Open Content & Ethics

So, what is Open Content?

Open = Available
Content = Stuff

That's right. Available stuff. Who doesn't love that?? Especially teachers. We are always looking for stuff. Stuff for lessons. Stuff for lesson planning. Stuff to make lessons awesome. Stuff to help with assessments. Stuff for subs. Stuff for OTES. I could go on and on and on...

Stuff is pretty important. For teachers, it's especially important if it's free. So what is this (often) free "stuff" anyway? Open Content is only limited to the imagination of the creator. According to Wikipedia, Open Content is a creative work that others can copy or modify. After reading this, I realized I've been using Open Content for a few years. For example, I go to Teachers Pay Teachers and peruse the FREE downloads. I find a math game I like, but I need to tweak it. I change it up and voila! I have something I need and I didn't have to, as the saying goes, reinvent the wheel.

Open Content is a teacher's answered prayer. Information is shared, as well as instructional practices, techniques and experiences. Educational content can be customized. Even better? Open Content can be a cost-effective alternative to textbooks. According to the 2011 Horizon Report (Johnson, Adams, & Haywood, 2011, p. 22), information is everywhere; the challenge is to make effective use of it. Content is available for many subjects and at various levels, kindergarten-college. As a teacher in a large urban district, this could be a solution to never-ending textbook problems. What problems, you ask? Where to begin. Okay. Sometimes, there aren't enough books. Students can't take them home when there aren't enough. As a math teacher, this stinks. I want the kids to practice at home. When I send worksheets, there aren't references for parents. Also, worksheets tend to disappear. Aside from this, there's the whole inventory thing. I check books out; students don't bring them back; the office holds the grade card; parents get mad; there's no money to replace the lost books. Ugh. Annoying. If textbooks are online and can be accessed freely from any computer, tablet, or smart phone, the whole book debacle ends. I like it.

I decided to check out the site www.flatworldknowledge.com. Flat World Knowledge (FWK) is a publisher of college-level textbooks and educational supplements. Textbooks are either extremely cheap for students or free. College professors have control in what they need; students choose the format they prefer; authors earn rapid market shares. So how does FWK do this? They use Creative Commons licensing.

Creative Commons (CC) is a non-profit organization that enables the sharing/use of creativity/knowledge through free legal tools. According to their website, www.creativecommons.org, they provide free, easy-to-use copyright licenses. These are not an alternative to copyright--they work alongside copyright. There are six different licenses that give the creator the choice to have their work be commercial or non-commercial, changeable or not, and may require a "tweaker" to license their changed version of the original. In the video Creative Commons: Saving the World from Failed Sharing, the big picture was that Creative Commons is method to marry access and control.

My wish in all of this is for e-books to become more accessible to my students. That being said, there is also a need for more academic titles. I can go to Google Books and search for anything--it's just like Kindle or Nook. The problem is that a lot of the free stuff, is, well, junk. I said it. Sorry to the authors of those titles. As an educator, I'm looking for features that support scholarly work. In the 2011 Horizon Report, it is stated that the problems I mentioned are fading. As an avid user of e-books, I say Prove It! A big PLUS, however, is that e-books are being joined with cloud computing. I love that I can access my ENTIRE Kindle library on my iPhone or my Surface. Better yet, my page is ALWAYS marked, no matter what device I used last. This would be awesome for students. I imagine them having a cloud library with all of their books, accessible from any device, anywhere, any time. This is what intrigues me the most as I reflect upon the week's readings. I know our future lies in this technology because it will be most cost-effective--yet contains many benefits for students beyond what a dollar amount could possibly convey.

Ethics-wise, I understand people are worried about copyright, copyleft, copyfree, and good, old-fashioned plagiarism. To me, these concerns speak to the value of the services provided by Creative Commons and Flat World Knowledge. Another concern that piqued my interest was the topic of an e-book Google Monopoly. According to the Open Content Alliance, despite repeated requests, Google has declined to give any details about what privacy controls it would put in place on its Book Search product. Will Google track the books that we are reading and make this information available to sell advertising against it? Will Google refuse to share information with the government about what books people are reading, as libraries routinely do? Will Google even publish a robust privacy policy on its Book Search product before the settlement issue is resolved? These are questions I look forward to learning the answers to as this quiet controversy continues.

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., & Haywood, K. (2011). The 2011
Horizon Report. Austin Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Open Content. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved January, 25, 2014, from
http://en.widipedia.or/wiki/Open_content#Major_open_content_repositories_and_directories

Creative Commons. (n.d.). Creative Commons. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://creativecommons.org/

A Shared Culture | Creative Commons Episodes | Learning Videos | Blip. (n.d.). RSS. Retrieved January 31, 2014, from http://blip.tv/creative-commons/a-shared-culture-1198493

Introducing Google eBooks. (2010, November 29). YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKEaypYJbb4

Developed by experts. Personalized by you. Affordable for students.. (n.d.). Flat World Knowledge. Retrieved January 28, 2014, from http://www.flatworldknowledge.com

"Open Content Alliance (OCA)." Open Content Alliance OCA RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. .

In the Clouds

I learned so much this week while exploring cloud-computing websites. Before I go further, I have to say that I felt like a fool for not being more knowledgeable about cloud computing. This summer, I was at a national conference. One of the presenters wanted to send some resources to our dropboxes. Drop what? I received a quick-and-dirty explanation from someone at my table. I got the gist that it was file-sharing, so I loaded DropBox onto my iPhone--and haven't used it since. That will all be changing.

The first cloud-computing site I explored was, in fact, DropBox. So, what is Dropbox? I'll give you their words:

"Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!"

How awesome is that? What I discovered about Dropbox is that you don't need a flashdrive to hork information from a colleague. I used to go to professional development sessions ALL the time. We were ALWAYS instructed to bring a flashdrive to get the resources presented. NOT. NECESSARY. This summer, via Dropbox, I acquired Smart Notebook presentations/activities, PowerPoint presentations, and ready-to-use printables by simply providing the e-mail address for my Dropbox account--ALL files were shared!
Check it out: https://www.dropbox.com/home

The second cloud-computing site I visited was box.net. I love it. It's easy to use and, in my opinion, geared toward sharing and collaboration of ANYTHING from Microsoft Office. All you have to do is drag-and-drop from your desktop. There's also a file-browsing feature for those of you who aren't into tactile file sharing. I can't wait to use this with my fellow math instructional facilitators. We provide professional development and spend many hours collaborating for various grade levels. With box.net, it will be so easy to prepare a document as a team. Box.net would be a great lesson planning resource for those teaching the same grade and content who are at different schools.
Check it out: www.box.net

The last site I found was cloudtrip.com. I didn't realize that cloudtrip was an umbrella site for many, many apps that are help within the cloud. There are a plethora of educational apps. I discovered this by clicking the "tags" heading in the menu bar. Wow. I clicked on "math" and immediately had access to a ton of, well, math stuff! To me, it was like finding the pot at the end of the rainbow. Can't find what you need for a lesson? Need something a little more concrete for your students? Looking for something different? Go to cloudtrip before you beat your head against a wall.
Check it out: www.cloudtrip.com

Alright. Diigo. What? Yeah, I never heard of this before THIS assignment, and I feel pretty awesome that my mom didn't know what it was, either. Why? She's the Director of Student Services at a nearby college. She always seems to be one step ahead of me on technology. I actually heard about "the cloud" from her. So, Diigo is awesome. I chose to follow a few different groups, but the one I will focus on for your reading enjoyment is Math Links. As a long-time math teacher and a math instructional facilitator, this was a fab find. It's a group of educators sharing interesting resources around the teaching and learning of mathematics. I'm always looking for new, innovative--and free--resources on the internet for my teachers. This is a whole COLLECTION of those very resources. Awesome.

In the 2011 Horizon Report, it was implied that cloud-computing and social bookmarking is IN (Johnson, Adams, & Haywood, 2011). Words that stood out to me in the reading (and in the video clips) included instant, economical, and easy. I definitely discovered this, and so much more, as I was picking apart the sites I visited. The big take-away for me is that these "new" technologies support collaboration. I am witness to the validity of collaboration as a major foundational skill in mathematics comprehension every day. When students are allowed to collaborate, more learning happens. Aside from collaboration, these sites can save schools time and money with TONS of free storage. Students can access their work from a computer, tablet, or smart phone, whether they're at home or school or wherever! There are many exciting free services, such as photo-editing and slide show creation. To touch briefly on folksonomies, the Wikipedia description didn't quite get me THERE (Folksonomy, 2014). I'm a visual learner at times, so I did a Google Image search of "folksonomy" and WOW! Now, I really get it. So much more than a Wordle! I think teachers have been doing this type of concept mapping for YEARS, but not incorporating technology (tagging!). Again, it's seemingly easy. I'm going to start teaching my teachers how to use many of the discoveries I've made this week.

Johnson, L., Adams, S., & Haywood, K. (2011). The NMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12
Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Folksonomy. (2014, January 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:26, January 18, 2014,
from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Folksonomy&oldid=590863602

Blogging and Twittering


THIS is a homework assignment. I repeat, this is a homework assignment.  You may not be interested in what follows.  Or you might be-if you're in my class.  Or you happen to be the professor.  Continue.

So, I'm taking a grad-level course called Internet in the Classroom.  So far, I had to create my own Wiki and this blog.  I already had a Skype account and a Twitter account.  I actually had a blog, also, but it was WAY old.  So, yeah.  Anywhoosey, the focus this week is blogs and Twitter.  Time for me to go into student mode.

1. What you have learned about blogging and twittering?

I am actually quite experienced in both.  They turn the user into the news source.  Of course, the user may not be reporting your everyday average news stories.  That's what is quite fabulous about blogs and Twitter.  The reader chooses who to follow based on their own personal interests.  So, what's the difference between the two?  Blogs are like the newspaper and Twitter is like a ticker on the bottom of a television screen.  Blogs are seemingly static while Twitter is alive and ever-moving.

2. What do you now believe about the value and relevance of blogging and twittering for educational purposes. Be sure to reference some of this week's readings in this section.

Blogging and Twitter are unbelievably relevant, which is  a problem.  Why?  Neither are accessible to the students I teach, in the context of MY class.  I have begged to have a class blog.  It is a means to engage students, which, with junior high students, is EVERYTHING.  Twitter?  My older students all have smart phones, so why not?  Unfortunately, what I view as possibility, the board views as problematic.  Bullying, cheating, and whatever else you can imagine.  The Tweets for Education slideshows clearly show how Twitter is a landscape for collaboration and an opportunity to get a new perspective on, well, anything!  Upon reading the link to Online Collaborative Environments, it is clear that students would have a means to communicate with each other.  They could even critique and analyze each other--something they are too afraid to do in person.  Perhaps it is time to give our students the benefit of the doubt?

3. What network you are going to follow on Twitter and why you chose that one.

I follow many news organizations, including local, state, national, and global.  I am a news junkie--I like to know what is happening.  I also follow many education-related people, including teachers, administrators, policy makers, and union people.  Again, I feel the need to be informed on the issues.  Finally, you'll find I'm a foodie, simply by observing all of the chefs I follow.  This network of chefs and fellow foodies is, well, just for fun!

Type one paragraph on Blogging (at least 5-7 sentences) and one on Twittering (at least 5-7 sentences).

Blogging: Not for the Lazy

This blog, 4orks, is my fourth blog.  All of the other blogs were related to, ironically, fitness.  Go ahead.  Laugh.  I am.  The thing is, blogs are a great space for collaboration.  I've known this for years.  In my mind, I would blog about my exercise adventure for the day.  Maybe, a nutritional tidbit or two.  Absolutely, I would include struggles or missteps.  Of course, I would expect my friends to respond.  I would start a conversation.  Conversation NEVER happened.  It was always just me.  All three blogs turned into a diary of sorts.  I love to write, but never if the reader would only be me.  Eventually, I would quite posting.  I'm sure you've guessed what happened.  That's right.  I deleted those other blogs.  I'm hoping this blog actually starts conversations--even if you're forced to read my posts and comment for a grade!

Twittering/Tweeting--Live Info in 140 or Less

I can only tell you what I like about Twitter by telling you what I don't like about Facebook (FB).  On FB, people are always rambling on.  I just want to read posts by people following the KISS method--Keep It Short and Simple.  On Twitter, posts can only be KISS posts.  I love that about Twitter.  On FB, people have stopped sharing their own words altogether.  It is so annoying to search through all of the FB posters and e-cards and advertisements, simply to find a person's own thoughts and feelings.  On Twitter, I never have to see anything but the concise message a person wants to convey.  Again, a huge positive for me, as the reader.  I also love how quick Twitter is.  I also love hashtags.  To me, they are like the card catalog at the library.  Except fast, and way more accurate that I ever could be.  How great that I just searched #DowntonAbbey and quickly saw all of the other people who were enraged as I was?  I love it.

About me: A little food; a little math.

I love love love love love to cook.  I make everything homemade as often as time will allow.  I'm looking forward to summer, when I can harvest abundant quantities of asparagus from the lush, deep ditches.  Oh, or fresh-picked tomatoes, still warm from the hot summer sun?  That sounds awesome right about now, as I freeze in this old farmhouse.  Spaghetti was tonight's quest.  No, I didn't use fresh tomatoes--but whole peeled-and-canned tomatoes are fine for a great sauce.  No recipe, just old-fashioned kitchen instincts.  Once you make this sauce, you won't tolerate any jarred concoction from the store.  I know, there's some pretty decent sauces out there...for $6!  Are you kidding me?!  Stop it.  Make your own.  Here's a scaffold for you:

Heat some olive oil in a pot on the stove--like, four times around the pan.  I use my Dutch oven. 
I use medium low heat.  Know your stove.  You might need to go lower or higher.
Add some diced onions.  Some days I use two; some days only one.  However I feel that day.
Please please please salt the onions.
Add a few dashes of crushed red pepper--or more.  Or none.  Whatever. 
Cook until your onions are nice and soft. 
Add a pat or two of unsalted butter.  Do NOT use any fake crap--that defeats the purpose.
Grate in some fresh garlic.  I use 4-6 cloves.  Don't burn the garlic!  Yuck.
After about a minute or so, you need to add the tomatoes.  If it was summer, I would throw a pile of fresh tomatoes in the pot.  I still might buy some from the store and throw them in--even cherry or grape tomatoes are delicious.  But it's not summer.  So...
Pour in a can of whole peeled tomatoes.  San Marzanos are the best because they are very fleshy and make a nice sauce.  They also cost more.  Whole peeled plum tomatoes are fine.  One big can or two small cans.  Tonight I threw in some generic store brand because that's what Mike bought.  And I didn't drain them--dump it all in!
Time to salt the pot again!  Now, is addition to the salt, you need to add some other seasonings.
Basil
Oregano
Parsley
This is what I use.  You could buy an Italian seasoning blend.  Whatever you want.  I don't measure, so don't ask.  Just season and taste and repeat until it tastes good.
Are you wondering about those whole tomatoes in the pot?  I just eat them whole.
Just kidding. 
I have a stick blender and I purée everything into a lovely sauce. 
Remember what I said?  Taste, season, taste, season...until it is right.
Now, for those of you do NOT have a stick blender...
Don't buy whole peeled tomatoes.  Just buy plain old tomato sauce.  I think the big can is 28oz.
So, now you add your pasta right into the pot and mix it up.  The end.  Add meat of you want.  sometimes I make fresh pasta, but not on school nights.  It was a Barilla Plus angel hair night for me.
Enjoy.