Digital Footprints - Your New First Impression

I created this video after reading about a Harris Interactive poll in June regarding how employers are increasing their use of social networking sites to screen job candidates (Link to article explaining this info). This is a process that is increasing at a rapid pace and the word needs to get out there.

This is such critical information to start sharing with our students (and the public in general). The simple fact is that in a few years this is going to very much be standard practice. You can pretty much guarantee that employers are going to be using information posted online to judge a candidate before they ever set foot in the door! This means that you've got a new first impression, folks!

Now, here's the thing- this is actually good news! You can use this information to your advantage by being aware of this reality and starting to create a POSITIVE online impression rather than a negative one. Your digital footprint can be the difference between you and another candidate- yes, it allows your future employer insights into how you spend your time socially, but it can also show off your accomplishments and your willingness to work with others constructively on the Internet.

If you are reading this, please share this information and/or video with your students! Let's spread the word.

Here is a link to the mp4 file, stored on my dropbox: Digital Footprints - Your New First Impression

Show off the Power of Twitter

I admit- I googled "jaw drop" and this dude came up- sue me!

This idea converged in my brain this week after seeing so many requests from people for their Twitter PLN to speak up during a workshop they were doing on the power of Twitter/building a PLN. This was the broth and @bethstill's brilliant idea to match up her PLN with preservice Kansas State teachers was the spoon...

I would think the perfect way to show the power of the Twitter PLN would be to set up a Google Doc Spreadsheet like the example above prior to your workshop. In this spreadsheet, you would just include some simple fields (name, location, field/school setting, why Twitter is powerful). Next, make sure you let your Tweeps know when the workshop will begin. Then, when it's time, pull the trigger and ask your PLN to come in and edit the Google Doc (and Retweet for max surge effect!).

Then let your participants sit back and watch people from all over the place click on cells/edit the doc. My guess is in 10 minutes you'd see a ton of responses and several jaws open in your workshop.

So that's my idea. Too bad I don't have an opportunity to use it in the near future- here's hoping some of you out there might be able to make this happen- I promise to be first in line to help wow your participants!!!

UPDATE: Just wanted to share how this idea played out at a Twitter workshop, hosted by @tgwynn and @ewilliard . They started this spreadsheet and the Retweets started piling in. In an hour and a half they had over 60 responses! As of this writing (just 3 days later), their spreadsheet has morphed into an awesome resource with over 140 educators from all over the world pitching in: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Alcvj6O0x7JjdGFlQzR6UExSN29IYkJsOExZMnRiU3c&hl=en

Very cool!