Sunday, September 25, 2011

Wimba Wk4 Sharing

This week I was unable to attend Wimba because I have other classes during the session time. In lieu of sharing in Wimba, I shared with teammates and teachers for feedback on my presentation. I received the last of my feedback today. The feedback suggested I increase the length of my speaker notes which I did to a little over 1600 words. It was also suggested that I use more visual images and more color which I plan to work on this coming week.

Publishing/Presentation Project MAC Wk4


from http://www.gaetc.org/
My plan for sharing my CBR project is to submit to the Georgia Educational Technology Conference being held in Atlanta, November 2-4, 2011.





from http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/


My second choice is:
"The EdMedia World Conference on Educational Media and Technology is an international conference, organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)." (from http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/)
because is it located near enough to travel without too much difficulty and it covers my area of interest.





Links:
Think Out-Loud Blog Post 1
Think Out-Loud Blog Post 2
BuderLoriPresentationDoc


Response to Daniela's Dragonfly Dreams Blog MAC Wk4

Daniela Mitchell wrote:
My response:



Saturday, September 24, 2011

Response to Heather Hane's Blog MAC Wk4

 Heather wrote:

Wk 4 Reading: The Sky is not the Limit!

Again I found this week's reading to be so in tune with where I am in my life.  Often times I find myself wondering what else I have to do to get my students attention and help them learn.  Then I read the chapter about lighting the spark.  I realize that I need to get them enrolled in their learning.  I have to light that spark of interest...which in itself is not an easy task.
The idea of "being the board" is one that is wonderful, but one that you have to make a conscious effort to do.  It is so easy to put blame on others or even yourself.  It isn't as easy to take a look at everything and assign no blame.  I can relate this to my current administration.  It seems as though she is always after me about something...I need to stop and look at what is causing this instead of feeling resentful about it.  What has caused her to react to me this way?  How can I get her enrolled into my vision?  Again...easier said than done!
Creating frameworks is something that I would like to focus more time on.  I like the idea of not assigning punishments or consequences for everything.  I like the idea of creating vision led goals and objectives.  I this might be the link I need to help them with the high stakes testing.  If I can create a vision that sparks the interest of the students, it doesn't have to be about "passing the test".
There is a sense of power in telling a "WE" story.  My ex-husband and I told "I/YOU" stories.  We didn't mean to do it...but it had the same end results...a realization that we were no longer happy together, yet couldn't pinpoint the moment that this happened.  Since then, I have made the effort with my current fiance to change the wording.  I use "WE" stories.  It's never "I want this" or "You did that".  It's this is what isn't working and how can WE fix it together.  I also found that there is less likely to be an argument of grand proportion of you say "WE", thus saying I am in this with you.
This book has greatly opened up my eyes to a different way of thinking.  It also came at a great time!  We currently have a family member that has moved to Florida from New York and is living with us.  She has recently become discouraged since she isn't finding a job as quickly as possible...I introduced her to the "Universe of Possibility" and various other teachings in the book.  I have noticed a change in her mood and she now has 2 interviews next week!
My response:
Hi Heather,
I really like the way you are incorporating what you read into your life. I am sorry you are having difficulty with an administrator. Relationships are our most difficult challenges in life and I think your positive attitude will serve you well. We cannot change anyone else only how we are which often makes it necessary for them to respond by changing.
Lori

The Art of Possibilites Ch. 9-12 Wk4 MAC

This video that I watched in a counseling course this week reminded me of the Art of Possibilities.

9. Lighting the Spark – The authors give the example of needing 50 cents to pay buy air to inflate a bicycle tire order to get to a museum. Today someone asked me at a gas station for 50 cents to get to Orange County. I gave him the $3 dollars I had. He said, “Sweet!” and thanked me. It was an interesting story of trying to find solutions and that can sometimes seem hard to do when faced with needing to negotiate. This week I began observing a severely disabled student in a classroom to find a solution to some undesirable behavior. I was concerned that the classroom aides may be unwilling to cooperate fully.  The student demonstrated the behavior immediately which was useful and a few minutes later he tried again. This time he was unsuccessful in his attempt. The interesting part was that he communicated (though he is nonverbal) to the aide that she needed to mark on a tally sheet that he had made the attempt. When I mentioned after class, that I believed the tallying might inadvertently be reinforcing the behavior, the teacher immediately responded by moving the sheet from the student’s line of sight. By just being there I have changed the environment, the aides began discussing the behavior openly which led to the revelation about the tally sheet. It made me think about how every environment we enter is changed by our presence, hopefully for the better.
10. Being the Board- a somewhat difficult concept but not so much if you have faith. When you have faith, you have to believe that what happens in your life has meaning or leads you to where you may not have planned for yourself. I already know I am not in control of my life and trying to understand the world from my experience is an important part of realizing that. When difficulties arise then it is time to accept that you need to change.
11. Frameworks for Possibilities – this chapter speaks about stating visions. I had to write mission and belief statements this week for a model school counseling program. They included such things as: all students are worthy of love and respect and deserve to be cherished, and all students have the ability to achieve. I agree with the authors that a broad vision opens things up to possibilities and helps give us a direction.
12. Telling the We Story- I am always aware of the “we.” Groceries do not magically appear on shelves and roads are not paved by magic. We are intricately dependent despite the lone cowboy mentality that drives our country's identity. I almost laugh when I deal with people who believe they are independent. That is just not the truth. Understanding our interdependence is key to compromise and seeing the greater good. 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Response 2 David Burch's Post MAC Wk3

David wrote:

Wk3 Reading - Building the perfect sandbox city...

During this reading, I was struck by the number of times that the theme being explored or the stories being  presented reminded me of things that I have discovered throughout my life.  I'll try to relate some of them in nut-shell fashion;
Rule #6, Lighten Up.  Taking yourself, your goals, your end-game a little less seriously is good advice. This is not to say that the end-game isn't important or doesn't require undying tenacity, rather it indicates that the trip is the thing.  My goals are just that.  Mine.  No one will ever be as invested in my goals as I am, but I have an opportunity to inspire, observe and revel in many beautiful things along the way.  I am a  biker.  I love to ride to new or familiar destinations with my friends.  The destinations can be awesome and  bragg-able, but the trip is the thing.  Getting there, the ride, the filler (the stuff in between) is the real destination.  Allowing things to surprise you, allowing the people and happenings around you to inspire or enlighten you will make you a better person.  When the deal is done, when the thing is built, when the degree is earned, when the dream car is in the garage, when the license is in your wallet, when the perfect sand city exists in your sandbox…what do you do?  You go right back out and do it again.  You build another thing, you make a new goal, you flatten the sand and you take another ride.
Making a move: the idea that a person can lead from anywhere or even better, allow, encourage and facilitate non-leaders to lead from their own perspectives.  Through teaching, we have this opportunity every day.  It doesn't take any preparation or set up.  It simply requires the teacher to pay attention.  As soon as you notice a student surprising you with an answer, meaning something that is off target but intriguing (like they are looking at the issue or problem from a different perspective), stop teaching and ask the student to teach you.  "I hadn't considered it that way, what do you mean?"  Listen with the rest of the class and ask for elaboration.  While you listen, ADJUST your lesson or your point.  Not to the extent that you aren't teaching the same topic (unless you have time to make it up), but enough to teach it - or learn it - from a different lens.  With your new perspective, ask the student with the different perspective to teach what they know or explain their idea.  Lead or guide the discussion based on the new ideas.  This is incredibly empowering for all of your students and leads to new possibilities.
Give up your  pride - reveal truth.  Allowing students to see that you aren't perfect and have all the answers seem easy, but when a teach is struggling to maintain management of a class, it is very hard to show weakness.  This was one of my personal struggles.  I wanted to remain aloof.  Coming in front the corporate world, I thought some teachers revealed too much about their personal lives (probably to kill time) and that this was less-than-professional.  Over the last few years, I've learned that revealing some personal difficulties makes the teacher less over-bearing and more relatable.  Students learn that navigating the issues in life requires help and advice or input from the people around you.  Just because you are in a position of authority doesn't mean you have all of the answers.  Letting your students in a little allows an intimacy that you will create buy-in you may need at some point down the line.
Downhill Challenge - ride with the ice.  Welcome the difficult situations.  They make life interesting.  The challenges are where we learn what works and what doesn't.  They are our practice.  Again, enjoy the ride.

My response:
Lori Buder said...
Hi David,
I agree with you that the journey is the fun part. The relationships and creating memories are what makes things interesting. I am glad to read that you chose to deviate from your corporate persona, even corporations are beginning to realize that good relationships are what matter when trying to accomplish great things!
Lori



Think Out-Loud PPP Wk3


From Georgia Educational Technology Conference website.



Created using Wordle
I spoke with my teammates regarding the possible choices for presenting my CBR project. As a result of our conversations, I decided to submit to he Georgia Educational Technology Conference.  If I were accepted then I could visit with my CBR teammate while I am there. It would be nice to meet in person! My teammates have been an invaluable source of support over the last year and I really appreciate having them. Go TEAM!

Response 1 MAC Wk3

Daniella Wrote:

Wk 3 The Art of Possibility


While reading the Art of Possibility I kept thinking the book was talking directly to me…corny I know! I have been having a difficult time reaching my new class this school year, they are unmotivated to learn and unwilling to take responsibility for their actions. I have attempted just about everything I have up my sleeve. I have had to take a step back and re-analyze my job. As I was reading the statement “how much greatness are we will to grant?” (p. 73). It is my job to inspire and bring out the best qualities these kids have, as the book said I am going to have to speak to their passions. I am going to have make connection with them. These chapters made me feel like I can still go in a make a difference. I have been feeling a little defeated and needed something to give me inspirations. I think this was it. I am looking forward to making a change!
My response: 
Hi Daniela,
You post reminded me of a first grade teacher I worked with in Berkeley. Her class had a "hippie" thinking Kindergarten teacher who thought they were there to just have a good time and be free. They had no idea what it meant to follow rules and stay in their seats. When I first went in her classroom it reminded me of the locked psych ward at the VA hospital that the book "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's" was based on. Over time the class settled somewhat but she also had to change her perspective and ignore some of the odd behaviors in order to teach. She used to apologize when I observed but I completely understood. You may want to try putting the most difficult students in charge so they can start having some empathy. It worked for a friend counseling the baddest of the bad teenage offenders.
 

The Art of Possibilities 4-8 Wk 3


Image from MicroSoft Clip art

Chapter 5: Leading from Any Chair- this chapter is a reminder that everyone is a participant. You contribute from where you are and empower others to contribute is an important lesson.  It reminds me of a friend who counseled youth drug offenders in a program in San Francisco. His clients were tough street-smart criminals who would have their records cleaned if they completed the program. His technique for dealing with them was to put the “badest” one in charge. That was the one person he could count on to keep the others in line and it gave him a stake in the performance of the group. Other counselors in the program relied heavily on medicating their clients into submission. He had a much smoother approach, giving them self efficacy and using the courts to back up the consequences.
Chapter 6: Don’t take yourself so seriously. Nearly every student I have worked with comments on my laughter. I have worked with a many students with serious emotional difficulties cause mostly by chaotic and violent environment. I would like to cry but laughing works much better. I take the reality seriously but try to make the moments working together as light and happy as possible. I take life this way in general. When my dog ate my wallet and credits cards, I laughed at how silly I was for not being able to outsmart her.
Chapter 7: The Way Things Are: It is true that the one thing we have in common is suffering and circumstances are often less than ideal, but that is okay. We can look at the way things are and use it to see other possibilities. I felt especially moved by the description of Jane Goodall’s speaking engagement because I actually do avoid wildlife programing due to the bleak outcomes. Often I have had to advocate for children living under duress by telling the truth about the situations but also pointing out how a teacher can help in the classroom by providing an escape. It is not always easy sticking to the reality and people want to tell the story either in the worst possible or best possible way. Being realistic changes the possibilities.
Chapter 8: Giving Way to Passion: Life is hard and trying to avoid difficulty by not trying new things will not lesson pain. I always try new things. If I don’t know it or can’t do it, it is a challenge to figure it out. True, trying to use cross terrain skates at my age led to falling on my backside, I still laughed. And I will try again on a less slick surface next time. Change is hard but we have to fight the urge to hide. I agree with the authors. Usually, if you have a strong conviction you can bring others around. If not, enjoying the experience on your own can be good too.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Wimba MAC Wk3

I found this weeks Wimba discussion of the Art of Possibilities and the comparison to self help books interesting.  I remember from my cognitive behavioral theory class being told that people who tell themselves a better version of reality have less difficulty with depression.  I think your internal viewpoint makes a big difference in how you experience the world.  I think that is why I believe the steps in The Art of Possibilities can change people.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Another Response to Pam's Kingdom of Possibilities MAC Wk2

Pamela King Wrote:

Week Two: Giving Myself an "A"

Picture by WxMom on Flickr
I have always seen the glass as half-full. Like ATT I like to "Rethink Possible" The name for my blog: Kingdom of Possibilities is because I like to believe in the possibilities. I really enjoyed reading the book The Art of Possibility by the Zanders. Below is my example of what I would write to Mr. Zander to receive my "A". Enjoy!

Dear Mr. Zander,
I got an “A” because I realized I am my own person, and I am responsible for myself. I no longer procrastinate and blame my family members for my lack of action. I put myself and my education first. I made the time to complete my tasks. I listened to my heart and went forth with my education. I let no one hold me back from achieving my dreams. As I look forward to graduation, I truly feel a sense of accomplishment, for I know that I did it! I believed in myself and found the strength to be myself. I love my family and I know they love me and are proud of me for pursuing my dreams. I know that I am an important part of their lives and that without me they would not be the wonderful, creative, hardworking people they are. For it was by example, my positive attitude, work ethic, pursuit of my dreams that they have exemplified in their lives. Thank you for believing in me and my dreams.
Sincerely,
Pamela King

My response:

Lori Buder said...
Pam, You did a great job of exemplifying the concept of giving yourself an A as told by the Zanders. I imagine actually doing the exercise gives you an experiential memory of the concepts and helps make it more a part of your life. I am confident that you will carry the concepts into your world and share with your students.
Lori

Response to Pam's Kingdom of Possibilities MAC Wk2

From Pam's Kingdom of Possibilities Blog
Pam Wrote:

Week Two-Thinking Outloud " Where should I present?"



Working on my CBR project was very enlightening. I wish it would have worked out a little better then it did. I choose my project because I wanted to motivate the students to want to create visual book reports. I still feel like I need to refine my presentation style so I can get more results. So, the question is who/where would I like to share this information? My first thought was I would write up a brief proposal to present at the Texas Association of Gifted and Talented convention. I have previously been selected to present there. But Joe, said to think outside the box…..so I thought that I may like to write up a proposal to present at the Texas Libraries Association convention. They will be in Houston in 2013. They will be in Dallas 2012. Due to lack of school funds I do not know if I would be given persmission to attend this spring's event. My CBR project would definately be relevant to present at the librarian's convention.

My Response:
Lori Buder said...
Pam,
I think presenting to your usual group would be a good choice. You can also try presenting to the bigger audience as an alternative. I imagine that presenter may be eligible for financial assistance to attend. I think you should take your best shot!
Lori

Think Out Loud MAC Wk2

This week I needed to start thinking about whether or not I wanted to try an present or publish my CBR project to an organization. Either one seems like a challenge to prepare right now.  I just started a multiple credential program this month and am beginning two fieldwork placements in school psychology and school counseling. Friday, I was lost for an hour with no gas on dirt roads in a rural area. It is difficult adjusting to the new area, home, school and work environments since they are happening simultaneously.  I looked at the different publications accepting submissions and the possible presentation opportunities.  I am at this point unsure which would be a better choice.  I am leaning towards applying to present since it feels like there would be a longer time for final preparation.  My CBR is somewhat out of my usual field of study and since my study sample was small, n=4, I am unsure how well grounded it is. In counseling, we generally require a sample size of at least 100 for our statistical analysis. 

Response to Chanda's Hot Spot Blog MAC Wk2

Image from Chanda's Hot Spot Blog
I am currently trying to decide what will be more beneficial for me as an educator of whether or not I should present or publish my final project.  I am the type person who love to engage with individuals in a hands on way, because of this, my best option might be to present my final project.  The only down fall or hang ups I have with presenting is that my wonderful experience during my capstone project will not be published.  There is a lot of information I want to share with others about my experience in implementing my challenge and the results I got from it.  I know that the information can be shared in both forms of the project, but which form would be more useful and meaningful to my audience is the problem I'm facing in making a decision.  I feel that I'm leaning more to the presentation of the experience because of my learning style and personality but my final decision has not yet been met.  With a little more research and analyzing, I feel that I will make the best choice for sharing my information to my audience or the world in a timely manner.
From the book, The Art of Possibilities by Zander & Zander, I'm currently viewing the world a little different and making decisions based on the new acquired knowledge.  I feel this book was a great resource for teachers and other professionals when making their mark or place in this world count but in a positive way.  I say all of this to say, my capstone project was a great experience, my students, co-workers, parents and administration were very supportive and I would love to share this information in a way that would be beneficial for others in similar professions to help reach their goal in motivating students to read and write through the use of technology.  I am open to any comments that would be helpful in my decision making.  Like the authors in The Art of Possibilities contributing to others or this world is great.  So be a contributor and give me some positive feedback.
Thanks

My Response:
Lori Buder said...
Hi Chanda,
I believe doing a presentation would have an artifact that covers your research. There would still be a record of your experience and you could inspire others with your gregarious personality. I think it would also give you an opportunity to interact with your peers in a way that print would not.
I agree that the Zander & Zander book changes your outlook. It is an inspiring piece of work.
Lori

Saturday, September 10, 2011

The Art of Possibility Chapter 1-4 MAC Wk2

Book Cover

The book, The Art of Possibility by Zander & Zander, offers a new perspective on how to view reality.  Broken into a series of practices defined separately by chapter, the married couple of Rosamund Stone Zander, a therapist and Benjamin Zander, a conductor and teacher, provide their unique way of viewing the world.
They believe our view of the world is made up of the stories we tell ourselves about what is true and if we change that story we can change our lives.  Practice one is to realize that our perceptions are an invention.  We construct meaning out of our experiences. Practice two: Step into the world of possibilities.  Since it is all invented you must ask:
What assumptions am I making, that I’m not aware I’m making, that give me
what I see?
What might I now invent, that I haven’t yet invented, that would give me other
choices?
Practice three: Giving an A.  By giving yourself and others and A you can see the potential. “This A in not an expectation to live up to, but a possibility to live into” (p. 26). This will change the way you deal with others and yourself. If you reduce the judgment you will have more possibilities.
Practice four: Being a contribution. If you think of yourself as a contribution you will not have the same perspective of success and failure.
I read along while listening to the Zanders in the audio version of the book. I found this much more rich. You could hear their voices and inflections and they included music in the transitions and some background.  I find the Zanders point of very positive and useful perspective. It is more impressive because they have person success.  I have an MS in Counseling, Child and School Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy that leads me to take a particular interest in the psychology of success.  They use a positive approach that can be easily followed.  Often changing our viewpoint can change our anxiety levels and our outcomes.  I am enjoying the many examples they use to illustrate their points. I too believe that trying to meet teacher expectations can negatively influence our performance.  In the EMDT program I found it refreshing and easier to do better when given positive feedback on work. It made me want to do better not just do the basics to get the grade. For the TMD course, Michelle always gave positive feedback.  I have always received high grades in school but getting positive comments made me feel differently. Yes, an A+ can be seen as positive but it was much different getting direct feedback.  She was the most positive instructor I have had in my decades of taking classes and it really mattered. I felt more motivated to do a good job. It did not surprise me that she was she had successfully won competitions while in the US Army training soldiers for combat. She makes you want to work for her. Similarly, I thought immediately when I viewed Benjamin Zanders TED lecture that he would be a great teacher. They say it is not the expertise of the teacher but their level of enthusiasm for the subject matter that makes students learn.  After viewing Zander’s lecture it is fascinating reading his philosophies.
 


Friday, September 9, 2011

Wimba Wk2

From Wk2 MAC Wimba Archive
From Wk2 MAC Wimba Archive

This week's Wimba archive was a continued discussion about copyright and fair use.  It covered the basics need for fair use to be a defensible legal position: teaching, news, critical commentary and parody.  We were given information on using the 11 different copyright options of Creative Commons. Finally, there was a discussion of the upcoming assignments to prepare for presenting our capstone project in a public forum.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Response to Chanda's The Hot Spot Blog

Chanda Robinson Wrote:

Sunday, September 4, 2011


Copyright Issues (link)

According to the copyright videos, copyright only means having legal rights to what you create.  It was amazing to find out that if I have a play that I created, if it is not in video or script form, I cannot copyright it.  Be aware that if you create something, it must be script or video to have ownership.  I also learned that copyright is not about usage but it is about permission to use it.  For example, if an artist want to use part of another artist song, beat or lyrics, they should ask permission and pay the artist for their work.  Some copyright materials are free for usage so no law will be broken if you use it, but credit should be given to the owner.  It was also amazing to me to see the video Good Copy Bad Copy.  I was astonished to see that music can be a copyright issue by just taking one beat from a song and changing its tempo and tone to meet your song is a copyright issue.  Most artist are not creating their own beats or if so they are extremely similar to other artist.  When an artist use any portion of another artist beat they need to get permission from its originator.  

Copyrighting seems like it is a big deal but it is not only if you ask permission from the owner of the work.  In so many words, copyright is similar to plagiarism.  When writing and using text from someone else written piece, you have to cite your work which means give ownership to the original author.  That is what copyrighting does for all works, materials or creations by people.

My Response: Chanda,
I enjoyed reading your straight forward explanation of copyright. I agree it is very common for artists to use and reuse beats. The issue becomes complex. I was most surprised that there is no really good way of knowing how copyright issues will be decided in the courts. Organizations creating best practices are trying to create norms and set a standard but it still remains somewhat mysterious as to how any particular case will be decided in the end. I guess the best practice is to use as little of other peoples work as we possibly can and hope we are covered by Fair Use for anything we cannot avoid using.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Response to Jonny Hughes Back2Life Blog

Image from Jonny Hughes Blog page.

 Wk1 Reading: Copyright Issues

In Part I of this week's reading, I gained a far better knowledge of what a copyright actually was than I had previously. The Good Copy/Bad Copy documentary was simply awesome! From the stories of the artists known as Girl Talk and Danger Mouse, to the topics of The Pirate Bay and Creative Commons, I think that the overall message here was that regardless of what copyright laws exist around the world, it will not stop people from being inspired by the works of others and from using that inspiration to create their own works. I don't know if it was planned or not, but the ending of the documentary fascinated me, where the artist from Pittsburgh was creating a remix of a remix by a Brazilian producer. It all came together so perfectly, and this scene really drove home the point for me.

In Part II, I loved the Fair Use Fairy Tale! I found it to be a very creative way of explaining a complicated subject. It appeared as though the creator of this video was angry, and it always amazes me that such brilliant works can come from such emotions. As an educator, I sometimes wish that all uses of copyrighted materials in the classroom would be considered Fair Use, but I also try to see the reality of economy and the ability of creativity to yield enough money to support a comfortable life. Also, in Part II, the story of Shepard Fairey and the Obama Hope Poster was just crazy. I had seen this poster so many times, but I never knew the story behind it and the copyright battles that stemmed from this political piece.

Part III was the most enlightening!  Creative Commons is the place to go to see the beginnings of the future of creative licensing in our ever-changing world. The different license types that are available seem to be so simple, that it is a wonder that they have not caught fire in the educational world faster. This is such a perfect resource that all teachers should be aware of and teaching to their students. In his TED Talk, Larry Lessig made some very clear points, but the one that I really enjoyed hearing out loud was his closing message about how kids are different today because of technology, and that society has created a culture of corruption because everyday people are living against the law. Our country and many other democracies around the world are in desperate needs of makeovers, and I believe that the time for this to happen is not far around the corner.


My Response: Jon- I also enjoyed the bold use of Disney Animation by the Fair Use Fairy Tale filmmakers. Disney is one of the most strident enforcers of copyright law for it's products. I agree that creative commons is a good source for those that wish to share and have often used images I found there. I know that many artists would also like to share, as Lessig suggestion as a solution. My only concern is that corporations hold the rights to artists works and they are not as likely to be so generous. Corporations weld a significant amount of power. I am interested to see how things are resolve.

Week 1 Response to Daniela's Dragonfly Dreams Blog

 I responded to Daniela's Blog

Wk 1 Copyright and Fair Use

After watching the videos on Copyright and Fair use, I am more concerned about how much is NOT fair use. I never realized how small the widow is for all the media that is out there. I have been concerned about the copyright issues over the last 10m months, but was not sure about all the rules. I believe I too was under the top ten misconceptions. As, I believe, are most people. I find that these rules are most difficult to explain to our students, especially at the Elementary level.  However I am finding that we are going to need to educate them early so that they are aware of what the laws are since they are our 21st century learners.  Which brings up the concern that if I am still confused about what the rules are exactly how do I get it across to the them? These lines are blurry are hard to explain... 

1 comments:


Lori Buder said...
Daniela, I agree with you that the copyright and fair use issues are hard to grapple with. At first, I thought fair use was the answer. Then, I listened to the NPR interview/discussion about Shepard Fairey and found it will be decided "on a case by case basis". I doubt anyone knows what would happen if taken to court with one court overruling the other. It seems like Faerey's decision to use the image and fight the case later was the only way he could have created the "Hope" poster. What are the odds of getting a timely response to using other people's work?

Week 1 Readings Copyright

Image from film GoodCopyBadCopy.net


I found the discussion of copyright a fascinating study of culture. The philosophy that people would be discouraged to create if they could not make a profit on their creations. The film showed this not to be the case. If Nigeria is producing double the number of films that the USA does then high profit does not seem to be a reasonable explanation for the need for copyright. (Ref. 1) Copyright seems to me to be more an issue of power and control than a way to encourage creative endeavors. From the readings it seems most of the people who have an issue with the copyright laws are those want to be creative but who are stifled because they cannot use what they are exposed to in a an inventive way to make something completely new. Interestingly, corporations exaggerate the “damage” done by copyright infringement in order to get the government to assist them in making higher profits.(Ref. 2). What makes it such a norm that making a profit is more important than other social priorities? I understand this is the norm in a capitalistic society but where does it end? For example, should anyone really be making a profit on illness? Our governmental policies support it. While other countries march in the streets for more social benefits, we have people marching to support the super wealthy. The films make it abundantly clear that you need to watch your step or big brother may get you. I understand the concept of getting permission but it is a difficult process. I was most disturbed by the idea of copyrighting dance. Some things are meant to be shared. These laws seem like an undue burden on both creativity and our court system. I understand wanting to protect individuals in the short term but lifetime +70 yrs. for individuals and 100 years for corporations may be excessive.  I imagine the laws will only become more restrictive over time. If Fairchild had enforced the right to semiconductor technology, the internet and personal computers would not exist. Because they allowed the technology to be exploited beyond their now shut doors, the world was changed.

I agree with Larry Lessig (Ref. 3) that making what young people create and share naturally criminal is an unhealthy response to today's realities. Shepard Fairey had little option when he used the photo from the Associated Press because getting permission was unlikely and "fair use" can only be decided on a "case by case" basis.  The interview on NPR (Ref. 4) shows that even the original photographer, Manny Garcia, had to wage a legal battle to determine who owned the rights to the original image, him or the AP.  The only true hope for the landslide of re-mix, mash-ups, and the like is that it is so prevalent that there is not enough funds to fight the legal battles needed to stop it. The real question is in the end who will control our ability to share and create as a collective culture?
References:
     3.  TED Talk video: ReMix Culture by Larry Lessig, retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/187 on 01/14/2011
     4. Shepard Fairey: Inspiration Or Infringement? NPR Fresh Air interview, retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101182453 on 02/27/2009

Friday, September 2, 2011

Week1 Wimba

Image from EMDT MAC Wimba Archive.
MAC week 1 Wimba session explained all of the upcoming activities for this month.  I noted that the page break needs to be removed before the reference section to make the lit review web ready.  I will have to have my lit review taken down and resubmit because that was unclear in the activity section.  I watched Wimba first using FireFox but the images never changed on screen and I had to switch to Safari to view the images. I am concerned about the publishing or presenting aspect of the CBR.  This is not my major field of interest and it is not something I want to do. Hopefully we will be given an option. Finally, I have been watching the extensive videos and reading the articles on copyright and it is taking time to wade through. I will post about that tomorrow. I really liked the tie died shirt! :)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

ETC_Final Project


New Word Acquisition Assignment:

  1. Target Audience –Adult Students attending College level Diction Class, class has a combination of native and English language learners in attendance.
  2. Materials – Students will find and submit thirty words of their choice. Preferably words they have difficulty pronouncing or are new to them. Using on Campus Speech Lab or home Computer with Internet access to Wordia.com and Dictionary.com, Software to write or copy past information, i.e. Word, Open Office, Printer to transmit results, Recording Equipment. Audio and Video. Assistance will be provided in Speech Lab during regularly scheduled hours.
  3. Objectives – Student will demonstrate learning of new English vocabulary words through writing and speech.
  4. Procedure – Choose 30 words for this Assignment – words will be relevant to each individual student and chosen by that student. May use Top 100 mispronounced words as a guideline if needed.
1.     Write each word
2.     Give the syllables of the word
3.     Give the pronunciation
4.     Part of speech, i.e. vt-verb transitive
5.     Other forms of the word.
6.     Etymology-word origin
7.     Definition 1
8.     Definition 2
9.     A synonym
10. Use the word in a sentence of your own. Can use any form of the word.
11. Record yourself saying the Word 2 times out loud and provide to instructor.
12. Record a two short videos like the ones on Wordia discussing word of your choice
13. View two other students’ videos and write a response
14.  Ten minutes of each of the classes proceeding due date will be devoted to sharing your status with a partner and exchanging ideas.
  1. Web 2.0 Tool – wordia.com, dictionary.com.
  2. Social Participation/Social Learning – Students will share and critique each others work
  3. Making Connections – Choose new words that are relevant to your life or the works you will be using for the course. Each student will be different depending on their needs.
  4. Create/Produce – Produce a written description and recording of 30 separate words. Create a voice recording of pronouncing each word twice. Produce a video recording or do a performance describing two of the words you chose both denotation and connotation of the word.
  5. Reflection- Student will write a reflection of their experience acquiring new vocabulary words, using wordia.com and using dictionary.com.
  6. Assessment – Checklist
            a)The list of words with definitions, synonyms, etc. will be worth 10 points each. One point for each item on list.
1.     Wrote each word
2.     Gave the syllables of the word
3.     Gave the pronunciation
4.     Gave the part of speech
5.     Gave another form of the word or wrote n/a if appropriated.
6.     Gave etymology-word origin
7.     Gave Definition 1
8.     Gave Definition 2
9.     Gave A synonym
10. Used the word in a sentence of their own, using any form of the word.

b) The spoken words will be worth 5 points for each word properly pronounced.  
c) The videos or performance will be worth 20 points for each produced. 10 for content interesting/relevant, 5 for connotation, 5 for denotation explained.
d) The video assessments will be worth 10 points each, offered appropriated constructive feedback to other student.
e) The reflection will be worth 15 points. Student reflected on assignment as a whole, the usefulness of acquiring new words and the likelihood of using acquired words in the future or repeating a similar process.

Reflection on New Word Acquisition Assignment:
I used this process to complete thirty words for a diction class assignment.  The process made the words concrete and I will be able to add them to my vocabulary and use them well.  Unfortunately, after numerous tries both through my efforts and the efforts of my teammate working in a school environment, I was unable to access the sites full school capabilities. I do, however, still like the concept of having students define words in a way that has meaning to them. I, also, appreciate the ability to be exposed to new word in a somewhat random format by using the words of the day or the most popular videos. I understand the school version of the site has security for uploading student videos and words that are recorded and categorized according to subject matter. Engaging words in multiple ways is important to form the connections needed to incorporate the new words into our vocabularies.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

PE6 Wordia


As you could see in my last post, Wordia can be embedded into any website.  Imagine the possibilities for introducing new vocabulary specific to a lesson.  Here I am looking for terms related to speech.

Here’s cliché. You can click on it and go to Wordia. Or you could embed the entire video on your website.

 



What you find out when looking further is the site is specially designed for educators.

Wordia for Educators Closed Sign-up

wodia educator tour
You can take a tour then create a school account. You can create lessons using vocabulary specifically related to your subject. There are many videos already created.

wordia use video of famous people and your own students to create content.

wordia cross-curricula vocabulary acquisiton environment.

Wordia offers security for schools. If you decide to have your students videotape themselves defining words, the videos are not public. And Wordia uses many famous people to define words. Here Craig Newmark of Craigslist defining Community:




Here is a Member of Parliament discussing the word Democracy after an election: