Have you heard of blurb?

So what is Blurb? I stumbled upon Blurb recently and was in awe of the functionality of this online bookmaking site. Unlike the traditional photo upload/book creating site this site has an added layer that takes it into another realm. Imagine creating a book rich with text, rich with photos, rich with collaboration? Yes, collaboration. Once you begin your book you can invite collaborators to view, edit and add a creative flair to your book. Experts from around the globe can help author your book…or not. It’s your choice as the author. Imagine the possibilities. A family trip with multiple family members from varying places can collaboratively work on a book, add photos, add comments, text, and dialog and ultimately order it to preserve their memories in a hard cover, bound book. A teacher can have students post poems, short stories, illustrations and generate a class book that surpasses any “notebook.” A yearbook can be created breaking the “traditional” mold of what a yearbook looks like. Blogs can seamlessly be imported from the host site and created into a book. The possibilities are endless.

Another interesting concept that blurb introduces is the option of having your book available for sale to the general public. Unlike the traditional sites, once your book is created it becomes available for sale through the site. Now I am not sure I would want to spend $50 on someone’s baby book, but the picture book of Kenya really caught my eye. The pictures were stunning.

So parents, I ask you “What are your plans this summer?” Why not break out the camera, photograph your child’s way through the summer and have them journal, write poems, add dialog. What a great learning tool for children. The fact that they will become published authors is reason enough for them to want to write. It may be easier then you think to get your kid to do some work this summer after all!

Digital Footprints....

(This was imported from my damaged site) Sunday, March 23, 2008

What is a digital footprint? What is the power of leaving a digital footprint? Why should we want to leave this footprint? Unlike footprints left in the sand at the beach, our online prints often linger around long after the tide has gone out. As more internet users become familiar with the idea of authoring and posting content online, they have also become more aware of the information that remains connected to their name online.

In 2007, a study was conducted and found users are becoming more aware of their digital footprint; 47% have searched for information about themselves online, up from just 22% five years ago.

There are two different types of digital footprints: Active and Passive. Passive footprints are not created deliberately by the user. This is information uploaded to the internet by way of companies providing public information. An active digital footprint is very different. It is the deliberate creation of this footprint. Facebook and MySpace are perfect examples of this. Bloggers write about their daily activities, include photos and movies to carve out their prints.

It is interesting to note that for all the content created on the internet in pretty much any forum: blogs, wikis, myspace, twitter, flickr, delicious, facebook, and the list goes on and on that wikipedia does not have an entry for Digital Footprint. So I decided to create one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_footprint I left it simple on purpose. My hopes are that many people will visit and edit so that it grows and grows allowing individuals to create their digital footprint on the very place that defines digital footprint.

Parents and educators need to be aware of what an active digital footprint is and teach their students/children responsibility and the appropriateness with this power. Our children can become published authors with a simple click. If we don’t teach them the lasting affects of their work we are doing them an injustice. Publishing work is a wonderful thing. Students and children should write and read as much as they can on the internet, but it is the content that requires a conversation and best modeling practices. In July 2007, Will Richardson blogged about digital footprints and how colleges look at it for admission. And if we don’t share with our students/children that colleges, potential employers, potential mates can use the way back machine to see archived sites as discussed by Alan November then again we have failed to give our kids a thorough 21st Century education.

It is important to encourage kids to use the internet as a social networking tool, publishing tool and research tool but it is as equally as important to teach them safe and appropriate use. Ignoring this role is ignoring the fundamentals of their way of learning, sharing, communicating and collaborating.