Copyrights?

I recently watched part 1 (on accident) and part 4 of Everything is a Remix. I plan to watch part 2 and 3 when I get some more free time:) The theme of the video series is about copyright, patents, and "intellectual property."

"Originally these Acts were made to to give incentive to creativity and and create a rich public domain for ideas to flourish and work towards "the common good." The original copyright act is titled "an act for the encouragement of learning" and the Patent act, "to promote the progress of useful arts."(Everything is a Remix part 4) An example given in the movie is: a guy invents a light bulb. Because he was the first to invent this he incurs inventing costs, the next guy who copies him but makes a better light bulb doesn't have to cover inventing costs. That was the reason for making a patent. To allow a time for creators to cover their original costs. After this allotted time it was allowed to the public to build on it. If the idea is not allowed to the public and the public has less incentive to invent then how can the next guy make a better light bulb?

In the end the movie questions, "How are we to progress as a society with the laws of today hindering the process of intellectual and social evolution?" (evolution=copy, transform, and combine to make the ultimate survivor) The video refers to memes-ideas, behaviors, skills and the evolutionary process to create social evolution. How we create is we have new ideas which evolve from the old ones.

The problem is people are more worried about getting rich, or even worse, the rich are worried about getting even richer that intellectual and social progress is being hindered. Whether it is in the arts industry, "where patent trolls have made the sample heavy collages of hip-hops golden age, now impossibly expensive to create." (Everything is a Remix part 4) or the technology industry, where programs meant to improve our life are not being created because a facet of that program or the original "caveman program" is owned by some other company. The problem I see with copyright and where it's gone is the hindrance it could have on people inventing or making improvements on inventions which will stop world hunger or medical inventions.


In the end, I think all copyrights are stupid. People just want to invent that one good thing or write that one song and get rich from it the rest of their lives. Who cares if someone copies you and you "lose" some profit? Just invent something else and make money with that. Or copy that person back and make an improvement on the improvement they made and your back to making that money you were so worried about.

Screen casting for making a new class folder in Google drive

A fun class for young kids

Here is a class I do for my kindergarten gym class on Halloween.  The lesson is about feelings.  I have pasted the lesson plan below.  The class is written to take 30 minutes.

The dance is fun and gets the kids warmed up. The kids really enjoy the activity knock over the pumpkin as well as "ghost, ghost, witch."

A few things I've changed in the lesson plan are:  I took out step over the mummy due to time constraints, for the activity "ghost, ghost, witch" (duck, duck, goose), I call out ghost and witch to make sure everyone gets picked and there is no loser.  The kid who was tapped as witch is the new tapper.

		PE Class Halloween
		Key Phrase	Happy Halloween / What’s this? , It’s a _____________ /stomp your feet , clap your hands, walk like Frankenstein, take it to the left/right
		Vocabulary	Pumpkin, hands, spiders, smashing, witch, witches hat, ghost, Frankenstein, shake, Stomp, feet, clap, Frankenstein, left, right, Halloween dance, step, jump, mummy, big ball, small ball, throw, roll
		Aim	Students will learn about halloween, while developing spacial awareness, developing gross/fine motor skills, and developing organizational skills through English songs, games and dance.
		Materials	1.      CD with music “The Halloween dance” 2.      Pictures of:  pumpkin, hand, spider, witch, ghost, Frankenstein, mummy 3.      Small boxes, with pumpkin pictures, for putting bigger balls on=10 4.      10 big balls to put on top of boxes with pumpkin pics 5.      40 small balls
Main Lesson	Motivation	Enjoying English through song and exercise.  1. Warm up/exercise  2.Halloween dance.  3. Step/jump over the mummy.  4. Knock over the pumpkin.  5. Feed the pumpkin.
	Introduction	1.      Welcome students and get them seated. 2.      Introduce myself and introduce class. 3.      Take of socks 4.      Warm up and exercise-pumpkin fists, boo hands, spiders, smashing spiders, witches hat, two flying ghosts, Frankenstein sit ups, shake the scaries out 5.      Halloween Dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ADcSI4jBIg
	Main Session	6.      Step/jump over the mummy 7.      Knock over the pumpkin (big balls sitting on top of small boxes) 8.      Ghost, ghost, witch
	Conclusion	9.      Put on socks, clean up. 10.  If time allows review
	Review	11.  Low level: vocabulary High level: vocabulary answering in full sentences.

1.      Warm up:

Also consider these before doing any fine motor or craft activities. Have the children do "warm ups" to get their hands and minds ready to work!

Pumpkin Fists: Make tight fists.

Boo Hands: Have the children stretch their hands as far as they can saying "boo!!"

Spiders: Tapping fingers on the table/floor.

Smashing Spiders: Smash "spiders" with flat hands onto table or floor.

Witches hats: Use pincer fingers to make a triangle, place it on your head and make witch noises.

Two Ghost Flying: Have children take their hands and press the palms together and "fly" with their arms.

Frankenstein Sitting: Sit on a chair or floor and do sit ups with flat palms.

Shake the Scaries out: Shake your whole arms and hands.

2.      Halloween dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ADcSI4jBIg

Song lyrics: 

This is the Halloween dance

Stomp with your feet

And clap with your hands

Walk like Frankenstein through the night

Take it to the left and take it to the right

Let’s go, do the Halloween dance

3.      Jump/step over the mummy

a.       Teacher will then have the students sit down in a line.

b.      Teacher will show a picture of a mummy and ask what is it?  Students will answer or teacher will tell and students will repeat.

c.       Teacher will then separate the kids in to two lines if it’s a big class.

d.      Teacher will have the children hold hands and spread out an arm’s length away from each other.

e.       Teacher will then have the students sit down still at an arm’s length from each other.

f.       Teacher will then demonstrate that the students will take turns stepping/jumping over each other’s feet down the line until they return back to their spot. (much like-duck-duck-goose)

g.      Each student will go until all the students have stepped/jumped over each other.

4.      Knock over the pumpkin

Students are lined up on one side of the gym.  Place Small boxes with pumpkin pictures on the opposite side.  Place large balls on the boxes.  Students all have small balls.  (mini soccer or basketballs) Students stand on the opposite line and throw or roll balls trying to knock the big balls off the boxes.

5.      WITCH, WITCH, GHOST... (Played like Duck, Duck, Goose) 
Four or more children sit, stand, or kneel in a circle facing in. One child goes around the circle touching each person on the head as they pass and say "Ghost". They continue around the circle tapping and saying "Ghost" until they decide they are ready to tap someone on the head and say "Witch". They then proceed to run around the circle. The "Witch" must run around the circle in the opposite direction. Both are racing for the open spot in the circle. The loser gets to be the caller for the next round. Variations on this game are many including hopping, skipping etc.

Improving my online reputation/digital footprint

As I've entered into my master's class I have been challenged to think of how my "online-reputation" could affect my life professionally.  The largest variable in this idea of online-reputation is Facebook and my involvement with it.  I do not post pictures on Facebook and truly only look at Facebook when I am bored riding the subway and have nothing better to do.  However, the problem is that people have posted pictures and tagged me on their Facebook pages.  Some of the solutions that I have come up with to try and limit the publicity of these photos is by making my Facebook more private.  I will do this by going into the security area of my account options and limiting who can view pictures of me.  

In researching what other people have written about online reputations I came across an interesting article, which suggests changing people's statuses, who aren't close to you, to acquaintances.  This is interesting as one could be considered "guilty by association."  

For improving my digital footprint, I look forward to growing my blog to be a more professional, as an exhibit of my professional self. 

Curricular Presentation for edu932

Here is a recent presentation I did about a class I made which walks the students through:  signing up to Google Drive, creating a class folder, and learning the basics for using Google drive in my class.  I haven't had a chance yet to apply this class.  So, if you choose to use any of the material, comments on how the class went for you would be appreciated.

Here are the two Prezis that I used during the presentation:

http://prezi.com/5nyp75b9kcmt/curricular-presentation/

http://prezi.com/rtfygvuppouj/googledocs-class-presentation-intro/



 

Here is my lesson plan for this class which you may copy and paste and use for your own class if you like:

Scott Finch

부천대학 원어민 교수

국제어학교육원

10/17/2013

Google Doc’s Class

Subject:  English

Grade:  Third Year University

Level:  Beginner to Intermediate

Lesson objective

The students will be able to use Google Drive to retrieve important handouts and turn in class assignments to the teacher.

Materials and equipment

1.      Computer connected to a projector for the teacher.

2.      Students need to have individual computers.

3.      Classroom with internet access

4.      Google drive Power Point Presentation

5.      Prezi

a.      http://prezi.com/rtfygvuppouj/googledocs-class-presentation-intro/

Procedure

1.     Introduction

a.      Teacher will show students a Prezi while asking questions to lead to the introduction of the lesson.

b.      Teacher shows the first picture of a classroom with a teacher teaching in it.

c.       Teacher asks students to describe what they see in the picture.

d.      Teacher shows the students the second picture.  This picture is of a teacher in an empty class room. 

e.      Teacher asks students to describe the picture.

f.        Teacher goes to the next slide showing the pictures side by side and asks the students what is different. 

g.      Students will point out that there are no students in the second picture, or Teacher will make them aware of it. 

h.      Teacher will introduce the vocabulary word, absent.  If a student doesn’t come to class, they are absent. 

i.        Teacher will ask the students who has been absent before.

j.        Students will raise their hands.

k.       Teacher will ask, what are some of the reasons the students were absent?

l.        Students will give various answers.

m.    Teacher will then show the next slides 3, 4, 5, confirming some of the students answers.

n.      “So as we heard there are many reasons a student can be absent.  Sometimes we get sick.  Sometimes we have to work.  Sometimes we go on vacation.”

o.      Teacher will then show slide 6, a teacher handing out papers in class, and ask students what the teacher is doing. 

p.      Students will answer she is handing out papers, or teacher will explain.

q.      Teacher will then go to slide 7 and ask students “what do they do with all their handouts?  How do they organize the handouts?  Where do they put the handouts?    How do they keep the handouts so that they can study them for midterm and final test?

r.       Students answer

s.       Teacher goes to slide 8 and asks the students what do they do if they miss a class?  What do the students do about the handouts/papers they didn’t receive?  How do they get the handouts for the class they missed?

t.        Teacher summarizes.  So missing class and not getting handouts can hurt our grade.  Getting handouts after the class can be difficult.  Having all the handouts is a waste of paper and difficult to keep organized in order to study for the test.

u.      Teacher asks students if they have any suggestions for how to get papers/handouts they missed and how to keep all the handouts organized.

v.       Teacher then goes to slide 9 and explains Google is the answer and today we are going to learn how we can use Google drive to get handouts they missed and to organize these handouts.

2.      Students will set up a Google Account.

a.      Teacher will have everyone turn on their computers and open www.google.com

b.      Teacher will then use the PPT to walk the students through setting up a Google account.

c.       Slides 1-17

d.      Teacher will make sure all students have accomplished this and answer questions.

3.     Students will create a personal student file for the class.

a.      Slides 18-27

b.      Teacher will make sure the students have accomplished this and answer questions.

4.     Students will connect with the teacher’s class folder.

a.      Slides 28-40

b.      Teacher will make sure the students give the teacher editing permission.

5.     Students will connect with the teacher’s class folder

a.      Slides 41-50

b.      Teacher will make sure everyone’s screen looks the same

6.     Students will use Google drive to retrieve a handout from class.

a.      Slides 51-58

b.      Teacher can skip the print section of these slides if desired.

7.     Students will fill out an assignment and turn it in to the teacher through Google docs.

a.      Slides 59-81

b.      Teacher will make sure everyone has finished before moving on.

8.     Students will add a document to their Google drive folder.

a.      82-93

b.      Teacher will make sure everyone is finished before moving on.

9.     Students will upload a document to their Google drive folder.

a.      94-108

b.      Teacher will make sure everyone is finished before moving on.

10.                        Conclusion

a.      Teacher explains that now when students miss class they can go into the class folder in Google Drive and get any in class handout or turn in any in class assignments that they missed.

b.      Teacher also explains that now all assignments will be turned in through Google drive. 

11.                        Application / Homework:

a.      Students will turn in a writing assignment to the teacher using Google Drive.  The assignment will be to write at least 8-10 sentences about their weekend.  

Here is the Rubric I created for the writing assignment

Google Drive Writing Assignment

CATEGORY	4-Very Good	3 - Good	2-Needs Improvement	1-Unsatisfactory	Points
Sentences	Sentences and paragraphs are complete, well-constructed and of varied structure.	All sentences are complete and well-constructed (no fragments, no run-ons).	Most sentences are complete and well-constructed	Many sentence fragments or run-on sentences
Grammar & spelling	Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling.	Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar and/or spelling.	Writer makes 3-4 errors in grammar and/or spelling	Writer makes more than 4 errors in grammar and/or spelling.
Ideas	Ideas were expressed in a clear and organized fashion. It was easy to figure out what the paragraph was about.	Ideas were expressed in a pretty clear manner, but the organization could have been better.	Ideas were somewhat organized, but were not very clear. It took more than one reading to figure out what the paragraph was about.	The paragraph seemed to be a collection of unrelated sentences. It was very difficult to figure out what the paragraph was about.
Length	The paragraph is 10 or more sentences.	The paragraph is 8-9 sentences.	The paragraph is 5-7 sentences.	The paragraph is less than 5 sentences.
Capitalization and Punctuation	Writer makes no errors in capitalization and punctuation.	Writer makes 1-2 errors in capitalization and punctuation.	Writer makes 3-4 errors in capitalization and punctuation.	Writer makes more than 4 errors in capitalization and punctuation.

Google Docs for my class

At the university I teach,  I often have students in my night classes who are not able to attend class, due to working late at the office.  As attendance is required for class, this becomes a problem.  However, I also understand the difficulties of working and studying.  The answer to not being able to attend class, is for me to give the student an extra assignment to make up for the absence.  However, because the student can't come to class in the first place, giving this extra assignment and the student turning in this assignment proves to be difficult.

Another problem I often run into at my university is students not making it to the midterm/final tests.  When a student can't attend class on a test day, the student and I then have to find a time in our busy schedules when both of us can meet and the student can take the test.

By using Google docs, students will be able to easily make up their absences.  The student goes in to the day they missed, finds the make-up assignment at their own convenience, turns in the assignment without having to come to school, and I can correct it.  The same goes for tests.    

I also see digitizing assignments for the class as pure time saving.  No more standing at the photo copier before class.  No more wasting of student learning time, handing out papers, HW assignments, ect.

I have attached below some useful sites, a powerpoint, and videos which will help me and anyone else who wants to go more paperless. 

Going Paperless with Google Docs 2013 PowerPoint

http://www.google.com/edu/resources/google-docs.html