Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Footprints, Distraction and Bullying...Oh My!

As the school year starts spiraling into full swing, I'm excited to be contributing in a "Digital Citizenship Bootcamp" of sorts. We're going to be talking about three things over three days---Managing your digital footprint, bullying (including cyberbullying) and digital distraction. All three are super important and I'm thrilled to see them each getting some attention, but I'm focusing on cyberbullying...which is interesting! My position, as someone who was bullied in school all the way through high school is one that is both relevant and difficult, in terms of this presentation. By the time I was in high school, I had long since learned to "rise above" and not bat an eye if insecure jerks were, say, pelting apples from the third floor balcony at me and my little group of weird, but totally awesome, friends. I felt more sorry for them than I did myself because I was weird, did not fit in and, honestly, preferred it that way. So I'm not so good at talking about the "feelings" part of bullying, which led to a panic over planning this session, which then led to the brilliant (if I do say so myself) idea to get the school counselor involved! Together, we are putting together something that is both practical and emotional. I can't wait!