Thing 6 - Copyright in the Digital Age

1. What have you been told that you may have just discovered is incorrect?
In the past it seems like I have always been told to be very careful when dealing with copyright issues. It seems like I have even had a discussion about not wanting to get sued or getting in big trouble for using something "off-limits." I never really have had a good grasp on the topic, so I usually just avoided using things if they had a copyright. Many times, it ended up being a very nerve-wracking experience, and I probably missed out on a lot of neat material. The video and documents definitely helped me to relax a little when I am looking for new resources. I think the information learned will allow me to more confidently choose things to incorporate into my work at school.

2. What things had you believed about copyright that have now been challenged?
The main belief that was challenged for me was the fact that fair use is not something governed by federal law. I thought it was really interesting to find out that there are no "cut-and-dried rules." Something else was in the video when one of the men said that we can use copyright without paying someone or without permission if the benefit to society outweighed the cost of the copyright owner. I really did not think it was as broad of a topic; I thought there were many more detailed rules and regulations on it.

3. What new things do you think you will incorporate into your teaching practice now that you know the reality versus some myths?
I am not sure what specific tools I will incorporate, but I do know I will be much more open to searching for resources and not holding back because of fear of getting into trouble if I do something incorrectly. I think some videos or articles that I have skipped over before might have to be revisited now that I am more informed.

More fun with Big Huge Labs

Thing 5 - Photo Mashup Fun

Many hours of fun could be had playing around on these sites! It is such a neat way to make a simple idea much more interesting and eye-catching. Many times when we have made fliers or posters advertising different things going on in the counseling office, we simply use Word to get something out quickly. Now that I know how simple it can be to make something so much more eye-catching, I am excited to go back and revise many of our original paperwork. Besides fliers or informational sheets, I can see using these sites for bulletin boards, on the counseling office web page, or really just for conversation starters with kids. Once you can capture their interest with something like this, they are much more apt to invest a little time in learning more.

I can see using these sites in my own life for party invitations, announcements, or simply sharing photos with friends in a much more interesting way. I always have ideas floating in my head about how I want something to look, but usually give up on the ideas because I don't have the slightest clue where to start. These sites can really help both me and my students take something simple and turn it into something great.

Thing 4 - Photo Sharing

I LOVE taking pictures. A picture can remind us of why we were at that particular place, people in our lives with whom we should get in touch, the feelings experienced in that moment, and so much more. That being said, I am hoping to utilize photo sharing much more at school. I have found that most kids light up when they see pictures of their group of friends doing something. We do a program at my school where 8th grade girls mentor 6th grade girls. We recently posted pictures (printed) and posters they had made together on the bulletin board outside of our office. I couldn't believe the response we got from it. It made me think of how great it would be if we could have those pictures up on the web so that the kids could not only tell their parents about their day, they could show them! It seems that events become much more special when there is a picture afterward that captured the moments. I also thought how neat it would be to have graduated students be able to put pictures on the site to show where they are now and give helpful advice to the kids still in school. I have so many ideas when it comes to using photos online to promote learning and sharing at school, so reading about making slideshows, tagging places and people, etc. is very exciting!

Thing 3 - 7 & 1/2 Habits

I think the easiest habit for me would be #1, beginning with an end in mind. As long as I can remember, I have been a goal setter. When starting a project, it helps me to have a vision of what I want the end product to be. By doing this, I can better keep myself, and the students with whom I work, on task. If there is a time when frustration or a standstill starts to set in, it helps to return to the initial goal. Like the video said, we might have to take a different direction along the way to get where we want to be. For me, as long as the final goal stays in the forefront, I believe I can reach it.

Even though I think of myself as a confident person, I still think that #4, have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner, is the hardest for me. I am one of the youngest people working at my school, and it can be intimidating to be in a room of colleagues who seem to know so much more about certain topics from their years of experience. I would not be where I am today if I were not a competent, effective learner, but when everyone seems miles ahead of where I am, the confidence level tends to drop. I hope that I can continue to enhance the skills I already have, and to not let fear or being timid stand in the way of learning so much more.

Thing 2

When I first started looking around at all of the blogs out there, it seemed a bit overwhelming. It reminded me of trying to write a research paper and looking through article after article, looking for credible sources. Some of the sites may look really pretty, but do not necessarily contain realistic thoughts. I definitely think that a good blog should be aesthetically pleasing, because really, that is the first thing that catches most people's eye. But I think even more important is ease of navigation. Some of the blogs had too much information which made it frustrating for me to figure out where to start. I liked the ones that had several links to other relevant, related pages. I think that the blog should be well-written; as in, the person took a little extra time to back his/her thoughts up with legitimate reasoning, instead of just spouting off opinions. I suppose it is all a matter of the reason for which the blog is being used. If you are going to try to sound like an expert in your blog, I would expect that you have some information to make yourself more believable. But, if you are a mom talking about what fun activities you did with your children that day, I can see where rambling would be more appropriate.

I think a blog could help enhance the existing school website by giving parents and teachers even more lines of communication. Some parents have schedules that do not permit them to volunteer or attend school events, like conferences. With a blog, parents who travel for work or are just unable to get in to the school can still stay connected. I think it is really great to be able to share links to student projects or activities that are going on at school. It could also help make relationships at school stronger. For example, as a counselor, a lot of the teachers are not always aware of what it is exactly that I do. If I could post pictures of the activities we run, have students make comments on activities led by counselors, etc., I think teachers might feel more comfortable knowing how to utilize our services. I think it would allow people to experience an appreciation for others' work going on in the school -- it's very difficult for me to escape from my office to see what the art students are working on, or even attend a choir concert. This way, I could still feel a part of the activities and be able to talk to the kids about their work.

I do think blogs are an easier way for people to self-publish. If there is an aspiring author out there who maybe just needs to get a good following of people first to get noticed by a publishing company, a blog would be a great way to do that. The fans could make comments and hopefully a company would see the interest in the work of that author.

My initial thoughts of Web 2.0 have remained much the same as when I first started the class, but now I am beginning to learn just how expansive it really is. I am still amazed by how many tools are out there for people to use. I think it will continue to play a big role in the 21st century. It blows my mind that people can share ideas and connect on issues from all over the world! What a great way to bring people together and share new information with such a wide audience.

23 Things - The First Thing

First blog -- ever! I feel like I am very well-informed and ahead of many of my co-workers when it comes to technology, but I am still amazed at how much is out there that I don't even know about yet! Keeping up-to-date on the latest trends in technology really helps me to stay connected with the kids at school. They usually give me that look of surprise when I can have a conversation with them about Facebook or MySpace. I think it makes me seem more real to them, so the more I know, the better I can meet the needs of my students. I am really excited to dive into this class, and to take what I have learned and apply it when working with students.

I am also excited to share information learned in this class with teachers. As a counselor, my schedule can be a little more flexible, and I hope that I can be a resource for teachers who may not have that flexibility with their time. I think that a lot of teachers are interested in learning about new technology, but cannot find the time, or get frustrated easily when they do try. I hope that by being a student in this class, I can in turn become a good teacher to my co-workers.