looks like we’re going to finish the water-filtration project before I go home. Check out my latest pics.

1) Based on what people you thought about, what types of headlines do you want associated with you? Sample responses:

• News about achievements or talent areas (e.g., music, sports, computers)
• Praise about their work
• Personal milestones they want to share with everyone
• Activities that make the world a better place

2) What types of headlines might reflect poorly on someone? Sample responses:

• A record of someone breaking the law
• Rude or nasty comments about others in a public online forum
• Photos of the person drinking and partying

3) Do you think you should judge someone solely based on what you find about them online? Why or why not? (You should recognize that someone’s online presence might include things that were intended to be private, or inaccurate information posted by someone else. It could even include information about another person with the same name. Therefore, it may not give a complete or balanced picture of the person.)

You will be exploring how information that you post today could affect yourself and others in the future – for better and for worse. This online material may affect you as you apply to college or think about future jobs and opportunities. You should consider that you have the ability to shape your online profile so that it presents an image you can be proud of.

Key Vocabulary

• Digital footprint: All of the information about a person that can be found online
• Admission: To let in or to be given entrance
• Candidate: Someone seeking entrance to a school or placement in a job, usually competing with others for the position

The information in a digital footprint becomes public by being copied and passed on so that it can be searched and viewed by a large, invisible audience.  The information in a digital footprint is often permanently online, because it is archived in a variety of ways and passed on by others.

Consider this situation.  Two high school seniors, Markus and Tommy, have applied for admission to college. Their applications include their grades, test scores, and a personal essay. The problem is that the college only has room for one of them. The admissions officers decide to gather information from each candidate’s digital footprint to help make their decision.  

4)  Is your digital footprint important?  Why or why not?

You will likely have a variety of paths in their futures. Many of the same factors that affect your college admissions would also apply to getting a job or getting into a training program.

Online pictures, comments and writing can paint a positive or negative picture of you.

5)  Do you think this is a good way for a real admissions officer to make a final choice? Why or why not? (You should understand that while admissions officers, prospective employers, and the like sometimes do look at online profiles, this may not be the best or fairest way to assess someone. The material that appears online may not present a full or accurate picture of a person and of his or her personality and achievements.)

6)  What are some ways teens share information online? (You should mention the ways you contribute to your digital footprint – through social networking, blogging, and other online activities.)

It is important to note that any private pictures that you text or email to someone can potentially end up online for everyone to see.The bottom line is, "Make smart decisions about what images and information about yourself that you put out in the world.  If you don't want everyone to see it, then you should keep it private."  

7)  Do you think teens share too much information about themselves online? Why or why not?  

8)  Do you share too much information about yourself? 

9)  Do you care about your digital footprint?  Why or why not?

10)  Have you posted any pictures, comments or writings that you wish you could take back?

Answer all ten of the red questions on your blog.  Assignment #14- College Bound