Copyright for Teachers

Copyright for teachers is definitely a sticky subject. It surprised me at how much is actually against the law. It also surprised me how many of my past teachers got away with things. I know we've watched movies in class that had nothing to do with what we were studying on days that were either half days or towards the end of the year. We also often used songs in projects and presentations. I also have had several teachers just copy short stories, books, and random other things either from originals or the internet. As far as outside of school, I've seen people have movie groups in church and township activities all the time, and I'm pretty sure they never paid anyone. I believe it is my job to teach copyright to students because that way I know I will have to be in the clear all of the time. Also, it can help them in the long run to realize what is right. I can do this by setting an example. I have to practice what I preach. Copyright is tricky, however, and I feel like I would have to look into the topic more.

Good and Bad Digital Portfolios

http://sherlinjohn.info/

This is definitely an example of a good digital portfolio. It is well organized, but it also has eye catching graphics. It was one of the first examples that popped up on Google, so it obviously attracts attention. Because she is a web designer, it is great that she has so many examples. Her portfolio is even an example of her work!

http://www.geocities.com/Baja/8205/pcstudents.htm

This is a bad example to a T...it is actually one of the first results when one Googles "Bad Digital Portfolio" in both the images AND the web search. The colors lack any appeal, the website has no been updated, and the information is haphazard and not consistent at all. Apparently this school has not done anything since 2001.

Video Lesson Plan

I definitely think using video projects in a high school English class is going to come in hand in the future. I know I loved acting out scenes from books, especially Shakespearean plays because reading them out loud definitely helps with understanding. Filming them would be a great way to incorporate other areas of the play, including settings, costuming, and speech. These are all things that would have to be taught before the actual project was assigned. The way Shakespearean plays were produced was MUCH different from today's musicals and plays. 

OBJECTIVE -Have students understand the costuming, setting, and speech patterns found in Shakespearean times -Produce a short (5-7 minutes) video of a particular scene from Act I

PROCEDURE

Day One: Discuss Costuming and Setting of Shakespearean plays. (Show several examples, including Shakespeare Reduced) Day Two: Discuss Shakespearean Speech Patterns Day Three: Discuss individual scenes with student groups Weekend Homework: Students film videos and edit them to be due during the next week.

HOMEWORK

The videos will be due by the next Friday, edited and put together.

PSA Project (a)

Our group video project worked very, very well in my opinion. Alyssa and I worked well together, and we listened to each other continuously throughout the project. I think using the music to convey feelings instead of using words made our PSA unique and standout amongst the rest. I think we could have improved some of the quality of the shooting, but that proved to be difficult because of the angling of some things in my room (where we shot most of the scenes). Next time, I think I would have made sure the film at a different time of day,  because the light coming through the window also caused some problems throughout the scene. I also would have realized the camera had a microphone too, because we didn't realize this until later into shooting. I definitely will take away a newfound respect for directors from this project. I also now know how much work goes into something that indeed looks amateurish. I also realize now how much working together with someone who is willing to put 100% into the project is definitely a benefit. :]

PSA!