Creative Commons is a non-profit organization that assists the average citizen who might want to protect his/her rights to ideas and creative work, but who doesn't necessarily have the understanding of how to do so and/or who might not want to completely block all use of the product or idea. As seen with the example of the bassist who contributed to the White Stripes album after it was released (on CreativeCommons.org), having the option to share your work with others can lead to some great collaborations with people you haven't even met. Because of this, ideas aren't created out of the ether and then left to get stagnant; they are developed, shared, and helped to grow into even more creative and amazing products.
With a standard copyright, you can't do anything with the product, whether it's to use it or to change it, without the express written permission of the person or group who owns the copyright. This means that using most of the copyrighted work out there requires a time-consuming process to get any permissions when it's difficult and/or not financially feasible to purchase rights. The CC copyright means that, as long as the creator has given permission as part of the copyright, people can have relatively free use of the product or idea. If the creator says that you can use it freely as long as you give him/her credit, then that frees the next person to use the creation, and maybe even build on it. This means that ideas around the world can be shared more freely, can develop and evolve more quickly, and can be used by the average person more easily than if a standard copyright had been used.
As an individual, this means that I can access ideas, software, music, movies, etc... that have the CC copyright and, if permission is already embedded in it, I can use these freely for my personal or professional life. As an LMT, this means that I can have access to all sorts of information online that I can use to benefit the teachers and students at my school. We can share lessons plans, unit plans, organizers, podcasts, vodcasts, movies, and all kinds of other creations to help our students to grow and learn. I can also use these items to promote the LMC and guide professional developments. And if I have some creation or idea, I now have a way to get it out there without worrying that I won't get credit for my own work.
And for a little fun with music copyright, here's a little Weird Al...
http://one.revver.com/watch/56451/format/flv/affiliate/24243
Friday, June 22, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Wiki
Wikis can be wonderful things if they are monitored correctly. Recently, in my ELIB 500 class, Dr. Farmer actually created a wiki for us to use for our weekly journal entries. For us, it was more like a "blog collective" where we each had our own "page" and posted almost exclusively to that. We commented on other pages using the comments option, but almost never actually went in to change someone else's page. We had created an unspoken "rule" about editing other people's journals.
In the regular wiki world, this rule may not really exist. In the case of Wikipedia, that rule has probably never been heard of. Wikis are designed to be added to and edited by the masses (or at least the masses of approved editors).
I can immediately think of some things that wikis can be used for in the class setting. For example, if a teacher were to assign a project, it could be something done as a group, and that group could be either in-class or across the classes. The wiki would provide a safe place where all the members of the group could put their ideas and write the project out. They could organize the duties of each member of the group and post their assignments as they completed them. The teacher could also have access to this wiki and occasionally go online to it to discuss progress, make suggestions, or correct misunderstandings or errors before the assignment is officially turned in. This kind of activity could create a true collaborative atmosphere among the teachers and students. The LMT could also have access to this wiki and use the space to select alternate sites of interest online for research and ideas, as well as books that might be available in the LMC for students to use to go into further depth on their project.
A wiki would also be an excellent place for teachers and the LMT to meet online to work on collaborative issues and create lesson/unit plans that could be used by everyone. If a school wanted to work on creating grade-level projects, a wiki would be great place for everyone to meet and discuss the projects without being forced to do it in between meetings, PDs, and other commitments. This could create a more collegial atmosphere where teachers could relax and feel free to express their opinions in a time and manner that is more suitable and comfortable for them.
The downside to all of this is that people have to 1) have access to a computer with Internet and 2) actually go online. There will always be some people who will refuse to go online and wait for others to do the work instead. And often those people then complain about the outcome. Luckily, the wiki's own editing feature usually includes the backlog of all edits, including who made the edits and when. With this, those who did not contribute to the task can be pulled aside and/or out of the equation when the product is completed. Students who didn't do the work won't get the points, and teachers who did not contribute won't get the credit for the final product.
In the regular wiki world, this rule may not really exist. In the case of Wikipedia, that rule has probably never been heard of. Wikis are designed to be added to and edited by the masses (or at least the masses of approved editors).
I can immediately think of some things that wikis can be used for in the class setting. For example, if a teacher were to assign a project, it could be something done as a group, and that group could be either in-class or across the classes. The wiki would provide a safe place where all the members of the group could put their ideas and write the project out. They could organize the duties of each member of the group and post their assignments as they completed them. The teacher could also have access to this wiki and occasionally go online to it to discuss progress, make suggestions, or correct misunderstandings or errors before the assignment is officially turned in. This kind of activity could create a true collaborative atmosphere among the teachers and students. The LMT could also have access to this wiki and use the space to select alternate sites of interest online for research and ideas, as well as books that might be available in the LMC for students to use to go into further depth on their project.
A wiki would also be an excellent place for teachers and the LMT to meet online to work on collaborative issues and create lesson/unit plans that could be used by everyone. If a school wanted to work on creating grade-level projects, a wiki would be great place for everyone to meet and discuss the projects without being forced to do it in between meetings, PDs, and other commitments. This could create a more collegial atmosphere where teachers could relax and feel free to express their opinions in a time and manner that is more suitable and comfortable for them.
The downside to all of this is that people have to 1) have access to a computer with Internet and 2) actually go online. There will always be some people who will refuse to go online and wait for others to do the work instead. And often those people then complain about the outcome. Luckily, the wiki's own editing feature usually includes the backlog of all edits, including who made the edits and when. With this, those who did not contribute to the task can be pulled aside and/or out of the equation when the product is completed. Students who didn't do the work won't get the points, and teachers who did not contribute won't get the credit for the final product.
CALIBK12
At the end of the management class last year, we were encouraged to subscribe to this listserv, so I went ahead and did so. Initially, what I saw was a mass of confusion and chaos, but that was only because subscribing to a listserv is like walking into the middle of a conversation. It takes a little time to sort out the many different voices to make a coherent discussion. Within a couple of weeks, some people began showing up as the sharers of knowledge, while others were obviously seekers. I was also a seeker at one point in February when I suddenly found myself needing a large amount of input in a very short span of time. It was amazing how quick the information got to me.
Some of the conversations on Calib get a little repetitive when new people join and ask questions that have been asked and answered over and over again. However, that doesn't make the conversations any less valid or important. There are the monthly requests for book titles on various subjects, the yearly summer reading lists, and the regular "what would you do?" questions. The Ed Code comes up often, so it's a great way to get familiar with the laws that govern us.
It's also a family atmosphere, and sometimes families fight. There is currently a discussion going on about "Richie's Picks". He regularly posts reviews of books that include anecdotes and reflections on politics. Recently, someone posted a request for him to stop "politicizing" his reviews. This person's post was met with a few responses from others who either criticized the critic, justified Richie's reasons, or praised Richie for his work. It may not have been the best way to respond, but it was a familial response that was given. And, given the types of responses that were posted to the listserv, it's curious to wonder about what might have been sent directly to the critic.
Overall, Calibk12 is a valuable resource of information where people can, usually, go to get information, post notices, request help, and generally share knowledge.
Some of the conversations on Calib get a little repetitive when new people join and ask questions that have been asked and answered over and over again. However, that doesn't make the conversations any less valid or important. There are the monthly requests for book titles on various subjects, the yearly summer reading lists, and the regular "what would you do?" questions. The Ed Code comes up often, so it's a great way to get familiar with the laws that govern us.
It's also a family atmosphere, and sometimes families fight. There is currently a discussion going on about "Richie's Picks". He regularly posts reviews of books that include anecdotes and reflections on politics. Recently, someone posted a request for him to stop "politicizing" his reviews. This person's post was met with a few responses from others who either criticized the critic, justified Richie's reasons, or praised Richie for his work. It may not have been the best way to respond, but it was a familial response that was given. And, given the types of responses that were posted to the listserv, it's curious to wonder about what might have been sent directly to the critic.
Overall, Calibk12 is a valuable resource of information where people can, usually, go to get information, post notices, request help, and generally share knowledge.
Monday, June 11, 2007
RSS
Having gone through some of the options available on Google Reader, I am struck by the many different things that I can do with the information that I can get here. As an LMT, I can stay current on book and author information, I can keep up with the latest trends in technology, I can find out the new techniques that students are using to get around technology in a way that can hurt themselves and others, and, most importantly, I can get information that will help me be a better LMT, a better teacher, and a better collaborator.
When it comes to teaching research to students, RSS is an excellent way to access current events and even current research on past events. However, considering the way that RSS functions, this is a feature that should probably used as a long-term research tool, rather than as a one- or two-time use program. If students only have 1-2 hours to research a topic online at the lab, and if they have no other access online, then setting up a Google account, getting Google Reader, and subscribing to RSS feeds will actually waste more time than it will save. If, however, these same students are doing a long-term project over the course of weeks/months, then RSS could be a real time saver, especially if we can teach students how to evaluate the veracity of the information provided on those feeds.
I believe that teachers will actually be able to find more to use out of this than students. Teachers can use this source to subscribe to journals, news feeds, magazines, etc. and then download the information that they are interested in to a folder that they can use to build up curricular projects and plan for the coming months. As technology speeds up, the information provided on these feeds will also speed up and, rather than being left in the dust, those of us who use RSS can instead keep pace with the rest of the world.
When it comes to teaching research to students, RSS is an excellent way to access current events and even current research on past events. However, considering the way that RSS functions, this is a feature that should probably used as a long-term research tool, rather than as a one- or two-time use program. If students only have 1-2 hours to research a topic online at the lab, and if they have no other access online, then setting up a Google account, getting Google Reader, and subscribing to RSS feeds will actually waste more time than it will save. If, however, these same students are doing a long-term project over the course of weeks/months, then RSS could be a real time saver, especially if we can teach students how to evaluate the veracity of the information provided on those feeds.
I believe that teachers will actually be able to find more to use out of this than students. Teachers can use this source to subscribe to journals, news feeds, magazines, etc. and then download the information that they are interested in to a folder that they can use to build up curricular projects and plan for the coming months. As technology speeds up, the information provided on these feeds will also speed up and, rather than being left in the dust, those of us who use RSS can instead keep pace with the rest of the world.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
The Usefulness of Blogs
When considering why we use blogs, what needs to be considered is what we want the blogs to do? For classroom teachers, blogs can be used to post assignments, remind students about upcoming deadlines, keep parents in the loop on what is going on in their children's classes, and share lessons with other teachers. Classroom teachers can also use this space to show student work (with parental permission), which is an alternative to posting things on the walls of their rooms and gives students another place to see their own work when it has been done well. Parents can then log on to these blogs and feel a certain pride when they see their own child's work posted for everyone else to see. Basically, a blog can be an online bulletin board for teachers, but with the additional ability given to students and parents to comment back to the teacher ("I loved that assignment!" "It was wonderful to see my son's work posted online!" "Thank you for letting me know that my daughter had a project due next week. She keeps telling me that she has no homework.")
Library Media Teachers can use their blogs in similar ways. In addition, LMTs can also promote the LMC, its programs, books, and resources. For example, at my own LMC blog, http://lmc8062.blogspot.com, I have used the page to do much of these things. When we had the Black History Month Trivia Contest, I posted the contest rules and a picture of the grand prize on the blog. Since the blog is the homepage on my computers, students who went to use the computers immediately saw the contest information and were inspired to participate. I've also used my blog to post book reviews, important notices, and other items.
One of the bonuses of a blog over a webpage that was discussed in class (Thanks, Karen!) was that blogs have the advantage of creating a community for everyone to post. You can give many people permission to post on your blog and/or you can allow people to make comments. With this, you can create a meeting place for clubs and book groups, so that everyone can go online and post a message to you or to anyone else who's commented.
Blogs like this one are also fairly easy to navigate and give even the newest computer users an easy place to post to the Internet.
A disadvantage, however, is the lack of flexibility. Here, there is less that you can do to manipulate a page. There are fixed templates and you only really have the one page to work with. Creating cascading pages is very difficult and time-consuming. However, as the blog world continues to evolve, this will be less and less of a problem.
Library Media Teachers can use their blogs in similar ways. In addition, LMTs can also promote the LMC, its programs, books, and resources. For example, at my own LMC blog, http://lmc8062.blogspot.com, I have used the page to do much of these things. When we had the Black History Month Trivia Contest, I posted the contest rules and a picture of the grand prize on the blog. Since the blog is the homepage on my computers, students who went to use the computers immediately saw the contest information and were inspired to participate. I've also used my blog to post book reviews, important notices, and other items.
One of the bonuses of a blog over a webpage that was discussed in class (Thanks, Karen!) was that blogs have the advantage of creating a community for everyone to post. You can give many people permission to post on your blog and/or you can allow people to make comments. With this, you can create a meeting place for clubs and book groups, so that everyone can go online and post a message to you or to anyone else who's commented.
Blogs like this one are also fairly easy to navigate and give even the newest computer users an easy place to post to the Internet.
A disadvantage, however, is the lack of flexibility. Here, there is less that you can do to manipulate a page. There are fixed templates and you only really have the one page to work with. Creating cascading pages is very difficult and time-consuming. However, as the blog world continues to evolve, this will be less and less of a problem.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
