Activity #7 PD Site

My PD Website

Activity #6 Case Study:

1.     Introduction of the problem- What happened regarding fair use in education in this scenario?

In this scenario, a classroom project was given to create a virtual zoo.  Students used the Flickr website to get photos and use them in building their online zoo.  The students researched copyright laws and discussed the fair use policy with their instructors.  The problem arises when an e-mail is received by one of the instructors (from an author of a picture used) regarding the use of the photograph in the virtual zoo.  The author feels it is “stealing” because the student took their pictures and used them without their permission.

2.     Analysis of the response- Was the Technology Integration Mentor correct in her response to the email the school received?  Provide evidence from your reading this week.  

I believe the Technology Integration Mentor was correct in her response to the email.  In the article regarding copyright, it deemed fair use in effect when it is being use for non-profit educational purposes.  The class was citing all images back to the original author and did increase the value of the image by putting it on their virtual zoo website.  The teacher was also correct that while the author has “some” rights to the photo it was on Flickr which allows her students to access it.

3.     Your response- What would you have done if you were the adult in charge in this situation?  You can piggy back on the Technology Integration Mentor's response or compose a completely new one.  Use evidence from your reading this week (other readings from previous weeks may also help).

I would do nearly exactly what the Technology Integration Mentor did in the video.  She explained why her students were NOT stealing the work, and they gave the photographer full credit for producing it.  The students reflecting on the project was also a key component to help them understand the copyright infringement and fair use policy.  I know the principal was copied into the e-mail, but I would also copy in the superintendent so they are aware of the situation.  While my response to the photographer would be similar to the Technology Integration Mentor’s, there is one thing I would add.  After reading the article regarding “bad manners” in fair use, I would apologize to the photographer for not first getting their permission.  I would explain that my students can legally use the image, but they should have asked, in order to make the author aware of the images being used.  This situation shows, you never know who you will offend by using their work, so asking permission first is a great way to avoid any conflict.

Reflective Post #6: Copyright and Creative Commons

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html  Summary:

                The website summarizes what the “fair use” doctrine is and how it was developed throughout the course of a substantial amount of years in court decisions.  Section 107 shows us what factors are deemed “fair.”

1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
2. The nature of the copyrighted work
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work

 However, fair use is never clear-cut, and almost always there are outlying factors that need to be taken into consideration.  “There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission.”  The website also says the best way to ensure no copyright laws are broken is to contact the owner of the copyright and get permission to use their work.  If the copyright owner cannot be contacted, you should either A) avoid using the material or B) make sure it does fall under the doctrine of fair use.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280.shtml  Summary:

                This website sets out to help teachers understand what copyright laws are and how they are broken in a five step model.  Step one: We learn that most people “get away” with copyright infringement because of a lack of “police.”  Then, we see an example of a teacher breaking the copyright law.  The basics of the copyright law are given next, including the short list of works that are not copyrighted.  Then, we see other intangible works that aren’t copyrighted.

                In Part 2, the website provides details about fair use.  It provides the factors that determine whether the fair use policy can be used.  Teachers are then given several guidelines to follow that fall under the fair use policy.  These guidelines allow teachers to copy: a chapter from a book, excerpt from a children’s book/similar work (not more than 10%), poem <250 words, article/short story (<10%), and a graph/chart/diagram/etc. from a book/periodical/newspaper.  The guidelines do not allow teachers to: make multiple copies as a substitute for the work, copy the same work for >1 semester/class/course, copy the same work >9 times a semester, use it for commercial purposes, or use work without attributing the author.  We are then given guidelines for showing music, tv, and videotapes, in the classroom.  If any of these laws are broken, most times, teachers will not face prison time, but should stop the use of the copyrighted material immediately.

                Part 3 is the Copyright Law and New Technologies.  The website shows us what internet resources we can and cannot use in the classroom.  They give us a look at copying quotes from e-mails, downloading graphics, etc.  Even if you aren’t required to ask permission, it is considered bad manners to NOT ask permission.  Finally, we get a look at software copyright laws and how those affect the classroom.  There are guidelines involving what programs you can and cannot install on more devices, and tips to read all licensing agreements for programs you use.  Part 4 builds off part 3, by involving fair use and new technologies.  We first get the background of how fair use was implemented for teachers and librarians.  Next, the website shows us what teachers can/cannot do to implement copyrighted material into their classroom, but still fall under “fair use.”  Then, software guidelines are given to us and lastly, we look at the CONFU guidelines for new technologies.

                In Part 5, the website shares liability and teaching responsibility are presented to the reader.  Tips for school districts are given to ensure liability is limited.  The teachers are also recommended to show students about copyright laws and share information with them, so students have some responsibility regarding copyright infringement.  Finally, a “test” is given to summarize the website’s five parts.

http://creativecommons.org/about  Summary:

                This website defines creative commons as “a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools.”  Creative commons gives people the rights to use and build upon your work as part of their licensing.  It isn’t an alternative to copyright, but it helps you modify copyrights.  The organization provides their mission and vision, followed by why to use creative commons and what they can provide to you.  The website also has the support of volunteers around the world, and you can volunteer alongside them.  Creative commons is trying to open the licensing of the internet and allow a greater access to its materials.  There are also links about current/future projects, licensing, and ways you can support the website.

http://creativecommons.org/education  Summary:

                This builds off the homepage of creativecommons.org.  It shows how creative commons is impacting education in the 21^st Century.  The OER (Open Educational Resources) allow teachers and students to have free access to textbooks, lessons, worksheets, etc. that may not be available under copyright laws.  Then, we get a look at some of the “big-wigs” for the CC initiative in education (ex: Khan Academy).  Next, we are given a list of CC projects like: School of Open, Open Policy Network, Our Professionals Education Network, and Learning Resource Metadata Initiative.

Response:

After reading through all of the copyright websites, I realized that I do in fact break some copyright laws from time to time.  In college, I don’t believe we ever looked at any of the copyright laws or fair use laws in any of my classes.  I remember doing something with copyright in high school, but it was geared more towards books, magazines, newspapers, etc.  I know copyright laws are very important and I do need to inform my students of how to cite, get permission, and use other people’s works without breaking these laws.

                I really like what Creative Commons is trying to do in terms of “spreading the wealth.”  It seems like they are on the right track toward incorporating more collaboration without the “fear” of copyright infringement.  I know for several research projects I’ve done, in the past, I never know what I can and cannot use without breaking copyright laws.  It is frustrating as a researcher to have access to the information, but not be able to use it, or only be able to use certain parts of it without permission.

Activity #5: Response to Email

Scenario 4

You set up a class wiki using students’ first names and last initial.  On the site, you monitor any outside comments by having them emailed to you first and then approved.  While researching the planets, one student copies and pastes an entire section from a website without citing the source, even though you explained to the class the appropriate way to use and cite electronic resources.  You make the student take down the information immediately and serve a lunch detention for not following rather serious directions.  The following day, you receive this email from his father, with the superintendent copied:

Dear Mr. Franklin,

It has come to my attention that my son, Nick West, served a detention for copying information from one website to your class wiki.  Although I agree that he shouldn’t have copied information without citing his source, I have looked over this wiki and I see that you have students using their real names.  Is this not a violation of my son’s privacy?  Why was I not asked permission before my minor son participated in creating a site that the whole world has access to?

Mr. West

Dear Mr. West,

            I have talked with Nick and he agrees that plagiarism is a serious offense.  He and I will be working together to cite information from the site so he can post it to his wiki.  We reviewed the internet safety and appropriate use form to make sure we understood all guidelines.  In response to his wiki, he, and all the other students, use their first name and last initial on the wiki.  I am monitoring all comments and posts through my email, and people outside the wiki cannot “find” our location.

            By signing the AUP at the beginning of the year, you did give us permission to use the internet in our classroom.  Per the AUP, “To the extent that proprietary rights in the design of a website hosted on the Board's servers would vest in student upon creation, I agree to assign those rights to the Board.”  However, if you would like us to change Nick’s name on the wiki, I am more than happy to oblige, as long as he always updates/adds information using this name, for grading purposes.

Thanks,

Mr. Franklin

Reflective Post #5: Digital Citizens, Cyber Bullying, and Video Games

Digital Citizenship in Schools Summary:

            This article sets out to make sure teachers prepare their students to become digital citizens with the increasing use of technology in the classroom and at home.  The article summarizes the nine elements of being a digital citizen and gives examples of appropriate/inappropriate use.  Element one is digital access or, full electronic participation in society.  Appropriate digital access includes providing students with technology to use in and out of the classroom (ex: one to one laptop program).  Inappropriate use includes failing to accommodate students who don’t have access to technology.  Element two is digital commerce or, the electronic buying and selling of goods.  Appropriate use would be informing students how to safely purchase online goods, while inappropriate use includes leaving students open to identity theft.  Element three is digital communication or, the electronic exchange of information.  Appropriate use: use blogs to inform parents.  Inappropriate use: students are texting during class.  Next, is digital literacy or, the process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology.  Appropriate use: online courses.  Inappropriate use: not providing online resources for students.  Element five is digital etiquette or, the electronic standards of conduct or procedure.  Appropriate use: engaging in chat room after learning rules.  Inappropriate use: texting in class about non-related topics.  Element six is digital law or, the electronic responsibility for actions and deeds.  Legal use: students follow copyright laws.  Illegal use: students download illegally from internet.  Element seven is digital rights and responsibilities or, those requirements and freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world.  Appropriate use: students citing resources.  Inappropriate use:  students plagiarizing.  Element eight is digital health and wellness or, physical and psychological well-being in a digital technology world.  Appropriate use: promoting health and well being online.  Inappropriate use: ignoring physical effects of technology on students.  The ninth, and final, element is digital security or, the electronic precautions to guarantee safety.  Appropriate use: utilizing firewalls, anti-virus, etc.  Inappropriate use: failure to maintain updates and/or patches.

Stopbullying.gov Summary:

            The website is a government run site, used to promote information to parents/teachers/students/etc. about bullying.  The website defines bullying and all “genres” including: verbal, social, physical, and cyber bullying.  The site provides examples, where/when it happens, and ways to diffuse bullying situations.  The site also provides resources to help children understand bullying in the classroom, on the playground, and online.  Contact information is given to help parents, teachers, and students report incidents of bullying or severe child behaviors that are out of the norm.  The website also shows valuable ways to prevent bullying and how to deal with a bully when no adult is around.  Warning signs, risk factors, and effects of bullying can also be found on this website.

When Playing Video Games Means Sitting on Life’s Sidelines Summary:

            This article tells the life story of Joey M’Poko and his battle with addiction to video games.  The article starts out by showing us the reSTART program located near Seattle.  We quickly learn that Joey was addicted to video games, and like many, his life was being impacted negatively because of it.  The reSTART program focuses on fighting the addiction with nature and withdrawing the patients from video games.  We see what the basic layout of the camp is, and how they work to break the addiction.  It takes rebuilding and one hundred percent dedication to help fix the addiction and get the patients’ lives back on track.  The patients have to remain focused, dedicated, and take things one step at a time to avoid a relapse.

Response:

            After reading the first article, it seems funny to me that I’ve never thought about “digital citizenship” in that way.  In all of my years of schooling and in my first two years of teaching, I’ve never felt it necessary to “teach” students how to behave online, and how to follow the set of standards/laws/etc. they will encounter.  I have seen several anti-bullying websites/programs available and have used several of those, but they don’t seem to cover the copyright laws, plagiarism, security (identity theft), anti-virus, or online shopping.  This is definitely something I will consider covering as I continue to work online with students.

            The video game article was very surprising to me.  I know gaming addictions exist, but I did not realize they get to the extent of gaming for 42 hours straight.  I also saw an article through a Google search, where a man died because he “forgot” to eat/sleep while playing a video game at an online café for 4 days.  I know that people do use these types of alternate realities as an escape, and I will do a better job to monitor my students’ internet usage.  I could implement a survey to see about how many hours a day or a week students are online or playing video games.

            I also found some of the video game article to be misleading.  The quote from Hilarie Cash “Are you getting enough exercise, sleep and quality time with the people you care about? "If [the behavior] is interfering, then there's a problem there somewhere,"” seems to be very misleading in my opinion.  I have enjoyed playing video games, sports, etc. and I know of several people who spend time doing countless other activities that take away from sleep, exercise, etc. yet, they are not addicted.  The is such a fine line between addiction and doing something you enjoy and I think that is one of the hardest things for people to grasp.  I think that is one of the reasons people can “grow” into an addiction, because, at first, it is just something they enjoy doing.

Activity #4: Collective Intelligences

                After completing the Collective Intelligence Activity I think this is something I could incorporate into my math classroom.  I could put the students in groups of 5 or 6 and have them create “mini” collective intelligences to present to the class.  I’ve seen that students can put together and share resources with one another and the topic is free to change at times and engage students in further research.  I really liked the way different “topics” and research came about in the collective intelligence.  It was neat to see how other people think and share their own ideas through videos, pictures, and articles.  I do think I would need to set more specific parameters for the sixth graders, but that wouldn’t be a big problem.  I would also like the students to be a little bit more structured in terms of who wrote what.  The biggest thing is that the students are participating and engaging in the activity, not just letting everyone else post and taking credit for it.  At times in our activity it was hard to tell who wrote what, or who was responding to whom in their responses.  I really liked the freedom the collective intelligence allowed and I would definitely like to complete one in my class.

                As stated in my earlier response to the readings, some of the things we did in the collective intelligence were “off” topic or moving away from the original subject.  While that is alright for the purpose we were using it for, I do see that potential to shift directions as a problem for sixth grade students.  On one hand, it is great because the students will engage in the research and post opinions and responses to one another if they get more off-topic.  However, at the same time, I would like the students to stay as closely related to math as possible so stricter guidelines may need to be implemented.  I still feel that my sixth graders would need a solid two weeks to learn how to post to the collective intelligence as they are not very “tech savvy.”  They’ve not had any technology work at all before this year and several students still need help logging in.  While it is not impossible, it will take some more time to implement something like this.

Reflective Post #4: Collective Intelligence and Personal Learning Environments

Collective Intelligence: What it could mean for education Summary:

In Bullock’s Article, he describes why the digital natives and digital immigrants shouldn’t be separated, but be working together through collective intelligence.  Bullock says that technology (Web 2.0) can be used to reform the education system in North America in “powerful ways.”  The education system in NA is geared for the individual and is restrictive to collaboration and group efforts.  However, by adopting collective intelligence, NA can promote collaboration, cooperation, and sharing of information through the use of social media, wikis, and documents.  Bullock says “Teacher educators have a golden opportunity to disrupt the effects of mass acculturation through traditional schooling by using digital technologies that are likely to contribute to collective intelligence.”

How Collective Intelligence Redefines Education Summary:

                In this article, Ilon first explains how the school system is “governed” from the top down.  He shows how the student is set up to learn “facts” from the so-called “experts” in each field.  This way, the student can be accurately tested and the growth/understanding can be measured.  He points out that a school is setup similar to a factory, where all working parts are trying to create the same end product.  He states in today’s current system there is no place for collective intelligence.  Ilon also points out the fact that many schools have sites such as Wikipedia.com blocked from use.  One of the biggest factors to overcome, in implementing collective intelligence, is the structure of the current system.  The article states, “If formal educational systems are to embrace collective intelligence, they will require a systemic revamp.”  Ilon then goes on to illustrate how effective collective intelligence can be in the education system with examples of use in the real world.  By relating the collective intelligence system to our current economic system, Ilon claims that collective intelligence is valid and we can use our economic system as the framework.

7 Things You Should Know About Personal Learning Environments Summary:

                A personal learning environment or PLE “describes the tools, communities, and services that constitute the individual educational platforms learners use to direct their own learning and pursue educational goals.”  These differ from LMS’s (learning management system) which are more course-centric.  The article summarizes the growing use of PLEs in colleges and universities and where the future of PLEs could take education.  The effects PLEs could have on the classroom are endless, but the article focuses on the collaboration and orchestration of collecting information, rather than memorizing facts.  The drawbacks, as shown in the article, would include students referencing resources that are “taken down” or no longer available through technology and students misinterpreting opinion for fact.

PLE Video Summary:

                The student begins by showing us how her PLE is set up.  She is working through Google docs and has her background separated by academics and personal files.  She starts by showing us some of the features of her Google docs and then jumps into her agenda for science class.  We see she is doing a report on animals, more specifically the box jellyfish.  She shows us where she got her information and how she created a glogster (page of information) to display the research she found.  She shows us numerous ways in which she is peer reviewed and even contacts a couple “experts” on box jellyfish to check her work.  At the end of the video, the student comments on how much better it is to research in this fashion rather than using a textbook or notebook and paper.

Reflection:

After reading the first two articles on collective intelligence, I can see the benefits and why people are pushing to implement this system into education.  It is a great way to instill collaboration and cooperation between peers, students-teachers-parents, and worldwide classrooms.  People sharing, adding, collection, and organizing information to work toward the same goal can only lead to good things.  As Ilon’s article states, the current system we have implemented will need to be reformed before we can incorporate collective intelligence.  I find myself trying to implement these types of projects/methods of learning, but I find I don’t have time and I know other teachers out there who feel the same.  I don’t mean time in a day or time to plan, but with the “almighty” test approaching, there is no time to steer off course from that material.

We just had a county wide meeting where our curriculum director talked to us about teaching to the test because in the future we might move to merit pay…  She said people always ask why she wants us to teach to the test, and her response was “is there anything on the test you don’t think the students should know?”  Well, this is where the problem lies.  While everything on the test may be important, who is to say that Johnny or Susie doesn’t know the material because they didn’t answer one question about it correctly at that one time.  This is where collective intelligence could benefit students because they will have access to the information and can utilize available resources rather than memorizing facts.

The article and video on PLEs was very interesting.  I enjoyed seeing a PLE in action, and would like to utilize that in my own classroom.  The PLEs allow students to work through at their own pace with more internal goals driving their learning.  One flaw I see in my own classroom, however, is the fact that students have no technology skills to begin with.  At my school district, we do not have any technology classes until high school, so setting up something like a PLE will take months, starting with the basics of technology.  Granted, there will be students, who know how to do/pick up on things easily, but overall, it will take time (and again time is something I don’t have to give).

I would like to see a reform of the current system.  The push with differentiation is a step in the right direction, but even so, we are differentiating the students to learn the same thing for the same test.  Hopefully in the future we will see collective intelligence utilized and PLEs set up in the classroom, but with the current structure of our education system I don’t think it will happen.