To copy or not to copy....

As a future educator, copyright and fair use are terms that I am going to need to be familiar with.  My understanding of these concepts are that any information that I did not write myself could be subject to copyright laws, meaning I cannot reproduce it, or alter it, without the permission of the author.  This includes information found in books, newspapers, magazines, and Internet sites, just to name a few.  As a teacher, I probably at some point will want to use information that I find from some of these sources to help supplement my lesson plans.  So, do I need to contact the author of each piece of work that I want to use?  Not necessaraly. There is a provision to the copyright law that is called the fair use doctorine.  This clause states that if I am reproducing the material for educational purposes then I may not need permission.  If I want to use a small part of a larger piece, temporaraly, then that is typically ok.  That is, provided that I am using it for education, or research as opposed to something where I might profit from the use of the materials.  If I were planning on using a large portion of some piece of work, for an extended period of time (such as year to year) then I would most likely need to obtain permission.  Copyright laws are serious.  As an educator, I will need to be aware of the ins and outs of the fair use doctrine, and if I am in doubt, then I will need to check before I use something.

Classy Constructivism

 Constructivism is an awesome concept with regards to teaching children.  I think that the shift from teacher centered, lecture based classes that do little more than teach kids how to memorize facts, is long overdue.  I think that it’s convenient that as this theory is becoming more widely accepted, technology is also becoming more readily available to students.  Technology allows for a vast amount of opportunities for learning to take place in a constructivist manner.  An example that I found is a lesson where students were asked to create a commemorative, interpretative, interactive, and educational museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad.  This museum would document the Underground Railroad used by slaves to escape from the South and seek freedom in the North.  The students were allowed to use a variety of sources to obtain their information, but a big resource for them was the Internet, which can provide students with websites, journal articles and old newspaper articles. This project is constructivist in nature because it promotes both group collaboration and individual creativity. The task is authentic in that the students are learning about something significant in our history that really happened.  This project took place over a four-week time span.  First the teacher introduced the students to the idea of a museum, and gave some history about the Underground Railroad.  Then the students and teacher brainstormed ideas together of what types of exhibits and information would be included.  This aspect of the lesson involved the kids working together to come up with a plan.  Next, the kids were asked to come up with their own ideas of what they wanted to study and research.  After having a one-on-one conference with the teacher to review what each individual student would research, the students were let loose to gather information.  Finally, the class collaborated to combine information and complete the museum.  This was done at a 6^th grade level.  I think that in my case, some special education kids would have been able to participate in this project, with some additional help and guidance.