My comfort zone has always been in producing visually
engaging material. Thus, when the choice to publish or present came about, my first
answer, without thought, was to present. Then I began to think. My Action
Research site has been very successful, and I would be able to utilize much of
the content from my AR site.
Ironically,
when I reflect back to Month 1 when Dr. Wyly introduced the Literature Review,
I thought I was never going to make it through this program. I never thought my
writing was good enough then, and have often struggled with the quality and
consistency of my writing even now. Nevertheless, I have decided to publish. By
ultimately choosing this option, I will be demonstrating to myself that I can
develop my writing to a level worthy of being published for a conference.
Update: After the week two Wednesdays Wimba session, I decided that I am going to switch from a paper presentation to a 'presentation' presentation. The format lends more to my creative self, and having recently presented my research to a body of faculty, the experience is still fresh. So, I'm off to power up my Keynote!
The information presented on Fair Use clarified several things for me. I believe, up until now, I was following loosely the rules established. I have always asked permission before using music in my classroom, for teaching purposes, and I have clarified somewhat the issues for my students. Listening and observing the video has more clearly defined what I am able to use. I'm excited to share these clarifications with my students.
Other issues about remix have always had me wondering how they can do that. Many folks believe that new content is not being created. How can we be 'inspired' by past creation? The fair use right is rooted in the first amendment. The attorney clarified that we must 'use or lose it". I love that it follows reason and logic and is not 'black and white'. We must ask ourselves "What is normal, particularly in the field?" I hope to have the students write about fair use, perhaps use a case study that is complicated in order that they may understand how complicated the issues are.
A rule of thumb is to always credit your sources.
My Response to Kat:
Kat, I agree with your views wholeheartedly. The videos we watched this past week increased our level of awareness to the point where we can even engage our own students in a discussion regarding the matter. I think it’s a great idea, and I’m glad that there is the Fair Use Policy website by the organization to help educate on the subject. The website has many resources that are free to use and reproduce (great idea as well) so that we, as teachers, can feel confident bringing the topic to the classroom. And yes, ‘always credit your sources.’
After watching all of the videos on copyright, fair use, and so forth, I felt like the information was fed to me through a fire hose. I knew going into the readings that copyright was a touch subject and has been the source of many lawsuits over the years. There have been some school districts that have even had their hand slapped regarding copyright infringement.
My first introduction to copyright was when I studied music in college. One of my upper level courses touched on the subject briefly. So I had just enough information about the subject to keep me out of most issues. Copyright was still a hard subject to grasp. There are so many grey areas that it is hard to “know when to hold em’” or “fold em’”, as Kenny Rogers would explain in The Gambler. Use of copyright material could literally be a gamble.
Musicians have borrowed musical ideas from each other for centuries, however there are many intricacies of copyright that apply that composers of the 18th and 19th centuries didn't have to deal with. As a band director, when having students participate in recorded concerts, issues arise with regard to copyright, especially when Disney songs are involved. They have such a tight reign on their property that it is nearly impossible to duplicate anything related to them.
The pop group “Men at Work” found out the hard way recently that permission for even using a popular melody must be sought before taking credit for the creation. The videos did a fair job of defining the proper uses of copyrighted material and a more accurate description of fair use.
To be on the safe side, educators should create their own materials. Many of the classes at Full Sail have stressed this. If you have to use others work, either use Creative Commons material with the proper attribution, or get permission from the author/creator of the work.
If I were to have one gripe, it would have been nice to have this material presented in the first few months of our EMDT program. I understand that everything is set in place for the sequence, but it would have been nice to understand a little more about the issues with copyright a little earlier.
My Response to David's Post:
David: First, I want to say, "Howdy!" as I have never had you as a classmate in previous months. Now that the warm introduction is taken care of, I must say that I enjoyed reading your views on the area of copyright. I share many of your sentiments pertaining to misconceptions of what we can and cannot use. It has always been a gray area. If I could give you a virtual 'high five', it would be in response to your statement that we should have covered this at the beginning of our program. This way we could have had a more in-depth relevant awareness of Copyright and Fair Use. Certainly, there's more to it than just citing sources in the credits.
I remember when I was in High School band when we would have our freestyle jam sessions. We (especially our drum line) would infuse a lot of the beats and bass lines that were in popular R&B and rap music at the time. However, we were never allowed to play that at performances. We never understood (or cared about) copyright and licensing fees back then. We just thought that our band director insisted on taking all the fun out of band! NOW I understand why.
Over the next few weeks, I will make it my solemn duty to wake up each morning, stand in front of the mirror and declare, "Fair Use is my friend." We will slowly realize that, as educators, we are being granted the privilege to ensure history is preserved and taught to the next generation of learners.
As a graphic designer & instructor, there is probably no
other word (aside from Comic Sans) that evokes fear, uncertainty, and debate
like ‘copyright’. The discussion is never over the clear ‘black and white’
issues. For example, clearly you cannot use the Walt Disney signature typeface
for a brand name, regardless of whether it’s for personal or commercial use. It’s
always over the gray areas. So for this course to start off by delving right
into the realm of Copyright and Fair Use is rather commendable, and speaks to
the importance of the topic.
I think back to the Month 1 Media Literacy & Research
course when we had to create a lesson in Second Life. Our team decided to
create a lesson centered on the 1776 signing of the Declaration of
Independence. We wanted to incorporate the famous 1795 John Trumball painting,
and audio of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson as depicted in
a film about the historic event. It was then that I really learned about the
Fair Use Act and how it ‘liberated’ educators from the censorship tyranny that
can be inflicted by copyright. Our situation was a prime example of the need to
use copyrighted material for the purpose of teaching, AND, without the
material, the lesson could not be as effective. Where needed, we obtained the
proper usage rights for much of our media. In most cases, all that was required
was a citation of the source in the credits.
All in all, I look forward to continue learning about the
nuances of Copyright and Fair Use, and how it applies to educators and the
classroom.
RILS Plan: Creating Online Portfolios for Art Students
& Designers
Brief Overview: Students looking to enter the creative arts
industry need an online portfolio. Creating one from scratch can be
time-consuming, costly, and unpredictable. This scenario will show students how
to create an online portfolio using Carbonmade.com and give each other feedback
on an Edmodo.com class site.
Target
Audience
Post secondary students studying fine arts or graphic design.
Materials:
oComputer with Internet access
oHard drive access to samples of best work
oA free Carbonmade.com account
o(Instructor) – A free instructor’s account on Edmodo.com
o(Student) – An Edmodo.com Group Code provided by instructor
oDigital camera (optional)
oScanner (optional)
Objectives Students will:
oRemember key points of online portfolio expectations
oUnderstand the pros and cons of an online versus a print portfolio
oEstablish their online account with Carbonmade.com.
oAnalyze and categorize artwork based on media type or
industry type.
oEvaluate and critique the portfolios of other classmates
via the online group created on Edmodo.com.
oPresent their creative portfolio site to faculty,
colleagues, or internship department.
Procedure
oInstructors:
·Familiarize yourself with Carbonmade.com. (Free vs. Premium
features, file types, file size limitations)
·Create a Teacher’s account on Edmodo.com. Set up your
profile and create a group for your portfolio students.
·Obtain an ‘invitation only’ code to distribute to your
portfolio students so they can access the Edmodo.com site.
·If necessary, have the digital camera and scanners ready in
case students need to digitize any work.
oStudents:
·Create a folder on your computer with samples of your best
work. If necessary, use the digital camera or scanner to capture your files.
·Create a free account on Carbonmade.com
·Export and upload portfolio files to Carbonmade.com &
organize them by category.
·Obtain the ‘invitation only’ code from your instructor to
join the portfolio class group created on Edmodo.com
·Set up your profile to include a link to your
Carbonmade.com portfolio
·On the Edmodo.com “Post” wall, leave a link to your
Carbonmade.com portfolio. View other student’s portfolios and leave
constructive feedback on the discussion board.
·Edmodo.com – A free Learning Management System that allows
teachers and students to connect over school content – http://www.edmodo.com
Social
Participation/Social Learning
·By using the invitation code to access the class section
online, students will have a closed, secure place to give each other comments
and feedback on their Carbonmade portfolio site. Students can also post links
to sites on portfolios, internships and industry news.
Making
Connections
Students will connect:
·Student-to-Teacher: As facilitator & supporter, the
teacher will promote engagement, offer technical support & guidance
·Student-to-Student: Students will collaborate with each
other
·Student-to-Targeted Global Audience: Students will connect
with strategic avenues to make sure their portfolios are seen by the desired
audience
Create/Produce
·The end product will be a student portfolio representing
samples of their best, marketable work.
·It’s important to note that the pieces in the portfolio
were chosen based on a collaborative process by fellow students, and not by the
individual student alone.
Reflection
Student
Reflection: Students will reflect on the experience of creating a
portfolio and collaborating in an online environment by posting to the class
group on Edmodo.com
Teacher
Reflection: Teachers will
reflect via a brief feedback form submitted online through Google Docs.
In this post, I am continuing my review of Glogster, a social networking site that allows you to create interactive posters with text, image, audio and video. The previous post centered around creating a Glog (graphical blog). Now I'd like to explore the social networking aspect of the site.
Once you are a member of Glogster, you are part of a community. Glogsters can enjoy benefits such as earning "G's", commenting on other Glogs, and much more.
Earning "G's"
I have 32 G's so far!
Who doesn't like incentives?"G's" are Glogster status points.
Simply put, the more Gs you have, the more respected you are among the
Glogster community. You can earn points for little things (signing up,
logging in each day, creating a Glog) and for big things (registering a
mobile device with Glogster, referring a friend, or becoming a Mover
& Shaker.) Currently, you can't redeem your G points for cash or
anything else. They're just for status and bragging rights.
Movers & Shakers
If you create a Glog that is noteworthy and gets a lot of buzz, one of the Glogster admins may elevate you to the rank of 'Movers & Shakers'. For example, this one on a TED Conference Photosynthesis Demo was chosen as a Mover & Shaker:
Explore
The Explore section of Glogster lets you keyword search for Glogs and view others based on categories (Fashion, Education, Art, Family, etc.) When you view another person's Glog, you can leave a comment, 'like' it, share it on Facebook, Twitter or Google +. You can even embed the Glog in another website
