Wk4 Publishing Leadership Project

Presenting my presentation at the E-Learn 2011- World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare & Higher Education Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii is my first choice. The reason I have chosen this is because it is multi-disciplinary. My Action Research project can be used not only to teach high school students the Elements and Principles of Design but could also be used to teach in other subjects and areas.

I have chosen as my second choice The Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference. This will be taking place from August 13, 2011 and October 10, 2011. There are also future dates I can choose from so that I may have time to improve my project and create a cycle 3. This conference is for educators and feedback from them would be a great asset to the project.



Publishing/Leadership Presentation
files.me.com/jleerami/90bz0i



Think out loud Blog Post # 1
http://jleerami.blogspot.com/2011/05/wk3-publishing-leadership-think-out.html


Think out loud Blog Post # 2
http://jleerami.blogspot.com/2011/05/wk3-publishing-leadership-think-out_22.html

Wk4 Reading Post to Hunter Looney

Judy De Los Santos said...

That was short, simple and to the point. There are so many hurdles to go through and living by this simple logic can open up many doorways. Sometimes we need to take a detour around those roadblocks and rid ourselves of them once and for all.
May 28, 2011 10:10 PM


Hunter Looney says...

I would like to sum up what I believe the author is saying. Stay unencumbered. Get out from behind the roadblocks that we set up for ourselves and the roadblocks that others set up. After you get rid of the roadblocks then you can then dive fully into your passion. Whatever that may be.
Posted by Hunter at 10:40 PM

Wk4 Reading Post to Meghan Bassett

Judy De Los Santos said...

There are no limits when we let the kids explore their own possibilities, especially in art. I too used to stick with the program strictly until a little rebel decided that she was going to do what she wanted to do and somehow created something worthy of competition. Although she didn't win anything at the VASE competition, this changed my attitude. It is entirely possible to stick to the curriculum and have the student express themselves.

As far as the North/South issues, have you tried to give them your point of view? Why not try to create an art assignment that will in some way bring everyone together in a more beneficial WE manner?
May 28, 2011 4:53 PM

Lighting a Spark
This chapter reminded me to let my kids go with flow a little more. I’m an art teacher, as most of you know by now, which means a few things. Number one, I have to give some set of instructions to make sure students are learning what they need to learn from my curriculum. However, sometimes I make them do a few specific things, but leave the rest up to their creativity. For example, we do two clay projects a semester in my class. The first, I require the students make a rattle. This is so they learn a few basic techniques like slipping and scoring to attach clay, how to create a hollow shell without letting the clay explode, and how to form objects out of clay. I have a few students that ask me to make certain objects that aren’t hollow, and I usually shoot them down. This is to try to keep everyone on the same page and make sure they are learning the same things. In reality, I should probably hear them out, see what they want to make, verify they know how to do what they are being taught, and let them run with their ideas. Let the spark of passion come and flow!
Being the Board
I like the idea of this chapter more than I comprehend its complexity. It is much harder to say you’re the board and to take responsibility for everything that happens in your life than to actually do it. At the end of the day, it is easier to point fingers than to accept that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. A good thing to try, but I’ll admit, going to be tough to implement and remember.
Creating Frameworks for Possibility
I like the quote, “She vowed not to say anything that she could not stand as the last thing she ever said.” I love the notion here, but in the heat of the moment how hard is it to live by? Setting a framework for possibility seems more of a change in mental state than something you think about. I liked the story of the teacher who shaved her head. Instead of trying to get the kids to stop making fun of the little girl with cancer, she made the baldness something she owned instead of lived with.
Telling the WE Story
The idea of telling stories and looking at everything from all angles and looking out for the best interest of all people involved is tough. I teach in the South, and my students still fly the rebel flags and talk about the South vs the North in the Civil War. It seems ridiculous to me that so many people want to put a gap between us, but also making everyone else feel like an outsider. Being from the North, I get comments about being a Yankee and trying to make everyone think like me. I think it would be beneficially to try to see things from all perspectives here. What can we do to get over this gap? Why do we all feel the need to keep this barrier between us?
Posted by Meghan Bassett at 11:40 AM

Wk4 Free Blog Post

Judy De Los Santos said...
Wow, you could do a presentation and a paper. I hope you do. You seem to be about ready to show off your AR project to the world. What a dream it is to be able to share your article with NAEA or present at the National Art Education Association Conference. I hope you do both.
May 28, 2011 1:46 PM


Meghan Bassett said...
I’ve been working with my publishing/leadership project, when I realized I was doing twice the work for no reason!!! Silly me. I started to compile my paper because I had planned on submitting an article to NAEA or SCAEA. Since we are showcasing our work to class next week, I also started a powerpoint highlighting the important parts of my paper. Then I realized I was putting together a presentation. Good thing is, I can take the parts I highlighted in my powerpoint to sift through my massive paper and edit out the pieces that aren’t necessary to get my point across.
So far it’s going well. I think I need to add a little more to the introduction to better explain what I am trying to accomplish with my action research project. I also need to weed through the literature review and cut out most of it, leaving just a sentence or two for each section of the paper. Lastly, I want to go through my Cycles and make sure to explain my results the best way I can without using too many numbers.
Maybe I’ll end up doing a presentation as well, so you never know if I may use both methods! I’m not writing off anything yet.
Posted by Meghan Bassett at 4:39 PM

Wk4 Reading: The Art of Possibilities Chapters 9-12

I like to give my students choices with their art projects. Sometimes that extra freedom can bring the attitude of the student from ho-hum to wow. The project becomes more engaging to them, thus creating something better than what the original assignment would be. I will try to get permission from at least one of those students so that I may post a picture of what the assignment calls for and what that student created instead. Sometimes letting them go and discover is the best way to ignite that sometimes hidden creativity and passion. This is something that I should learn to do more of in my everyday life, especially while working with the more challenging students.

Sometimes it is hard to remember that some things are just better done in person.
, especially in this day and age of texting and social networking. Even my husband and I have found ourselves instant messaging on Facebook even though we are sitting right next to each other. Observers would no doubt wonder about our synchronized laughing and smiling as we view links and joke.

The concept of being the board and placing no blame on anyone is foreign and strange. It sounds great but needs practice, especially in the heat of an issue. I would really like to read this chapter several times to really drill it in and remember to practice it.
This is a wonderful and interesting book that I will read over and over to help me correct mistakes, give more of myself and to help others give more as well.

Wk3 Publishing Leadership Think Out Loud Blog # 2

I have chosen to present my Power Point or Keynote at the E-Learn 2011 – World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare & Higher Education conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. I like the fact that this is multi-disciplinary with other areas and topics.

I have chosen The Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference as my second choice. This is a 3-day conference that takes place August 13, 2011 and October 10, 2011. There are also future dates scheduled for February 12, 2012 and February 10, 2013. What I like about this is that the audience involves other teachers and school district staff. I feel that I could get some great feedback from them.

Wk3 Publishing Leadership Think Out Loud Blog # 1

At this time I am considering a presentation at E-Learn 2011 – World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare & Higher Education conference in Honolulu, Hawaii as my first choice.

The Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference is my second choice. These will take place on August 13, 2011 and October 10, 2011.

Wk3 Reading Post to Leah Frye

Judy De Los Santos said...
I smiled after reading about Little Man and booger face. Rule #6 can be difficult to remember while the drama is happening. Lightening things up makes sticky situations better as long as we don't take ourselves too seriously. Feeling guilt over passion is something I've heard before from another teacher. I believe as long as the students are engaged and connected, they are truly learning. That kind of learning will last a lifetime and the students will remember you.
May 22, 2011 12:50 AM

Wk3 Macemdt Reading Art of Possibility chapters 5-8


Conducting from any chair was a wonderful chapter illustrating from both a leader’s and a contributor’s point of view. My thoughts drifted by all the “chairs” I have taught from and the effectiveness of each. Just for starters, next year I’ll have students running the controls at my computer when I am engaging the class using the screen or the smart board.
RULE #6- “There aren’t any [more]” I heard myself laughing again. This chapter is all about the power of humor and lightening-up. As I read, I wrote down so many ideas but I’ll only share this one memory:
My Little Man (LM as we call him) and his friend Lucas were having a wonderful afternoon playing. They spent most of the time over here then decided to go across the street to Lucas’ house. I watched them walk over, noticed some rogue dandelions and began pulling a few out. Suddenly, from across the street came the “f” word repeated several times and the slam of a car door. The next thing I knew, a very heated argument erupted between two men in Lucas’ driveway. The “f “ word was being used for every part of speech. I just sent my son over there!! Without any more thought, I marched over. With one hand waving a finger, and the other holding up my long skirt so as not to trip, I walked between the two announcing, “Gentlemen! I am getting the boys. You can continue this once we are gone!” They both just kind of stood in place with their mouths open for a few moments, then continued the barrage of nastiness.
Both boys were scared and crying as we walked back to our place. They were still pretty tense for a bit going on about what had happened. I explained that sometimes adults say things they wouldn’t normally say when they are angry. But that didn’t really help. To lighten things up I did something that LM and me do quite often when I want to engage him in play. I walked up to LM, finger pointing, eyebrows down, eyes squinting, saying, “Yooou….Yooou!” I usually tickle him with the out stretched finger, but I didn’t have a chance this time. He returned the act with the same expression, pointing his little finger saying, “Yoooou….Yoooouu…….Boogerface!” I turned to Lucas who was sitting in the couch behind me and looking more worried then ever.
I asked, “ Did you just hear what he called me??”
Wide eyed and fingers in his mouth he said, “yes….”
“He called me a boogerface!? Who calls someone else a boogerface??” Lucas’ now confused expression suddenly sprang into a giggling smile, “…boogerface.” he whispered as LM giggled from behind me. Within minutes, they were back to the business of playing, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.

The way things are. I mentioned in wimba the other night about how I sometimes feel like I’m thinking like a spoiled teenager, rolling my eyes (in my head ofcourse) as I try to deal with an administration with a lack of warmth and sunshine. As a matter of fact they have rained on many of our parades over the last couple years. Although I still wait for the next criticism to come (“how fascinating” I’d love to say), I am starting to relax and really focus more on my students. How can I help my students be their best, learn and enjoy my class, instead of changing who I am and my love for teaching only to please a few.

The best way for me to describe giving away to passion is something that I have felt guilt over. A good teacher has all in place and sticks with the lesson from start to finish. This has always been my belief. However, I am guilty of going with the flow of the lesson. If in the middle of creating I have a new idea of how the students my benefit more from the lesson, then I will change that part right then and there. If the students find personal connections, I let as many as I can speak before we move on. This has meant that my lesson maps are often off by a few weeks by the end of the year.
Posted by LEah Frye at 4:50 PM
2 comments:

Jana Claybrook said...

Leah,
After I read chapter 5 I too began drifting back to all the “chairs” and reliving the faces of former student. Did I overlook a potential leader? Well, I can’t go back but I can look forward and keep the mindset that I gained from the “Art of Possibilities”.
Thanks for sharing the story about Little Man I would have loved to see the men’s faces when you walked between them. (Priceless) As a cheer coach I must use RULE #6 daily. Whether dealing with drama between my squad members or their parents I must remember not to take things so serious.
I agree humor can help diffuse a potential touchy situation.
May 21, 2011 8:35 AM

Wk3 Reading Post to Meghan Bassett

Meghan, I do enjoy reading your posts, as they have so much insight to them. As art teachers, we do have the passion that other teachers in core areas may lack. The key is remembering why we like doing it so much. I like you have withdrawn into myself at work due to some volatile situations between those in the Principal’s favor, who text him anytime we breathe wrong (and occasionally press false charges), and those who are here to teach the more challenging students. Just remember that if all teachers had the passion for the subject matter that most fine arts teachers have, education might be in a better place.

Comment to Meghan
In the first chapter Leading From Any Chair, I couldn’t help think about my mother. She works in a school as the secretary to the principal. The principal received an email last week that a report needed to be ran. He never told my mother or the person that was supposed to run the report, but my mom found out from another school. When she brought it up that he may have missed an email, he said he never received it. A few hours later, after going back to him again, he forwarded the email and said he had just gotten it (which we all know, emails are time stamped). Instead of admitting his own mistake, he, like the conductors, tried to let it slide and hoped no one noticed.
The mere act of kindness and acknowledging that other people help you do a job is severely under-used. If you give ANY kind of praise to people who are helping you, or even say thank you to them, it brings up esteem and also encourages people to continue to work hard for you. I guess we could all work on this in different ways. I personally could work on always encouraging my students in ways that they are doing well. I can be sarcastic, which doesn’t work well with all of my students.
The next Chapter, the Rule number 6, took a more person attack on a way I’ve been feeling for a week now. I was very betrayed by someone I thought I could trust. A friend of mine told another friend of mine something very personal, and very atomic. I knew that the word had spread, and I wasn’t sure of where it had started. I found out and instead of confronting the issue, I recoiled and hid from everyone. Here, I need to follow Rule number 6, and stop taking myself so seriously. People talk, and say things that aren’t theirs to say, and sometimes there are things that get said that we don’t want said. It’s a part of human nature, and if I really didn’t want anyone to know, I wouldn’t have said it in the first place. I’m still hurt, but I’m letting it go in my own time.
The Way Things Are…I’ve always tried to see the cloud with a silver lining, and look on the bright side of things. A much easier said than done thing to accomplish. I’m one of those people, once I start feeling negative, everything that’s negative seems to find me. I’m sure that has everything to do with the way I am looking at things, rather than the world being out to get me. If we can laugh and play with the bad things that happen to us, a much more light hearted attitude would be had by everyone around us!
I would love to give way to passion more. Sometimes we are so stuck in living life day to day we forget to give in to the natural flow of life an energy. I try to recognize the energy around me, but I’ll be honest…the only real times I feel a surge of energy run through me are when I’m by the ocean watching the waves, or listening to music and painting. Then I can truly let passion run through me and I feel at one with everything around me.
Posted by Meghan Bassett at 3:37 PM

Wk3 Reading The Art of Possibilities 5-8

Chapter 5 had me thinking about how much we can learn about ourselves and our teaching by having those you teach observe you. I am now trying to see myself through their eyes and asking them about their input into the class.
Rule number 6 is a good one to live by in everyday life. Observations about situations in my school have in a way forced me to retreat into my classroom, staying away from other teachers. There are many good reasons for this. I try not to things too seriously around me, although it can be difficult to do on occasion.
I’ve never been the negative type and always try to see things in a better light than they appear. Being negative can be draining to the body and soul and also to those around us. Having a good sense of humor helps. Seeing things the way they are with a hint of humor and a good nature is always beneficial. Reminding ourselves to see things that way is at times a challenge.
As a fine arts teacher, passion for the subject comes naturally and projecting that passion to students is a must. There are days (many lately) when I am just so exhausted that the passion is elusive, and it makes a difference. My students are more alert and attentive when I teach with passion than when not. I would like to make it an everyday thing.

Wk 3 Free Choice Wimba Session

The Wimba session offered some good information as to what is expected in the assignments this week and in week 4. There was more clarification as to what the presentation is about and how to go about doing it, including using Power Point or Keynote and linking it in my blog. I am now less confused than before and know more of what is expected.

Wk2 Comment on Meghan Bassett's Blog

Judy De Los Santos said...

You have such a great attitude towards life, Meghan. Many educators really do look forward to Fridays throughout the week. Changing to a contributor mentality is sure to make life better.

I often tell my students that "there are no mistakes in art". When they develop the area that they BELIEVE is a mistake, they might create a masterpiece. Seeing that they do get upset and occasionally rip their paper to shreds has prompted me to put that up on the board permanently. I have a quote up on the wall by Alberto Giacometti which states "The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity".

The book is a good read, helping us better our own lives and that of our students. As art teachers, do you think it is easier or harder to "give an A" a student?
May 14, 2011 1:30 PM



Wow, I’m actually a little in awe at this textbook. The first two chapters remind me of my favorite quote, and a quote I try very hard to live by each day.
"The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude
we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the past... We cannot change
the fact that people will act in a certain way... We cannot change the
inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have and that is
our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I
...react to it. And so with you..."
I had a big move in front of me a few years back, where I had to leave everything behind and start anew. I could either be depressed by the unknown and the vast options of my future, or I could be excited or inspired by it. I chose the latter, and I’m so thankful that I chose that path because it led me to some really great things in my life.
In the third chapter, the author talks about giving everyone an A, and embracing mistakes as a learning tool instead of a negative part of the students music. I teach my students in Art a similar way, and using this quote often to enforce my ideas; “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” In art, mistakes can bring you to some of the most fascinating parts of your piece. Developing those mistakes can sometimes bring an ordinary piece of art into the extraordinary. Most students make mistakes, recognize it, become very negative and sometimes give up hope and consider themselves a failure. I try my very hardest to turn their mistakes into something they can work with and develop from. The hardest part is teaching them to like something they had not planned on creating. They tend to have ideas in their head of what they want to create, and when they cannot reach this goal, they get very disappointed. The art for me, is trying to get them to see the amazing qualities of what they made, not what they were supposed to make.

As far as contribution, I think we would do everyone in our lives a huge favor if we look at everyday as a gift, and every moment we are with others as a gift to ourselves and them. Going through your work week looking forward to Friday is no way to live life. Using this idea to look at how you are contributing to others everyday would make your life so much more fulfilled.

As I was reading this, my boyfriend asked me what I was reading. I said a textbook, which brought the question what it was about. I narrowed it down to a self help type textbook, and that it was actually very interesting and quite a good read. (I’ll admit, I teared up for parts of it, connecting to the stories by the author and others….call me a girl.) I’m going to go live by these 4 chapters, and return to read the rest after making my mom mother’s day dinner.
Posted by Meghan Bassett at 2:43 PM

Wk2 Reading Comment 2 on

Judy De Los Santos said...

Wow, you are already contributing so much to your students and they seem to be learning about contribution without you saying anything to them. Being a good role model for the students and teachers seems to really make a difference.

I too have been guilty of procrastinating on a project, only to turn around and make an excellent grade back in the day. What could our work have looked like if we had taken the time to begin early and pace ourselves?
May 14, 2011 1:08 PM



Blog Post by Rowdy Granado:
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Wk2 Reading: Art of Possibility Chapters 1 – 4
In reading “The Art of Possibility” I found some great ideals and practices that I wholeheartedly agreed with. I loved the positive nature and aspect of it.

I never really looked at what I did as working in that manner, but when I teach my class, I suppose that I give my students an ‘A’ to begin with, even though I do not openly express this to them by saying, “Each of you has an ‘A’ this semester,” I do give them that freedom and flexibility to learn and grow according to their style of learning.

When instructing in my course, I enjoy showing the students real world examples, but challenge them to don't copy these ideas, come up with their own, create their own path and don't be afraid of making something bad. I show them several videos I created that were horrible, but then show them what I learned from making such terrible videos. And to not worry about the critique they will receive as they are being creative in their writing or shooting. I encourage them to try new things, new techniques. When I show them the basic rules of shooting and editing, the basic shot types, I let them know that these are not rules to me, they are guidelines and it is ok to color outside the lines. I tell them that there will always be critics, but to always allow open mindedness, hear what is being said and take from it what you can to help you grow.

When Roz told the story of how she waited until the very last moment to turn in her paper, but still received an A, I found myself thinking back to my days in college and how I did that exact thing. When I see my students today do the same thing, I find that I do not look at them as Roz’s teacher looked at her. I see that the students, or my few that work in this manner, are very creative and passionate for the subject at hand and are simply assessing which direction they wish to take their project. They relish in the pressures of last minute and the fire of creativity and pushing themselves, almost a challenge to be under the gun. Now, do I think this should be done with each project, no. but as Roz stated in the book, her teacher should have challenged her to begin work earlier, plan a little better and make it a challenge to see what could have grown from this type of work. I have found myself doing the same with my students, looking at their good work that was turned in at the very last minute and have challenged them to expand on it, see how they can make it better, more creative, can they incorporate more elements, go deeper with the subject, the characters.

This book is great in the sense that it puts into words many of the things that I feel are natural in learning and fostering learning that I could never express in words myself and sometimes don’t even notice I do in this manner until reading it on paper, or computer screen. In a sense I feel validated in my approach and manner in which I teach my students.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on contribution as I felt the same feelings Ben felt when he spoke of his visit to the elderly home. I am involved in many things in my school and take on many roles, wear lots of hats. Often I feel over extended and feel like I have no time to get anything else done. But, as the old man at the end of his story asked why Ben would bother to come there and waste time with a bunch of old folks, he gave them a great answer, “But so much has happened since…” I had a couple of people come to me recently and ask, how do you stay so positive, and have so much willingness to help with everything you take on?” I simply said, “because the kids see that I do it without complaining of feeling that I have to be here, but I do it because I want to help, be there for those that may need help.” After reading this chapter, I see that it is my contributions to my school and my students that make others notice how they can be involved and help. And when that student comes up and says, “Coach, do you need any help with anything?” and then it turns into a handful of students willing to help and volunteer their time without being asked.
They are learning to contribute without even knowing what impact they are providing.
Posted by Rowdy319 at 11:15 AM

Wk2 Reading Comment 1 on Hunter Looney's Blog Post

Judy De Los Santos said...

Hunter,
Sometimes crazy ideas are the most brilliant! Empowering a student to work to the best of their ability is a goal every teacher should have. I, like you, will be changing things around to make a bigger difference because of the information in this book.
May 14, 2011 3:44 PM



Hunter Looney's Blog Post

Week 2 Blog Post 1 Reading: Giving an A
Giving an A
This chapter REALLY resonated with me. If we change our perceptions of individuals then they change their perceptions of themselves. This empowers them. If most students feel like they are A students then most of them will produce A work. This idea is crazy enough that it just might work. I plan on trying this in the fall. I have been transferred from teaching Biology I at a high school to teaching 7th grade Science. I am totally revamping my teaching and this looks to be a welcome addition.

Wk2 Reading: The Art of Possibility Blog Post 1-4

What a fascinating book this is. The Zanders clearly see beyond what is to what can be. The fact that they have chosen to share this information with will undoubtedly make this world a better place.

Chapter 1
Until now, I was unaware of how my perception of the world is so limited. The comparison of the frog, the bee and humans was eye-opening. Am I only seeing my world to survive or can I see beyond that and not limit myself. I should not assume anything. As I go about my day (week, month, year), I will look into how this can be applied to my everyday life at home and work.

Chapter 2
I have tried to do away with the whole A B C student mentality in my classroom by using a rubric that can help all students succeed and make A's. The problem is that many do not. The main reason is that the students do not really try. Why are they are happy to just get by and make a C and get it over with? I try to make my classroom a fun learning environment as well as a sanctuary for the students, yet some still refuse to truly succeed and are thus limiting themselves and remaining underachievers. I will continue to show my students that the class matters and that they matter.

Chapter 3
The innovative idea of "giving" students an A could possibly help show my students that they owe it to themselves to be better because they deserve it. Maybe many will then see themselves in a different and better light.

Chapter 4
The opening quote is powerful, to say the least. It helps to remind that everyone matters. After reading the chapter, I am now thinking of ways to improve my teaching so that each and every student can benefit in their personal lives as well as in school.

Media Asset Creation Month 11- Week 1 Blog- Creative Commons Post and Comments

Creative Commons Blog

Judy De Los Santos says:
May 7, 2011 at 3:03 am

Lawrence Lessig brought out so many good points about Copyright and Creative Commons. It is pioneers like himself that will change the world around us for the better. These videos have been helpful in understanding how Creative Commons work. I will be passing this information along to my students. They know that they are breaking the law when they download and copy copyrighted music and images. Pushing them towards creative commons may help keep them from trouble and open them up to a new way of “borrowing”. Perhaps Creative Commons will push public domain into obscurity in such a way that Copyright and continuously increasing Copyright laws will no longer matter. That may help alleviate the confusion and lawlessness of these “pirates”.

Comment to Michael George 111

Michael George III says:
May 4, 2011 at 9:57 pm

“Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.” -Montesquieu

First off, I want to disclaim that Lawrence Lessig is one of my heroes. This man stood before the Supreme Court in a famous case ‘Eldred v. Ashcroft’ also known as the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, Sonny Bono Act, or pejoratively as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act and argued against extending the length of copyright any further. Copyright is effectively becoming perpetual copyright since it keeps getting extended.

As of 1976, the length of copyright was the authors life + 50 years. After that the copyright expired and the work entered the public domain for all to use for FREE. Walt Disney died in 1966 and as you know 1966+50=2006 so the Walt Disney Corporation was in danger of having all the old Disney characters fall into the public domain. This sent shockwaves through Disney and lobbyists to congress.

Walt Disney has been making good money off the public domain by repacking stories for years. Snow White and the Seven dwarves is a repacking of a public domain story by the Grimm Brothers. Disney has been turning a profit on public domain stories (Hercules, Moses, Robin Hood, Aladdin, Pochahontas, Tarzan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame) for years, but when it came time to contribute back their solution was to lobby congress to extend copyright effectively destroying the public domain. In another 20 years when it comes time for Mickey Mouse to face entering the public domain they will lobby congress again to extend the copyright act.

As you can guess, Lessing lost the Supreme Court Case, but he didn’t take it sitting down. He decided to found the Creative Commons. This is a new area where authors can select various types of copyrights and grant rights for different uses. These type of licenses have been working out really well in the software world, but the entertainment industry is not on board.

Just to give you an idea of how twisted the thinking of the entertainment industry is in their thinking, imagine a device that cleans up movies on DVD so you can watch them with your kids and not have to cringe a F-bombs, graphic violence, and sex. A device exists called ClearPlay. You stick a regular DVD into the ClearPlay DVD player and it will skip over the trash and mute foul language. Even though the consumer bought the DVD, the copyright owners (movie studios) claim that the consumers are violating copyright law when they use Clearplay to skip and mute trash in the movie because this is an altered copy.

Big media has made it very clear that the customer is the enemy and they reserve all rights to do whatever they want and control how you consume their content. Just put in a DVD or Blue-Ray disc and see how long it takes to get to the movie. They lockout the controls to keep the consumer from skipping ahead and force them to watch ads and FBI warnings.

The Creative Commons is a nice start to fixing the copyright mess we are currently in, but it isn’t the final solution since it is essentially a contract. The concept of the Creative Commons needs to have the full force of law so that it can be upheld in court. The Creative Commons is no substitute for a healthy public domain. It makes you wonder what Disney will do when they run out of material to repackage from the public domain.

Judy De Los Santos says:
May 7, 2011 at 2:40 am
Michael,
Great lesson! I was not aware of any of these things you have mentioned. Lawrence Lessig is fighting the good fight on copyright. What a shame about Clearplay. It sounds like a wonderful and needed invention. Lets look 20 years into the future. What do you think the copyright outcome for Disney looks like? Heaven forbid that Disney might actually have to resort to creativity to stay relevant in the future without feeding off of public domain.


Comment to Hunter Looney

Hunter Looney says:
May 6, 2011 at 9:02 am

I had no idea that a device like ClearPlay existed. That would be an amazing tool to have. It is ridiculous that they stated that is broke copyright laws stating that it was an altered copy. We as consumers have been getting the boot with this. When I buy something it is now mine. As long as I am not selling it or giving it away for free after altering it I should be ok to do with it as I please. Eventually will we get to a state where we are so encumbered by laws that we are unable to make anything that has anything resembling creativity.


Judy De Los Santos says:
May 7, 2011 at 2:27 am

Hunter,
Does the term draconian ring a bell? Eventually something has to give before real progress can be made. There is way too much shortsightedness in these laws and extensions.

Comment to Rowdy Granado

Rowdy Granado says:
May 6, 2011 at 12:22 am

I find myself on the fence many times when it comes to Copyright laws. I know for a fact if I were an artist, I would not want anyone copying my work and profiting from it. I am by no means an artist, but I can see the side of those who are always having their copyright violated. When I create content for our school’s website, I can usually find images or graphic buttons I created popping up on other sites within our district because other school’s webmaster’s are taking my work and using it on their site.

And today, it seems as if creativity tends to be how far can we take what’s already out there, tweek it, change it up a little and call it our own. I know with the world getting smaller, in a global network sense, there are so many opportunities to find new “inspirations” for creativity. With creative commons, I like that artists and creators of content are willingly giving the rights to their work to use. And if there were more places like this, then maybe there could be a revamping of the current Copyright laws to take this into account and be more black and white with the laws now that there are more places to get content.
Reply

Hunter Looney says:
May 6, 2011 at 8:49 am

That must be frustrating to see content that you created ending up on other people’s websites. It is crazy. You probably don’t want to raise a stink about it though because they are in your district. Is that right? You are in a rock and a hard place.
I also think that the Creative Commons has provided a location for settlement of a lot of the issues in copyright laws. This site is so easy to use. It is amazing. Maybe even Awesome (like our old team). I agree if there were more solutions out there like Creative Commons then it would be much easier for legislation.

Judy De Los Santos says:
May 7, 2011 at 3:19 am

Rowdy,
I believe that there is a code you can use to prevent someone from dragging your pictures onto their computer. You can also watermark them or place the little c, the date and your name/email address on them. Maybe this will help keep your images yours. Ingenuity has left the building and made way for taking and repackaging. Such is the nature of today. Have you considered using Creative Commons for your images?

Media Asset Creation Month 11- Week 1 Comments on Fair Use

Comment to Rowdy Granado

Rowdy Granado says:
May 4, 2011 at 12:08 am

Yes, Fair Use and Copyright are like the Mythological Hydra, once you cut one of the heads off it, there are new rules and restrictions from being able to use, reproduce or remix media.
I know Michael George III stated that it was hard to track down ownership and establish how works are actually Copyrighted. Well, about 12 years ago (obviously, may have changed) I spoke to someone in the offices that dealt with legal Copyright. There is a proper form and manner in which to fill out. However, they also informed me that if I simply placed the Copyright symbol (the ‘C’ within a circle) and the year of production, my work would “legally” be copyrighted even without proper documentation in their office. So, I can clearly see where Michael’s frustration comes from when dealing with ownership or tracking them down.


Judy De Los Santos says:
May 7, 2011 at 12:58 am

Yes, tracking people down can be quite a challenge. I’ve tried it before. Placing the copyright c and the date should be accompanied with up to date contact information. Although I can see both sides of the issue, it would be nice if the up to date information were required and some of the copyright protection would be lost if the contact information were not up to date. Then it would be fair game for fair use. But one can only dream.


Comment to Michael George

Michael George III says:
May 3, 2011 at 10:10 pm

Don’t even get me started on ‘fair use’. One thing that really irks me about copyright law is that ‘fair use’ is a defense but not a right. Lawyers and copyright holders do not respect ‘fair use’ exemptions like parody. For example, I create original parody videos and post them to YouTube like this one:

Mein Superintendent

Each time I post a parody video on Youtube, I get hit with a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown notice by the copyright owner. This is clearly not the full-length movie. It is clearly subtitled. It is clearly a very short excerpt. It is clearly not something that could be confused with the original work or diminishes its value. Yet, every single time I post a parody, I get threatened for infringement.

YouTube labs has a great video on challenging a takedown notice under the “fair use” provisions to copyright like parody (in case this should ever happen to you.)

Know Your Meme: Challenging a YouTube Take Down with Fair Use

I have never lost on challenge, but it is just another hassle under our current system. YouTube must respond to all DMCA notices and remove potentially infringing material to comply with the Safe Harbor provisions.

Yet another thing that bothers me about copyright is there is no clear registry of ownership like in the patent system. This is a huge problem in the software industry. As companies file bankruptcy and have their assets parted out to creditors ownership becomes murky. Even if you wanted to legally use or re-release old games or software, it is nearly impossible to track down who even own the rights. I feel that in copyright law that if a product is not offered for sale after a period of 10-years than it automatically falls into the ‘public domain’. This would solve so many problems and we could then play all those 8-bit video games again from our childhood.

Copyright was put in place to develop our culture, but instead it starting to stifle us because we can’t re-use, re-mix, and even resurrect software that has long been abandoned. It’s just like the videotape library shown in the movie Good Copy/Bad Copy. Piles and piles of historical footage locked up forever because of copyright. A new balance needs to be struck and fair use needs to become a clearly articulated cultural right.
Reply

Brian Thomas says:
May 4, 2011 at 5:16 pm

That video is hilarious! Nice work! And thanks for the info on how to fight the takedown.

Jim Farmer says:
May 5, 2011 at 12:01 am

Mein Superintendent is HILARIOUS!!!! Thank you for sharing that.

I also think that a new balance needs to be struck. The scales are completely off and need to be brought back to a fair medium.

Zoe Marlowe says:
May 6, 2011 at 5:03 pm

Hi Michael,
Your post here is absolutely fascinating to me! Wow! I had no idea that you could not do the parodies using clips like that. By the way your parody was hilarious, I really enjoyed it, and it was just so perfect! I did not realize you could get threatened for infringement by doing that, I have seen so many video parodies and also audio ones as well, and I was unaware that there was such controversy over it. This is all sounding like ‘unfair use’ to me after reading your writing here. A key statement by you really resonated with me: “…another thing that bothers me about copyright is there is no clear registry of ownership like in the patent system.” This makes it all the more insane that you would be threatened by YouTube for infringement. I think it is all very convoluted isn’t it? Thanks for educating us here! Live and learn!

Judy De Los Santos says:
May 6, 2011 at 11:34 pm

Those videos were great and Mein Superintendent was so funny. The Know Your Meme video belongs right up there with the other videos above. What a shame that future generations will miss out on so much because of these laws. Maybe then they could get and play those 8-bit games legally.

Media Asset Creation Month 11- Week 1 Comments on Copyright Issues

Comment 1 to Jennifer Castro

Jennifer Castro says:
May 3, 2011 at 6:46 pm

I have recently had a “discussion” with colleagues over copyright. These teachers had written a grant to improve motivation to read through a program they created. Within this program, they wanted to create a video very similar to the one made by Ocoee Middle School and Full Sail using a different song but a similar message. Since I am the music teacher, they asked for my opinion on the song. I asked if they had researched the copyright issues. They told me they did not have to worry about copyright because it was for education. Obviously I argued that this was not correct and that being educators did not stop us from following the law. Needless to say, I was viewed as a dream killer but I know that this project would have run into some major issues if they did not get permission from the song writers/performers. I’m not sure what has actually become of this project but I have not heard anything about it since our discussion about copyright.
Reply

Judy De Los Santos says:
May 7, 2011 at 12:17 am

Copyright in education is a tricky area. I too have heard that it is okay to use bits and pieces of somebody’s work as long as it is for educational purposes and is changed a bit. I believe you should be seen as a life saver, not a dream killer. Hopefully your colleagues can create something truly original.

Comment to Meghan Bassett

Meghan Bassett says:
May 4, 2011 at 8:35 pm

Wk1 Reading: Copyright Issues
Being an Art Teacher, I always worry about my students copying work. In fact, one of my 4 rules in my classroom is no copying or ‘borrowing’ previously created characters. I do allow my students one project where they can use what they want, but that doesn’t get published anywhere.
The film brought up a great point when it comes to music. I sometimes hear a song and could swear I had heard it before. At times I have taken the time to think about it, at pinpoint what part of the song I recognized in the other song. They use such similar elements that it has to be so complicated to make a copyright infringement decision.
That being said, how much more recognizable would our work be, and how more into our work would our students be, if we could use samples of music that they can relate to? Not saying we should or could use them, but I think as far as education goes, it would be extremely useful if we could. For my screenflow videos, I use the tools taught to me in Music Theory and try to create my own music. In theory this is a great idea, but it’s time consuming and not always what I want.
I have to look a little more into artwork copyright laws at least for my students sake. My students aren’t obviously trying to steal anything from other artists, but are trying to emulate them to learn their techniques.
Reply

Judy De Los Santos says:
May 7, 2011 at 12:33 am

Creativity and using original characters is something I use in my classroom as well. some students tend to look at their neighbor’s paper and do what they are doing. This would be a great time to discuss copyright issues to them, but first, we must understand them ourselves. As you well know, artists are notorious for “liberating” ideas from other artists, yet many do create something truly original.

Media Asset Creation Month 11- Week 1 Copyright Issues

I was introduced to some of the basic copyright laws and issues during my graphic design courses. Students in my classes who used other people's work for an assignment asked permission from the owners. Surprisingly, most gave permission easily as long as they received some sort of credit for it. I can see the pros and cons on copyrighting. As an artist, I wouldn't want anybody else to take credit for something I did. On the other hand, so much creativity can come from sampling and using bits and pieces of work that is already out there. Why reinvent the wheel? This is a tricky issue that will eventually have to evolve into some happy medium. As of now, owner's permission and creative commons is the way to go to prevent issues and legal problems.