What is the role of the teacher as a LEADER when it pertains to learning, using and understanding 21st Century tools? How can teachers and school leaders model FAIR use of content?
The role of the teacher as it pertains to learning, using and understanding 21st century tools should be to act as a 'guide'. By modelling to students and colleagues how technology can be used effectively in education, how to question sources and ask critical questions, by demonstrating what it means to be a digital citizen and how to respect the work and rights of others is key to helping our students and our peers become more than a passive user of content and instead an active, thinking contributor. Teachers and school leaders can model the fair use of content by upholding copyright restrictions -whether it be in print, media or digital format. Teachers should have expectations in place, across all grades, that sources of information are acknowledge and appropriately recorded. Kindergarten students can create a 'Thank You' page on which to record a website or book they've used. Junior/Intermediate students can utilize tools like Bibme.org or google add-ons to make referencing an easy part of any assignment. This also means that teachers should take time to explicitly teach students how to find images to use in said projects. Images, posters, videos should all clearly be referenced on Teacher and school websites.
Do a quick informal survey of people in your community, school, or home. How many are familiar with Creative Commons Tools?
Very few of the teachers and students I asked are familiar with the Creative Commons Tools. Several Teacher Librarian colleagues were aware. The site itself is not student friendly, nor did I find it written in terms students would readily understand.
Why is it important that leaders are modelling fair use of content? How can leaders ensure that the teachers or group that they are supporting understands fair and safe use of content?
If the leaders in education are not following or modelling fair use of content, why would anyone expect teachers or students to adopt it? It is key that Administrators, School leaders and School boards have expectations and resources to support fair use of content.
It is difficult to mandate and monitor, to have more that a policy written out for schools, but it should be something that is revisited and shared with Teachers on a regular basis. Resources should be available (books, weblinks, examples) and expectations clear as to standard acceptable practices.
If the leaders in education are not following or modelling fair use of content, why would anyone expect teachers or students to adopt it? It is key that Administrators, School leaders and School boards have expectations and resources to support fair use of content.
It is difficult to mandate and monitor, to have more that a policy written out for schools, but it should be something that is revisited and shared with Teachers on a regular basis. Resources should be available (books, weblinks, examples) and expectations clear as to standard acceptable practices.
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