The more African students use technology the more they create a digital footprint that will build in global significance.

African students are being judged, evaluated, and scrutinized by their digital content as they mature into digital citizens advancing in higher education and deciding on career fields that are technology based and not the traditional careers that society or foreign companies try to condition them to take.


“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

William Butler Yeats

Social media content can influence the future opportunities for African students, the mistakes of a past wrong action or choice can come back to haunt a person especially if someone is out to hurt reputations. The ability to extend your credibility because of technology can happen by influencing E-reputations and E-personalities.

African students across their nation and even their continent need to be
involved in,  associated with and actively participate in positive educational, social and leadership building experiences.

Social Media is a platform that can build a student’s brand or potentially destroy it before it can ever get started.

It is important that African students understand the importance of what their developing brand and what digital reputations are capable of achieving. Branding and reputations are collaborations, students can market themselves by developing a trusted and respected personal or entrepreneurial brand.

A Brand is a promise to whatever aspirations to be and must be protected and guarded by strategically planning. Understanding the abilities, recognizing talents, building skills and planning strategies that involve growth and staying away from stupid stuff.


“It takes years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Warren Buffett

It is important that a students’ E-reputation (electronic reputation) and E-personalities (electronic personality) be protected at all costs because the infusion, integration, and engagement of technology allows for being seen on a global platform of global connectivity.

Branding is not the style in clothes, current footwear fads, artistic hairstyles, video gaming high scores or even the latest language slang; it is being academically prepared, professionally aware in a highly competitive and diverse world on a foundation level based on education, personal growth, and improvement.

As a higher education instructor, I encourage my students to connect with others in their major study to share information about best practices, experiences, resources, and even to collaborate on projects.

Learning takes place outside of the classroom just as effective if not more than in the classroom.


“A good reputation is more valuable than money.”

Publilius Syrus

African students just as students around the world need to understand that their lives are under scrutiny, people are watching their personal decisions that are projected on digital canvases that the world is watching.

Whom they are associated with; “guilt by association” and alliances. It is important to strategically place themselves where they can network to increase their visibility to others who have similar interests and goals and build that brand.

The hope is to help students of all levels and their parents understand that associations do matter.

Branding can earn scholarships, internships and increase employment options.

In today’s society, parental guidance is needed, but if parents are not knowledgeable about technology the whole family must learn together.

E-reputation, E-personality, social branding, and the perceptions that people have to play a strong part in the branding of students and influences their future. African students should ask themselves how do they perceive themselves and how do others perceive them, do these match and what are the differences and similarities.

This encourages areas to be addressed that need strengthening, modification, and weaknesses.


“Everywhere I go, I’m second to arrive. My reputation precedes me.”

Jarod Kintz

In this world of constant technological change, competitiveness, cultural diversity and lifestyle decisions students globally must leverage their greatest asset THEMSELVES in their Brands. The contributions in the blog are from Jon and Josh’s students attending Edward Waters College millennials that are attending conferences, WordCamp, EdCamp, WordPress, and TEDxFSCJ. They are defining their culture and developing their Brands.

Resources:
Guy Kawasaki | If I Knew Then What I Know Now | SXSWedu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF3ETXzVm-g
MC Hammer | Using Social Media to Develop Your Brand https://youtu.be/QZn-yn6V_As
Systems of adversity: for the love of teaching | Rusul Alrubail | TEDxKitchenerED https://youtu.be/CzHP-PIFBH0
The Danger of a Single Story | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie https://youtu.be/D9Ihs241zeg
Survival of the Fittest Through Intelligence https://knowledgeablelearners.wordpress.com/2016/12/18/survival-of-the-fittest/
EdCampUSA in Philadelphia
http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/williamdjackson/TEDxFSCJ%202016%20Salon/story

This story was written by William Jackson, M.Ed., Josh Rodriguez and Jon Gregory
@wmjackson #MyQuestToTeach