POSITIVE ONLINE

Positive Online Identities

Melissa Klein

Post University

EDU520: Digitally Mediated Teaching and Learning

Instructor Dr. Linda Kaiser

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Intro

Professional and positive online identities are important to make note of and

mirror in the current, increasingly, tech savvy world. A professional online identity is one

who upholds a standard of digital citizenship by: having digital etiquette, digital literacy,

knowing his or her digital responsibility, and observing digital health and wellness

(Ribble, 2011). This paper will discuss two educators who are excellent examples of

upholding professional and positive online identities. Understanding and observing the

specific platform of these positive identities will aid in formulating a personal online

identity that is positive and professional.

Positive Online Identities

Salman Khan is the first educator that will be discussed in order to highlight his

outstanding online reputation. Sal is the founder and CEO of the Khan Academy. The

Khan Academys mission on their website states, Our mission is to provide a free, world

class education for anyone, anywhere (Khan Academy, 2017). In 2004, Sal posted math

tutorial videos online to help his cousins, now there are over 6,500 educational videos

and 42 million users. The educational videos have expanded from math to economics,

health, computer science, art history and much more (Sal Khan et al, 2017). Sal is present

on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and has given lectures on

TedTalks. Sal has had an immense impact on the digital community in a very positive

way.
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The second educator that will be emphasized in this paper is Alex Corbitt. Alex is

an English middle school teacher in The Bronx, New York. He focuses on socio-

emotional learning, education technology, gramification, and literacy. Alex contributed to

student feedback, photography, and work samples in the second edition of 25 Quick

Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom. He writes book reviews for the

Journal of the National Counsel of Teachers of English. In June 2017, Alex was

recognized by Fordham University for his success in urban education (Corbitt, 2017). He

has a very active digital presence, he regularly posts on Twitter, has his own website,

email, and has a YouTube channel. He has made a large and positive impact on the

digital world.

Description of Data Collected

The components of data that will be collected on these subjects will be compiled

based on the article, 6 Keys to a Positive Online Presence and Reputation which

describes the essential elements that form a positive online identity. Theses elements are:

frequency of posts, content of posts, and collaboration with other business or

organizations in post content. The data collected will be documented in Table I (Sal

Khan) and Table II (Alex Corbitt) with daily monitoring of the individuals online

activity.

Table 1: Sal Khan

Date Source Type of Content Collaboration

11/2 YouTube India Talent

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Search-Looking

for teachers

Instagram/Twitter/
#Learnstorm
11/3 Nickelodeon
winners
Facebook

Sal visits Sesame

YouTube/Instagram/
11/3 Street to do an Sesame Street
Facebook
educational video

Disney is offering

free online classes

ABC, Disney,
11/6 Twitter on animations and
Pixar
filmmaking taught

be Pixar artists

Maria Curie photo

Instagram/Twitter/
and description of
11/7
her innovation in
Facebook
science

Shared the college

boards discussing

students who are

11/8 Twitter Chipubschools
using the khan

academy to study

for the SATs

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Learnstorm 2017

program quote

from national

geographic rep National

11/8 Twitter/Facebook The important Geographic and

thing is to learn Connect to good

from your mistakes

and never, ever,

ever give up

Table II-Alex Corbitt

Date Source Type of Content Collaboration

Education/

Nov 1 Twitter Teach Thought

9 Tenets of 21st

Century Learning

Education/

Nov 2 Twitter Finleyt

9 Problems with

Teaching to the Test

Education/
Nov 4 Twitter Impact Wales
7 Awesome ways to
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Check for

understanding

Education/

Nov 5 Twitter Finleyt

12 Time Savers for

Teachers

Education

Nov 6 Twitter Julie Woodward

8 Tips to make

vocabulary stick

Escribescribe,

Jocelyn Chadwick

Nov 7 Twitter Education/Collaboration Doug Hesse

Creative

Classrooms

Education/
Nov 7 Fountas Pinnell
Twitter
Thinking within,
Heinemann Pub
beyond and above texts

Advice/

Nov 8 Twitter Julie Woodard

How to grow from

change
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References

Corbitt, Alex, (2017). Hello, a bit about me. Retrieved from https://www.alexcorbitt.com

Khan Academy, (2017). About. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/about

Ribble, M. (2011). Digital Citizenship in Schools. Eugene, Or: International Society for

Technology in Education [ISTE].

Sal Khan at Ted2011, (2011). Lets use video to reinvent education. Retrieved from

https://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education#

t-66610

Zwilling, M. (2015). 6 keys to a positive online presence and reputation. Entrepreneur.

Retrieved from: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249053