Oh, the topic of Distance Education! On one hand, I love it. Wouldn't it be great if Middle and High School students could log onto grade appropriate classes they might find interesting without actually having to be in the room! Think of the potential for motivated students who may not attend schools that offer much in the way of AP courses, college prep work, or specialty classes like art history. This makes my mouth water.
On the other hand, classes without teacher contact in the flesh can have more pitfalls than a roller rink for the blind. Viruses, technical problems, and the potential for misdirection of inexperienced learners must be addressed, and I'm not sure that there is an acceptable safety net other than the presence of a teacher.
A great idea, overall, but it needs more time to develop. Ask me in 20 years.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Teachertube video: 1066 Choosing a King
Here's the link for this video http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7df047d63d66fe4ac560
Now as to what I thought of it:
I have to say this one lost me entirely. I'm a history major with a taste for the Middle Ages, especially the Viking period. This video was supposed to have been done by a middle school History class. It says it's about the succession crisis after the death of Edward the Confessor in 1064, but if so they got several major facts very, very wrong. They also have about as much concept of the succession of English kings under Danelaw as I do of rocket science, and absolutely no picture of feudal society that William the Bastard would bring from Normandy.
Not as bad, but annoying; the music accompanying this video made no sense for the subject. Don't waste your time!
Now as to what I thought of it:
I have to say this one lost me entirely. I'm a history major with a taste for the Middle Ages, especially the Viking period. This video was supposed to have been done by a middle school History class. It says it's about the succession crisis after the death of Edward the Confessor in 1064, but if so they got several major facts very, very wrong. They also have about as much concept of the succession of English kings under Danelaw as I do of rocket science, and absolutely no picture of feudal society that William the Bastard would bring from Normandy.
Not as bad, but annoying; the music accompanying this video made no sense for the subject. Don't waste your time!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Picture This
Well, obviously, I still can't get a picture to move. I'm just going on without one.
I noticed the article on the Creative Commons website regarding copyright laws. They seem pretty negative about the protections that exist for artists who make a living off their work. The idea of comparing Disney's retelling of Grimm's Fairy Tales to the pictures of Mickey Mouse that were shown on that website seems ridiculous. For one thing, by the time Disney made his movies, the Grimm brothers were long dead and their families weren't depending on their work for financial security.
Yes, Creative Commons exists as an alternative to "normal" copyright protections. Artists who choose to share their work through CC are certainly willing to do so. However, not all artists wish to have their work clipped, edited, collaged or mishmashed by everyone and his brother.
A copyright is like a lock on the door of your house. You can choose to leave your door open and allow anyone who wants to come in and help himself to do so, or you can maintain control of your posessions. In the case of copyrighted art, the posessions are mental energy, creativity, inspiration and skill that the rest of us may not have. Derek Slater can choose to leave his door open, but he should not criticize those who prefer to lock their property safely in.
I noticed the article on the Creative Commons website regarding copyright laws. They seem pretty negative about the protections that exist for artists who make a living off their work. The idea of comparing Disney's retelling of Grimm's Fairy Tales to the pictures of Mickey Mouse that were shown on that website seems ridiculous. For one thing, by the time Disney made his movies, the Grimm brothers were long dead and their families weren't depending on their work for financial security.
Yes, Creative Commons exists as an alternative to "normal" copyright protections. Artists who choose to share their work through CC are certainly willing to do so. However, not all artists wish to have their work clipped, edited, collaged or mishmashed by everyone and his brother.
A copyright is like a lock on the door of your house. You can choose to leave your door open and allow anyone who wants to come in and help himself to do so, or you can maintain control of your posessions. In the case of copyrighted art, the posessions are mental energy, creativity, inspiration and skill that the rest of us may not have. Derek Slater can choose to leave his door open, but he should not criticize those who prefer to lock their property safely in.
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