Hmm... to steal or not to steal???

My dear bloggers,

Your blog posts this year have been amazing as they showed your reflective side and let me understand your excitement, concerns, frustrations, and successes as you learned more about Flash and collaborated in groups. However, while doing a great deal of research lately, it has become easier for some of you to copy and paste the information you have been reading up rather thatn putting it in your own words (a.k.a. paraphrasing) and giving credit to the source.

Today, I would like for us to discuss the issues of plagiarism and the consequences for using somebody else's work without their permission. For this purpose, I would like for you to explore the following websites and discuss
1. What copyright law is and what the importance of Fair Use section is for you as a student.
2. The works that are and are not protected by copyright.
3. What public domain is and how it can affect your work.
4. How much text, video, or music you can use in your work (in your games as well!).
Copyright Kids and Cyberbee websites will be a great tool for you in your exploration. When you finish this part of the assignment, go to the following TUTORIAL, choose Emma's character and answer a series of questions about her actions regarding work at school. List THREE things that you have learned after playing that tutorial.

Good Blogging!
Mrs. Barker

Leading the horse to the water...

Student motivation has become a more prevalent issue throughout the years of my teaching. Working in a high poverty area, I frequently deal with the issues of students not seeing sense in getting education due to the cultural perceptions at home or community. Additionally, many students become easily bored in their classes as they are subjected to the same teaching strategies educators used with their parents without regards to the changes that have occurred in many spheres of adolescent life.



Web 2.0 technologies the students use outside the classroom let them create content, socialize, learn, and manage the wealth of information pertinent to their lives. When dealing with reluctant learners in my middle school classroom, I try to explore the ways to make their learning relevant and fun to them and help them see how they can apply the skills acquired to the real life situations.

"'It's a game, isn't it, Mary Poppins?'
Well, it depends on your point of view. You see, in every job that must be
done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and - snap!- the job's a
game. And every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake..."

Disney motion picture: "Mary Poppins"

Fortunately, in my Globaloria classes, I don't have many motivation issues as the students regard this class as relevant to their lives and are happy that they are doing something cool. However, motivation issues arise with older students who lag behind in curriculum, feel overwhelmed, and, therefore, want to quit. Spending extra time and giving students opportunities for catching up, agreeing on mutually set goals, and showing them that you care about them and their work helps raise motivation. I also feel that constant communication and provision of constructive feedback are extremely important, as they help educators establish relationships with students, and within our cultural environment where many students do not have caring adults in their lives, this aspect significantly contributes to the student motivation.