What I learned this quater in TIE 300

              I initially thought this was going to be the most challenging class of this fall quarter. Being an “adult learner” I had a fear of technology, but I knew it has become an essential part of a classroom.  Therefore, I knew I had to try to learn as much as possible in this technology class. I think I’ve succeeded.  This course has helped me overcome my fears of technology and it turned out that it was not the most difficult course. I was so unsure of myself at first, but it became easier and easier to post my weekly blogs, prepare a slide presentation with images and videos, and  make a video.

           The first thing I learned to do was to open several free online accounts. I opened Google, Blogger, Twitter, VoiceThread and Diigo accounts. I had never even heard of some of these, such as Diigo and VoiceThread.   I have since learned that Diigo is a  free social bookmarking, research and knowledge sharing tool that will be helpful for taking notes and information.  I can then share information with future colleagues and students. VoiceThread is also a sharing tool that will help me create interactive collaborations with others. It will allow me to add images, documents, and videos.  Other users can add voice, text, audio file, or video comments. 
  
          From taking this class, I have learned that Google Apps has so much to offer. It is so much more than a web search engine. Some of the Google tools we got to use in class included Docs, Drive, YouTube, and Slides. I learned how to search for and insert images and video footage in a presentation. We even used Google Apps to create our very own website. I am amazed that all these tools are available free of charge.

         By far, the assignment I enjoyed the most was making a video of an important person in the history of computing.  I knew nothing about making a video on a computer and then being able to post it on YouTube. I now have technological skills I can take with me into my future ECE classroom. Thank you Professor Cunningham.

                                      

 https://www.diigo.com/
http://voicethread.com/
 http://youtu.be/06X0spzdMkw

Maria Zavala

Copyright Laws

                  I believe that copyright laws are fair and reasonable sanctions regarding the intellectual property of others. In my opinion, it is important to give credit when credit is due. The problem of plagiarism does occur in some schools, and students should be better educated on the subject of respecting the works of others. In my opinion, copyright laws would not really influence my use of technology in the classroom, as I would make an extra effort to follow the existing guidelines on the subject while I prepare my lesson plans.  The article by copyright attorney Nancy Willard highlights the fact that “a large amount of material that is either in the public domain or that has been made available for classroom use is available on educational Web sites. Such material can be freely used or used in accordance with the designated requirements,” (Willard, 1).  I would plan on using such materials or incorporating them in a way that does not violate copyright laws.

            If I needed any material that required permission from the copyright owner, I would probably send them a letter much like the one featured in the article. I would also encourage my students to do the same if they needed access to such a source.  In the event that there would be an issue with material posted on the district’s website, I would talk with other school administrators about how to properly solve the issue in accordance with those specific copyright laws. The article also suggested that teachers should remember copyright laws when constructing a specific lesson so that students could also create original material and be copyright owners themselves. I believe it is beneficial for students to learn about these provisions so that they can respect the work of others and use works and their own material constructively.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech121.shtml

http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/copyright-internet.htm

http://education.illinois.edu/wp/copyright/implications_for_educators.html

Media Literacy

                                                      

   

Media Literacy

            Media literacy can be defined as the “the ability to make sense of the messages one receives from multiple media formats,” (Avery, 11). According to OME’s Media Literacy Guide, media literacy involves an “informed and critical understanding of mass media, the techniques used by them, and the impact of these techniques,” (Baker, 10). Scholars involved in this field assert that media literacy is a crucial skill and believe that its development is essential for all members of the American public. With regards to higher education, a certain emphasis has been placed on the advancement and availability of media literacy-focused courses and student access to them.

            The importance of media literacy has grown exponentially over the years, as more and more mass media formats are introduced often. Many people I know get their news from their mobile devices or through various apps. Unfortunately, the days of reading magazines, newspapers, and even books with pages and bindings are long gone. With everything available online, and much of it personalized to our tastes, it becomes a challenge for us to effectively engage ourselves with different facets of mass media and all of those different messages. Having the skill set to critically think about the messages we receive and interpret becomes vital. It is important for us to do our own thinking and draw independent conclusions about information in the media. Many people blindly believe a message they receive from the mass media as truth or fact without pausing to consider the source, purpose, and intentions behind that message. I believe that in order for us to be at our best, we must not only be informed of our world, but rather accurately informed of it.

www.iste.org/docs/excerpts/MEDLIT-excerpt.pdf

Avery, Susan.  Media Literacy and Library Instruction: A Case Study of Writing with Video. College and University Media Review 13: 77-93.  

 http://web.b.ebscohost.com.nl.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=eb97eef2-6e17-4eb8-bc69-f1695eb237f1%40sessionmgr112&hid=125&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=57756759

http://cima.ned.org/media-development/media-literacy

 http://medialiteracyproject.org/learn/media-literacy