 |
| Source |
As part of an educational technology course I am taking, we were required to create an About Me section of our blogs or a social networking site that we would actually use. I was nervous to begin this section of the
course as I have always tried to keep my professional and personal online identities very
separate, as I think is the case with most educators. I also had no experience with Google+ and was a little overwhelmed by my inability to keep most of my profile incognito (I couldn't, for example, use just my last name). However, in order to
support this week’s NETS-T standard (this week's for me was: Standard 5d is to “contribute to the
effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession”) and my own professional growth, I am
finding it important to embrace a position of vulnerability, realizing that
others will be judgmental always but hoping that the positives will outweigh the
negatives of sharing my educational opinions online.
 |
| Source |
For class
this week we read “The Future of Reputation; Gossip, Rumor and Privacy on the
Internet” and a section that particularly resonated with me was the following,
“Reputation is a core component of our identity – it reflects who we are and
shapes how we interact with others – yet it is not solely our own creation . .
. Our reputation depends upon how other people judge and evaluate us, and this
puts us at the mercy of others.” (Solove, 2007, p. 33). Taking into consideration that I have the
ability to shape the content that others will be able to judge me on (here and on my About Me page), I am choosing to embrace this challenge of
living in the internet public. I considered just creating a LinkedIn account, and might still, but for the ease of linking everything through Google I went with them.
On my About Me page of my new Google+ profile I wrote that “I really believe
in the power of education to transform lives and I believe it is our collective
responsibility to ensure everyone has access to this power. One of the myriad
of ways I participate in that notion is to write an educational blog focused on
policy reform, literacy, ed tech, and higher education called A Memory of Words
(after a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote).” By
writing that out and sharing it with others, I think it will hold me
accountable to the notion that I have a larger purpose for sharing my thoughts on this blog. I'm not just writing for a grade in this course or for the sake of listening to my own opinion but because I think it matters that we actively pursue positive change for education in this country. If I can bear that in mind, I think I will
find more comfort in my new online network.
 |
| Source |
Have you found balance in your personal and professional online networks? Have you thrown in the towel and just consolidated both? Does it matter?
Referenced:
Solove, D. (2007). The future of reputation. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Solove, D. (2007). The future of reputation. New Haven: Yale University Press.
I appreciate your candor in your journaling this week. It is true that at some point, we must get past the vulnerability and get to a place where we believe that what we have to say has value. And as we work hard to develop our "online reputation," we must remember that not everyone will always agree with us...and that's okay. What we believe still holds value.
ReplyDeleteI loved your statement, "I have a larger purpose for sharing my thoughts on this blog," and we certainly do. We are in such a great place to really make an impact on our students and other educators, whether in the K-12 setting or on into higher education. As we learn and grow individually, we do have a responsibility to train up the next generation to be the best they can be. I think that one way we can do that is by training them on how to continually develop their online (and off-line for that matter) reputation.
To answer your question,
"Have you found balance in your personal and professional online networks? Have you thrown in the towel and just consolidated both?", I believe for me, it's almost impossible to separate. I know that it has been said that a person's job does not define him...but, for me, teaching is not just a job, it's a calling. And if it truly is a calling, then I feel that if encompasses who I am as a person.
Thanks so much for sharing your heart in your blog this week. :)
I have been (and still am) reluctant to create a public ABOUT ME page...professional or personal. While I understand how some of the benefits could be useful as a teacher, I think a more personal approach, while more time consuming, is more fitting. I think the concept of "teaching old dogs new tricks" comes into play here. While I created a page about myself, it was competely fictional. I wanted the practice and experience win a safe environment.
ReplyDeleteNow that I know how and what to do with an ABOUT ME page, I might be more interested in trying one out. As for me, I don't have to worry about balancing out my professional and personal online identity...I have neither. And to be honest, since I don't know what I am missing, it really isn't an issue for me.
Great post!
Mike
I too have found it quite daunting to shape my online presence, both personally and professionally. This class has definitely made me "step to" quicker than I would have on my own as far as creating an About Me page, tweeting, blogging, and combining my personal and professional online identities. Last week's task of Googling ourselves to have an idea of what (if anything) we look like online was a fist time adventure for me. Overall, I'm glad I'm being pushed to embrace more visibility. It has been a learning experience and not as scary as I first imagined :)
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Meghan