Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Tech Training-Build It, They Will Come.

"If you build it, [they] will come."

~quote from the move Field of Dreams 
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Field_of_Dreams)


        This quote from the movie Field of Dreams reminds me of creating an environment in my classroom and future media center where all students/patrons want to come---to grow, learn, experiment, collaborate, and become risk takers. If teachers and media specialists "build" a place of intellectual and literary freedom, then students, parents, and administrators will "come" to gain ideas, strategies, motivation, and tools they will need to be a 21st Century learner (and doer). Teachers, who I have talked with, are eager to learn new technology strategies, apps, websites, and other tools to help their students become more engaged and create authentic learning. 

        Gone are the days of traditional textbooks, which for some teachers and parents, is difficult to grasp. Today's learning has a collaborative approach and is based on technology playing a vital role in each daily lesson. For example, in my 4th grade classroom, students use websites daily for independent study, iPads for research, using scanners for games requiring access to QR codes, online clickers for quick assessments, computer programs for formative and summative assessments with instantaneous feedback, online intervention programs, and web-based acceleration programs. 

        In the elementary school where I currently teach, the teachers are "thirsty" for more technology and resources to help students become 21st Century Learners. Currently, our Early Intervention Specialist conducts professional development on technology resources two to three times a year, but it is geared towards intervention and the primary grades. The media specialist does not provide any professional development on technology, which is desperately needed at our school. The teachers are ready, they just need guidance, support, and encouragement to take risks and implement new technology programs. One of the barriers that we face at our school is not enough computers or iPads.  We often have to "book" the mobile cart or iPads weeks in advance. This is discouraging to teachers in that lessons often have to be rewritten due to the lack of resources. I have already decided that when I become a media specialist, I plan on purchasing iPads for teachers to check out for their classrooms. The computer lab at our school is going by the way side. Teachers and students want the technology and tools at their finger tips in the regular classroom setting. 
       
      Just like a baseball team needs an excellent coach to guide and motivate it's players, a media center/classroom needs a excellent coach to guide and motivate it's learners. According to "ISTE standards for Coaches" and the "ISTE Standards for Teachers", technology coaches (aka media specialists) need to inspire and participate in the development and implementation of an integrated technology program which promotes excellence throughout all instructional environments. With the collaboration of media specialists and classroom teachers, students need to be part of digital age learning environments where learning is only a click away and where students can share their creativity with others in a digital format. Media specialists and teachers can help students foster cultural understandings and global awareness to better understand the world around them. 

       It was interesting to read in "Teaching, Coaching, and Community" that teachers who receive coaching in using technology tools become more confident and effective in creating a technology rich environment which then maximizes student learning.  As a future media specialist, I want to provide frequent professional development activities on various tech tools that teachers can easily implement in their classrooms and for students to utilize for their research projects.  I would like to offer online tutorials, after school sessions for students/parents and teachers, and "tech tip" suggestions each month for the teachers to try like a new website, app, program, or software. I feel that it is very important for media specialists to stay abreast of current technology trends and share it with their teachers.

        If technology coaches build an environment that fosters digital learning, "they" will come.






Technology Training… Say What?

Technology Training… Say What?

            When I see the word technology training it gives me the sense of dread because before this class I have never really trained in technology. I have to train to know how to do something? Everyone needs to learn new things about the upcoming technologies that are changing, as we know it. The article we were given to read for this blog post talks about being coaches for technology and I have never thought of myself as a coach. I want to tell you about what I have observed when it comes to technology training and what I hope to do when I become a coach myself.

Picture from Clip Art

What I have seen/experienced:
            At the current middle school I am volunteering at I have not seen any technology training occurring with the teachers and staff. It could be the fact that I don’t come at the times that the media specialist puts aside in her busy schedule to help teachers and staff with technology. I have seen the media specialist help students when they are having trouble with technology. The staff development for technology is being stunted because there is not much physical proof of teachers and staff being helped in their classrooms other than having smart boards and having access to the computer labs in the school or media center. I hope to be able to see the use of technology in the media center when I go in later this semester.
            I have seen technology training in the previous high school that I volunteered at that gave technology help to teachers and staff of the school. The school media specialist conducted TED Talks in the media center during the school day so that the teachers and staff could know how to work the different technologies that the media center provided for them. I was never able to attend one of her talks but I learned that they helped teachers and staff with their classroom blogs, getting classroom materials, and engaged their students in interesting ways.

Created on Vista Print by Me

What I am going to do:
            I understand that being a media specialist can be a crazy task with the multiple hats that we have to wear. I want to be different than what I have seen in the middle school media center. I want to be able to help teachers and staff utilize the different tools that the digital world provides for us so that they can create and showcase their lessons, give extra help to students who need it, and create ways to connect to their students than ever before. The different tools I would try to implement are those such as Prezi, PowerPoint, Skype, Diigo, Google Drive, and Blogger. Of course there are others that I could use but these few are the ones I am most comfortable using. One tool that I have seen utilized is the tool of TED talks in the high school media center which is something I am interested in trying to help my school by bringing the technology and the digital world in if it has not be introduced already.
            This can be easier said then actually done. I will never know how I will conduct my position as a media specialist until I truly have a position in a schools media center. I will hope that I can inspire students to want to come and use their media center for more than just a place they can hang out with their friends and do the boring stuff for school assignments. Maybe in the next few years I will be in a media specialist position and be asked for help from a future media specialist-in-training. I hope that I will be able to say that I have contributed to my schools advancement in technology.


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Copyright & Fair Use... "Clear as Mud"

As educators, we are all familiar with the terms "copyright" and "fair use, " but are we? I am sure, like many of you, I have heard of "fair use" but probably not well enough to explain what it actually is. According to the video introduction to the "Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, " the definition of fair use is as follows: "Fair use allows you to use copyrighted material without permission or payment when the benefit to society outweighs the cost to the copyright owner." Perfectly clear, right? I think not.  Fair use provides educators with some opportunities to use copyrighted materials in the realm of education. The most difficult part is knowing what is and is not accepted. There are no cut and dry rules regarding the subject. Much of it is left up to best judgement and it may vary with different situations. 
The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education states that "fair use is flexible, not unreliable. While it does protect the owners' rights to their creative work, copyright laws do not provide specific "laws" and guidelines when it comes to fair use. Being a rule follower by nature, this is very difficult for me to handle...is what I am doing okay or is it not okay?

When determining if fair use is applicable, there are two questions that you may ask yourself. 
     1. Did I change the intended use of the work or use it for a different purpose?
     2. Was the amount of material taken reasonable?

More than likely, if the answers to both of these questions are yes, you are probably in good shape, but again, fair use is left up to interpretation. The most important thing to remember is that "economic harm" does not come to the owner through your own use of his/her material. 
Remember...clear as mud!?!

This brings me to a common myth about fair use as taken from the Code of Best Practices:
Myth: "Educators can rely on 'rules of thumb' for fair use guidance." 

The truth is, there is no "rule of thumb" to follow or relay on. You've probably heard that 30 seconds of any song, so much of a video, text, etc. are all okay to use without infringement of copyright. However, there are no real set magic number to guide you. Because copyright is a case by case basis, it is hard to limit every piece of work to such limited constraints. However, it is up to the educator to use common sense and to be reasonable when choosing materials to use, and how much. "Fair use is situational, and context is critical." There could never be a law that would include every imaginable use for a piece of work. Therefore, there is no "rule of thumb."  These are basically guidelines to help guide users in the right direction. 

Fair use is not designed to limit or "catch" educators, but rather to allow them the freedom to use copyrighted materials to enhance the education of others. We each have to determine if the use of certain copyrighted materials is fair, based on reason.
As we, as educators learn more about fair use policies, it is up to use to share this information with others. Learning about fair use does not hinder us, but empowers us. So, we "need to be leaders, not followers, in establishing best practices in fair use." 


References:
Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education (2012). From the web site: http://mediaeducationlab.com/code-best-practices-fair-use-media-literacy-education-0

What's In The News?

I am sorry for the late post, I thought this was due today!

After exploring the suggested sites, it was interesting to see how Orenco Elementary school in Hillsboro, Oregon does their Kids News Network. While I found it to be fun and innovative in their coverage, I believe it was too long at 24 minutes. They covered an extensive amount of school and community news and their graphics and transitions were nice but I think the school news should be shorter in length even if not produced daily or weekly.  I reviewed Eisenhower Middle School’s YouTube channel for their news station. It was not too long and the stories were fun but informative.

I currently work at a high school that has a full TV station. Students produce a morning news show once per day and is no more than 5-10 minutes every school day. Students audition to become anchor on the news desk. Two are selected and report school news daily. They do not use graphics during the reporting. Additional students produce feature stories that are edited to air. Students are required to follow guidelines to have their story air such as a storyboard, producer, and appropriate music. Most content is events that are upcoming, such as extracurricular activities. They do not report on community news or even report the weather. It is started by an upbeat opening, then the pledge of allegiance, and a moment of silence.  They often have an SAT word of the day. The production is managed by our Broadcasting teacher, who also teaches the for credit class. She does an excellent job teaching the students to use the equipment and how to edit and produce great content.  She has a student station manager who helps to oversee production. They have experienced problems such as students not finishing stories, but they just move on to another one. Students are required to come up with ideas for stories and complete all the tasks, such as securing the talent and editing it for air. The broadcast teacher reviews every story before air. 

There is a rotation schedule of student producers and the students must be in the class or have taken the class to participate. They also have a club for the station. The news is aired on a closed circuit channel on TVs in classrooms and lobby areas throughout the school. At one time they also aired the Channel One News, but it is no longer aired for benefit of time. I turn it on daily in the media center so I stay abreast of what is going on around the school as well as for others to view while in the media center in the morning. Additional feature stories and PSA’s are produced for a longer show that airs on Fridays. Students are allowed to produce shows such a promotional fundraiser for donuts that was produced with a James Bond theme and music. Students also produce PSA’s on topics such as domestic abuse and teen driving. The Friday show loops all day. Daily in the afternoons, announcements are aired over the intercom that reiterate the news show.


I have toured the studio and it is a first class setup with several Mac computer editing suites, a real studio with professional desk and cameras, production board, and microphones. The Broadcast teacher does an excellent job teaching the students a comprehensive overview of TV production. They leave with skills that will enable them to take them into careers. 

Monday, February 23, 2015

Myth: Fair Use Could Get Me Sued.



Truth:  According to Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, Fair Use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances, especially when the cultural or social benefits are predominant.  When using media, the question to ask yourself as an educator is, “Am I using this media for the purpose in which it was originally intended?” Is the material being used for instruction or entertainment?  When the material is being used as a reward, then it is being used in the way it was originally intended – for entertainment.  Then there would be a copyright infringement issue; however, when the material is being used for instructional purposes, this is not the original intention on the material, so educators are protected under the fair use laws. 
Copyright law does not exactly specify how to apply fair use and that gives the fair use doctrine a flexibility that works to the advantage of users.  Apply the “rule of reason” – “If the user of copyright materials generates social or cultural benefits that are greater than the cost it imposes to the owner” then the educator is safe in using the materials.  Most educators fear that the copyright police are out to get them, but in reality “fair use is flexible and NOT unreliable”.  It will protect educators when using materials for educational purposes. 
There are four factors that judges refer to when deciding what is fair use.  1) the nature of use, 2) nature of the work used, 3) extent of the use, 4) the economic effect .  In reviewing the history of litigation concerning fair use, the big question was – Will use cause excessive economic harm to the original source? Again, the questions to ask yourself are: 1) did the use transform the work by using it for a different purpose than it was originally intended? 2) Was the material taken appropriate in kind and amount considering the nature of the copyrighted work and of fair use?  If the answer to these questions is yes, then there is no worry about fair use being challenged by the court system or the originator of the material. 
I my school system, each school pays a licensing fee to use movies for entertainment purposes.  That way we can show movies for entertainment or their original purpose with no fear of retribution from the film maker.  So between the protection of fair use and this licensing fee, our school has little to fear from any action against our school or individual educators.  Several years ago, teachers were more fearful of using multimedia excerpts in class lessons.  I am seeing teacher move away from that fear and use materials more freely, especially in science and social studies fields.  I do think we need to take care in going to the original source and not just a YouTube excerpt from the original source.  We do want to be an example to students and not just blindly excuse the misuse of copyrighted materials, but there needs to be a healthy balance.  And as a side note, I loved how the source document has a last little except saying when using this document rely on the fair use doctrine.  Good advice!
 Sources: 

Monday, February 16, 2015

School News

The number of schools using the media center to broadcast school newscasts are growing.  It is becoming harder and harder to find a school which has not embraced and begun utilizing this new concept.
The school newscast can be done in several formats.  The media specialist can plan a live broadcast using students from the Broadcast club or they can opt to tape these sessions, sending them to teachers via email allowing for viewing on SMARTBOARDS located in the classrooms.
In such case the school I used to gather my information on  school news is one which produces live broadcasts at least three times per week.  The broadcasts involve the media specialist and the members of the Broadcast Club along with teachers and various clubs.  The Broadcast club is open to all students in the building grades 6-8 who are interested in possibly pursuing careers in broadcasting or journalism.  The news cast is merely one aspect of the club with the other being the school newspaper and yearbook.
These students participate in a live presentation including the events happening around the building and the pledge of allegiance and national anthem.  The integration of teachers who are sponsors of other clubs in the building such as TGI Tech and 4-H to name a few helps increase student interest in these clubs.
While producing these types of live broadcasts help with decreasing the amount of time necessary for students to be outside of their scheduled classrooms the media specialist must also take into consideration the possibility of something going wrong.  One of the problems mentioned by the media specialist is the absence of sound during these live broadcasts.  Trying to make sure that all classes have equipment that is free of malfunctioning parts is virtually impossible.  In the event that this problem continues to happen the media specialist stated that she would be looking into beginning to tape all broadcasts to be shown to those classes at a later time.
The integration of school news as presented by the media specialist is quickly approaching total integration in the elementary, middle, and high schools in my district.  As we continue making strides toward increasing media presence in the daily school experience new opportunities are always opening up for adoption by teachers and students.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Social Networking! In the Media Center?

Social Networking! In the Media Center? 


         I can understand that some might be cautious when it comes to integrating social networking into a media center and classrooms. I feel that using this vast tool can be a great way that will make teachers and students want to come into the media center. Students would have to collaborate with each other to by learning how to make something creative out of normally boring or lifeless material. We can see this in one of the article when AASL’s President Sara Kelly Johns remarked that, "Group collaboration and discussion are becoming more evident in the learning process. These processes create a community of learners where a student can help lead the educational process." There are many social networking outlets out there that it is crazy what could be used in a school setting. Students should be able to use these outlets to express themselves and how their learning is impacting them.


        Allowing students to create blogs gets them to interact with their classmates, teachers and other school staff because they are expressing themselves in different ways than ever before. A way to engage the students is to have them blog, post pictures, describe how things impacted them, and even allow them to learn more about each other. We can encourage students to do this in different social networking outlets such as Blogger, Flicker, or Youtube in ways like showing what they are researching about, document a field trip they went on by connecting it to school subjects, do presentations and do reviews about books or movies. We can see this being promoted in the article by AASL (ALA, 2008) where President Sara Kelly Johns said that “teachers and students alike—vets information in wikis, discusses processes in blogs and uses online instruction and social bookmarking to make students more accountable for and active in their educational journey.” As educators I know we want our students to be able to connect with us and become outstanding members of society once they leave our ‘classroom’ of the media center because they are our future and we are the instigators to their enhanced learning.
         When students use the media center they normally just go there to mill about, work on homework or class assignments, or be there for class. By allowing students to access certain social networking domains we can permit students to be more engaged in their learning by allowing them to use the different technological tools they have at their fingertips while in school. In the article by AASL (ALA, 2008) where President Sara Kelly Johns said that, “technology and social skills are essential to the development of 21st Century students in order for them to be viable members of the working community." Students need to learn how to be learners and leaders before they go out into the real world.


         Then we come to one of the biggest problems that might make some educators not want to use social media in the school, which is the safety of the students and their information. In the article by Edudemic (2015) states that teachers and media specialist should, “Review your school’s social media policy and if necessary, have parents sign consent forms for posting their child’s work online.” The safety of our students’ personal information is always something that we have to look out for when wanting to create the different formats of social media. I have seen schools block different social media sites in their school system because they think it will distract students and disrupt the learning process. In the article by Edudemic (2015) states that teachers and media specialist should, “Please read all social media platforms’ privacy pages, and ensure that your class feeds are set to private to protect students’ work.” This is important because students might not know how public certain social networking sites can be.
         I am not currently teaching or working in the schools at the moment but I have seen while volunteering in media centers how using social networking works when it comes to students learning can work and improve how they present themselves to the world around them. As a library media student I have enjoyed all of the instruction I have gained with using different social networking domains such as Diggo, Weebly, Flicker, Prezi, Skitch, Wiki, and Blogger. I will want to help students learn how to use these In the end it is always up to the school itself in how much they allow students have access to social networking when they are in the building.



Resources
ALA. (2008). AASL’s second longitudinal survey reveals schools’ acceptance of social networking tools. ALA. Retrieved from: http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2008/june2008/AASLsurvey.cfm


Edudemic. (2015). “How to use social media as a learning tool in the classroom.” Edudemic. Retrieved from: http://www.edudemic.com/how-to-use-social-media-as-a-learning-tool-in-the-classroom/