Copyrighted Creativity

Why do copyrights exist? The Technology Source explains, "To provide an incentive for undertaking the risks inherent in creative activity, the owner is granted a limited monopoly on his or her creations (http://technologysource.org/article/copyright_law_and_fair_use/)"

Okay, that sounds cool and fair. Yay to America for encouraging creativity, which often has low money remuneration, etc, but greatly benefits society. But because creativity often DOES benefit society, how do we share that with the world without stepping on the toes of the creator?

As an educator, this will come up frequently in my work. And the best way to create a mood of respect for others' inherent ownership of creativity, that takes setting the example. How so? Citing work and being knowledgeable in how to present work. Showing respect on my part with allow for my students to pattern respectfulness.

I can also encourage proper acknowledgement of copyright issues by simple education! Letting students know what is a copyright, how to cite, and the importance of citing. Even this simple lesson and question on copyrighting in this Integrating Technology into the Classroom has given me a whole other perspective on copyright.

So yay to creativity, America, and yes, copyrights! Because this means that the very words that I'm typing right now (which are so very fabulous) are inherently protected from showing up on someone else's site.

Well, hopefully.   

Virtual Schools?

Technology is evolving at breakneck speed and revolutionizing how we experience the world.

School is no exception.

Maybe you have heard of virtual schools, or have taken online classes. Whatever the situation, technology offers education profound and unparalleled opportunities to learn.

Or does it?

I personally examined the website for Florida Virtual Schools to see if this option offers anything new or of significant value to education. I considered if I would want my child to take these online classes. From my rather neophyte perspective, I have gathered some conclusions on virtual schools:

a) Virtual schools involve a LOT of sitting in front of the computer - according to the projected time required to take courses, a student must sit in front of the computer for about 20 - 25 hours a week. Add on to this the fact that that's all supposed to be "school" time, and kids want to also do more recreation activities online, my kid would probably be on the computer 40 hours a week!

b) Webcams are cool. Phonecalls are cool. Chats and e-mails and Skype conferences are cool. But in my humble opinion, nothing replaces looking another human being in the eye. How would my child go through life, contacting all of the important people in her/her life through some form of technological medium?

c) Virtual schools require a huge amount of commitment to time management and a sense of self-accountability - these skills are often lacking in adolescents (I myself attest to that).

In conclusion, I would let my kid take classes from Florida Virtual Schools if it was one or two classes, but not full time. If I let my kid take classes full time, it would be because:

a) We're traveling in a foreign country and he or she needs to keep up with school, or
b) my child expressed a deep, very focused desire to take all classes online, with also some balance of real-world interactions with people and friends.

Technology enhances life and communication, but please, let's not let it get in the way of connection with other human beings and the world.