Using Padlet to Teach Students about their Digital Footprint

Over the last few weeks all Year 7 & 8 students have been learning about their Digital Footprint.

I start with asking them if they know what a Digital Footprint is. A lot of them do, which I was pleasantly surprised to hear.

The first task I ask them to do is to search for images that best represent them, their goals and their personalities.

To further explain it, I post this phrase on the big screen: "If Someone Googled You 10 Years From Today, What Would You Want Them To See?"

I give them 10 minutes to find as many photos as they can related to this task.

 

 

 

After they've found their images I show them Padlet. If you haven't used Padlet before, it's a fun and easy way to get students, friends and colleagues to share ideas around any topic you choose.

 

For this exercise, the header of my Padlet looks like this:

 

 

I spend a few minutes explaining how to upload their photos onto the Padlet wall. I then tell them that they must write a brief explanation of each photo, telling us why they want to represented in that way 10 years from now.

 

I then have the results displayed live on the big screen as they post them.

 

 

 

 

This exercise generates a lot of discussion around their career goals and how important it is to leave a positive Digital Footprint. Whether they like it or not, the online habits of these students will be tracked when it comes to applying to universities and jobs in the future.

 

We have a lot of classes to add to the wall yet, I'm excited to see all of the positive Digital Footprint predictions yet to come!