Copyright and Fair Use

 The reading of the copyright guide was a good way to understand the types of plagiarism that people often mistake as being acceptable. This reading helped to inform people about copyright, copyright infringement, and a quiz that helped one understand it all better. I finished reading the information at the top then took part in the quiz where I got seven of the twenty wrong. It was surprising to read over the answers and be informed about aspects of copyright I would have never thought were included. It was certainly interesting to read all of this and get a better understanding for copyright and fair use.

I choose six of the questions I seemed to get wrong one the quiz because they are the ones that surprised me.

-Question number 5 was the first question I got wrong. The question was about whether or not a teacher could copy more discs so each of his students could have a copy. I had said that it was fair use but it turns out it was not this surprised me because I thought that if he had already bought one copy it for school purposes. However, I found out that with software the number of students who can use software program simultaneously is restricted to the number of copies the school owns. I had no idea this was the case with schools and software.

- Question number seven was another one I had gotten wrong. This question asked if it was okay for teachers to post work on a password private website if they did not ask permission to use the material. I had read the last part and automatically thought that was wrong, but turns out that if a site really is protected it is okay though the school should monitor web hits.

-Question number 11 was another one I seemed to have done wrong. It had stated that if a teacher were to videotape a rerun of a show could her students edit themselves into the show for a multimedia project. I had stated that this was wrong because I thought it was bad to take a tape of a show and edit it without the permission of the people who made it. Nevertheless, this stated that you could indeed put a video into a multimedia project.

-Question 12 states that a student could not take clips from a famous movie to put in her project; however the teacher taped it and gave it to her to use. I assumed that since it wouldn’t let the student do this on the computer it wasn’t right, yet this reading states that it is right due to the constitution as well as state that all teachers should take action and do this.

-Question 14 states that at a back-to-school night they had a daycare program for families with younger children. While they watched the younger children they put in Disney movies that they had bought. I thought that since they bought them they had the right to show them because it was not like they were copying them and giving them away they were just showing the kids a movie they bought while the parents were busy. I found it really surprising when they stated that this was wrong and not covered under the fair use because the movies were purely for entertainment.

-Question 19 was the last one I seemed to have mistaken as well and got wrong. The question stated that a school creates a movie using the top ten music of the year as the background music. It asked if this was fair use. I assumed it was because the music was already bought and owned so it wasn’t illegally downloaded or so it made it sound. It doesn’t matter though because the DVD is not intended to be instructional and they are using the whole song rather than clips. I found this surprising because I never knew that using something for reasons that was not purely educational was wrong.

Source: Davidson, Hall. "The Educator's Guide to Copyright and Fair Use." CMP Media LLC, 15 Oct. 2002. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. < www.techlearning.com >.

Inspiration in a Type 1 and Type 2 way

Type 1:

Student: My students could use inspiration to make a web of their information, and then use their web to make an outline to help them write their paper in class. Then they could post their writing on their wiki or blog. So the class could look it over and reflect as well as me the teacher could see their progress through out the project.

Teacher: I could use inspiration to gather information for a class and put it in web format. I could then create a power point presentation with the information on the sight to teach my students a topic such as the techniques of writing.

Type 2:

Student: My students could use inspiration to make a web to gather thoughts. The students could then take it and put it in to outline style. After that the student could make a capzle with their timeline or list of information. They would take this capzle and present it to the class for a project.

Teacher: I could use inspiration to gather my thoughts to turn into an outline that will become a story line. I could then take this and make a web quest my students can use in the lesson and do a project on.

Web 2.0 Educator

                For part 7 of MEL Webquest I choose Angela Maiers as the blogger I would like to represent.  She has been an educator for twenty years. One of her quotes that caught my eye was when she says; “There are no limits for learners with passion, foresight, and a desire to grow. Technology, used strategically, has the power to leverage human capital and maximize performance of organizations big and small.” I feel very similar to this thinking that learners can always grow if they really want to. I want to learn more about technology to be able to apply it in my classroom because it is important and can advance the classroom. She seems to be a master at social media and using technology to get a message across. She discusses Web 2.0 and says, “Speaking of Web 2.0, this new tool for Google is a testament to the intelligence and wonder of technology.” A lot of her blogs have wonderful visuals and quotes that catch the readers’ attentions, and it never seems to amaze me how she always finds a way to capture her readers and write something interesting we can all relate to.  She is very passionate about education and making the future a hopeful place for students to grow and be excited about learning. I really like how she is all about making the future of education better and she does so with such enthusiasm you as the reader can’t help but get on board. She always seems to bring up some question at the end you would have never thought about and it makes you and brainstorm different aspect of education.  These are the many reasons I choose to represent her as a judge at our MEL Webquest final day.

This is her site:
http://www.angelamaiers.com/

Learning Style Inventory Results

This is a very accurate representation of me. Being a verbal person describes me well, since I find myself talking through problems I face to get a better understanding. I am very social and find that I work well if I have someone to bounce ideas off of, which helps me to have a better understanding of what I am facing. I can be Aural at times; for instance, listening to music helps me to clear my mind. I enjoy reading and writing. I often use that to help clarify ideas or concepts I struggle with. Sports and activities like sports are enjoyable for me because I am around others and able to talk and work through problems with them.  I enjoy the occasional strategic game such as Clue and Chess; however, I do not thrive on that logical aspect. I am visual at times using drawings and doodles to help describe what I am going over, but it is not my main system for helping me. I also enjoy those quiet alone times every now and again to be by myself and do things I like doing alone. Yet I would much prefer being around others. I find this is an accurate representation of myself.

Type I and Type II Technology

Type 1: Is simplistic use of technology. It is when a person uses a system but is basically imitating the computer and not venturing or trying something new. 

Examples of Type 1: 

-Slide shows: during lecture the teachers use slide shows to restate what they are teaching the students. It is just a bunch of slides showing exactly what the teacher is saying making it seem like a passive way of using technology.

-How to sites: Using sites that give you a basic how to model would be something helpful that falls under Type 1. It is following basic steps brought up on the screen and you really don’t venture to find new ideas.

- Rosetta Stone and other computerized language learners: They are a system that uses advances in technology to teach you different language but you are following the person on the screen. They instruct you to do something and you mimic their motions. It is not original and very simple.

Type 2: Is using technology for help to formulate something but creating it on your own. You use it to make what you want but you are not imitating basic motions but figuring technology out on your own. 

Examples of Type 2: 

-Movie Maker (I Movie)- you are able to use the software to create a movie of your own. It can be any length any style. The computer doesn’t tell you how to do it you become better acquainted with technology by discovering on your own.

- Social Networking Sites- You use the site and create an account which at first seems similar to Type 1 because you follow basic set up rules; however, once you have created it you are free to experiment. You can create you profile and change it. Pictures can be added of anything you want at any given time. It gives you the freedom to create on it all on your own.

 - Photo Shop Elements: You are able to take your pictures and edit or change completely for your own personal use. It is fun, exciting, and very personal. You are able to start with a clear screen and make it into whatever type of creation you want. You do not do strait-forward motions following an instruction.

My MEL Experiences

o   Student and Teacher Relationships: One of my most prominent memories of a teacher I had a good relationship with was in 7^th grade. We had an amazing science teacher named Mr. Souza. He made science fun and always did hands on experiments to help us learn better. He was the kind of teacher who was strict and intimidating to a young student but at the same time open and friendly. I remember two of my friends and I would spend time after class just discussing certain things with him. He was my last class of the day and we would talk after class for a while. One day I was late picking up my little brother because he was spending the extra time explaining an experiment to my friend and I. He was great after that year I still made time to pop in and say hi when I could.

o   Interest: One of my teachers in high school had these meaningful discussions in her AP English class that would get everyone in the class intrigued about all that was going on in the novels we read. These discussions and scenarios would spark interest in all of us students even through the dullest of books. I remember us reading novels then coming in to class complaining about how boring it was because it was old English. She would get us all out of our seats discussing and figuring out interpretations of the pieces in ways that we would have never thought, then we would have to act it out the way we thought of it. It brought a whole new meaning to what we had read and left us interested in learning more.

o   Learning Styles: We had one teacher Mrs. Ryan for Biology Sophomore year in high school who must have used every one of the eight multiple intelligences when teaching us. She would have visuals with sound while also verbalizing them. She would have hands on experiments that got us up and moving. We would work with groups to find definitions and such but also do work on our own. She would use examples of the world around us because it was biology. It was a great class and I remember so many of us coming out knowing so much most likely because she incorporated all the intelligences helping us all learn better.

o   Connections: One of my 7^th grade reading teachers whose name I don’t want to mention because I feel bad made no effort to connect to her students. She would teach us something not be very personal then go sit at her desk and let us figure the rest out. I feel as though I came out of that class not knowing anything because she was that way. We didn’t feel like she was taking the time to teach and in the end we didn’t get anything from her class because of that. She was a very nice lady she just didn’t take the time to make an effort to form personal connections or any form of connections so we never understood things the way we should have.

o   Hands-On: My French teacher in high school Mr. Morin probably fit all these categories and more. He was an amazing teacher and I absolutely loved having his class. He made things exciting and fun. He took a difficult subject to learn foreign language and made it work in a way all could understand and take the most out of. He would use many different methods to help us grasp the terms and language but one of the best ways was by making us do things over and over. When we were learning new vocabulary he would make us use it while putting on a play in French, also by singing a song that had the words in it, by playing Pictionary using those words only, and by any way he found to do it. By having us personally working on them in many different ways using repetition I believe we became naturals at learning new French vocabulary. He was always encouraging us and having high expectations of us as well. He was a wonderful teacher and I still visit with him and make sure I go say hi to him when I am in the area.  He was a wonderful teacher and I aspire to be as great as he was.

Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 2: Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness

I was amazed to hear the stories about the teachers and hear about the teacher who could be trusted to keep all the students secrets. They said you could tell this teacher everything and no matter what it was he would not tell your private information. Alexis the student saying this states, “If you’re gay, if you’re getting beat up, if you’re not eating, if you’re dealing with identity problems, you can tell him!” (Pg. 17-18)

            To some extent respect for your students’ private issues is good, and it is great to have that kind of trust with students. However, I feel for some of the issues mentioned trust should be tested because someone should be told. This part jumped out because yes it is good to gain your students trust, yet some extreme issues should be brought up to parents or be reported. While being respected and trusted by your students enough so that they share things with you are great aspects you must also be willing to help them when severe issues come about by getting them the help they need. At times certain secrets they share with you can be considered dangerous and those are the ones that should probably be reported and fixed rather than keep it a secret. It is important to have students trust but it is also important to keep your students safe at all times.

Fires in the Bathroom Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well

When they are mentioning connections, and one of the students suggests that when teachers try to force connections or try to hard to relate the students see right through it and don’t like very much this stood out as important. They mention that “some teachers pretend to understand,” but the students don’t like this and would rather “just let things come up casually.” (Pg. 1-2)

            We as teachers should want to connect with our students. I personally hope that I am able to understand and connect with my students. This part really stood out to me because I never really thought about this idea of trying to force a connection between your students and annoying your students in the process. Reading what students have to say about this has helped to give me pointers of what to do when trying to form connections with my students; as well as, allowing me to see the what not to do situations in forming connections. It helps to open my eyes to the common mistakes we make as teachers when we try to form connections with our students, so I can try not to make these mistakes when I become a teacher. When I become a teacher I plan to allow connections to form in their own time rather than forcing connections upon my students.