Week NINE

What is fair use and how does it apply to education?

Apparently fair use is not as straight forward as I thought since I did so badly on that quiz!! Fair use is the acceptable way to use copyright materials such as books, articles, and various forms of media for educational purposes. Fair use is defined by a few guidelines: the nature of the work, the amount you borrow and the  effect the use of the work will have on its value in the market. Can you copy an article for you class to read for a lesson? - yes. Can you copy a whole textbook for use in class? - no. Can you make copies of a program which you have only purchased one license for? - no.
The articles and video presented in this assignment shed light on the small details and restrictions that further define fair use. One question that stuck out from the quiz was about the "player" that was distributed on the school's computers and used by teachers and students. Since this is an educational program/player it does not fall under the same distribution laws as other programs such as "Microsoft Office". Several of the examples presented in the reading material, such as showing a movie as a "reward", are things teachers might not think twice about. The responsibility of fair use can fall on individuals, schools or districts. I think it is the responsibility of schools/districts to educate teachers on the ins and outs of fair use. I can see fair use being a tedious process that teachers might find annoying. However, with proper guidance and and clear rules, acceptable use of copyright works can be achieved.
I do think that the copyright rules are a little strict and slightly outdated. In today's day and age all forms of books and media are more readily available than ever thanks to the internet. Teachers have access to so much information that can be beneficial to students. Assignments like this would not be possible without the fair use policy. The articles we read and video we watched all contained copyright notices. One criticism of using copyright materials is that it hinders creativity. I think the video, "A Fair(y) Use Tale" shows the exact opposite. How cool was that video?!

Week EIGHT

In the Technology Integration Matrix I chose the Collaborative learning environment, Transformation, 1-1 access option. This has students reach out to their peers across the world. Students create a podcast in which they give fellow participants clues about their location in the world. This podcast is then uploaded to the "Where in the World" website where it can be accessed by other students. The students will frequently revisit the website to reply to other students guesses and maybe submit some of their own responses. This project addresses a few teacher skills in the NETS for Teachers standards. In standard 5.a. "teachers
participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning." The activity I chose has teachers helping students to create a podcast to share with other classrooms around the world. Using a podcast to convey information is a very creative application of technology. In standard 4.d. "teachers develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools." I think that exposing students to other students in different countries is very valuable. Students will learn about different places and customs around the world, as well as see how other students might communicate. In standard 1.a teachers "promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness." In the chosen activity students must think creatively to give appropriate clues to their peers. Students must also use the information they are provided by other students to determine their location.

I am pretty surprised about my comfort level with technology after only eight weeks! Prior to this class I had never even thought of writing a blog or recording a podcast. I could see myself being able to do the activity discussed above in a classroom which is the transformation level of technology integration. This activity reminds me of an updated version of international pen-pals. I think it would require a lot of effort and organization and might work best with an older group of students. Having anytime access to computers and working with students who are familiar with technology would probably be factors in the effectiveness of this activity. This activity might be an end of the year project where we could build up to the transformation level of integration by continually using the adaption and infusion stage activities.

Week SEVEN

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This Podcast is an introduction to the different types of soils around the United States. It breaks down the 12 soil orders that are used to name soils. It could be used as a supplement to a lecture.