Thing 23

Creative Commons is something I have repeatedly heard about in this class, but only now do I understand what it is.  I watched the video that clips different audio from Disney movies together to explain what copyright means.  I'm a sucker for Disney movies.  Even now, I still love Disney movies.  That was a creative, albeit somewhat long, way to explain copyright.

A quick search of "learning 2.0 23 things for teachers" led me to this statement...

The Learning 2.0 - 23 Things program is based on the Learning 2.0program that was designed by Helene Blowers, Technology Director at the Charlotte Mecklenburg County Public Library system, with the support and assitance of several staff. Helene's program was loosely based upon Stephen Abram's article, 43 Things I (or You) might want to do this year (Information Outlook - Feb 2006) and the website43Things.

Creative Commons is a great idea that really allows people to share and use information in a multitude of ways.  There is so much information out there and creative commons licensing offers a way to share and use information without plagiarizing the work of someone else.  I have always been very aware and conscientious about plagiarizing.  I'm working as a teacher assistant at an elementary school now.  Just a few weeks ago, a second grade teacher was talking to her class about plagiarism.  She asked me to tell them about what would happen if you were to plagiarize something in college.   They were writing a paragraph about a famous African American last month and the teacher was trying to teach them how to write without simply copying information from a book.  

Creative Commons really opens the door for collaboration and information.  The possibilities of its use are limitless.  Reinventing the wheel is no longer necessary.  If I find something I like online, as long as I provide the owner with sufficient credit and recognition, I can use it.  This could potentially save me a ton of time as I start teaching.  I will be able to consult the work of veteran teachers for ideas and guidance as I navigate my first few rocky years of teaching.  Creative Commons doesn't mean that you can just take someone else's work and use it as your own.  When using something made or created by someone else, you still have to provide them with credit and use it in the way outlined by them in their permission, but this really opens the door to a wealth of possibilities and information.