Net Smart

This week's post is on an important and insightful book entitled NetSmart - How to Thrive Online by Howard Rheingold.   In this book, Rheingold speaks of the importance of training your attention and the power of participation.

Training our attention 

Can we really train our attention?  Is it possible to listen to truly multitask  or are we only half listening?    

I have to admit that I've scrolled through Facebook while talking to my Mom on the phone.  It's difficult to give my full attention sometimes, when distractions abound.

The performance art group, Blue Man Group, sing a song called Your Attention.  In this song, there are three simultaneous voices speaking different lyrics and asking you to pay attention.   Take a 4 minute break and have a listen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq_YfCdf2ik

Rheingold asserts that we can experience benefits by practicing mindfulness online.  

Another chapter that grabbed my attention (see what I did there?)  was the topic of the 

power of participation.  Coincidentally, I led my church's youth group on Sunday on this very topic.  We discussed the trouble formula... Privacy + Loneliness + Social Media = Trouble.   To counteract that, we also discussed the Triumph formula... Pre-decide+Pre-Invite+ Plan A Way out + Triumph.    If we use social media passively and in isolation, we can get into trouble.  In addition, deciding ahead of time and inviting people in to your online world can lead to triumph.

I doubt any of us woke up this morning, deciding ahead of time what we would pay attention to and who we would interact with online.  But, according to Rheingold, just making baby steps towards a more mindful presence online can help us to be better digital citizens.

 

Copyright Clarity

This week we read the book, Copyright Clarity by Renee Hobbs.

This book is all about gaining a greater understanding of how copyright works and what the copyright laws mean for educators.  I admit that I only had a marginal understanding of this topic before reading this book, so I found it very helpful.

The author proposes that teachers usually fall into two categories regarding copyright use; they either "see no evil" and do whatever they want or they hyper comply with the rules.

For most of my teaching career, I've had such a limited understanding of copyright laws that I've swung between both extremes.

One of the most helpful components of the book was when Hobbs asserted that the easiest way to determine fair use is to think about your purpose when using copyrighted material. 

 Is it to pass it off as your own? 

 To save money so that you don't have to buy it?  

YES   = DON'T USE THE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

 Or is is to educate your students and transform it in some way?

YES  = SAFE TO USE THE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

Hobbs mentions her website and a music video that she created that further explains copyright.  I found it very helpful... further proving that anything set to music is easier to learn.  You can find the video here.

http://mediaeducationlab.com/music-video-copyright-whats-copyright

As a music teacher, I try to be mindful of using photocopies of music and respecting the copyright and fair use laws.  I found this book to be very impactful as I move forward with allowing copyright to benefit me as an educator.