Blog 3: Message and Copyright Info

What is taught in the classroom is ever changing. As stated in the K-12 Horizon Report (2013), our roles as educators are challenged because of these changes. The common trend today is that information is all around us. We do not have to look far for free information. Because of this easy accessibility, we must be able to determine the credibility of sources and teach our students to do the same. One challenge that was presented in this report is the the huge demand for adjusting what we teach to meet where each child is in his or her development. This is such an important part of being an educator, and technology would seem to be the perfect way to ensure that each child’s needs are met on an individual level. However, the tools for a technology that allows more opportunities for individualized instruction are not where they need to be yet in order to prove effective in the classroom. 

As I was investigating more about the role of the copyright in my classroom, I discovered several things. The first thing I learned from What is Copyright Protection? is that a copyright lasts 50 years after the author’s death.  This means that a copyrighted work still remains intact if the author is no longer living. My next discovery from 10 Big Myths about Copyright was that making up a story that is based on another story is an infringement upon the copyright of the original work. Although some authors do not mind the extra attention it brings to their works, a person must first gain permission to use the concepts from the original work.  The last thing I learned about copyrights was also from 10 Big Myths about Copyright . All emails that a person composes are copyrighted! This means that although quoting a line or two may not cause harm, emails are protected by copyright. Whoever composed the email should be contacted for permission to use the words in the message.

The importance of abiding by copyright laws is huge! As a teacher, I want to model for my students what is means to be a good steward of the information that is available for us to use.  My students will be taught to value and show respect for the works of others. When I model and encourage the obeying of copyrights laws, it can teach my students that integrity and honesty are important. It also teaches them that laws are in place for a reason, and by following them, we are being good citizens.

Blog 2: Content Curation

An article from The Journal discussed the many benefits of content curation in the classroom. If you are like me, you are wondering what content curation is. It is the process of using the Internet to find a variety of relevant sources that pertain to a particular topic, to organize that information into a logical system, and to share that information online with others. The teacher that this article highlighted as being an avid supported and user of content curation described how she uses it in her classroom. First, she finds informational sources on the Internet that pertain to what her class is learning such as handouts, lessons, tutorials, and music videos. She then posts the resources online for her students to use in and out of the classroom setting. She uses this method to allows students to have the responsibility of additional learning outside the classroom in a convenient format. She states that content curation is way to combine content and technology is a purposeful manner.

There are a couple ways that I want to utilize content curation in my classroom.  LiveBinders will prove to be a great tool in this endeavor. First, I think it would be beneficial to create collections of information for each subject area. All students have areas they excel at, just as all students have areas in which they could use some extra practice. The individual collections can hold handouts, power points  games, and videos that my students will be able to easily access in a central web location for studying and learning outside of the classroom. Second, using LiveBinders provides an opportunity for students to learn responsibility in a way that is achievable, not overwhelming.

I plan to use interactive content forms on a regular basis in my classroom. I believe that this is perhaps the best way to communicate subject matter to students in a way that will be meaningful to their individual learning experiences. If students are taught through exploration of content, they are more likely to remember and correctly apply that information throughout their lives. The Rosetta Stone demo was fascinating to me in the way that it taught languages. It provided for all types of learners through a single activity that included written words, spoken language, pictures, and matching games.

The 2013 K-12 Horizon Report notes the impact that technology continues to have on our schools, our society, and our world. Since social media is such a crucial aspect of communication, information, and discovery, it is all the more important that it be utilized effectively in the classroom.  Although the availability of content can provide a challenge in discerning the credibility of sources, there are also many positive aspects of technology today. A new trend specifically to incorporate in the classroom is BYOD, Bring Your Own Device. This is an excellent means to allow students to further engage individually within the content area. Globally, technology is making its impact as well. Those teachers around the world who live in remote areas now have the opportunity to use cell phones to access online information to teach their students in a whole new way. It is exciting to realize all the ways that technology is positively changing education not only in the United States but also all around the world!

Blog 1: Visual Literacy

I read an interesting article on the importance of visual literacy in the classroom. It not only reminded me of the benefits that come from incorporating it in my classroom, but it also caused me to think about how I can best use visual literacy in my reading curriculum. My first idea for using visual literacy would be a fun addition to the unit highlighting our favorite authors and the books they have each written. I would love to have an afternoon where the students could Skype with one of the authors. This usage of visual literacy would touch on two methods: presentation, a behavioral method, and discussion, a constructivist method. The author could speak with the students about the book and read one of his or her books to them. Afterwards, the children would have an opportunity to engage with the author by asking questions.

My second idea for incorporating visual literacy would be a practical method to integrate into lessons. I can preview the text we will be reading that day and create a power point slide that contains pictures that are representative of the more difficult words from the reading. The behavioral method I would be using with these slides is demonstration. I am providing a way for our learners to view a real-life example of the words they are reading. By providing these pictures, students will form a connection between what they already know and what they are learning. In addition, this will help them associate the letters of the word with a picture, causing them to remember it for the next time they see it.

My last idea for using visual literacy is my favorite of the three I have discovered, and it would capitalize on all the resources that are available online for educational use! Wouldn’t it be fun for students to be able to take a virtual trip to places that they have read about in their books? Whether it is the tropical rainforest, a garden, or Hawaii, students will be able to see and explore real-life representations of the information they have read about. My constructivist methods for this activity would be simulation, which allows for real-world experiences, and cooperative learning through discussion. After reading a book in small groups, the children would (as a group) travel to their book destination online. They would discuss their book as they explore its setting. As we are realizing, media has changed the teaching methods of today, and visual literacy is just one of many ways to get the full advantages of all that technology has to offer. Visual literacy will foster an effective learning community in our classroom!