{"id":18820,"date":"2018-02-06T11:08:16","date_gmt":"2018-02-06T15:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"\/community\/the-english-community\/bedford-bits\/blog\/2018\/02\/06\/online-identity-revision-plans"},"modified":"2023-06-21T05:31:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T09:31:08","slug":"online-identity-revision-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tengrrl.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/06\/online-identity-revision-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Online Identity Revision Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Several years ago, I developed a revision plan assignment<\/strong><\/a>, based on information I first found on Kristin Arola’s website<\/strong><\/a> and that is also discussed in Writer\/Designer<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, the textbook I was using for a multimodal composing course I was teaching at the time.<\/p>\n

In my version of the activity, students wrote a revision plan for their websites instead of rewriting the sites. I certainly believe students benefit from rewriting and revising, but there are situations where it’s not practical or even possible to have students revise a project. This week, I want to discuss using this strategy to ask students to evaluate their online identity and make a plan to improve it.<\/p>\n

Why Plan Instead of Revise?<\/h2>\n

In the case of online identities, students won’t have time to demonstrate concrete improvements to their online identity beyond simple and cursory changes. It takes a while to remove problematic photos, eliminate troublesome websites, and delete questionable social media accounts. The Internet has a long memory unfortunately.<\/p>\n

Further, cleaning up your online identity requires an ongoing process, so students need to develop a plan to continue monitoring their online identities so that they can take action when necessary. Creating a long-term plan will be more useful than making a few short-term fixes.<\/p>\n

Why Does Online Identity Matter?<\/h2>\n

Chances are that students already know that their online identity matters. If students completed the project to research a public figure’s online identity<\/a><\/strong>, they have already had a chance to think about how what they post online and what others post online about them shapes what people think about them.<\/p>\n

You can use the infographic (full-size version<\/a><\/strong>) on the right, from kbsd<\/a><\/strong>, to review the importance of establishing a strong, positive online identity. Sections 1, 2, and 3 directly address why online identity matters and how it can affect a person’s career.<\/p>\n

Once students understand the goal for the revision plan, they’re ready for the assignment.<\/p>\n

The Online Identity Revision Plan Assignment<\/h2>\n
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  1. Ask students to begin by assessing their online identities. If they mapped their online identities<\/a><\/strong>, they can return to their maps as a starting place.<\/li>\n
  2. Have students explore their identities by using the tips in the “Stay on Top of Things” category of Section 4 of the infographic. The class can brainstorm additional online spaces to check.<\/li>\n
  3. Encourage students to gather all evidence they find—the good, the bad, and the neutral. Everything they find will contribute to the plan they make.<\/li>\n
  4. Provide the following brainstorming questions to help students gather ideas for their revision plans:\n