Weekly Reflection Post #12

Hello everyone! This week has been a reflective week in this course as this is my final blog post. I'm looking forward to read everyones final thoughts and am especially excited to share my own with you!

sylviaduckworth. (April 20, 2015) 9 Elements [Online image]
Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/15664662@N02/17190424026

Since I wanted to keep my work here separate from my own digital footprint I used a shorter version of my name so when I googled myself my blog or twitter does not show up. However! I can say that this course led me to evaluate my personal google search and clean it up. One major course of action I took to do this was deactivate my personal Twitter account because it was from when I was younger and wasn't as professional as I want my digital footprint to be. I never put much thought into building a digital footprint until this course. I now realize the importance of doing so. I believe that by being a good digital citizen, a positive digital footprint will follow. Educating yourself on digital citizenship is the first step that I think everyone needs to take as we take part in this digital world we live in. Technology surrounds us and it it up to you to educate yourself!

A huge component of this course obviously was interacting online. By interacting with others we can create a great learning environment. The Internet allows people to share knowledge, ideas, and comments on a variety of platforms including blogs, social media, wikis, or other digital tools. In learning about digital citizenship I think that all the elements of digital citizenship can influence a quality discussion online. Digital communication has shaped our everyday lives. I interact with my peers online on a daily basis whether it's with my computer or cellphone. I think digital etiquette is important too because it teaches individuals the appropriate ways to communicate with others online. Sometimes not being face to face people can misinterpret so it's important we know how to interact remotely. As for digital rights and responsibilities I've learned so much about the importance of respecting others work. Having a quality interaction online where your sharing thoughts and ideas it's important to give credit to people for their ideas. 

As a digital citizen I think that a way I will promote appropriate behaviours in others is to act appropriate myself and lead by example. I definitely think that helping to educate my friends and family on the elements of digital citizenship is worthwhile. In relation to my life, I see my friends sometimes post silly things on the Internet and I don't think they realize they are sharing these posts with everyone. Many people I know don't put privacy settings on their social media accounts which makes it open to absolutely anyone who knows their account name, that means friends, family, co-workers, bosses, etc. If you are not private and have your settings as public it is all the more important to make sure your actions and posts are appropriate. I think this can be a huge takeaway from this course for all of us.

My favourite element to promote that I am most passionate about as I've mentioned in previous posts is digital health and wellness. Health is so important and many of us don't realize the huge impact that technology has on our minds and bodies. We learn that too much of anything can be unhealthy and it is the same when it comes to technology. Setting boundaries to your technology use I think is something that all of us should take part in. Even taking a moment everyday to step away from your computer or cellphone and just take a moment can be beneficial. Although I am passionate about this topic I am guilty of not following it. I binge watch T.V. shows, I text constantly, and I always have my cellphone on me. This course has motivated me to set boundaries for myself and try to avoid using my cellphone or computer before bed because I know it keeps me up at night.

Exploring communication, curation, collaborative, and creative tools has allowed me to expand my personal learning environment greatly. I am motivated to continue to explore and enhance my learning environment and also help others discover theirs. My greatest takeaway from this course is the knowledge I have gained in the importance of becoming a digital citizen. I truly think everyone should take this course!

I enjoyed reading everyones blogs this semester and hope you've enjoyed mine!

Good luck to everyone!