David Ligon's Posts - Classroom 2.02024-03-28T14:09:48ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigonhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1950220305?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=00y5uuz92n254&xn_auth=noClarifying Copyright for Educatorstag:www.classroom20.com,2010-07-31:649749:BlogPost:4933622010-07-31T18:00:00.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
<div>A great deal of confusion exists in the educational community surrounding the issue of using copyrighted materials in classroom instruction. I was fortunate to attend Dr. Renee Hobbs' copyright workshop recently at the ISTE2010 conference, and captured these high-points of her presentation on the latest in copyright law. It should also be noted that <a href="http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm">ISTE NETS-T</a>, section 4,…</div>
<div>A great deal of confusion exists in the educational community surrounding the issue of using copyrighted materials in classroom instruction. I was fortunate to attend Dr. Renee Hobbs' copyright workshop recently at the ISTE2010 conference, and captured these high-points of her presentation on the latest in copyright law. It should also be noted that <a href="http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_for_Teachers_2008.htm">ISTE NETS-T</a>, section 4, urges educators to model and teach responsible digital citizenship. Only by becoming informed of our rights as educators can we fulfill this charge.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Everytime something is created, the U.S. Constitution automatically grants the creator certain rights controlling proliferation of their creative works. The intent of our Founders was to foster innovation and knowledge-sharing in early American society. According to <b>Section 1, Article 8, U.S. Constitution, 1787</b>:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>"<i>Government can establish a copyright system to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.</i>"</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>The next major piece of legislation governing copyright in the United States was the Copyright Law of 1976. The so-called "<b>Fair Use Doctrine</b>" contained in <b>Section 107 of the Copyright Law of 1976</b> provides guidelines which allow educators to use copyrighted materials legally:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>"The fair use of a copyrighted work is not an infringement of copyright. This includes reproduction in copies for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>a) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>b) the nature of the copyrighted work;</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>c) the amount and sustainability of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>d) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work."</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>According to Dr. Hobbs, there is a limited educational exemption for classroom instruction (Copyright Clarity, pg. 23, Hobbs):</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>"Section 110(1) is the part of the Copyright Act of 1976 that allows educators to use 'lawfully made' copies of copyrighted materials in the classroom 'or similar place devoted to instruction' for educational purposes. What is a lawfully made copy?</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>* A photocopy of a printed article</div>
<div>* A school-purchased DVD</div>
<div>* A privately purchased copy of a DVD</div>
<div>* An off-air taped movie</div>
<div>* A rental DVD (from Netflix or Blockbuster)</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Section 110(1) is like a narrow layer of extra protection for educators who use print or digital copyrighted materials in face-to-face teaching situations. But we should never interpret the law as saying we can 'only' use copyrighted materials in face-to-face teaching situations. For other situations, educators can rely on the doctrine of fair use."</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>I asked Dr. Hobbs after the workshop whether "<i>Terms of Use</i>" for digital media providers supercede Fair Use, and she said that in many cases it can--which she said is covered in the advanced portion of her 3-day workshop.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Another important point to understand on the subject of copyright, is <b>"Creative Commons"</b> licensing (Copyright Clarity, pg. 21, Hobbs):</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>"Creative Commons is an alternative licensing scheme, founded by Professor Lawrence Lessig, now at Harvard University Law School, which aims to make it easy for people to build upon other peoples' work. These licenses allow creators to enable how others can use their work. Many individuals and non-profit organizations have made their work available under these new licenses in order to encourage sharing. People can also make fair use of materials created under a Creative Commons license. But Creative Commons licenses will never be available for a lot of the materials that teachers and students need to use, especially those produced by large commercial media firms."</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><b>Transformative Use</b> (Copyright Clarity, pg. 44, Hobbs) - Case study of <a href="http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=4859855179349004000&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr">Bill Graham Archives v. Dorling Kindersley (DK)</a> (2006)</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>In this case, a book publisher used copyrighted images of concert posters in a larger work that was deemed of more benefit to society than the harm suffered by the copyright holder from such use. The court's opinion is summarized nicely in this posting by Christopher Meatto: <a href="http://harvardlaw74.com/casebook-quick-read-bill-graham-archives-v-dorling-kindersley-ltd/">http://harvardlaw74.com/casebook-quick-read-bill-graham-archives-v-dorling-kindersley-ltd/</a></div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>The important point I take away from this case is when use of copyrighted material "...<i>adds something new, with a further purpose or different character, altering the first with new expression, meaning, or message</i>." then it is allowed under Fair Use.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Dr. Hobbs also urged educators to inform themselves of these laws and come to their own conclusions on Fair Use when deciding whether to use copyrighted materials for instruction. If you can back up your use with sound logical reasoning, the courts will respect that, and typically mitigate damages to zero in cases where the educator was incorrect in his/her rationale.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>Finally, there are some excellent copyright resources out on the <a href="http://mediaeducationlab.com/copyright">MediaEducationLab</a> website which Dr. Hobbs has assembled from her work at Temple University. At the workshop, she showed us a couple of fun music videos contained on the website which explain copyright in an engaging way:</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><a href="http://mediaeducationlab.com/music-video-users-rights-section-107">User's Rights, Section 107</a> (alternative)</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div><a href="http://mediaeducationlab.com/music-video-copyright-whats-copyright">Copyright, What's Copyright</a> (hip hop)</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>I encourage you to explore these and other resources contained on the Media Education Lab website to become informed on your rights as educators to use copyrighted works.</div>
<div><br/></div>
<div>See Also: <a href="http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/fairusemedialiteracy">(NCTE) Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education</a></div>ISTE2010 Mashup: Highlights and Personal Reflectionstag:www.classroom20.com,2010-07-02:649749:BlogPost:4835742010-07-02T06:43:03.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
<p>I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the festivities and workshops at ISTE2010 in Denver this year. The most memorable part of the event for me was connection with people. It was exhilirating to collectively brainstorm with the best minds in the field on educational issues facing us today while we consider what's over the horizon.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Sitting around the blogger's cafe' with friends, listening to Chris Lehmann's jokes, debating ideas out in the open--not in some closed door session…</p>
<p>I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the festivities and workshops at ISTE2010 in Denver this year. The most memorable part of the event for me was connection with people. It was exhilirating to collectively brainstorm with the best minds in the field on educational issues facing us today while we consider what's over the horizon.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Sitting around the blogger's cafe' with friends, listening to Chris Lehmann's jokes, debating ideas out in the open--not in some closed door session where the door is locked unless you camped out in line the night before. Seriously though, when I wasn't able to make a workshop I had scheduled, more often than not I would run into someone very engaging and informative who would make even better use of my time. There were a number of exceptional workshops which adopted a collaborative participatory approach, and those I liked.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I am reminded of Scott Meech's advice last year after the NECC Conference, for ISTE to arrange the venue with more collaborative and open learning spaces for free discussion. On that count, I believe they did an admirable job. It was usually at one of these impromptu gatherings that I would run into friends from my PLN which I had never met face-to-face before. That, to me, was priceless.</p>
<p></p>
<p>An important statement I made was during the panel discussion on Web 2.0 apps and Mobile Devices. I asserted that more work needed to be done in the area of iPad app development for disabled learners and those with special needs. Part of my mission in coming to Denver was to identify Sped apps for an iPad rollout this fall in our district. Camilla Gagliolo was nice enough to stay after the session to show me iPad apps she used in a recent pilot for autistic students. It was very moving to see a clip she showed me of a special needs student using the iPad for the first time, and then 2 weeks later where the student was successfully learning and responding--followed by the look of glee and wonderment. I would be disingenuous if I didn't admit that a tear came to both of our eyes watching that excitement on the student's face because of technology which enabled him to have fun learning.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Another objective I had was finding grant partnerships, and that was successful as well. One vendor has committed to an in-kind match of some classroom software under stimulus funds, and another donated a fully licensed copy of a desktop publishing suite for our Sped program to pilot and keep. Ken Royal was even nice enough to interview me so I could get our district's name out there that we are looking for collaborative partners to assist with grant funding and participation in various education initiatives.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I attended some phenominal workshops including EduBloggerCon, Andrew Churches' presentation on 21st Century Learners, Scott Meech's iear.org poster session and subsequent presentation of the Lifelong Learning Framework, Suzie Boss & Jane Krauss' Project Based Learning collaborative discussion and Renee Hobbs incredible 1 hour coverage of the latest in copyright law, understanding fair use, and how to apply it properly in our schools. It turns out that I have a copyright quick guide due for teacher orientation in a few weeks, and her session equipped me with everything I need to know to accomplish this task with relative ease and certainty.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The same could be said about Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss' facilitation of group discussion on ways to encourage project based learning in schools, and using the Gulf Oil spill as a teachable moment. I am currently working on a grant proposal which includes a PBL component in the intervention strategy for improving middle school science engagement and achievement (Project A.C.E.S. - Advancing Curriculum through the Exploration of Science). The information and contacts I gained through that one session will help me immensely in my work.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I should also give a special shout out to KimberlyW who showed me a rockin' threaded discussion site called Plurk. The photo of me on Plurk was taken on Kimberley's webcam at the bogger's cafe'. You can see me wearning the Podstock 2010 necklace Kevin Honeycutt was passing out to friends. Equally helpful was Lisa Thumann who pulled off the seeming impossible task of successfully getting Foursquare beta up and running on my Blackberry during her overview session in the ISTE Social Butterfly lounge earlier this week. Being on EdChatLive was really cool too.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Next year I am looking forward to being a presenter at ISTE2011 for Scott Meech's iPad Ed Apps Review organization (<a href="http://iear.org">http://iear.org</a>). I have a great deal to learn over the coming year, but know the hard work volunteering in this grass roots effort will benefit many students and teachers who will soon be using this emerging technology in their classrooms. Currently I am working with Scott on trying to get the word out and get people involved. Once I get an Pad then I can assist more in the reviews.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I am also in contact with a representative from the TCEA who maintains the iPhone/iPod/iPad Educational Apps google spreadsheet and am working with her to add a column of Sped apps. I am told there are approximately 22 autism apps available from the ABA which should probably be added to the list. Thanks also to Meg Ormi--whom I met at the end of Andrew Churches' presentation--she let me know about this list (which is included on iear.org), and to Katie Stansberry who asked me to blog about my experiences at ISTE2010.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Finally, the sense of camaraderie gained at the conference left me feeling energized and inspired to go back to my district and make a difference in the lives of students. After all, isn't that what its all about?</p>Twitter Resources for Teacherstag:www.classroom20.com,2009-10-14:649749:BlogPost:3920512009-10-14T00:30:00.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
<p>I was tasked with preparing some resources for a presentation recently on the idea of using Twitter in our school district. I went back through my first 500 tweets on Twitter to compile this list, which I used at the meeting. Since then I keep receiving inquiries on the subject and decided to post the links here for now so that I will have a location to direct educators for the resources (until I get my Diigo account set up):…<br></br><br></br></p>
<p>I was tasked with preparing some resources for a presentation recently on the idea of using Twitter in our school district. I went back through my first 500 tweets on Twitter to compile this list, which I used at the meeting. Since then I keep receiving inquiries on the subject and decided to post the links here for now so that I will have a location to direct educators for the resources (until I get my Diigo account set up):<br/><br/><a href="http://www.ideastoinspire.co.uk/twitter.htm">Thirty Interesting Ways to use Twitter in the Classroom</a><br/><br/><a href="http://wcarozza.wikispaces.com/Twitter" target="_blank">Bill Carozza's List of Helpful Twitter Links</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.kapilbhatia.com/2009/03/07/how-to-become-twitter-teachertt-in-23-steps-or-less/" target="_blank">How to become a Twitter Teacher in 23 Steps or Less</a><br/><br/><a href="http://onceateacher.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/a-teachers-guide-to-twitter/" target="_blank">Teacher's Guide to Twitter</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.k-3teacherresources.com/teachers-guide-to-twitter.html" target="_blank">K-3 Teachers Guide to Twitter</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/curriculum/tech/socialnetwork/twitter/twitter.htm" target="_blank">Twitter Help for Educators</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/14062777/Twitter-Handbook-for-Teachers" target="_blank">Twitter handbook for teachers</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.madzander.com/wordpress/?p=24" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Twitter Project</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.accessibletwitter.com/" target="_blank">Accessible Twitter</a> is an alternative to the Twitter.com website optimized for inclusion/accessibility.<br/><br/><a href="http://edtechsandyk.blogspot.com/search/label/twitter" target="_blank">Building a Personal Learning Network (PLN) on Twitter</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/03/the-ultimate-guide-for-everything-twitter/" target="_blank">The Ultimate Guide for Everything Twitter</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/30-twitter-tips-for-teachers/" target="_blank">30 Twitter Tips for Teachers</a><br/><br/><a href="http://tweetteach.jottit.com/elementary_suggestions" target="_blank">Ways Elementary Teachers might use Twitter in their Classrooms</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-gross/embracing-the-twitter-cla_b_204463.html" target="_blank">Embracing the Twitter Classroom</a> (Huffington Post)<br/><br/><a href="http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/" target="_blank">Twitter4Teachers Wiki</a><br/><br/><a href="http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/Twitter-Mentors" target="_blank">Twitter4Teachers - Mentor Page</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/06/08/50-ways-to-use-twitter-in-the-college-classroom/" target="_blank">50 ways to use twitter in the college classroom</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2009/07/21/100-serious-twitter-tips-for-academics/" target="_blank">100 Serious Twitter Tips for Academics</a><br/><br/><a href="http://academhack.outsidethetext.com/home/2008/twitter-for-academia/" target="_blank">Twitter for Academia</a><br/><br/><a href="http://vodpod.com/watch/1497715-twitter-in-the-classroom" target="_blank">Minneapolis Roosevelt HS</a>: Video of Twitter in the classroom<br/><br/><a href="http://eduwithtechn.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/assessing-learning-with-web-2-0-twitter-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank">Twitter rubric</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.mrgabor.com/tweets.html" target="_blank">Twitter in the elementary-school classroom</a><br/><br/><a href="http://blog.classroomteacher.ca/338/twitter-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank">Twitter in the middle-school classroom</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/06/6-examples-of-using-twitter-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank">6 Examples of Using Twitter in the Classroom</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WPVWDkF7U8" target="_blank">The Twitter Experiment at University of Dallas</a>: YouTube video of Twitter in actual use in a classroom<br/><br/><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N6hs0YN7Yg" target="_blank">Fox News Report</a> / YouTube Video of Twitter being used in a kindergarten classroom<br/><br/><a href="http://docs.google.com/present/view?pli=1&skipauth=true&id=dhn2vcv5_118cfb8msf8" target="_blank">27 interesting ways to use Twitter in the classroom</a><br/><br/><a href="http://onlinecollegedegree.org/2009/03/19/100-tips-apps-and-resources-for-teachers-on-twitter/" target="_blank">100 tips for teachers on Twitter</a><br/><br/><a href="http://www.techlearning.com/article/17340" target="_blank">Nine reasons to Twitter in schools</a><br/><br/><a href="http://edwebb.amplify.com/2009/10/14/why-educators-should-be-on-twitter/" target="_blank">Why Educators should be on Twitter</a> - Short YouTube video by Ed Webb<br/><br/><a href="http://www.onlinecourses.org/2009/10/01/100-twitter-feeds-to-make-you-a-better-teacher/" target="_blank">100 Twitter Feeds To Make You a Better Teacher</a> - by OnlineCourses<br/><br/><a href="http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7027.pdf" target="_blank">7 Things you Should Know about Twitter</a> - Educause (PDF)<br/><br/><a href="http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/05/27/twitter-for-librarians-the-ultimate-guide/" target="_blank">Twitter for Librarians: The Ultimate Guide</a><br/><br/><a href="http://tweepml.org/Building-an-Education-PLN/" target="_blank">Education PLN Builders</a> - Eric Sheninger's TweepML List<br/><br/><a href="http://tweepml.org/Educator-EdTech-PLN/" target="_blank">Engage, offer support & help</a> / <a href="http://tweepml.org/EdTech-Links/" target="_blank">EdTech Links</a> - Shelly Terrell's TweepML Lists<br/><br/><a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/rheingold/detail?blogid=108&entry_id=39948" target="_blank">Twitter Literacy</a> by Howard Rheingold<br/><br/><a href="http://techxav.com/2009/07/10/lets-activate-the-way-back-machine-the-history-of-twitter-in-pictures/" target="_blank">The History of Twitter in Pictures</a><br/><br/><a href="http://media.ft.com/cms/c3852b2e-6f9a-11de-bfc5-00144feabdc0.pdf" target="_blank">Media & Internet: How Teenagers Consume Media</a> (Teens prefer Facebook instead of Twitter)<br/><br/>Twitter for Teachers hashtag: #twitteach</p>New Media Literacy: Relevance and Challengestag:www.classroom20.com,2009-09-13:649749:BlogPost:3818152009-09-13T10:30:00.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
The concept of Technology Literacy became immediately relevant for me last year as I was filling out the 2008-09 ADE Educational Technology Survey required for our district to receive funding under the Title II-D/EETT program. I had to answer the following questions:<br></br>
<br></br>
Q40: How many 8th grade students in your school/district would be classified as technologically literate according to the following definition:<br></br>
<br></br>
"Technology literacy is the ability to responsibly use…
The concept of Technology Literacy became immediately relevant for me last year as I was filling out the 2008-09 ADE Educational Technology Survey required for our district to receive funding under the Title II-D/EETT program. I had to answer the following questions:<br/>
<br/>
Q40: How many 8th grade students in your school/district would be classified as technologically literate according to the following definition:<br/>
<br/>
"Technology literacy is the ability to responsibly use appropriate technology to communicate, solve problems, create products and access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information to improve learning in all subjects, to use information to improve learning in all subject areas and to acquire lifelong knowledge and skills for the 21st century."<br/>
<br/>
Q41: Please indicate the method you used to determine the number of 8th grade students who were technologically literate.<br/>
<br/>
Q42: Please describe how you are ensuring your students are technology literate by 8th grade.<br/>
<br/>
After consultation with our Curriculum Director we were able to come up with satisfactory responses to meet the needs of the compliance paperwork at that moment. But these questions still lingered in my mind over the ensuing months, demanding more depth of treatment than just a survey response. It was not until a colleague in my Twitter PLN sent an open invitation for discussion comments for an upcoming blog tour that I took up the matter anew.<br/>
<br/>
To fully answer those survey questions requires a curriculum, pedagogy and assessment approach to teach those skills and measure the results. I decided to review the research on the subject starting with Paul Gilster's groundbreaking book on "Digital Literacy" 1997 (see <a href="http://horizon.unc.edu/projects/resources/digital_literacy.asp" target="_blank">A Primer on Digital Literacy</a>). Gilster took the traditional concept of literacy and adapted it for the digital age. In the book he discusses new aspects of literacy such as reading via computer instead of a paper book, dealing with hyperlinks, e-mail, search engines, and most importantly utilizing critical thinking skills to assess the veracity and validity of the material found in an online medium. With the advent of easily accessible and abundant information on the internet, the need to discern fact from fiction became most pronounced. Keep in mind that this was written during the Web 1.0 era when the information flow was primarily uni-directional from the author to the reader. Enter Web 2.0.<br/>
<br/>
In the twelve years since Gilster's book was written there have been many advances in technology, information flow on the internet is multi-directional, a new concept/movement emerged known as "<a href="http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/images/stories/epapers/skills_foundations_final.pdf" target="_blank">21st Century Skills</a>", and even Bloom's Taxonomy received a facelift for the modern age becoming a <a href="http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy" target="_blank">Digital Taxonomy</a>. Educators and educational institutions alike grappled with how to integrate technology into the curriculum, how to engage "<a href="http://www.digitalnative.org/#about" target="_blank">Digital Natives</a>", and fundamentally how to best leverage the new technologies to increase student achievement. There have been numerous studies in the 21st Century to understand the impact of emerging technologies on teaching and learning, such as the <a href="http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report.pdf" target="_blank">Horizon Report</a>. As of 2009, we have moved well beyond Digital Literacy and Technology Literacy to arrive at a place where Media Literacy and 21st Century Skills are combined into a new <a href="http://www.medialit.org/pdf/mlk/01a_mlkorientation_rev2.pdf" target="_blank">Media Literacy for the 21st Century</a>. Due to the multi-directional nature of the information flow in Web 2.0 Social Media applications, we have had to begin <a href="http://www.newmedialiteracies.org/files/working/NMLWhitePaper.pdf" target="_blank">Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture</a> in media education for the 21st Century, develop a <a href="http://bit.ly/BJMVh" target="_blank">21st Century Pedagogy</a>, a <a href="http://bit.ly/3G5IVR" target="_blank">Framework for Curriculum and Assessment</a>, as well as <a href="http://bit.ly/15c1Wc" target="_blank">Teaching and Learning Rubrics</a>.<br/>
<br/>
The "New Media Literacy" requires <a href="http://bit.ly/368pd" target="_blank">Digital Information Fluency</a> from our students and <a href="http://www.criticalthinking.org/resources/k12/TRK12-strategy-list.cfm" target="_blank">instructional strategies for critical thinking</a> from our teachers. We also need <a href="http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS" target="_blank">standards</a>, and a way to put them all together into a meaningful whole that can be taught in the classroom. Here is one example incorporating <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thingstolearnwith/Home/ISTE-standards">ISTE-standards</a> which link to relevant Web 2.0 tools, tutorials and lesson plan ideas.<br/>
<br/>
As we've transitioned from merely defining Technology Literacy to formulating a strategy for implementing New Media Literacy and 21st Century critical thinking skills in the classrooms of today, there is much to consider and a lot of work to be done. So, going back to the original compliance question "How many 8th grade students in your school/district would be classified as technologically literate?"... the answer is not that simple.Engaging Students in Virtual Space Exploration through Second Lifetag:www.classroom20.com,2009-08-30:649749:BlogPost:3774962009-08-30T15:00:00.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
As our district embarks upon Web 2.0 implementation for our 21st Century learning enviroments, we are looking for the right tools to engage our digital learners. There is a company called <a href="http://www.daden.co.uk/" target="_blank">Daden Limited</a> in the UK which has created an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qVvWOxzMDU" target="_blank">Apollo 11 Tranquility Base Simulation</a> in Second Life. I had recently learned about this sim region from one of my PLN colleagues on…
As our district embarks upon Web 2.0 implementation for our 21st Century learning enviroments, we are looking for the right tools to engage our digital learners. There is a company called <a href="http://www.daden.co.uk/" target="_blank">Daden Limited</a> in the UK which has created an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qVvWOxzMDU" target="_blank">Apollo 11 Tranquility Base Simulation</a> in Second Life. I had recently learned about this sim region from one of my PLN colleagues on Twitter. I had to check it out.<br />
<br />
I entered SecondLife (Multi-User Virtual Environment) as my avatar EdTechLeader Davidovasic, and brought my son Brandon along for the journey. We went out to the Daden Space SLURL <a href="http://slurl.com/secondlife/daden%20space/127/127/301" target="_blank">http://slurl.com/secondlife/daden space/127/127/301</a> and put on our space suits, then teleported to the surface of the moon. We landed at the Tranquility Base simulation site, then proceeded to explore and take pictures. There was even a realistic looking Lunar Module there to climb on. My son was thrilled and so was I. What a fantastic way to get students interested in science and space, by going to a virtualized moon landing site, and following in the footsteps (or giant leaps) of the astronauts. These pictures will astound you: <a href="http://bit.ly/3P6Xwp" target="_blank">Apollo 11 Memorial Photos</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/qIrFJ" target="_blank">Slideshow</a>.<br />
<br />
Coincidentally, I had a conversation last week with our Curriculum Director in charge of CTE programs who mentioned that he wanted to start some kind of a space program curriculum in our district. Now that we have interactive whiteboards and laptops, wouldn't it be incredible to combine that virtual space experience with the technology we now have in our 21st Century classrooms? The potential for engaging our digital learners through this type of experience is immense. Once students are engaged, they become intersted in learning and their achievement increases. I can't wait to show our staff this amazing discovery next week--imagine how it might feel on a Smartboard.Opening the Doors to Web 2.0 for 21st Century Enrichment in K-12tag:www.classroom20.com,2009-08-21:649749:BlogPost:3749532009-08-21T07:35:48.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
Today marked a turning point in the history of our school district. We officially implemented a progressive social media policy which now allows us to begin offering Web 2.0 integration into our curriculum. Things began to change with a new district leadership team last year who fostered a belief in 21st Century technology. On the Friday before the semester started this year we held a rally where our Superintendent showed teachers <a href="http://bit.ly/voMGE" target="_blank">A Vision of K-12…</a>
Today marked a turning point in the history of our school district. We officially implemented a progressive social media policy which now allows us to begin offering Web 2.0 integration into our curriculum. Things began to change with a new district leadership team last year who fostered a belief in 21st Century technology. On the Friday before the semester started this year we held a rally where our Superintendent showed teachers <a href="http://bit.ly/voMGE" target="_blank">A Vision of K-12 Students Today</a> and vowed we would rise to the challenge. Beginning today, as the Educational Technology Director, I put our Principals on notice that Web 2.0 is officially open for business in our district.<br />
<br />
We subscribe to the philosophy that providing a 21st Century classroom environment to leverage achievement for our digital learners is a mandate, and our obligation to prepare students with the skills to succeed in the information age. To fulfill that vision, it requires not only the technology hardware such as interactive whiteboards, laptops, and document cameras--but the accompanying curriculuar resources such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, MUVEs, and other collaborative Social Media tools. Professional development in instructional technology and modeling for our teachers is also an essential component.<br />
<br />
CIPA compliance concerns and instances of inappropriate internet use had held us back historically in a puritanical abstinence approach towards engaging in Web 2.0. Even when I was first hired on, I shared the fear that simply becoming involved in any social media would reflect poorly on me and diminish my chances for getting a job. Earlier this year, I began to get engaged in Web 2.0 so that I could better understand it and make more informed policy decisions regarding its potential use in our educational environment. To my astonishment I discovered a wealth of resources out there in cyberspace, through PLNs, internet searches, conferences and online collaboration. I found pedagogical methods, standards, rubrics, Top 100 lists of links to free edtech resources, and information on how Twitter is used in the classroom. I ran across schools actively using Twitter, blogs, wikis, podcasts, iPhones, Second Life--even something called <a href="http://www.madzander.com/wordpress/?p=24" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Twitter Project</a>.<br />
<br />
Soon I became a true believer in the power of Social Media to transform the educational landscape of the 21st Century. Armed with all this research and first-hand experience, as well as the support of our Superintendent and Curriculum Directors, I became emboldened to move forward with a strategy to implement a policy change which would open the doors to a new way of learning. No longer would IT pull the plug when a student abused the internet for non-educational use, but we would begin coaching the site administrators on teaching guided appropriate use, backed up by monitoring and imposing the appropriate disciplinary actions for policy violations.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow I plan on removing some educational Ning sites from our web filter, speaking with our Curriculum Directors about becoming involved in the Kindergarten Twitter Project, and asking the Principals to bring me their list of sites for unblocking along with their curriculum integration plans. A new day has dawned in our school district, and I look forward to leading the charge into the 21st Century for the enrichment of our students and the liberation of our teachers.Web 2.0 Accessibilitytag:www.classroom20.com,2009-08-15:649749:BlogPost:3730772009-08-15T15:00:00.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
As Ed Tech leaders promoting Web 2.0 in the educational environment, it is incumbent upon us to adopt an inclusive approach so that physically impaired learners have an equal opportunity to derive the same benefits from 21st Century technologies as non-impaired students. We need to raise awareness of this issue so that Web 2.0 developers and social networking sites begin to incorporate design elements that allow access to all learners regardless of physical ability.<br />
<br />
Start by understanding the…
As Ed Tech leaders promoting Web 2.0 in the educational environment, it is incumbent upon us to adopt an inclusive approach so that physically impaired learners have an equal opportunity to derive the same benefits from 21st Century technologies as non-impaired students. We need to raise awareness of this issue so that Web 2.0 developers and social networking sites begin to incorporate design elements that allow access to all learners regardless of physical ability.<br />
<br />
Start by understanding the issue. Here are some useful links to learn more about this effort to bring Web 2.0 to all learners:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/nCUXW" target="_blank">Are Social Networking Sites Accessible to People with Vision Loss?</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/4oVIGA" target="_blank">The Inclusion Principle</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/fytrN" target="_blank">Web Accessibility Toolkit Resources</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.webaim.org/intro/" target="_blank">Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/g7sTr" target="_blank">WEB 2.0: Blind to an Accessible New World</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/wNNRh" target="_blank">H.R. 3101: Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009</a><br />
<br />
Only by raising awareness and becoming actively involved in this accessibility mandate can we enrich all learners through the use of 21st Century classroom tools.21st Century Teaching & Learningtag:www.classroom20.com,2009-08-09:649749:BlogPost:3713692009-08-09T16:00:00.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
The following commentary discusses my viewpoint on 21st Century Teaching and Learning, based on responses to a PLN survey conducted by Lucy Gray, Technology Integration Specialist at the University of Chicago, on August 8, 2009.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your personal definition of 21st century learning and/or teaching?</b><br />
21st Century learning is the process whereby digital natives utilize the power of modern technology to learn anything, anytime, anywhere. Classrooms are no longer necessarily defined by…
The following commentary discusses my viewpoint on 21st Century Teaching and Learning, based on responses to a PLN survey conducted by Lucy Gray, Technology Integration Specialist at the University of Chicago, on August 8, 2009.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your personal definition of 21st century learning and/or teaching?</b><br />
21st Century learning is the process whereby digital natives utilize the power of modern technology to learn anything, anytime, anywhere. Classrooms are no longer necessarily defined by rigid walls, as hybrid learning models blend the virtual with the physical into a truly engaged and collaborative educational experience. 21st Century pedagogy requires an evolution beyond the 19th Century "sage on a stage" role to that of a facilitator as a "guide on the side". Effective teaching in the 21st Century must be student-centric, must infuse technology into the learning experience for both rigor and relevance, and emphasize higer-order thinking skills.<br />
<br />
<b>What does a 21st century learner look like?</b><br />
A 21st Century learner appears to be someone who is engaged in educational gaming and multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs), collaborating through social media (blogs, wikis), listening to Podcast lectures on iPODs and Smartphones, watching YouTube videos, connected to and communicating with the global village through wireless laptops and PDAs. Always plugged in, always on, 21st Century learners are mass-consumers of information on demand at the speed of thought.<br />
<br />
<b>What does a 21st century teacher look like?</b><br />
I think there are three types of 21st Century teachers. There are the early adopters who have fully embraced the use of technology in the classroom (blogs, wikis, podcasts, Smartboards, online assessment tools, cloud resources). These tech savvy educators truly define what we would normally think of as 21st Century teachers. Then there are the teachers who struggle with the technology, but want to learn and incorporate modern tools into their instructional practice. Although they are not on the cutting edge, they nonetheless want to relate to the high-tech world their students live in and teach in a way that addresses the needs of those digital learners. Finally, there are the anachronistic rejectionists--essentially technophobes who want nothing to do with technology in instruction and who are quickly becoming obsolete, soon to be left behind in the dust of the modern age. For that contingent, their days are numbered, and will likely die out altogether in the mid-21st Century.<br />
<br />
<b>How has your professional life changed with the advent of various technologies?</b><br />
As an Educational Technology Director focused on leveraging student achievement through educational technology in the classroom, I have had to engage in extensive research to understand what tools are available and how to competently apply what works. In order to implement more progressive policies in our district regarding the appropriate use of Web 2.0 tools and social media, I have taken on the challenge of learning these technologies first-hand.<br />
<br />
<b>What resources do you find useful on the topic of 21st century teaching and learning?</b><br />
Some of the resources I have found useful on the topic of 21st Century learning include books such as Educational Technology that Works (Marzano), ISTE's Web 2.0 New Tools New Schools (Soloman & Schrum), and Digital Literacy (Gilster); Magazine publications such as Learning & Leading, Tech & Learning, Digital Directions, eSchoolNews, Converge / eRepublic, District Administration, and Edutopia; Also useful are the Journal of Technology Education, and Journal of Instructional Technology. In addition, the most useful resources of all are on the web, including my PLN contacts on Twitter, Classroom 2.0, School 2.0 Ning, Second Life, various wikis, blogs and numerous other sites as well as professional organizations such as ISTE, AzTEA and ASTD.<br />
<br />
<b>Are specific initiatives around 21st teaching and learning going on in your district?</b><br />
Yes<br />
<br />
<b>If yes, what are some of these initiatives?</b><br />
This past year, the Superintendent, Curriculum Directors and I established a new set of 21st Century technology standards for our district. With the advent of our newest K-8 school this fall, we saw the opportunity to build it as a model school with a 21st Century learning environment. It includes projectors, Smartboards and document cameras in every classroom, along with wireless laptops for both teachers and students. We are heavily invested in professional development training for the teaching staff to make it a success, with research-based practices and modeling, for true curriculum integration of technology in the classroom. This summer we began retrofitting other schools in our district with this same standard. The next phase will involve adoption of Web 2.0 technologies into the classroom. Next week I will be unblocking a couple of Ning sites, and Shutterfly share sites, from our web filtering software so that classrooms can begin collaborating with the use of these tools. This is just the beginning, and it is a very exciting time to be a technology director in our district.<br />
<br />
<b>What are some of the barriers you are experiencing?</b><br />
Despite the progress our district is making toward establishing a School 2.0 model for the 21st Century, we still have a ways to go. Since we are just embarking on this journey there is much work to do, like training site admins on how to instruct students in appropriate use, perform CIPA-compliant monitoring practices, and enforce AUPs through disciplinary consequences as needed. Social networking sites are categorically blocked by our web filtering software, along with useful sites such as YouTube and Google Images. Our policies are evolving, and becoming more progressive--but are not yet where we need them to be.<br />
<br />
<b>How have you built buy-in around any of these initiatives? How would you get people on board if this hasn't happened in your district yet?</b><br />
The strategy we employed to obtain buy-in for the 21st Century learning environment initiative in our district incorporated principles set forth in the School 2.0 model (<a href="http://etoolkit.org" target="_blank">http://etoolkit.org</a>). All stakeholders in our learning ecosystem provided input into the collaborative re-design of our schools and instructional practices, including students, teachers, administrators, technologists and the community.<br />
<br />
<b>What projects have you seen or created yourself that are compelling examples of 21st century teaching and learning?</b><br />
My personal involvement in a Web 2.0 social media research project has been quite a journey in terms of learning about what resources are available and identifying best practices from other schools that can be applied to improve our own learning environment. Some examples include:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/zt0xg" target="_blank">The Twitter Experiment at UT-Dallas</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/mIzZJ" target="_blank">Twitter in the elementary-school classroom</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/9Mshu" target="_blank">Twitter in the middle-school classroom</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://a2a.me/hHt" target="_blank">6 Examples of Using Twitter in the Classroom</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/2MaIqJ" target="_blank">Minneapolis Roosevelt HS video of Twitter in the classroom</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/AtJxd" target="_blank">Twitter in the Kindergarten classroom</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.madzander.com/wordpress/?p=24" target="_blank">The Kindergarten Twitter Project</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.k12blueprint.com" target="_blank">K-12 Computing Blueprint case studies of one-to-one computing results</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/2RDwYI" target="_blank">iPhones being used academically in college</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/v1uxl" target="_blank">St. Mary's, Ohio pilots PDAs in elementary classrooms</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/U786N" target="_blank">Project K-Nect Smartphones in the classroom</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goknow.com/cellphonecomputercasestuides.php" target="_blank">4 case studies of cell phones used in K-12 education</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/WMdTY" target="_blank">Oakland University Honors College - Course Taught in Second Life</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/N5YPq" target="_blank">ISTE Second Life project</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://acftscience.wetpaint.com" target="_blank">Mr. Grizzelle's 5th grade science class wiki</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.prometheanresearch.com" target="_blank">Marzano study of Promethean ActivClassroom</a><br />
<br />
Also, during a couple of IWB pilot programs last year in our district, I noticed a profound impact the incorporation of that technology had on the classroom for both teachers and students. When the students become engaged, their learning was much more effective.<br />
<br />
<b>If you could give a different name to this term 21st century skills, what would it be?</b><br />
Digital Fluency in Higher-Order Critical Thinking<br />
<br />
<b>What advice would you give to teachers who are just starting to redefine their teaching in light of technological advances and increased awareness of 21st century teaching and learning?</b><br />
Today's digital learners need us to teach them in a new way, with new tools, in order to really reach them. I encourage today's educators of tomorrow's leaders to bravely explore and learn about their students' digital world so we can more effectively leverage their achievement and inspire them to become lifelong learners.<br />
<br />
<b>Additional Notes:</b><br />
For a wealth of Web 2.0 resources, you are welcome to share my research findings on <a href="http://twitter.com/EdTechLeader" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/EdTechLeader</a>Branding in Social Mediatag:www.classroom20.com,2009-08-09:649749:BlogPost:3714162009-08-09T15:00:00.000ZDavid Ligonhttps://www.classroom20.com/profile/DavidLigon
The concept of branding is an essential part of social media and web 2.0 literacy. The way in which an individual or business presents themselves online through a variety of online venues is absolutely essential to how viewers will perceive them. This can have either positive or negative consequences depending on how one's web 2.0 brand comes across. Case in point, in the latest issue of Government Technology an article entitled "The Trouble with Twitter and other social networks" depicts an…
The concept of branding is an essential part of social media and web 2.0 literacy. The way in which an individual or business presents themselves online through a variety of online venues is absolutely essential to how viewers will perceive them. This can have either positive or negative consequences depending on how one's web 2.0 brand comes across. Case in point, in the latest issue of Government Technology an article entitled "The Trouble with Twitter and other social networks" depicts an actual example of a job candidate grousing about the potential commute and how he would hate the line of work but enjoy the pay, being monitored by his future employer. Had this gentleman realized that his online presence would be viewed by his boss, he likely would not have said those things, and may have gotten the job that he just fumbled.<br />
<br />
As the line between one's private musings and professional postings become blurred in the 21st century, we must become ever wary of the brand we put forth, establish and maintain. I believe strongly that teaching 21st century digital learners how to use social media wisely is a mandate of the educational system. The goal is not so much teaching students how to use web 2.0 tools, as how to use it properly--to collaborate, communicate in a respectful professional way, and to build a brand that will sell their knowledge and skills to land a job after graduation. If we ignore this mandate, and continue to puritanically prohibit social media in the classroom, then those students' unbridled youthful expressions of rebellion and angst will be viewed by a potential employer during a background search and likely preclude them from gaining mainstream employment in the job market. Britain recently announced that it will begin requiring web 2.0 social media in primary classrooms, so that students must become fluent in such things as blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter.<br />
<br />
Although public schools in the United States are slowly starting to embrace social media in the K-12 and post secondary environments, we have a ways to go before we will be up to the level of the UK in broadly adopting, or requiring web 2.0 fluency and appropriate use curricula in instruction. I hope to do my part to bring about that change in this country for the betterment of our future generations, and for all of humankind.