My digital footprint and my personal life…

Today’s #edchat discussion made me think hard about how I am actually portrayed online.  More importantly, how I truly want to be portrayed online.  I already think before I post, most of the time, but do other teachers do the same?

The online world of the Internet opens the doors to society even bigger than it did for teachers 20-30 years ago.  Students and parents now have access to their teachers and what they can learn about them at any given time.  What we post online can be considered in actions in the same manner as if they were done in front of people face to face.  Our online actions are not considered on personal time or private at all.

Do teachers, in general, keep this in mind when they post anything that is related back to them online?

In the course of the last three years, I have turned my habits online from personal interests of just chatting online with friends to professional learning, collaboration with other teachers, and building my professional learning network.  But what never occurred to me is what is already attached to my screen names prior to my shift of personal use in life to personal/professional use to gain knowledge in teaching.

During the #edchat this morning, we were asked to look up information on our digital footprints.  I looked up my full real name and my mostly used screen name. 

Page #1 of Google Search for “Karlana Kulseth”:

Karlana’s World – My Life

addEntry({ title: "Think About It :: Future Generations and the Shift in Changes", url: "http://karlanakulseth.com/?p=114"… [Read more of this review] …
karlanakulseth.com/ – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth – LinkedIn

View Karlana Kulseth’s professional profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world’s largest business network, helping professionals like Karlana Kulseth …
www.linkedin.com/in/karlana – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth’s Presentations on SlideShare

View all of Karlana Kulseth’s Presentations. technology, education, teacher, educational technology, social media, classroom technology, pln.
www.slideshare.net/hawaiianbrat96 – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth (hawaiianbrat96) on Twitter

HS Grade English teacher looking to conquer the classroom with technology.
twitter.com/hawaiianbrat96 – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth – Grant Sawyer Middle School | RateMyTeachers.com

Karlana Kulseth is on RateMyTeachers.com, an education rating tool for Grant Sawyer Middle School students, parents and teachers. Students and Parents can …
www.ratemyteachers.com/schools/…/karlana__kulseth – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth’s Page – English Companion

Karlana Kulseth’s Page on English Companion. … Karlana Kulseth replied to the discussion ‘Social Justice Texts’ in the group Teaching Social Justice 22 …
englishcompanion.ning.com/profile/KarlanaKulseth – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth (hawaiianbrat96) on blippr

I am a happily married mom to beautiful children. I am a substitute teacher and full-time college student.
www.blippr.com/profiles/hawaiianbrat96 – Cached – Similar -

PodcastDirectory | Episode: MommyPOD by Karlana Kulseth Podcast

Sample shows from Family Friendly Podcasts listed in the FamilyFriendlyPodcasts.com Directory. This podcast adds the latest addition to the …
www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/304581 – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth | North las vegas, NV | Classmates.com

Karlana Kulseth 1996 graduating class of Rancho High School in North las vegas, NV is on Classmates.com. See pictures, plan your class reunion and get …
www.classmates.com/directory/public/…/list.htm?regId… – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth « Open Microphone

Karlana Kulseth 8:09 pm on May 16, 2009 | 2 Permalink | Reply Tags: Curiousty. So, this is what Open Mic is…. I was curious, so jumped on the bandwagon. …
www.ijohnpederson.com/openmicrophone/…/hawaiianbrat96/ – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth – Clark County School District – Las …

www.google.com/profiles

Search for Karlana Kulseth on: MySpace – Facebook – Classmates – LinkedIn

Page #1 of Google Search for “hawaiianbrat96”:

Karlana Kulseth (hawaiianbrat96) on blippr

I am a happily married mom to beautiful children. I am a substitute teacher and full-time college student.
www.blippr.com/profiles/hawaiianbrat96 – Cached – Similar -

Karlana Kulseth (hawaiianbrat96) on Twitter

HS Grade English teacher looking to conquer the classroom with technology.
twitter.com/hawaiianbrat96 – Cached – Similar -

Jaiku | Jaikus from hawaiianbrat96

Create your own microblog and connect with your friends. Post from the Web, by SMS, or from desktop clients. Add comments, use icons, link Webfeeds.
hawaiianbrat96.jaiku.com/ – Cached – Similar -

Flickr: hawaiianbrat96′s Photostream

Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, …
www.flickr.com/photos/karlana/ – Cached – Similar -

hawaiianbrat96′s blog – Vox

hawaiianbrat96′s blog. Just Vox’ing it in fabulous Las Vegas! ….. hawaiianbrat96: United States: View my profile: Mom, Wife, Student, Teacher, …
karlana.vox.com/ – Cached – Similar -

ScrapLove – View Profile: hawaiianbrat96

Private Message: Send a private message to hawaiianbrat96. Additional Information, Group Memberships … hawaiianbrat96 is not a member of any public groups …
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hawaiianbrat96

hawaiianbrat96′s Community. hawaiianbrat96′s Friends … Recent Opps hawaiianbrat96 Has Taken. SponsoredPost Help Us Name the Comfo… SponsoredPost …
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SEO • Viewing profile – hawaiianbrat96

Username: hawaiianbrat96; Rank: Newbie; Location: Las Vegas, NV USA; Groups: … Contact hawaiianbrat96. Website: http://www.karlanakulseth.com/blog …
www.top25web.com/bbs/memberlist.php?mode…u… – Cached – Similar -

TheApple.com : Where Teachers Meet and Learn

hawaiianbrat96 gave a thumbs up to The Article "Innovation and Ed Tech". … hawaiianbrat96 commented on: "10 Technology Enhanced Alternatives to Book …
www.theapple.com/member/hawaiianbrat96 – Cached – Similar -

hawaiianbrat96 on Technorati

hawaiianbrat96′s photo. Joined on Oct 05, 2006. I can best described as a Mom, Wife, College Student, Substitute Teacher, Photographer, and DigiScrapper. …
technorati.com/people/technorati/hawaiianbrat96 – Cached – Similar –

So, not too bad.  Nothing risqué or gross.  But I wonder, am I posting too much personal information online?

See, that is the problem.  What I post may not seem like an issue if, say for job searching purposes, companies were looking into my online profiles.  I do share I am a married mom of two children.  At times, I do post their names, especially on my blogs and in my tweets.  I do not post pictures that may appear in the wrong way, but that is context versus content.

So, I am curious, what should one consider posting online when it comes to the digital footprints of a teacher?

Please leave your comments, I am definitely curious what others’ thoughts are on this topic!

 

 

Google information for “Karlana Kulseth”: http://xrl.in/2w3i
Google information for “hawaiianbrat96”: http://xrl.in/2w3h