Copyright

Critical Reflection #4

According to the Copyright Frequently Asked Questions page on teachingcopyright.org, "Copyright is a form of legal protection automatically provided to the authors of 'original works of authorship,' including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works." Basically, any idea is automatically protected from misuse. When something is created, copyright laws are immediately in effect, and it lasts, in most cases, until 70 years after the death of the creator. When someone fails to obey the copyright laws, it's called copyright infringement. If someone were to infringe on a creators copyright policy, they may have to pay the owner the amount of money they originally would have made from the creation. It is recommended that creators make their copyright information known to the public, but since 1989, it is no longer required to do so. That's why it is so important for students to thoroughly know the basic laws of copyright when they are creating in the classroom. 

Rules in the classroom are slightly different than the regular copyright laws. If something is being copied or used for educational purposes only, and no money is being made, it can be called Fair Use. To make this easier to understand for myself, I found some examples of Fair Use in the classroom from the Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology website:

1. A teacher copies one article from a periodical for distribution to the class, but it is recycled after use.
2. A student gives a presentation using pictures he/she did not have direct permission to use. 
3. A teacher shows a copyrighted movie to her class for instructional purposes, but does not charge an admission fee. 
4. A student or teacher used copyrighted music in an instructional presentation. 
5. A teacher copies a Shakespearian play from a copyrighted anthology - the play is in a public domain and not subjected to copyright. 

Critical Thinking Reflection # 3

Critical Reflection #3

            On the Google Apps website, there is a list of the “Top 10 reasons to use Google Apps.”  The number one reason listed was that students love it, and I would have to agree. Google has become a huge part of today’s culture. What happens when the answer to a question is unknown? It is “Googled,” and 3 seconds later, and answer is found. Kids know how to use Google, and they like using it. Getting kids using Google Apps will make them excited to use their computer to learn.

            The next reason to use Google Apps in the school is that it will “free up your IT.” Instead of the IT employees having to keep the school’s web system up and running, the job is passed off to Google. It is a safe and reliable email system to give to students, and as was said previously, they often already know how to use it or have their own account.

            The final reason was very important to me as a future educator. Google says that their apps are as secure and safe to use as “…well, Google.” Google says that they use their apps to run their own company, so they are confident in the fact that your information will be safe online, and privacy will be protected. This is incredibly important when children are going to be online. Safety is the biggest priority. 

Critical Reflection #2

Mark Prensky. Find more information about him on his website.

Eliminating the "App Gap"
By Marc Prensky

This article was extremely interesting. Several people in my family have had an iPod Touch for years now, but I had never really thought of it as an educational tool. It’s mostly been used for many hours of Angry Birds, quite honestly. Marc made a really great argument for using them for educatio, as well as recreation. He talked about how his first grade son has his own iPod Touch, and he uses it to play several different educational games. This little boy even learned the alphabet in two different languages by using a letter tracing app. New apps are coming out every day, and Marc believes that schools should utilize the resource they have right in front of them. He even says that he thinks apps are better than using textbooks.

Now, my main concern would be the funding. He’s right when he says that apps are cheap, and most of the time, they’re even free. I also agree that the costs of iPods have decreased significantly, but there are still going to be those families who aren’t going to be able to swing $200 for an iPod Touch. There would have to be some sort of a scholarship program put in place, but I’m also a little skeptical about where that money would come from. Schools don’t have any extra money just laying around. Marc does make a good financial point, however, when he says that apps would cost far less than buying huge, expensive suit packages for computers. If an app were to be released with a similar quality to the expensive computer programs, it would be totally worth it to save some money. Hey, if Marc Prensky can figure out how to make iPods in school work for every student, I support him completely!

Critical Thinking Reflection #1

Photo by Lexie Flickinger/Brad Flickinger.

Critical Thinking Reflection #1

Brad’s Educational Technology Bill of Rights is phenomenal! I wish that my school would have been more accepting of technology. For example, he suggests that teachers make use of the fact that students are on social networking sites. I love the idea of using Facebook to communicate with students, because it would get the job done much more effectively than other forms of communication. Facebook is what kids use, and if teachers are willing to use it too, students are going to respond well. I also think the part about Wikipedia is interesting. Teachers talk so vehemently about Wikipedia, but I really don’t see the problem with using it, as long as the information is verified. Wikipedia is a fast way to get a summary about any topic in the world. Finally, I love his last commandment, “I have the right to be taught by teachers that know their trade.” As a teacher in training, I’m excited to prepare myself to be the best possible teacher I can be. If I don’t learn as much as I can, I’m not teaching up to my full potential.
The comments on the post are very mixed. Several people commend his writing, saying that they will be using his ideas in their own classroom. Other comments aren’t as supportive. One person goes so far as to say the list “infuriates” him or her, because there are legal complications that Brad fails to mention. Another comment says that his list is unrealistic for the world we live in. Whether one agrees with the entire list or not, it is safe to say that Brad Flickinger is passionate about technology, and everyone can learn something from him.