Drape's Takes

George Siemens asks:


Here's my quickly-written, first draft, stab-at-a-response:

• Emerging technologies for teaching and learning consist of all hardware, software, concepts, and ideas that can be employed to advance social, connective, and educational processes.

Maybe a lot of edu-techno-jargin thrown together, but what are you gonna do?

According to one of my critics this entire blog is little more than a nice place for "pseudo academics" to gather together and converse. Nevertheless, in my humble opinion, the blogosphere itself IS an emerging technology for teaching and learning (and fits nicely within my hopefully-working definition).

Now for my questions:

• How's my definition? Does it work? Wherein is it weak?
• Is an idea a technology? I'm not so sure.
• Are blogs more than a gathering place for pseudo academics? Can real learning take place here? Is all of this worthwhile, academically speaking?
  

Technorati Tags: technology education pseudo academia whatareyougonnado?

So the other day I was visiting a classroom and the teacher asked his students if they liked doing assignments and projects that included technology. Overwhelmingly, the kids said that they preferred to use technology. "It's easier," said one student. "It's more fun," said another.

And then one kid hits a home-run.

"Yeah, it's like we're almost in the 21st Century!"

Strange how this kind of blatantly honest statement is both funny and sad at the same time.


Image source: Flickr user Lasre.

Technorati Tags: 21stCenturySkills funny sad education technology i-miss-santa-already

Anyone that has ever learned a foreign language will attest to the fact that the best way to learn a language is to become immersed in its culture. By doing so, a person not only experiences the benefits and weaknesses of the language but eventually comes to an understanding of the language's nuances, sayings, and otherwise hidden phrases of meaning that are easily understood by native speakers.

Wikis, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Nings and other forms of social networking, photo sharing, video sharing, and thought sharing: If you really want to learn about what these and other technologies have to offer the teacher and the learner, there's honestly no better way than by taking the plunge.


For this reason alone, I have immersed myself in many of today's educational technologies - not only to learn about today's digital teaching tools, but to learn them well. In learning by immersion, I've also come to appreciate the benefits and weaknesses of our ever-expanding globalized learning networks.

Image source: Flickr user adarsh_antony.

Technorati Tags: education technology immersion taketheplungebaby

[On Thursday I was asked to write this, the first essay I've ever written for work. As online video becomes more prevalent in educational settings and elsewhere, leaders within our district have struggled to form related policy - particularly when it comes to copyright (you should know going in that our district has one of the strictest copyright policies I've ever seen). What follows was my attempt to explain the issues as I have come to know them, borrowing heavily from ideas shared by Stephen Downes and others when we discussed this issue as it related to blogging etiquette last May.

In the end, I'm not sure how well I have done here (particularly given that I only had an hour to throw this together) but would greatly appreciate any feedback you'd be willing to share with me.]

In-Class Use of YouTube Videos

In connection with the Engaged Classroom professional development opportunity, we would like to share “model” lessons of how technology can be used to teach the curriculum. One particularly powerful piece of technology that can be used for educational purposes is the use of online video for instruction. YouTube is currently the industry standard in user-generated video distribution. Therefore, we think it only reasonable to allow the use of educationally sound YouTube content under controlled circumstances within the classroom. In this brief paper, we will elaborate and show that such behavior is within the confines of current district policy.

YouTube’s Copyright Policy

According to YouTube’s terms of service¹, videos that are uploaded to the site are to be free of copyrighted materials. Expressly:

By clicking "Upload Video," you are representing that this video does not violate YouTube's Terms of Use and that you own all copyrights in this video or have authorization to upload it.

As YouTube regularly monitors the content on their site for copyright infringements, one can only assume that users have followed the rules in respecting copyright. For an ever-growing list of videos that have been removed from YouTube for alleged copyright violations, please visit http://youtomb.mit.edu/, a project conducted by researchers out of MIT.

Jordan School District Copyright Policy

Jordan School District has one of the most rigid policies on copyright in the entire state of Utah². Nonetheless, if a teacher follows a few simple guidelines, the use of YouTube videos for educational purposes within a closed, classroom setting, never violates the JSD policy on copyright.

The following policies on copyright relate directly to our current situation:

Policy number DE505, IV, D. Internet Resources

1. Assume all materials on the Internet are copyrighted unless otherwise stated and that existing copyright guidelines apply. When in doubt, obtain written permission from the copyright holder.

2. When using information from the Internet, follow the Fair Use guidelines and properly cite all Internet resources.

Policy number DE505, IV, I. Web Page Publishing, 1. Permissible:

a. When using material from other Web sites, permission should be obtained from the copyright holder, and all sources must be properly cited.

Guideline for teachers in online video use:

• Cite all Internet resources
• Assume all materials are copyrighted unless otherwise stated. In YouTube’s case, we have done that (see above).

Policy number DE505, IV, F, 3. Prohibited:

c. Using videos that have not been previewed for applicability and appropriateness by the school principal and/or the principal's designee (an administrator, secondary licensed media specialist, or licensed educator).

Policy number DE505, IV, F, 1. Ratings Guidelines:

e. Non-rated videos/DVDs must be reviewed for applicability to core curriculum, content, and appropriateness for student use. The school principal and/or the principal's designee (an administrator, secondary licensed media specialist, or licensed educator) must review the video/DVD and make a ratings recommendation. Based on the recommendation, the school principal gives final approval for use of a non-rated video/DVD in a school. A written verification of review and approval for each non-rated video/DVD must remain on file at the school location.

Guideline for teachers in online video use:

• Have your principal or their designee preview and approve all designated online content.

Recommendation:

• Create a district-standard form for such approvals.

Policy number DE505, VI. Definition of Fair Use

While authors are given certain specific rights, some limitations have been put on those rights. The courts use the following four criteria to determine Fair Use:

A. The purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes.

B. The nature of the copyrighted work.

C. The amount and substantiality (extent) of the portion used in relationship to the copyrighted work as a whole.

D. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Guideline for teachers in online video use:

• Online content can only be used for educational, non-commercial purposes.

Conclusion

As additional quality, educational content becomes increasingly available online, closer attention should be given in the creation of related policy. Furthermore, to infer that showing a video from Youtube in class is outside of current JSD copyright policy is simply not accurate as there are tens of thousands of educationally appropriate, non-copyrighted materials on YouTube. Additionally, there exist thousands of other materials licensed under Creative Commons licenses³ - which state that not only is it OK to show these videos but that others can share, remix, and reuse the materials, if they so desire.

References:

1. http://www.youtube.com/t/community_guidelines
2. http://www.jordandistrict.org/policymanual/p.php?id=199
3. http://creativecommons.org/

Special thanks to Kelly Dumont for lending a hand with this, as well.

Technorati Tags: copyright policy youtube

A new file format has been developed that has intriguing possibilities. Dubbed MXP4, this format changes the way recorded music is experienced, providing a more interactive experience by playing multiple variants of a song as you play it - simulating the spontaneity of a live performance. Rather than listening to same song - the same way - multiple times, users can choose between various versions of the song using a download-able software player or online widget.

The potential for musicians is amazing. An artist could, for example, offer rock, metal, reggae, and pop versions of the same song. Furthermore, the artist could also assign weights to song "skins" providing a different experience with each playing. To elaborate, suppose a song had multiple skins for a particular guitar solo within the song. If the artist preferred one instance of the solo more than others, they could assign it a weight of 50% while assigning other solos a lesser weight. Then every time that particular song was played, the listener would hear the version of the song with the more heavily weighted guitar solo half of the time, but other times the song would feature an entirely different guitar solo, based upon how the skins have been weighted.

Personally, I think this kind of technology (not necessarily MXP4 itself, but the concept) has tremendous potential for education in the form of learning objects - one file, multiple possibilities, all weighted by the teacher or student.

But what do you think? How could you use this kind of technology to teach or to learn?

Technorati Tags: learningobjects mxp4 music learning technology

In response to Jennifer Wagner's recent post about Twitter High, I dedicate the following riddle to Graham Wegner.

A-hem...

What do you call a social network of people that:

• Is full of a wide range of vastly different people,
• Limits dialogue to brief spats of "conversation" - frequently resulting in missed opportunities for actual communication,
  
• Can seem wildly unfocused and often chaotic,
• And is often a favored target for unbridled criticism by many?

Answer in the comments...

Image source: Jennifer Wagner

Technorati Tags: twitter schools socialnetworking

I’m continually learning that Charles Dicken’s assessment of eighteenth century life is as suitable for our time as any other in the history of the world:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

An economy in the toilet, political corruption throughout, famine, floods, drought, and war. An end to hundreds of diseases that have plagued humans for centuries, a staggering array of medical advances, effortless communications with people around the planet, and we might even go to the moon (again).

Phishing, spam, viruses, and other related malware just to brighten your day. A plethora of (free, online) educational tools, invigorating potential for open education, and amazing opportunities for networked learning.

In the end, I think that our focus determines our outlook - and ultimately - our happiness.


Just thought I'd share why I included this quote in my recent addition to our growing pile. Great stuff all around.

Original image source: Flickr user dsevilla.

Technorati Tags: focus outlook happiness

Too bad the K-12 Online Conference didn't come just a few weeks earlier. That way I could have known which presentations I wanted to submit for next year's NECC.


Scott McLeod's excellent presentation, for example, would have been perfect because his even includes speaker notes. :)

Image source: Scott McLeod

Technorati Tags: k12online08 necc09 sharing disruptive ishareyoushareweallshare

There are three basic actions that every teacher can take to improve instruction now.

• Collaborate
• Videotape
• Practicate

To elaborate…

Collaborate

If you’re a teacher and you’re still not getting out, you should – and now. Begin by collaborating with your peers about what works in your classes and what doesn’t. In time, expand your circle of collaboration to include other members of your local faculty and even members of your school’s faculty that teach subjects other than your own. You will be surprised by how much can be learned by teachers of other disciplines that will work for you in yours. I guarantee it.

Additionally, in this day and age, there is absolutely no reason for you to not expand your circle of collaboration such that it includes teachers from other cities, states, and even countries. I would begin such efforts by joining any of a number of social networks designed for educators. Classroom 2.0, for example, can be an excellent place for you to meet other teachers with interests, issues, and instructional circumstances similar to yours.

Videotape

Whether you like it or not, your students are likely not learning many of the things that you may think you are teaching. By watching yourself in action, you will be able to see your instruction as some of your students see it – and probably learn of areas wherein improvement might be needed.

Combining this type of videotaped feedback with collaboration can also be beneficial.

Practicate (Practice)

You’ve heard it a million times: Practice makes perfect. So, why would improving your abilities as an instructor require anything different? As any teacher that teaches the same content multiple times a day knows, the first time a lesson is taught is almost always worse than the second or third time it’s taught.*

In my experience, effective "practicating" includes a narrow focus on specific skills to practice. For example, transitions, question formulation, and giving appropriate amounts of wait time are all essential teaching skills that all take practice to master. Focus on one such skill and practice your way to improvement.


Three simple steps to improved instruction - but tell me: which catalysts for improvement have I missed?

Image source: Flickr user Wonderlane.

Technorati Tags: instruction teaching learning improvement

* Caveat: I can’t help thinking that the law of diminishing returns doesn’t come into play a little bit here. By your fifth time teaching the same lesson in the same day, I’m sure you’ve experienced the ol’ “haven’t I already told you this?” scenario.

[In response to the zealots out there, anxious to blame the system but unwilling to look in the mirror.]

I was stunned this morning while reading John C. Dvorak's latest column in PC Magazine. In a piece entitled "Microsoft vs. the iPhone" (not yet available online), Mr. Dvorak explains perfectly one of the ills that plagues public education by shedding light on the workings of Microsoft.

In most instances at Microsoft, there is no dictator. There is a committee of individuals, all of whom have to like each other (because of the odd empoloyee grading system for promotions) and tend to use a hodgepodge of ideas to make what amounts to an agreeable soulless product.

Replace Microsoft with [insert your district here] and you've got a pretty decent explanation of why so many things go wrong in public education.


You see, the truth is that sometimes bad things happen to good people in good schools - and there's nothing we can do about it. I mean, think about it. Did not we, or well-intentioned people just like us, create the policies and bureaucracies that currently regulate how things are handled within our schools? Are not we the ones that built the system, played the games, and engaged in the politics that have made schools what they are today?

Nonetheless, there are times – a great many times – when the system fails us, when we come up short, when we must ask “why?” and yet we’re stuck, trapped in the system we’ve ultimately helped to create. I think that Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal (2003) have successfully summarized the dilemma that besets so many of us today, as we struggle to reform (fix, if you will) what we now call “school”.

If we tried to get better people, where would we find them? Even if found, how could we ensure that they too would not become ensnared by the political forces at work?

…The political frame does not blame politics on such individual characteristics as selfishness, myopia, or incompetence. Instead, it asserts that interdependence, divergent interests, scarcity, and power relations inevitably spawn political activity. It matters not who the individual players are. It is naïve and romantic to hope organizational politics can ever be eliminated in organizations. (pp. 185-186)

Something to think about as we continue to chew on this idea of school reform.

References:

• Bolman, L. G. and Deal, T. E. (2003). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Dvorak, J. C. (2008, November). Microsoft vs. the iPhone. PC Magazine, 27 (12), 52.
  

Image source: Flickr user fliegender.

Technorati Tags: politics education reform