Copyright Guidelines and Students

Adolescent students, being young and naive, many times are unaware of, or quiet simply ignore the consequences of copyright violations. Just because they are in front of the computer alone, they seem to think it's OK to steal music, essays, and other on-line documents. Students...this is not legal nor ethical! As teachers, though it will certainly be difficult, we can assist in dampening this dilemma. For instance, we can encourage students to peruse helpful websites, and assist them in learning various fair use policies. In addition, perhaps it's logical to think that students abuse copyright laws because they don't truly understand their contents. In this respect, teachers need to teach their students the fundamental elements of copyrights.

Copyright Guidelines and Teachers

After reviewing an abundance of literature on copyright laws, I've gained a better overall perspective on what it means to be an ethical educator. For instance, I now know that teachers cannot distribute whatever materials they so choose. Instead, they have to be cognoscente of what they issue to their students and, in some cases, seek permission from the given author. Little did I know, perhaps due to the fact that so many of my own teachers have violated copyright laws, that this was such a prevalent topic in education. Like so many other areas in the field, however, I think copyright controversies develop from a lack of funds. Students can't afford books, no problem, we'll just duplicate what we need from the net. It's important to avoid following in these footsteps not only because it's unethical, but also because it's against the law. For me, though, this situation is especially difficult; that is, I find it troubling to fault a teacher who is simply trying to facilitate learning.

Those teachers that religiously follow copyright guidelines can do so by adhering to fair use policies. For example, upon using someone else's poem, teachers can only issue up to 250 words. Guidelines such as these exist for nearly every type of document: books, newspapers, magazines, prose, short stories, essays, web articles, music, broadcast programs, etc. A more detailed explanation of these regulations can be viewed at this link . While these guidelines are certainly necessary (without them we'd be robbing brilliant authors of their rewards and recognition), I find it unsettling that so many teachers teach without the materials they need.

Embedded Video

This video offers a unique way for learning arithmetic concepts; more specifically, it assists students in learning about area and parameter. The unique element derives from the fact that a woman raps about area and parameter formulas. Take a look. It's fun and educational.

Web Page Evaluation

It's no secret that the Internet is potentially valuable to students within most educational atmospheres. But if its powers are misused or misunderstood by students, than the resources it offers are useless. Thus, it's important for students to familiarize themselves, and be competent in evaluating web pages. The most common, but certainly effective ways for accomplishing this feat is by implementing the following components; that is, when students evaluate the validity of certain web-pages they should attempt to perform these actions:

1. Find out about the author of the page
2. Discover reasons for the pages creation
3. Evaluate if the web-page is up to date
4. Pay attention to the tone and style of writing on the page
5. Recognize what kinds of information are being provided
(are sources cited, is there a bibliography, other links, etc.)
6. Examine URLs to determine validity

Though the components above are concise, they seem to be the most common recommendations for evaluating web pages. There is, however, an abundance of literature available on this topic, which goes beyond the short list above. Some of this literature can be viewed at the following sites:

http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/evaluating_web.htm
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/lesson5.shtml
http://www.hu.mtu.edu/teachtech/search2.htm
http://www.mun.ca/educ/ed4945/web_eval_ex2.html

1998, That's A Long Time Ago.

“The National Educational Technology Standards for Students were released in June 1998, with accompanying Performance Profiles of technology literate students and Essential Conditions for implementation. Over time, the standards have received acceptance and widespread use across the United States and in many other countries” (Mattson). One idea that can be drawn from this quote is that technology standards have not been changed in a long time, and revision could be necessary. Since 1998, for example, the controversial law No Child Left Behind has been issued; a law that has dramatically changed the requirements of both teachers and students. Due to the law, it seems as though there is a standardized test for everything; hence, teachers have to teach towards meeting certain standards and students have to pass written tests. In other words, students and teachers are held responsible for what is learned and taught. That said, I pose the following question: who, or what is responsible for making sure the National Educational Technology Standards are met? To my knowledge, there are technological standards for teachers and students listed and described at http://www.iste.org/, but how do I know teachers are really capable of meeting these standards; and additionally, how do I know students are learning the technology they are supposed to be learning? For the core subjects such as Math, English, and Science students are issued tests such as the MAP and the ACT. Do mandatory tests such as these exist in order to analyze students’ abilities towards meeting the National Educational Technology Standards? If such a test wasn’t created at the inception of their standards in 1998, it should be now; or, some other method of ensuring that the standards are met should be inaugurated. The standards are present so they should be carried out indefinitely through some type of annual testing.

Students have standards to!

The International Society for Technology in Education, in June of 1998, created six technological standards for students, which can be viewed in detail at http://cnets.iste.org/students/. Teachers can help students reach these standards by developing thoughtful lesson plans. Listed below are four of the six standards, and brief suggestions (possible lesson plans) for meeting those standards.

- Basic operations and concepts

Perhaps the most fundamental and basic aspect of
operating a computer is learning how to type.
Therefore, if typing isn’t a mandatory course for
graduation, teachers should implement a typing lesson
into their curriculum in order to help students meet this standard.

- Social, ethical, and human issues

There are many valuable resources on the internet that
can contribute to student learning. However, when students
find a source that is useful, they must give credit to the
individual who provided the information…citing sources. Thus,
teachers should show students how to cite internet sources
and avoid plagiarism by utilizing a well-developed lesson plan.

- Technology productivity tools

In order to meet this standard teacher’s could create a
technological lesson based on the usage of Microsoft word.
By introducing “Word” in the classroom, teachers can assist
students in the creation of multiple technological documents
such as flow charts, timelines, and data tables.

- Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

Math teachers have a perfect opportunity to help students
meet this standard. In math, teachers can recommend computer
programs to students that post numerical problems on the screen
and students answer them. For example, the program may post
the following problem: 15+15=___ A.20, B.32, C. 29 D. 30.
If the student answers C the program will inform them that they
are correct. If answering A, B, or D the program will inform them
to try again. If students are exposed to math programs such as
these to by means of technology, than this standard will be met.

Attention All Teachers! Continue To Learn About Technology!

Recently, after perusing the National Education Technology Standards (NETS) for teachers at http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_stands.html,
I realized that it is not only important, but mandatory for educators to be tech-savvy. It is stated on this site, which represents the International Society for Technology in Education, that “All candidates seeking certification or endorsements in teacher preparation should meet” six technological standards. Among these standards are the following elements:

-Technology operations and concepts
-Planning and designing learning environments and experiences
-Teaching, learning, and the curriculum
-Assessment and evaluation
-Productivity and professional practice
-Social, ethical, legal, and human issues

All of these aspects are important, but the one that I was drawn to is “technology operations and standards” because this category asserts that “Teachers [should] demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills abreast of current and emerging technologies.” In other words, teachers need to continually learn about technology. In thinking about this concept, I wondered about how (when I become a teacher) I could continue to learn about technology. Here’s what I came up with:

-I will continue my education at the university level and
enroll in technology courses.

-I will consult with other teachers about ways of integrating
technology into my lesson plans.

-I will talk with students to find out about their technological
needs

-I’ll frequently read scholarly journals, and other literature in
order to keep up with the changing world of technology, and
learn interesting ways of integrating technology into the classroom.

-I will encourage my place of employment to continually invest
and upgrade in high-levels of technological equipment. This will
benefit my continuation of learning as well as my students.

-Finally, I’ll encourage students to lobby for the induction of
after school tech clubs.

Remember, you can read more in depth about these standards at http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_stands.html.