Participate 1.1.1 Character Traits

I love the idea of using technology to be a digital citizen.  One of the main ways that I use technology is through my neighborhood Facebook page.  It really brings the neighborhood closer, keeps people informed, fosters relationships, and provides useful information.  People post things about neighborhood events such as the pool opening, ask for and give feedback on house painters, and my personal favorite (I started this one:): the Wednesday night yoga group.  Regardless of the platform for digital citizenship there are a few traits that I find to be impressive character traits of an exemplary online digital citizen.  Here they are!

1. Constructive:  Technology is a great tool for giving and receiving feedback.  This may mean shopping online or it may mean grading a paper.  Either way, I think that being honest, fair, and thorough is very important.  If I'm reviewing the shoes that I ordered online it's not exactly fair or helpful to review them by saying just "I love/hate these shoes."  It is much more helpful to the consumer and to the retailer to give constructive pros and cons so that the consumer can make an informed decision and the retailer can have the opportunity to make improvements if necessary.  The same goes for a cohort, colleague, or instructor who may be giving feedback on an assignment.  It is very important to be critical but to always be respectful and thorough otherwise the feedback may not be helpful.

2.  Clear:  Tone of voice, facial expression, and body language are very important tools in communication.  These tools are sometimes lacking when communicating via technology.  Sense of humor, sarcasm, and personality idiosyncrasies often don't convey very well through written word; especially if you've never met the person face-to-face.  When communicating online, it's important to be clear in your message so that words are not misconstrued.

3. Comprehensive:  Mostly by being comprehensive I mean to be open minded in opinion as well as in use of new technologies.  One of my favorite aspects of the world of online education is that it is almost impossible to be an expert; the online world is ever-changing and it takes someone very open to change and to new ideas to keep up.

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