Week 4 - Presentation Wimba thoughts

I am enlightened by the outstanding work of my fellow students. This blog was not a requirement but I want to take a moment to say thanks to Jason, Emily and Professor Bustillos for their dedication to the task of preparing us for presenting to the public. I am working hard on getting a first rate presentation together and hope it has the desired effects. Last night's Wimba session gave me a good feeling as I go into month twelve. My classmates where very supportive of my project and I am grateful for that. I have a lot of work to do and plan on working hard to keep the pace but I believe the support system is there. People have given me an "A" and I am "enrolling" in the change that I want to see! Stay tuned!

Week 4 - The Art of Possibility

I stated in another blog that I feel enrollment is all about buying in. It is saying I am willing to become an active change agent. So many times we may agree with a thing, even feel passionate about it but not become active. Enrollment is about buying in. It is also seems to be a contagious thing. Others may follow the lead of someone who steps up to the plate.

I was happy to read chapter ten. As great as I think the book is I was beginning to feel that it was all positive. The chapter acknowledges that some times things do not appear to be working out. I thought the solution they offered was cool, I would have never looked at myself as the game board. This gave the book an interesting twist. The metaphysical implications of being the ultimate captain of ones fate is resonates a bit with me. Knowing this allows us to make the conscious decision to handle every situation non matter how difficult it may be.It's more than just wishful thinking. Being the "the board" questions the root causes of situations as well and I can appreciate the in depth analysis the book suggests.

Having read the Art of Possibility has given me a great deal of confidence and motivation. I found myself being grateful for all of the experiences the Zanders shared and glad this was a required reading. I also spent a lot of time analyzing my life of measurement. As I live in the life of possibility, I expect to see and achieve great things in myself as I observe the greatness in others.

Week 4 - Thinking Out Loud- Where Will I Present?

The Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education or AACE
offers several conferences around the world. It appears their network is pretty strong although I am not sure exactly how many members are in the organization. They have two conferences that I am interested in.

SITE- Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. this conference, taking place in March 2012. This conference is in it's 20th year and I believe has a well established conference of industry professionals.

The AACE conference E-LEARN, 2011 - World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare & Higher Education also peaked my interest as I still have corporate training and motivational speaking as an option.I feel if I attend a conference like this one as well as one primarily attended by educators I will be able to stay in tune with the overall growth of the profession. This conference takes place in October 2011.

I am not solely interested in membership to an organization that will only provide me with resources and contacts. I want to find one that has room for me to grow into support and leadership roles. I think this is important for my continued professional growth.

Another organization and conference that caught my attention was ISTE. I became aware of the International Society of Technology Educators a few months ago. This conference brings together education professionals for networking and training, and offers a huge exposition featuring all of the top education resources. Companies like Smart, Houghton Mifflin and Mimio are all on hand in a huge exhibition center showing off the latest educational resources. I feel like this would be a huge opportunity for me to gain on multiple fronts. I plan to attend next month at the Philadelphia conference as an observer and perhaps present in 2012.

For all of these events my topic will be Technology Integration for the purpose of Community Building. Closing the digital divide should be addressed on multiple fronts and I believe that I have found an interesting topic that attendees may want to know more about. In my literature review research I came across a number of articles that dealt with the global digital divide on a community level. I find it interesting that not many non-profit professionals have taken this on as a topic of discussion. I have discovered some TED videos on the subject and Aneesh Chopra, one of President Obama's senior aides gave a speech at a conference I attended last November. I feel like I can add to the global dialogue on this subject. Now that I have defined my scope, I am looking forward to bringing the presentation together and presenting it soon.

Week 4 - Thinking Out Loud- presentation versus publication

I have decided to give a visual presentation. I believe this is the best method for me to relay the message that I want to give with thought provoking explanation. I also want an opportunity to demonstrate what I am capable of producing an impressive presentation, taking into account all that I have learned through Full Sail.

When it is complete, this presentation will bring together the issues at hand in the area of technology integration for the purpose of community building, my literature review and plausible solutions for the successful closing of the digital divide.

In the Scope - Week 3 - Free Choice

I call this in the Scope because I enjoy giving you an insight into my thought process for the week. What’s on the mind this week? Application. I have no doubt that I have the skills to be an excellent technology integration specialist. I am thinking back to how much I have learned in the last year. Soon I will be trying to pull all of the resources that I have been exposed to, and catalog them in order to meet the needs of all teachers. I want to be a reliable source for information regarding all things technology based. I need application next. I need fertile environments and situations to implement these great strategies.

My existing position has been a wonderful place to test my ideas but I am interested in doing a lot more and helping a larger group of people. One thing that Full Sail does not advertise is that they put your ambition into overdrive. It may not happen with everyone but it definitely did with me. Call me the trigger happy teacher because I am ready to get it on.

Week 4 In response to Joanna Puello

Joanna,

I have been able to see some of your work over the course of this program and have been extremely impressed with your concept. I believe it requires forward thinking to create such a model as an online performing arts school. This is the type of thinking that is appreciated at conferences. I think most people who would attend have seen the entire spectrum of standard practices. You are offering something new and fresh and I hope that you have success in presenting it.


Joanna wrote:

I’ve done more research on the conferences so that I can narrow my selection down to two conferences. In addition to the GaETC I had mentioned in a previous post, I am also interested in the FETC – Florida Educational Technology Conference…a “conference that brings education leaders and technology experts together to exchange techniques and strategies for teaching and learning success. Known worldwide for its outstanding program, FETC provides educators and administrators the opportunity to explore the integration of technology across the curriculum—from kindergarten to college—through hands-on exposure to the latest hardware, software and successful strategies. FETC offers a wealth of information for all education professions—teachers, principals and deans, district administrators, curriculum designers, media specialists, technology directors and others.”
At first I felt a little timid about preparing anything for a conference because my ARP was just a very first baby step in creating an online performing arts school for students K-12, but as I have worked more on my final publishing project, I’m realizing that the research I did in my Literature Review as well as the data I compiled in my ARP is really valuable information which will be exciting to a whole host of educators, administrators, and principals out there.


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Week 4 In response to Kristi Swartz

Kristi,

My take on enrollment is it is simply buying in to the larger cause of humanity. To contributing as it was stated earlier. I think enrollment is the conscious decision that I am a willful participant in the world around me and that my actions will affect the growth of others. So you are right. I think it is about participation AND the concept was stated earlier in the book just in a different way. Contributing, enrolling, participating. All indicate submission into the concept of possibility.



Kristi wrote:

This week after finishing The Art of Possibilities I reflect further on how this book has changed my perspective. I understand the idea of being ready to participate, offering the gifts we possess for the good of the community, and being open to others eagerness to catch the spark and share it with others. This is a great model for teachers today. We can participate in the students learning in our class sharing what we know and learning from our students’ gifts and knowledge. We can definitely instill sparks within our students creating students who catch the fever to learn and grow in everything they do.

The whole enrollment thing did throw me, however. I prefer to think of it as participation, as discussed in an earlier chapter. The idea of enrollment seemed redundant to me. I look forward to others thoughts on enrollment.

My favorite part of this reading dealt with the Nelson Mandela address of the words of Marianna Williamson. The idea of this poem in regard to sharing our power and light and how that can spark others to shine their light as well, was inspiring to me. I actually read over this several times and typed it out to print at a later time. I love the idea of all people being born to manifest the glory of God within us, all of us. That was an inspirational message, and a spark, a light, I hope to share my students through my actions!

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Week 3 In response to Monica Heaney

Monica,
Although I think the goal is to do the larger conference, I definitely see you doing effective presentations on the local level. After all, you do want to affect change there, don't you? There you may have some very tangible success like a raise or a promotion (fingers crossed). Perhaps your local area would be a great place to hone your presentation into one that is great on the larger level. With that being said I am also sure that you will have no problem diving in and presenting to the larger groups as well. Best of luck to you!

Monica Heaney wrote:

I think I am going to do a presentation. I would like to present to a smaller group. Perhaps the early elementary teachers in my school and our surrounding districts during a workshop. My concern is that this audience is not large enough or not what this project was intended for. My AR project involves the benefits of integrating technology in the classroom to improve literacy among young children. My presentation would have to involve exposing the audience to the enthusiasm of the students using the technology and the focus and attention they have while using doing so. I would also want to present it in a way that was not intimidating to the teachers. My goal is to motivate them to incorporate technology in their classrooms as well as provide them with simple and basic ways they can. I would also love to share the success I had with it.


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Week 3- In response to Hunter Looney

Great job synthesizing your results, Hunter! The amount of detail is quite impressive. It is easy to see that you want the reader to understand the complete picture of your findings. I especially appreciate the results you showed in multiple formats. Best of luck, it appears you are well on your way!

Hunter Looney wrote:

Week 2 Blog Post 4 Project: Preparation for Presentation
I have begun preparations for the presentation aspect of the final project. For this preparation for the presentation I have created some charts of the data that I collected from Cycles I and II. I have combined the data because the students completed the exact same activities and lessons. The only difference in the two were that one was in fall 2010 and the other was in spring 2011.

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Week 3- More from the Art of Possibility

I have done my best. I have steadily added to the whole of my being through positive and consistent works. Zander spoke of the ongoing pursuit of what is always out of reach in chapter 4. I did not make mention of this last week but I thought it really showed me one of the demons that I have fought. I have always looked for the next best thing or thought towards the future attainment. The grass always seems greener on the other side. Learning to live in the now or free oneself from the world of measurement can be a tremendous help. Contribution. I am a contribution and I am now set on a relentless journey to be a contribution on the regular.

A great point made in chapter five dealt with recognizing that we are all just pieces of the puzzle and together we achieve greatness. When in a leadership or facilitator role such as that the of the conductor or the teacher, the real challenge is in getting the most out of your students or whomever you are leading. It is easy to say, “look at me and all that I have done.” I would rather look at how much I have enabled others to do. Eventually credit goes where it is due so it make no sense to focus on how many accolades one will receive. In doing so you display a selflessness that others can see. You also are giving them an “A” because you place more emphasis on the value you see in them. As a result everyone takes ownership, which usually leads to positive outcomes. I think it is big to realize that everyone can make a contribution from whatever seat they may be in.

The limitations of the calculating self are amazing. This process of measurement and its significance can’t be understated to the adult seeking to move into the world of possibility. Rule Number 6 was good but “Have the best ___ever” was in my opinion a great way to visualize successful achievement of a goal. Naturally you are forced to eliminate barriers and forge a way to your goal. I think it is also about being fulfilled, content in a very healthy kind of way.

Dealing with the central self can be brutal. It is unforgiving but really cuts to the heart of a matter. I have said before that I want to see a world that is honest with itself. I think Many of the issues we face as a human race are dealing more with the calculating self and not with the central self. If someway we were able to deal with that I believe the world would be a much better place.

I like the phrase “presence without resistance” (page 101). It helps a person to live in the now, perhaps in a circumstance that is not so positive and accept it. It’s important to do that so one can move forward. Doing this can allow a person to make the most out of some very dismal circumstances.

I also thought the story of the young man whose parents were convince he had a communication problem describes situations that happen far too often for us all. I have seen many parents talk about what their child does or cannot do. I think this provides a huge limitation and in many cases causes a child to act in a particular way. I have also seen this many times in relationships. The “Alchemy of Language” of language as it is referred to in the book is real and something that we must be constantly aware of if we want to change our situations and to empower others to change.

In the Scope- Week 2 - Free Choice

Shhhh! Be vewy vewy quiet..I am hunting success..

Last week my free choice was very reflective, I went through the whole week thinking on the future having started it thinking of the past. I began to feel somewhat optimistic until I began reading "the Art of Possibility." That book poured gasoline on an already well burning fire. I have been moving on through this program and have been proud of my work so far. Usually I am pretty critical of myself but I decided, aww what the hell man, give yourself an A!

As most of my colleagues are I am looking forward to graduation and the possibility of putting what I think is a very relevant education to use. I have been putting some feelers out there and recently received my first significant response in my quest for professional growth. This education is allowing us to become significant factors in the evolution of the education system. I am very excited about that and the future. I am looking forward to it as a kid looks forward to Christmas. Shhh! I can't talk about it right now..can't you see where I am?

So what do I need to do this week? Focus. I just want to finish this program strong, graduate and change the world.

Sound difficult?

Not if you are a Full Sail Student..That's what we do!


Stay tuned..more to come!

In response to Patricia Ort

Patricia,

I too enjoyed the book. We agree on the Giving an A philosophy. I believe that new and radical thinking is necessary to motivate our students and this exercise does just that. There is huge potential for making an impact on the way a student approaches the learning process. I believe they would respond positively although you still have to, as the book suggests, look out for the students who may feel they do not have to work for the grade. I think in most cases students most would apply a newer level of responsibility and personal accountability to their studies.


Patricia Ort wrote:

The Art of Possibility, written by Rosamund Stone Zander and her husband, Benjamin Zander, is turning out to be better than I first thought. Initially, the title intrigued me. However, it took me until page 12 to really start to connect with what the author's were saying. By the end of the fourth chapter, I liked what I was reading so well that I ordered two more copies of the book to share with the two other teachers in my alternative high school program.

I especially liked giving people an A (including yourself). I think perception is really important. I could relate this idea with our approach to our alternative ed high school students. What if we did this with them? How would it transform our relationship with our students if we did that? The authors address the image of the teen, sitting in a resigned posture - as our alternative ed kids often do - and speculate how that would change if the students were treated like A students from the start. If we treat them like A students, and they treat themselves like A students, what would happen? I think I'd like to find out.

I appreciated the author's thoughts on our "world of measurement." This was especially thought provoking for me because I have been deeply frustrated by my work situation. I actually have been doing a lot of surviving, especially over the past four years. I found the ideas in this book rather liberating. Now, if I can just maintain that mindset! I am imagining my future just one year from now. What would I write if I were writing one of those A letters?

I liked the idea that "...resources are likely to come to you in greater abundance when you are generous and inclusive and engage people in your passion for life." I think this is true. It actually goes well with my own conviction that you make your own luck. True, there are random circumstances and people I can't control, but I choose how I respond to them, and if I am positive and keep pressing forward, I will be ready when opportunity presents its self.

I have to say, I also enjoyed the Ted video of Benjamin Zander. My 19 year-old son is a college music major and wishes to be a composer. I shared the video with him, certain he would especially like it because he has a particular knowledge of music. I was right.

I am looking forward to reading the next part of the book. Reading it has also prompted me to do a lot of reflection. If all goes well, I should be getting my EMDT masters at the end of June. If I leave the survival mindset behind and change my way of thinking, what will my attitude be as I complete my degree? What new opportunities will present themselves? I look forward to the next year with anticipation.



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In response to Bruce Neubauer

Hello Bruce,

Wow. First let me say that I think this is exactly why the discussion board exists. I chose to respond here because of all the blogs I read, you had he audacity to go against the grain. There were some other dissenting views but your “Passionate Cynicism” is well appreciated here.

Having said that, I have to admit that I am enjoying the Art of Possibility Juice. I found that the anecdotes and the analogies where easy to connect to. I definitely understand the points made about Newtonian and Einsteinian society. I thought that was an excellent way to address how our collective worldview has evolved.

I side with you Bruce on the grading being a comparison of students- I don’t really agree with the authors there. You are absolutely right when you say that math is not arbitrary. This observation shows us that we have to take this book in the context of the authors experience, and recognize that it may not apply to every case.

Bruce Neubauer wrote:

“A cynic is a passionate person who does not want to be disappointed again.”

That quote was worth the entire price of admission. For this is what The Art of Possibility is all about: Protecting my heart from becoming such a stone-cold realist that I possibly miss being something better, or making others better.

At first glance The Art of Possibility reads like quasi-secularized-Buddhist theory. Unfortunately, the universe does not operate on subjective feelings or perceptions. Newtonian or Einsteinian, both still describe a physical universe that operates with mathematical precision. Which leads me to believe Zander is either a confused cosmic humanist, or an apostate secularist. Evolution (which is referenced a couple of times) is all about measurement. That’s how less vigorous organisms (or less desirable traits) get marginalized in biology’s great game (to use Zander’s analogy) of elimination

Which is why I disagreed with the perception that school grades are gamed to compare one student with another. The students at USC were not graded against their actual accomplishment, but with a random, arbitrary system. Math is not arbitrary. Grammar is not arbitrary. So I’m not sure about the accuracy of connecting these particular dots. Real skill is…real skill. Would Zander allow The Art of Possibility’s final draft to be overseen by a person with second rate editorial or proofreading skills? He wouldn’t. No matter how many conservatory musicians are encouraged to feel good about their A, no orchestra is going to keep them on the payroll if they can’t play the notes. Feeling special is not the same thing as being excellent.

I liked the metaphor of chipping away at a child’s exterior to help them achieve their natural bent. Absolutely correct. I also liked the future tense A grade. It places the student in the position to step up and take the responsibility for their success and growth. And the monk’s story touched me. I need to shift some ideas in my head about people in general. The monks were looking for the Messiah in one another. Not everyone is a Messiah, but everyone is worthy of such honorable respect.

Zander's ideas spoke to me. He is proposing a friendlier, more organic approach with ourselves and with others.

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Week 2 The Art of Possibility

I have been reading “The Art of Possibilty” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. It is an excellent book from what I have read so far. It is full of inspiring words of wisdom framed around actual situations they have experienced.

The construct and perception issue was very interesting to me. Many times life is all about the way we perceive a thing. I thought the analogy about the two shoe salesmen in Africa was awesome. I shared it with my class. I found myself wondering how much of my own unhappiness I contribute to by not having a healthy perspective.

I was reminded of the Matrix movies when I read the “Its All Invented” section. Creating the construct to suit our needs seems to be such a simple solution. It makes sense. In the movie Neo had to first get past his “in the box” thinking to achieve greatness.

I was drawn into the comments on the pathology that the book addressed dealing with the rationale for our decisions. It is true that many of our decisions are based on rationale and not on the true reasons for our motivation.

This book is extremely insightful. I have not thought in terms of the way we collectively see the world in the ways this book highlights. It is very true that through the various scientific eras we have been adding to our global paradigm (page 13).

In my opinion learning to recognize the world of possibility by identifying the measurement world was brilliant. It is very hard not to think in terms of measurement world limitations. Recognizing this makes you long for a world where that is not an issue- the world of possibility.

The process of “giving an A” was very profound. I have tried to teach my students to recognize the best in each other but this takes it to another level. I feel empowered to grow with even more people who come in my life now. The World of Possibility is a place I would like to spend a lot of time in.

In the Scope- Week 1 Free Choice

So its 2011 and the Digital Age is in full swing. History has given us such an awesome vantage point at this time. We are able to look back at the progression of the human race and learn from so many of the successes and failures of man. Our failures have led to some very trying times. Uncertain times. My great-grandmother's generation would be very skeptical at what appears to be a decline in morality and an inability to learn from her generations affinity for war. She probably would be concerned that technology has made life a bit too simple and that this will have some adverse affect on the people. I very easily could see her points, I mean look at our education system. Years ago America was the place to be because with just a little bit of drive and determination anything was possible. It was the place to be because every person understood what it meant to come together and influence progress for the betterment of our world. In the face of World Wars I & II, the Korean War and Vietnam they had no choice but to be strong and resilient and build a better future for us.

I am seeing a new breed of educator on the Horizon that remind me of these things. With declining results in our education system, waning enthusiasm from our students and a dismal job market many would give up, and let society run whatever course may be. Teachers, the cornerstone of all civilizations, that essential element in all of our cultures are striving to rescue our students. Whether its the creation of the charter school system or the fight for collective bargaining or the re-education of themselves, teachers are making it happen. Teachers recognize their role in preparing society for what is to come. The next wave of teachers are acquiring skills to make a serious impact on the world using best practices in technology. I am proud to be one of them and I am looking forward to making history. I hope that somewhere my great-grand is proud of what we are doing because I sure am proud of what she did.

Happy Mother's Day Grandma!

In response to JeVaughn Jones

Hello JeVaughn,

Your comments on West Indian music culture makes me think about the special contribution a vocalist adds to a track. I became aware of an issue regarding performing artists recently that many people are not aware of. Did you know that royalties do NOT protect an artist who performed a song unless they either wrote or produced the music? What that means is that someone who gave a masterful performance on a song would not get paid when the song comes on the radio unless they created it in some way. Could you imagine someone like Aretha Franklin not getting paid for “Respect” if she did not write it?

This is a serious loophole that slants favor in the direction of the record company. Some of the songs we love to listen to from back in the day apply here. Radio stations continue to play songs that they made popular but they are struggling to survive after their life of touring ends. Several artists have gone before Congress to get this corrected but record companies are angling to prevent it. They have lost tremendously in the digital revolution and do not want to do what is right for the artists who performed on songs like no one else could.

Chris Flo performing an original song at the ARTLC, May 2010


JeVaughn Jones wrote:

Although I can agree that many copyright issues have suffocated the creative flow of many musicians and artists, I can see where it is needed to protect the artists from not being rightfully compensated for something they worked hard to create. At the same time I have so many questions regarding copyright and I am sure that I am not the only one which is why there is such a wide spread of copyright infringement especially when it comes to aspects such as re-mixing music.

The videos for this week were quite enjoyable. I was very interested in all of the copyright issues within the rap/hip hop industry. Since most of the music is based off of sampling, I can understand how it must be looked over with a fine tooth comb. One would think though that it must be getting more difficult to accomplish this task as technology becomes stronger. 6 seconds of an original song can sound completely different with a little editing.

I come from a culture where music is essential to day to day functionality however, many West Indian artists uses American music as a canvas to create something new. Although the lyrics are the same but the tone and all of the musical aspects are different, does this fall into copyright infringement or fair use since only the lyrics or a portion of the lyrics are used? Since the music that is used in these remixes are created by popular mainstream artists, these would all be under copyright laws and not under creative commons. At the same token, I am not sure of what the copyright laws are in Trinidad and if the laws would even be transferable.

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In response to Deborah Sanders

Hello Deborah,

I am sure the Wizzz and your $13,000 payment taught your students extra lessons. They probably were not previously exposed to such a situation. Having to pay so much to do this taught your students a bit about copyrights and royalties I am sure.

In the case of the Obama Hope poster the alteration of the image was initially considered enough to escape persecution. Altering an image in my opinion is a lot like the sampling / remix situation in music. I believe adding the girl’s image onto the President’s birth certificate and in the situation room during the Bin Laden raid is parody, acceptable under fair use. Did the girl or her parents give permission for their part in it? Probably not but I believe that everyone who publishes images are fairly vulnerable to fair use distribution of their image.


Deborah Sanders wrote:

Way before I began teaching on a permanent basis I was a caregiver aunt as well as a mother. As a result, I was always involved in various school projects with either my sons or other children. It was during these times that I first became aware of the complexity and legal restrictions regarding copyright issues. When it became necessary to acquire photographic or clip art images for my little ones educational needs -- naturally, I choose to copy images from books and/or magazines. One of the places I frequently went to for photocopies at that time was Kinkos. In most instances I needed enlargements and sometimes laminating, which required going to customer service. When copying certain kinds of material I was informed by the customer service representative of the restrictions involved as well as the copyright laws that they were governed by. I became aware of the number of parents and teachers who would try to duplicate copyright material. I quickly learned the catch phrase “educational purposes” from a fellow parent/teacher. Presto! - if I advised the Kinkos representative that the copies were to be used for educational purposes, I would be allowed to make the necessary copies. This trick worked for many years -- until copyright infringement lawsuits increased - then my catch phrase became null and void. Educational purposes or not, the time came when parents and teachers were unable to duplicate copyright material for any purpose. This is where Creative Commons has become a delightful polish to my repertoire of image sharing ideas. I must say I’m learning and following the easy protocols which include: giving credit where it is due, not using the material for my own personal gains and, if used on a blog, I will provide the link so others will know how they can or cannot use the material.

Upon leaving corporate employment (IBM) and becoming more immersed into my academic interest in the field of education, I enhanced my theatrical talent and began producing plays for students to perform for their parents. During this time period the Broadway play “The Lion King” was an astonishing hit with the elementary students. Since there was no motive for personal gain, two other teachers and myself decided to produce our own version of this play. The year after that my colleagues and I came up with the idea to produce a play to obtain money for scholarships for music lessons, instruments and dance lessons for students in the Newark area. We had to pay $13,000.00 for the rights to produce our version of “The Wiz” - entitled “The Wizzz”. This experience gave me some idea of copyright rules and regulations.

As I watched the TED video -- the segment on Remix - Recreating/Reinventing a new piece of work proved to be another gray area of copyright regulations that digs deep into the soul of Creative ART! I was all but rolling over in my chair as I watched how the use of technology turned the esteemed, politically polished image of President Bush into a halariouse singing President! I can’t help but giggle when I think of the Royal Wedding’s little Bridesmaid. The 3 year old bridesmaid is holding her ears because the sounds of the air planes overhead is too much. She was so adorable, but she quickly became an exploited child. There is a video on the Internet that has gone viral. The Media interprets her jester as “Enough Already.” My question is: who gave the creator of the video free will to place this child’s face within clips -- such as -- The Donald speaking “You’re Fired”, the British singer Susan Boyle from American Idol, Tom Cruise’s famous jump on Opera’s couch, then on the President’s Birth Certificate and the situation room at the White House. Is this legal? Would this type of image usage be called a Remix -- is this Fair Use? Who is it “fair” to? I would be furious if this was done with the image of my child. These are the gray areas within the framework of copyright laws, which I’m unsure of.

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Week 1 Copyrights, Sampling and Fair Use

I think this is a great subject to include in this course and in the EMDT program in general. I am torn on the copyright issue of sampling. Having worked for hours producing music in the past I have gained a respect for hip hop production while at the same time losing respect for it. Having played musical instruments in the past I have great respect for musicians who compose and play original music. I do however take issue with a statement made in the Good Copy / Bad Copy. It was said that hip-hop producers are not creative. Although they have not created the music they sample, there is a very creative aspect to sampling. Are all samples creative? Absolutely not. The accessibility of sample based music creation tools has watered down the art form of sampling as created by the DJ. In the 1980’s innovative teens created the break beat. This was a highly creative form of music expression that grew from a love of music and a lack of resources. The turntable was the instrument. Sampling producers, although they are using rifts, bass lines and guitar patterns from other sources, those who are skilled can make phenomenal creations.

I believe what was not stated was how much of a passion these producers have for their craft (some of them) and that there is a certain amount of respect and tribute paid to the original artist who is sampled.

I don’t believe the future of music should depend on sampling. I believe if done to much it would eventually limit creative expression. Just as the music sampled was created I think musicians can and should find ways to push the music envelope forward. At the end of the day I side with the musician.


In looking at videos on copyright definition and fair use I am relieved that teaching is included in fair use. The “Disney video” produced a valid point about society’s need to stay progressive by referring at times to copyrighted material. I thought for a moment how life would be different if we did not have the ability to tap into great works previously created and reference these things for educational purposes.

I agree that fair use is about reasoning and logic. It takes the wise use of copyrighted materials to be able to use it in a way that respects the copyright owner.

It’s a scary thought to think that some of the most historical events recorded may not be available in the future because of royalties and unreasonable copyright protections. Something has to change about this. Certain materials should have a historical distinction that will allow for their use in order to preserve humanities legacy.

Wk1-2 DB Quickies: DIY Classroom/Presentation Solutions

I believe that we have done well with keeping up with technology although my wishlist is still pretty long! I am the director of a technology learning center and we have some pretty new pc's running Windows 7. All of the pc's talk to each other and are pretty reliable. We do a lot of multimedia creation like videos and music. We try to stay current with the latest trends in cloud computing, graphic design and web design (www.techcentapr.com- shameless plug). We are recent recipients of a grant that will allow us to do a lot more such as incorporating a Mac lab and a Smartboard. We will begin online classes, webinars in the summer to educate the community at large. We have expansion on our minds.

My wishlist will not be denied!

Wk1-1 DB Quickies: DIY Classroom/Presentation Solutions

The Intimate Obstacle!

During a digital literacy training I held recently at a middle school I wanted to project videos onto a large projector screen. It was after school and the av tech was not there. When we plugged up my computer the screen was upside down. I had this problem on my projector when I installed it, and I remember it being a real pain to figure out. We did not have a great deal of time so I tried to create a new atmosphere. I sold the presentation as an "intimate conversation" and had everyone move very close to the front, and showed the videos on my Macbook. It worked out better than I planned, the students got comfortable and became very involved in the conversation. Next time I will bring a projector but the fix worked out fine!