Month: August 2015

Creative Commons

Jean Leave a comment

I uploaded my photograph below to flickr, using Attribution, Noncommercial (CC BY-NC) as my licensing. I chose this because it is fine for anyone to use or modify the photo; however, they should give the source and not make money from it. I did not have a strong feeling that the piece should not be changed. It would be interesting to see how it might be modified or incorporated into other pieces. Having the licensing remain the same after modifying it was not important to me.

Iowa farm, June 2014

“Iowa Farm, 2014” by jeanheusi can be reused under the CC BY -NC license.

You can see my flickr license at the bottom of the screen when you click the photo in flickr. Anyone can use this for non-commercial purposes.as long as they acknowledge that I am the photographer. Attribution is BY, and NC is non-commercial as shown by the symbols below.

flickr license

Examples of Improper use of this work:

  • Using without attribution or indicating if changes were made
  • Using for commercial purposes, such as to create postcards and sell them.

If I were to discover someone making improper use of my photo, I would contact them, explain the licensing,  and request that they abide by the license.

Appropriate use of this work:

  • Used on a cover of a student’s report on Iowas farms, and attribution is given.
  • Used to create flyers for invitation to the school’s Arts Reflections event, with attribution given.

Who to Follow: Steven W. Anderson

Jean Leave a comment

swandersonI discovered Steven W. Anderson, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in a list of Top 100 Most Social K-12 Tech Leaders on Twittter 2015. He calls himself a learning evangelist, educator, speaker, and author. He is a former teacher and now works as a consultant to schools  as to how to use social media in the classroom and the best use of technology. In his most recent tweets, I already found three that I felt compelled to check the links. I like that he presents a very positive attitude.

Anderson’s website is somewhat commercial. Anderson has authored three books: The Relevant Educator: How Connectedness Empowers Learning, The Tech-Savvy Administrator, and Content Curation: How To Avoid Information Overload.
Twitter: @web20classroom

Website:  web20classroom.org

Blog: http://blog.web20classroom.org/

 

Get Productive

Jean Leave a comment

Because remembering things and organization seem to be challenges for me, I began using Evernote. I loaded it on my Android phone, laptop, and ipads. Now it never leaves me. It seems to be a good place to collect information of a variety of types. I wasn’t’ crazy about having to install a webclipper chrome extension in addition to Evernote itself, but it certainly is a handy feature. I had used Diigo before to collect links with specific tags, but have found I am liking Evernote to collect web pages as well as notes. Also, I can add audio or file attachments to notes. I like that I can set a reminder alarm that appears as a pop-up on my phone.  Some of the features were tricky to locate, particularly since I was using a variety of devices. I never did find the Atlas feature that is supposed to let you view your notes by where they were created. Perhaps it has something to do with access to location services though. I could create notebook stacks  on my laptop and android phone, but couldn’t get that feature to work on my ipad. That may have something to do with my ipad skills though.

Evernote seems very handy and the fact that I can share notebooks for collaboration purposes is a big plus. I would like to use it to work with our office skills teacher to help her plan updates to her class. Evernotes’s activity stream shows updates in shared items so that I won’t overlook something new. That said, I have yet to try the feature, so I hope that it works!

My EVERnotes:

evernote screenshot
Evernote screenshot

 

Think About My Thinking – notsofinal Project

Jean Leave a comment

When I began the course, I had a very sketchy idea of what it would be about. Each collection was a new adventure. Although some of the reading was slow going, the topics were interesting.Instead of digital citizenship being an undefined mass of possibilities, I now see distinct but interwoven elements to consider in my teaching and my own online activities. Digital citizenship is certainly an expansion on plain old citizenship because it is more far-reaching than one’s immediate physical community. I’ve heard the word ‘community’ bandied about for a long time, but it is now more real and something that I want to be a part of.

With some brainstorming, there are many elements from our course that I can incorporate in my teaching. In my accounting class I can bring new perspective, resources, and examples to a discussion of intangible assets such as copyrights. In my spreadsheets class, we can do collaboration activities using Google spreadsheets. In my business math class, we can do one to one communication with Google hangouts. I will also be checking that class for accessibility issues. My business communication class is likely the one where we can devote the most time to digital citizenship and weave it into almost every topic. That said, I know to start with one thing and build so that it doesn’t become overwhelming.

Parts of digital citizenship that I feel much more knowledgeable about are fair use and accessibility issues. Both have immediate impact on what and how I share with my students. I was amazed that we could have an online discussion with Doug Belshaw, the author of our assigned reading. This encourages me to be more bold and contact real people I encounter online that I consider experts on a given topic.

I will be a digital citizen by continuing to learn and participate in the digital environment. The connections with the students in this class is one that can be enjoyed in the future.

Advice for Future Students

Jean 1 Comment

My advice is get it figured out sooner than later. I should have spent longer blocks of time to get work completed. Four hours at a time was not enough for me. I spent too much time on restarting each day, trying to recall where I left off.

Information overload was a huge challenge for me. My memory is terrible, so notetaking was essential.

I couldn’t think of much to say to my classmates initially, but try to say something anyway. Even if it’s something inane like, “Hey, I like the color of the background on your blog,” they will be happy someone noticed them and might in turn comment on something you’ve done.

Get a good babysitter so you are not constantly interrupted. Take breaks from your computer and walk around so you don’t end up with a new chiropractor friend. Wear headphones so you can’t hear the airplanes, lawn mowers, and hollering children outside the window.

Be sure to ask questions if you don’t know what’s going on. If you don’t ask because you think it’s too lame, someone else will ask, and then the question is pretty darn smart after all.

It may seem that I am making light of this assignment to give future students advice, but these are all real things that happened.

Last, I would say enjoy what you’re learning and constantly think of how you can put it to use. Even if you think you know quite a bit about a topic, someone in your class will share a perspective you had not considered.

Best of luck!

Created with ToonDoo. Of course I did not start as young as the person in the first panel, but I ended up like the person in the second!

Good Luck to future students!

Dig Cit

Jean Leave a comment

I don’t think I ever really finished this assignment, but will post it anyway instead of letting it sit forever in draft form.

In addition to the sources I discovered in my Search and Research 1 assignment, I also explored the following:

Each site has many links to other resources, so the ‘narrowing’ is still fairly mind-boggling.

There may be an assumption that all students are familiar with social networking such as facebook. However, some of my older students are just beginning school and most technology is new to them. To help explain the how and why of social networking, I would use BrainPop’s video . Although it is a little long, it is complete. Students may find their other movies helpful as well.

The Google Digital Literacy site included three classes:

  • Become an Online Sleuth
  • Manage your Digital Footprint
  • Identirfy Tricks and Scams Online.

To gain an awareness of the impact of online activity, curriculum developed by Lisa Nielsen at What’s your digital footprint? Discover your online identity. This included a video with graphics filled with fingerprints. I think that was a great way to emphasize the footprint/fingerprint aspect. This online flyer included a link for various student ages with actual lesson materials to explore the topic.

I found all kinds of lessons on digital citizenship for differing ages at Common Sense Education. Since my students are generally age 18-70, I reviewed materials for the highest level, grades 9-12.

Poster for my target students: Top 10 Things to Think About before you Post There are also a couple of classroom posters for digital citizens. I like the way this one includes time management of activities.

I found this nice infographic on digital citizenship, posted by Mia. I think she’s shown specific aspects to be considered.

digital citizenship

Digital passport includes games that would be too young for my students.

 

Safe connects has online safety training manuals for adults. Being smart about your online presence is part of digital literacy. The site coves the basic topics of malware, netiquette, e-mail and passwords, instant messaging, cyber bullying, community sites, and hate websites.

InCtrol offers lessons for students in grades 4-8 covering digital citizenship. It includes directions of how to integrate digital citizenship into any subject area, which I appreciate.

Digital Citizenship resources from Edutopia cover the topics of internet safety and cyberbullying, digital responsibility, media and digital literacy, other edutopia resources, and other web resources.

For copyright issues, I would use Amy Borovoy’s (aka VideoAmy) youtube videos on copyright issues (click graphic below to access playlist):

diglit_playlist

Some of the videos in the playlist include classroom discussions. Instead of just watching the discussion, I’ll conduct the discussion with my own classroom students.

This video content included copyright, fair use, and creative commons. Although there are many other aspects of digital citizenship, the topic is so important that I think it is worth inclusion.

Seven Deadly Digital Sins

Not-so-final project Learning Thing

Jean 5 Comments

I want to incorporate many ideas from our class into my business communications course. I hardly knew where to begin! Finally, I opted to create an infographic using Piktochart to use in one of our early discussions on digital communication and professionalism. Each item in the infogram will be explored in more detail, such as behavior in social media, making professional use of LinkedIn, Twitter, and virtual meetings. I struggled with colors, so it is not as attractive as I would hope. Because it is fairly text-intensive, it was easy to create a text alternative (below infographic).

In the business communicationscourse, students learn to write clearly and concisely. Some struggle to veer away from the thick description they’ve incorporated in any previous English composition courses. Writing assignments include positive messages, negative messages, persuasive message, a business proposal, and a collaborative presentation. I think it could be beneficial to have students post their writings online in a blog format something like our ED 654 class so that they can learn more from each other instead of just having me comment on their work.

Here is the text alternative to the infographic:

Business Professionals–Putting Your Best Foot Forward in a Digital World

DO DON’T
TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU’D LIKE TO BE TREATED

Courtesy and politeness are always appreciated. Be respectful and kind in your written exchanges and smile when you speak through audio means. Be conscious of ethical behavior.

 DON’T LET YOUR SPEECH BE EMBARRASSING OR INFLAMMATORY

Professionals use appropriate grammar. Do not uptalk (make statements sound like questions), or speak in a crude, racist, or adolescent manner. Your speech is very important when creating podcasts or participating in a skype or Google hangout meeting.
USE E-MAIL ETIQUETTE

Make use of a subject line, spellcheck, and correct grammar. Make your point quickly and be concise. Make it easy for your reader to find the purpose of your message.

 DON’T BLUNDER WITH UNPROFESSIONAL E-MAIL HABITS

Don’t use a cutesy or inappropriate screen name. Your name should be your own or a positive, businesslike expression. Do not use all caps or overuse punctuation, IM slang, or emojis.
BE INTENTIONAL IN YOUR WRITING

Grammar and spelling do count! Mistakes will expose you to ridicule. People from around the world may be posting to the same site as you. To be understood, avoid clichés and slang.

 DO NOT TALK BEFORE YOU THINK

Listening to and reading the discussion on a site will enable you to fit in with that site’s culture so that you can make a valuable contribution instead of create a disruption.
BE AWARE OF YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

What persona do you want the world to know? Everything you do online reflects on you. Text, images, and video chats could be shared by others and cause you embarrassment if they are inappropriate.

 DON’T LOSE YOUR GOOD REPUTATION 

Anything you post online could go public. Don’t do, say, or share anything that you wouldn’t be comfortable with your supervisor seeing. Your career and future job opportunities are at stake. Since a person is known by the company they keep, choose your online associates carefully.
KEEP ONLINE MEETINGS PROFESSIONAL

Whenever you are using audio communication, prepare in advance to ensure proper setup. Make sure your environment is free of distractions, background noise, and interruptions.

 DON’T ASSUME TECHNOLOGY WILL WORK 

Make sure the technology works before using it. Thoroughly check things over in advance, especially if you move to a different locale or device. Don’t wait until the last minute to try to connect to the meeting.
CONTROL YOUR CELL PHONE 

Turn off notifications during meetings and use them only for meeting-related purposes. Sending and receiving text messages during meetings or allowing them to interrupt in-person conversation is rude and disrespectful. Your outgoing voicemail should state your name, number, and instructions for leaving a message. It should reflect a professional image.

 DON’T LET YOUR CELL PHONE RUIN YOUR PROFESSIONAL IMAGE 

Speak softly. Do not make unnecessary personal calls during work hours. Avoid obnoxious ring tones. Don’t make calls from your table in a business meeting or restaurant, or in a library, theater, or church. Do not discuss personal problems in public. Your outgoing voicemail message should not have weird noises or jokes.
GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE 

Be aware of intellectual property laws and get permission to use or distribute someone else’s content.

 DO NOT OVERSHARE 

Private info can be forwarded, so don’t text it. Don’t use your phone camera without permission. Keep personal information to yourself.

Employers Want Professionalism!

Sources:

http://www.emilypost.com/communication-and-technology/telephone-and-cell-phone-manners/622-top-ten-cell-phone-manners

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/05/10-excellent-digital-citizenship-tips.html

 

 

Fire Away

Jean Leave a comment

Throughout the readings, I was troubled with what is the extent of undue burden and reasonable accommodations. We all want the same thing, but finding the personnel, funding, and time to make it happen is not as easy to agree upon. We agree we need to be informed. What is the best resource for training to stay current?

About 15 years ago, before the days of multitude of apps, I had a blind student enrolled in a machine transcription course. Much equipment was installed in our computer lab to accommodate her needs. She was able to transcribe the cassette tapes, but unable to format the documents, which was part of the grade for the other students. What should I have done??

My last question, is does UAF have ADA training available that is specific to teachers? I found training for managers, but it was employer-oriented.

 

 

Exploring the ADA

Jean Leave a comment

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act and who does it protect?

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that was created to prevent discrimination in services, employment, and public services based on disability. There are five main parts, or Titles, in the law:

  • Title I covering employment situations
  • Title II covering services and programs of state and local governments
  • Title III covering public accommodations
  • Title IV covering certinatelecommunications services
  • Title V covering some miscellaneous provisions

Why are the terms “Title II” and “Section 504″ important to this discussion?

Section 504 established the fundamental civil right on non-discrimination in 1973. With Section 504 Congress recognized “that the inferior social and economic status of people with disabilities was not a consequence of the disability itself, but instead was a result of societal barriers and prejudices.” (http://dredf.org/news/publications/the-history-of-the-ada/) Section 504 also recognized that although there are many types and variations of disabilities, those with disabilities can be viewed as a minority group which may be subject to discrimination and thus in need of civil rights protections. This coalition of categories into a group created solidarity.

Title II concerns state and local governments (called public entities) pubic services, including public transportation. Persons with disabilities are to have access, including physical access, to all public programs offered. It also concerns public transportation, requiring the provision of paratransit services by public entities. In addition, it applies to all state and local public housing. As educators, Title II impacts our delivery of curriculum. Public entities have to provide “auxiliary aids and services.”

QUICK clip of the impact of ADA on individuals today, which unfortunately, does not include captions:

MORE ON THIS TOPIC FROM ME:

What about accommodation?? (jean’s second page)

The ADA, IDEA, and me (jean’s third page)