(Week 14)
How do corporations provide training resources for teachers? Give examples.
There are two options for teachers who want to demonstrate basic educational technology standards. The first option is for the teacher to go take classes at a college or university in educational technology, or the second option is to take a workshop to achieve the same competency. The college path may prove to be more useful to some for it may add some more endorsements to their teaching licenses. The teacher workshops are usually given at the district level, and are usually free of charge.
For those who are well into their field, corporations have people called “media specialists.” These people are up to date on the current research technology on the web and in the libraries. Media specialists are in the know on how to research a topic and where to find the information that a student must seek to finish that project for science or history. They have to have up to date technology skills and must be able to teach them to their peers if the need arises.
Next we have administrators. These people who head the schools are in charge of how technology gets distributed in the schools. They take college credit courses and leadership workshops to learn how technology plays a vital role in the school system, and work on getting computers and their peripherals distributed throughout their schools accordingly.
Lastly, we have guidance counselors and instructional support fields, where the technology literacy is important as well. These people must be literate in the technology in order to do their jobs as well. These people must be able to run the school’s technology to do their required work so that there are no malfunctions when it comes to their job.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Fair Use Guideline Questions
(Week 13 Post)
What are the four questions related to the fair use guidelines should teachers ask before using copyrighted materials?
The first and foremost question is the question of the use of the material. Copyrighted material must not be reproduced for commercial needs or to be made a profit from. And obviously, if a teacher is copying a textbook or other scholastic media, it must be for educational purposes. Also, it must be distributed in the school and to the students or other teachers as well.
The second question a teacher must ask is what type of work it is. Is the work factual in nature? Let me give you an example. Textbooks are updated all the time. When Harvard, one of the nation’s top leading universities was first established, it was educating its scholars at the time that the sun was revolving around the earth. Obviously, we now know that that is not true. What if Harvard never updated its textbooks? It would be teaching outdated material. Along the lines of what type of work is being used, does it hold potential for creativity and use for imagination?
Another question that must be called into play is how much of the work does the teacher intend on using? Say it is a pamphlet. Does the teacher plan on using the entire pamphlet? Or is it an excerpt from that pamphlet?
Lastly, what impact does this copyrighted material have on the market for that work? Let us use my example for the pamphlet. Say the teacher uses the entire pamphlet and photocopies it. And say the teacher has 125 students. The teacher thus essentially robs the company out of 125 pamphlets. The company loses that money. To be fair, the teacher should have bought those pamphlets.
I know teachers are on a tight budget, and it doesn’t make sense for them to spend so much money on scholastic material, especially when they keep cutting EEF money. What teachers do need to understand, though, is that they cannot break copyright laws and abuse them in the school.
What are the four questions related to the fair use guidelines should teachers ask before using copyrighted materials?
The first and foremost question is the question of the use of the material. Copyrighted material must not be reproduced for commercial needs or to be made a profit from. And obviously, if a teacher is copying a textbook or other scholastic media, it must be for educational purposes. Also, it must be distributed in the school and to the students or other teachers as well.
The second question a teacher must ask is what type of work it is. Is the work factual in nature? Let me give you an example. Textbooks are updated all the time. When Harvard, one of the nation’s top leading universities was first established, it was educating its scholars at the time that the sun was revolving around the earth. Obviously, we now know that that is not true. What if Harvard never updated its textbooks? It would be teaching outdated material. Along the lines of what type of work is being used, does it hold potential for creativity and use for imagination?
Another question that must be called into play is how much of the work does the teacher intend on using? Say it is a pamphlet. Does the teacher plan on using the entire pamphlet? Or is it an excerpt from that pamphlet?
Lastly, what impact does this copyrighted material have on the market for that work? Let us use my example for the pamphlet. Say the teacher uses the entire pamphlet and photocopies it. And say the teacher has 125 students. The teacher thus essentially robs the company out of 125 pamphlets. The company loses that money. To be fair, the teacher should have bought those pamphlets.
I know teachers are on a tight budget, and it doesn’t make sense for them to spend so much money on scholastic material, especially when they keep cutting EEF money. What teachers do need to understand, though, is that they cannot break copyright laws and abuse them in the school.
Alternative Learning Systems
Week 12
What are alternative learning systems? How might they enhance traditional education?
From my understanding in reading the chapter, alternative learning systems are non-traditional instruction for teaching students that may not go to a “regular” school. Distance learning is an example of an alternative learning system. What I mean by a “regular” school is that students would go to a building, gather their notebooks and textbooks, and sit in a desk or table. In an alternative learning system, students would go to “school” in a different manner. Such manners could be by teleconferences, by internet, or through email and blogs online. In more severe cases where the internet and the world wide web are not available, I can imagine that school correspondence could be done through regular snail mail, fax, or voice mail.
Through alternative learning systems, there is much more responsibility placed on the student. The student has to place time aside on a regular basis to spend for the class. I personally try to put aside several hours on Saturday morning to put for this class. Right when I wake up on Saturday morning, I do my work for this class (though that hasn’t been the case for the last two weeks).
The way that alternative learning systems may enhance traditional education is that it gives the opportunity for people who have to go to work to get an education. Those people who have families and more responsibilities are given the chance to go back and possibility start a new career. They are not forced to sit down in a building and put away time every week at the same time every day to work on school. Rather, they can manage their time in a way that they see beneficial each week to work on their school stuff.
What are alternative learning systems? How might they enhance traditional education?
From my understanding in reading the chapter, alternative learning systems are non-traditional instruction for teaching students that may not go to a “regular” school. Distance learning is an example of an alternative learning system. What I mean by a “regular” school is that students would go to a building, gather their notebooks and textbooks, and sit in a desk or table. In an alternative learning system, students would go to “school” in a different manner. Such manners could be by teleconferences, by internet, or through email and blogs online. In more severe cases where the internet and the world wide web are not available, I can imagine that school correspondence could be done through regular snail mail, fax, or voice mail.
Through alternative learning systems, there is much more responsibility placed on the student. The student has to place time aside on a regular basis to spend for the class. I personally try to put aside several hours on Saturday morning to put for this class. Right when I wake up on Saturday morning, I do my work for this class (though that hasn’t been the case for the last two weeks).
The way that alternative learning systems may enhance traditional education is that it gives the opportunity for people who have to go to work to get an education. Those people who have families and more responsibilities are given the chance to go back and possibility start a new career. They are not forced to sit down in a building and put away time every week at the same time every day to work on school. Rather, they can manage their time in a way that they see beneficial each week to work on their school stuff.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Visual Literacy
Week 11 Posting
What is visual literacy? Where and when is it learned? Why is it important?
When you read a textbook or read a newspaper, most of what you are taking in is text. For some classes and areas of study, this may be sufficient. In other areas, where a description is required, a diagram or picture may be required to explain the text better. Such visuals help in aiding the learning process. The ability to interpret visual aids and other visual diagrams is called visual literacy.
Some examples of visuals include real objects (which are like rocks, stamps, animals, or actual objects), models (such as solar system kits, teaching kits, human anatomy figurines), exhibits (dioramas, book displays, artificial mountain range setting), print materials (books, worksheets, handouts, etc.) and graphics and photographs (drawings, photographs, Venn diagrams, etc.) Graphics and photographs are especially good because it shows how things were in the past as cameras took them, though the quality was not as good then as they are now. Real objects are great in that it lets children see objects up close and personal.
Children learn visual literacy skills mostly in school, and as they progress through the grade levels in school, the maturity of their visual literacy skills grow as well. In elementary school, perhaps they can associate a picture of a dog with a real dog. As they progress to middle school, they will learn more complex picture and diagram skills, to the point that whey they are in high school, they can follow higher level complex flow charts and Venn diagrams.
These skills are important to learn so that when they graduate from school (and hopefully college), they will have strong deciphering and organizational skills. When they get jobs in the workforce, they will need to be able to follow a flow chart and take directions from a list of objectives. Jobs that require some sort of construction really need these kind of skills, where they have to follow a blueprint. It also builds on their problem solving skills, where they can benefit in all aspects of life. Problem solving skills can help them with their finances and organize their life better as well.
What is visual literacy? Where and when is it learned? Why is it important?
When you read a textbook or read a newspaper, most of what you are taking in is text. For some classes and areas of study, this may be sufficient. In other areas, where a description is required, a diagram or picture may be required to explain the text better. Such visuals help in aiding the learning process. The ability to interpret visual aids and other visual diagrams is called visual literacy.
Some examples of visuals include real objects (which are like rocks, stamps, animals, or actual objects), models (such as solar system kits, teaching kits, human anatomy figurines), exhibits (dioramas, book displays, artificial mountain range setting), print materials (books, worksheets, handouts, etc.) and graphics and photographs (drawings, photographs, Venn diagrams, etc.) Graphics and photographs are especially good because it shows how things were in the past as cameras took them, though the quality was not as good then as they are now. Real objects are great in that it lets children see objects up close and personal.
Children learn visual literacy skills mostly in school, and as they progress through the grade levels in school, the maturity of their visual literacy skills grow as well. In elementary school, perhaps they can associate a picture of a dog with a real dog. As they progress to middle school, they will learn more complex picture and diagram skills, to the point that whey they are in high school, they can follow higher level complex flow charts and Venn diagrams.
These skills are important to learn so that when they graduate from school (and hopefully college), they will have strong deciphering and organizational skills. When they get jobs in the workforce, they will need to be able to follow a flow chart and take directions from a list of objectives. Jobs that require some sort of construction really need these kind of skills, where they have to follow a blueprint. It also builds on their problem solving skills, where they can benefit in all aspects of life. Problem solving skills can help them with their finances and organize their life better as well.
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