Creative Commons - A Shared Culture

Creative Commons Resources for Classroom Teachers

I did a quick survey of teachers this past week to find out how some teachers were using technology in their classrooms.  For many of the teachers they responded that they use technology to share images and content from the internet.  I then asked about creative commons?  I prepared myself with an information sheet for those who had never heard of creative commons.  Before began the survey I was also curious to find out what each staff member knew creative commons and where they learned about it.  I predicted that some of the younger tech savvy staff and our administrator would have been familiar with creative commons.  The results of my survey was that the only person who was aware of creative commons was my teaching partner Chantelle Davies.  

The challenge Chantelle and I know face is how do we model and educate staff on the use of creative commons.  We have begun to educate that staff by sharing a informational resource sheet that explains what creative commons is and how it works.  We can further model fair use in our school by teaching our students about fair use with the expectation that they ensure they are using content from the internet as the creator intended.   As children become familiar with the expectation they will transfer this skill to other classes in the school.  To make students successful with fair use, a list of sites needs to be create and shared with all staff members.  Sharing resources will continue to make teachers aware of fair use causing them to reflect on their teaching practices.   Reflections about creative commons will lead to inquiry which could lead the teacher to create a Personal Learning Network.  

Chantelle and I were wondering, what is one thing you could do to start the movement on discussions about creative commons within your school community?  

The Biggest Obstacles In Our Lives Is The Barriers Our Mind Creates

As my teaching partner, Chantelle Davies and I have begun to implement technology in the classroom we have reflected on some of barriers that we have overcome.  Some of these barriers include time, expertise, access and resources. As I explored other blogs such as The Digital Library these barriers seemed to be fairly common.

Time: Integrating technology into the classroom is time consuming.  There is a great deal of research and planning required by teachers before they can introduce technology into the classroom if it is to be an effective learning tool.  Then next step is to find time in class to teach students how to use technology effectively.  Teachers need to cover and great deal of curriculum and as a result spending time on technology may take a backseat.

Access and Resources:  For a variety of reasons schools may have limited access to technology.  In cases where schools have computer labs access is limited to availability.  In other cases, schools and teachers may have limited access because of lack of funding.  It is difficult to integrate technology on a regular basis if resources are not available.  I find that this is the case in our school.  Many teachers do not consider integrating technology into the class because it is difficult to co-ordinate access to resources.

Expertise:  For a teacher to use technology in the classroom they must be comfortable using it.  If this comfort level is missing then the teacher may be overwhelmed and use teaching practices that they are more comfortable with such as pen and paper activities.  Even when a teacher is comfortable using technology it is challenging to develop ways to incorporate it into the classroom.

There are a number of ways to overcome the  challenges of time, access and resources and expertise, (The Digital Library - Overcoming Obstacles), however the most challenging obstacle is personal attitude.  Many teachers find it difficult to change there teaching practice and therefore resist accepting new ways.  The resistance be be because of lack of information about how and what to change, personal attitudes towards technology and the feeling of isolation.

Using media and networking helps everyone overcome barriers.  Using Personal Learning Networks, is a great way to begin to remove barriers.  PLNs allow to take control of their own professional development through sharing, communicating and collaborating with others who have similar interests.  By getting together and networking with others online teachers can have discussions and begin to problem solve with a great number of individuals.  By engaging in conversations and sharing ideas the teacher becomes more knowledgeable.  As knowledge is gained barriers are removed and leaders are created.  

How might collaboration on social network help you overcome your barriers for integrating technology into your classroom?

Social Networking Tools and Leadership

Leaders in education should use and model social networking tools in order to improve teaching practice.

Teacher leaders in IT need to learn how to use these social networking tools and think of creative ways of how to apply them to real world learning in order to engage students.  The best way to learn about social networking tools is to learn the pros and cons of the tool and to experiment with it.  One way a leader can experiment with social networking is to create a Personal Learning Network or PLN.  The creation of the PLN allows teachers to create, collaborate and communicate.  By doing this a teacher not only shares information but can also receive feedback and ideas from others.  By engaging in conversations in social networks the teacher is exposed to many new ideas which can lead to a change in teaching practice.  Social networks allows teachers to create relationships through dialogue, by being supportive of each other and the sharing of ideas and resources.  As the teacher uses their PLN, they naturally reach out to others and invite them in to join in on conversations.  The process will create new learners and leaders.

This year my teaching partner, Chantelle Davies and I have had a few teachers begin to ask questions about blogging and how use it in the classroom.  By using this networking tool in our classes and by sharing our experience and knowledge we have begun to model how to use social networking.

We would be interested to know if you have how you have used social networking to improve your teaching practice?