Fryer 6 - Video Thoughts

Video Thoughts
Fryer 6

1. When using video in the classroom, the author recommends selecting shorter and simpler (3-5 min) chunked video clips for use in the classroom.  Discuss the video beforehand and ask pre questions to prime the students.

2. No - or quick - edit videography is a quickshare technology that can be produced on mobile computing devices like the iPad tablet, as well as laptops.  It can allow students to upload assignments from locations outside the classroom, or just almost as soon as they have shot the video.

3. Screencasts allow students or teachers to record videos of actions on a computer screen or even on a tablet, along with an audio track.  Khan Academy is an excellent and prominent example of this.  This can be used to make tutorials and other things.

4. There are many options for uploading and viewing a created video onto the internet.  Sites such as youtube, vimeo, or several educational sites, are discussed. 

Using tags is also very helpful.  Using quietube and viewpure allows a teacher to show videos without inappropriate information showing in the side bars. 

I could use video in my lesson plan to demonstrate that density differences in the Earth’s mantle create convection currents.  While showing a specialized piece of lab equipment known as a “lava lamp”, the soundtrack voiceover can be explaining how changing density caused by heat leads to the motion visible on screen.  Diagrams  explaining the process can also be included.  In fact, I changed my lesson plan to incorporate this idea!

Fryer 4 - Copyright and Fair Use

Fryer 4 on Copyright and Fair Use

            Chapter 4 of Wes Fryer’s book Playing with Media: simple ideas for powerful sharing looks at copyright, fair use, and intellectual property issues.  It focuses specifically on options available and useful in an educational setting.  The Harry Potter Can Fly mnemonic covers 4 useful options available for teachers: Homegrown, Public domain, Creative commons, and Fair use. 

            Homegrown is digital media that you have created yourself.  Public Domain are media that everyone owns, such as NASA photos or items the copyright has expired on.  Creative Commons media are available for public reuse with the statement “permission has already been granted”, so long as the Creative Commons terms are followed.  The Fair Use guidelines provide guidelines as to how copyright protected material can be used without seeking permission, for certain defined uses such as education, artistic and social commentary, etc.  These are not hard, legal rulings, however, and are open to interpretation by the courts.  Wikipedia attribution is discussed, and best practices in attribution is discussed. 

            As a teacher, I will need to discuss this with students, and proper attribution will need to be emphasized.  Students will have to understand clearly that intellectual property rights is a serious matter with the courts, and that it is also ethically right to respect these rights. 

Copyright and Fair Use - Hall Davidson Quiz

Copyright and Fair Use

                  This post is in response to reading an article by Hall Davidson that was originally printed in the Oct. 2002 edition of Techlearning, and reposted with advance permission and under the Fair Use principle.  It describes issues related to the complex issue of Copyright, Fair Use doctrine, and education.  A quiz was also included, and answers explained.  I got 2 out of 20 wrong, was right but questioning on 5 others, and correct on the rest.  Some comments follow below.

                  On 3, having different versions of a program on different systems is a common problem.  I am not surprised it is false.  Making more installations than you have a license for is illegal.  To get around the issue, I habitually save Word docs in an older version, such as Word ’95.

                  Number 4 sounds strangely relevant to today’s political climate.  Copying software for additional use beyond the license just because an educational institution is deliberately underfunded isn’t legally defensible.  Neither is State governments issuing mandates that aren’t funded ethically defensible, but I digress.

                  I disagree with 6 because the project should still contain a reference to the source, regardless of whether it is under Fair Use.

                  On 11, using video clips from an aired program in a project should be fair for the protected purpose of freedom of speech and social critiquing, especially for educational purposes.  However, doing so with malicious intent or to defame, without redeeming social benefit, may get into a gray area.

                  13-This I was a little surprised at.  I thought that at least they should be required to acknowledge the source, if only as a courtesy and respect thing. 

                  In 17, taking pictures in public is addressed.  When the Eagles released their album, “Hotel California”, it used a picture of the well – known landmark, the Beverly Hills Hotel.  The owners did not take too kindly to that, and tried to stop it.  However, because the picture was shot from the elevated bucket of a cherry – picker truck that was parked in the middle of a public street (cost $60,000 dollars back then!), there was nothing legally that the hotel owners could do to stop them from using the image.  As long as a picture is shot from public land (street) and plainly visible from said spot, it is generally fair game for use, with some exceptions.  This creates some privacy concerns.

                  Ps. When the Eagles made that song, they included references to many senses. They referred to vision, sound, smell, taste, touch, etc.  Multiple Intelligence – friendly!

As a teacher, it is very important to know and respect these issues, and to make sure these principles are followed and modeled in the classroom.

Learning Style Inventory Results

            The Learning Styles Online Inventory is a quick 70 question test designed to measure a persons’ levels of 7 different learning characteristics / styles.  It presents the results in both a listing of number scores and a radar chart. 

            The results I received were pretty much in line with what I expected.  The radar chart was skewed to the left.  Logical, verbal, visual, and aural were scored high.  This is generally in line with how I perceive myself.    The other 3 - solitary, its opposite social, and physical, measured lower.  This also matches my self - perception.  These terms are pretty broad, but I feel that the results of the test are accurate in terms of how they portray my personal and learning characteristics. 

http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/

                                                              Ipad Personalization

    I have never handled this device, or any similar device for that matter.  The first thing I did was go to Youtube and watch a couple of videos that explained basic information about using it.  As with any such tutorial, I wrote down notes to refer to in the future.  I put links at the bottom to these.
    I then used my laptop to access the assignment page for personalizing the device.  I viewed the hyperlinked tutorials, took notes, and tried the directions out on the Ipad. 
    When I went to change the wallpaper, I realized that I would have to upload photos to the unit before I could use them.  I sent myself several emails with photos attached.  (Of course, I had to go find some good pics in my collection, which distracted me off task for a few minutes).  On the Ipad, I went to the browser and opened my Yahoo account up.  I also looked up how to save photos to the Ipad.  When I viewed the attachments, tapping the right corner will bring up a [SAVE IMAGE].  I discovered that pictures of more than a few Mb will slow it down, and anything over 10 Mb will choke the Ipad.  I had to ditch a couple of pics.  (I had chosen several pics to use in the Picture Frame task also).   I verified they were in the photo app, and then followed the directions to set them as wallpaper.  Because the screen is locked to Portrait layout (which I did earlier), I had to choose vertically framed pictures – something to consider.  I used both methods, and set 2 different pics up. 
    When setting up the Picture Frame task, I determined I shouldn't use the “zoom in on faces” option, as I had a lot of landscapes.  When trying out the “origami” setting, I discovered it forced the “zoom...faces” on, which meant I couldn't use it.  I used the simple dissolve instead.  One thing I noticed is the pictures, which are of different dimensions, weren't fitted to the screen.  I shall have to find if that can be adjusted.  I also learned how to take a screen shot.  This is done by pressing the “Home” and “Sleep” buttons simultaneously.
    Since I had already used Yahoo for downloading the pics, it wasn't too difficult to set up the email account.  However, I use a long and complicated password, and I found it is annoying to constantly switch the keyboard between letters and numbers.
    The passcode lock wasn't hard to do.  I had already put some of the apps in a folder as part of the initial learning I had done.  I spent an hour or so, not including the initial work I did researching how to use it.
    I haven't done a lot of things yet, but it seems this could be very useful in many situations, including a classroom.  It could also help as a distraction to students when the teaching plan has a hiccup and the teacher is trying to I'm sure as I get more familiar with it, I will find a lot of uses for it.  I would be concerned about scratches and damage to the screen surface over time from dirty fingers and hard objects, not to mention kids dropping them.  I could be interested to acquire one of these myself in the future if I had the money.  It would certainly be more convenient to carry one of these in a backpack, as opposed to a full laptop.  I could imagine someone hiking and navigating (orienteering) with it using it with a GPS app and Google Maps / Satellite view for that overhead vision.  Also, taking a picture of plants and animals and using it to search google images online and identify the item.   Logging research data from the field would be another use.  Of course, connection range would be important, and perhaps a long distance antenna add-on will be in the future.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMht9_F3580
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLzCXB-BD9g