My Copyright Action Plan

The law of copyright is a very serious topic. One fact new to my knowledge was explained by www.copyright.com, that a list of ingredients or contents cannot be copyrighted. For example, if a bottle of water was being sold and the ingredients listed "water," the list of ingredients for that bottle of water cannot be copyrighted. I understand this rule because if it were the opposite, there would be no existence of brands because only one owner could own the list of ingredients or contents. Another fact new to my knowledge according to www.copyright.com, was that an educator can use material if it is unexpected or spontaneous. For instance, an educator may use a newspaper from that morning if the article is relevant to that day's class lesson. I could use this especially in my communication arts class because depending on my lesson for that day, many articles from that morning’s newspaper could pertain to my topic. A third fact about copyright is that you cannot record television programs onto VHS tapes. I have done this before to record a show or sporting event that I would have missed to watch the program later. However, I was unaware of this copyright law. I do not understand why VCRs have a recording option, if in any instance, recording is illegal. I will be more aware of copyright laws and change some of my actions according to my new knowledge. Also, as an educator, I plan to check and review the copyright laws occasionally to stay professional and ethical.

Multimedia in the Classroom

Multimedia is constantly growing while classrooms today and tomorrow are finding new forms of multimedia to use. The eBook is a new resource that displays published books digitally. The eBook is great for secondary students, but has not developed colors or graphics, so it would be less effective in younger grades. Interactive whiteboards are also being used in the classroom and can function as projector screens as well. A teacher can display or project something onto the screen and then let the students interact with the displayed picture. Audio and video media can enhance my classroom in unique ways. For example, my students could use a scanner to scan their written stories and illustrations to form a printed and published book. I could also use the website YouTube.com to show demonstrations or I could use videos such as School House Rock to teach grammar in an audio and visual way. The use of computers and multimedia will change and improve learning because each student learns and retains information in different ways. Through the use of computers and multimedia my students will find learning interactive, memorable, and most importantly, fun!

McCrea, Bridget. "Five K-12 Technology Trends for 2010." 10 December 2009. THE Journal.
http://thejournal.com/Articles/2009/12/10/5-K12-Technology-Trends-for-2010.aspx?Page=1

What is media?

As a middle school English and Speech teacher, I can use media in a variety of ways. I can use Twitter to share lesson plans with other teachers and to stay updated with my coworkers. I could also use Twitter to update assignments, so students can access a quick, up-to-date syllabus. Twitter could influence my teaching methods by enhancing my lesson plans as I share ideas with other teachers. I would consider using Twitter for updating the syllabus based on how many students have access to a computer away from school. I can also use the http://www.turnitin.com/ website so students can post, review, and edit each other's work. The website could influence my teaching methods by having the students learn to self evaluate, and by saving time checking for plagiarism. If I find improvement in the students' work by using the website, I would continue using this method. I have never used Twitter before, but I have used turnitin.com. I am open to using new media and looking forward to finding which types work best for my classrooms.

"13 Enlightening Case Studies of Social Media in the Classroom." Aug 11, 2009. Edu-tastic. http://bestonlineuniversities.com/2009/13-enlightening-case-studies-of-social-media-in-the-classroom/