Personal identity / digital identity

Contextualisation

ODIMET is an Erasmus+ supported project that started in March 2021 and ends in March 2023.

During the first year of this project, 6 Austrian and 2 French classes had the opportunity to work on interculturality and multilingualism through video correspondence on eTwinning.

This year, the focus will be on digital citizenship with the participation of French, Austrian and Belgian classes. The Austrian classes participating this year are the same as last year. They will therefore be able to share their experience of the last year.

We therefore propose to start a cycle of 3 workshops around digital citizenship which integrates however some notions of interculturality and multilingualism.

The 1st workshop of this cycle will focus on the notion of personal and digital identity. Let’s go!

Objectives of the activity

For this activity we propose to think about personal identity and digital identity.

For a few months, students will be sharing online, but what do they know about this environment?

It is a space that they share beyond land borders. But, are there any rules, how is it organized?

By creating an account on the Internet, they create their digital identity. What does this involve? What is a digital identity? Is it different from their personal identity?

The main objectives of this activity:

• Question your digital identity, make a distinction between digital and personal identity

What does the activity consist of? How to achieve it?

Duration of the activity : 1h

Introduction: discussion and defintion of terms 20 min

Question and answer time around the students’ activities:

• What is a personal identity? What does it include?

Ex: What is it written on your identity card? Who knows the information on his identity card? How is it useful?

• How do you present yourself?
• Is your personal identity the same on the internet?
• Have you ever been alone on the internet?

• What do you do on the internet?
• Do you think there are risks on the internet?
• Do you have to say everything on the internet?

Elements of a response:

The identity is a set of data, elements that identifies each person and that allow to differentiate him from others.

Civil identity is all the information that is on our identity card.

On the other hand, our digital identity is the one we have to build! You don’t have to give your real name for example. Or to show his real face. In reality, the digital identity is the one that we choose to show to web users (other people on the web) on the Internet.

Example :

• In France, squeezie is a nickname used by a youtuber. This is not his real name and yet this is how we recognize him.

• In Belgium there are Jimmy Labeeu or Aurélien Sama.

• In Austria there is : Chaosflo44 (which creates content on the game Minecraft).

Then explain that there is a difference between civil identity and digital identity.

You can’t lie about your civil identity on your identity card: the name,

address, date and place of birth, height, eye color, or even the

signature are true. Digital identity is our identity on the Internet. We

are not obliged to give our real names for example. Or to show his real face.

In reality, the digital identity is the one that we choose to show to web users (other people on the web) on the Internet. Digital identity is made of public information about us.

There are also risks in giving out real information about yourself. Some may use it to make people believe they are you against your will. This is called identity theft. Brands and companies can also collect information about you to try to build advertisements especially for you, and products you are most likely to buy!

Activity: create your personal avatar: 30 min

In order to participate in the exchanges and for each child to introduce himself to start the exchanges, each one will create his avatar, but what is an avatar?

Definition of an avatar: A virtual character that a computer user chooses to represent him graphically in an electronic game or in a virtual meeting place.

This activity invites children to create their own virtual identity in order to better understand the issues and differences between digital and real-world identities.

Equipment needed:

Scissors

Glue

Felt Pens

Pencils

Pens

Sheets

If you can, print out avatar images, and if possible, images of the students (perhaps you have a passport photo of each one for example).

You can also print beach, forest, house, or student class photos if you have them! (see the appendices below to download for examples).

These photos will be used to create the virtual identity cards, which must also be printed: one is needed per student. You will tell students that they can put a picture of a beach, for example, if they want to share a picture of their vacation on the Internet.

If you don’t have any, you can let the children draw them but it will take longer to complete the activity.

Activity course:

Distribute the blank digital identity sheet below (you may want to give out additional blank sheets).

Each student will have to create his own digital identity. They therefore fill in the fields in the attached document. Don’t hesitate to remind them that they don’t have to put in real information, just information so that they can be recognized on the Internet.

When they are done, let them present their virtual identity. Ask them about the choices to put real information or not.

You can also use the model shared by the Austrian classes if it seems simpler:

Recap! 10 minutes

Oral presentation of the difference between personal and digital identity and definition of an avatar.

New questions to open a new debate, which prepares the next activity on digital citizenship:

• Can an identity be collective?
• What is the symbol of a collective mascot?

For ODIMET, after thinking about your personal avatar, you will be asked to think about a collective mascot to represent all classes participating in ODIMET.

You can close this activity with a quick talk in order to gather

their opinions on identity theft, data recovery, and the use of the Internet.

through social networks….

How to share the students’ production?

You can share the students’ avatars by taking pictures of them and upload them to the project’s dedicated exchange group on the site.

You can also make a video where you film your students presenting their avatar and explaining their choice using the “Clap!”

Don’t forget, all the resources / guides to help you make a video, but also all the proposed activities and educational sheets are available on the ODIMET website.

1. How long can you perform the activity?

We give you 1 month to complete this first activity. It is desirable that you have posted your first productions at the latest the week of January 05, 2023.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us by mail:

garance.simoneau@parlemonde.org (referent in France)

claudia.mewald@ph-noe.ac.at (referent in Austria)

See you soon !