Photo source A Look Back and a Glance AheadWhy does open education matter? It creates a platform of learning available to more students. Yes, it requires an internet connection and a device, but the advantages are a quality education with resources that are current and constantly being revised and updated. It supports learning without creating massive debt from course tuition combined with open-textbooks which currently makes higher education an elite endeavor. Add to this list the benefits of open research and data. It’s encouraging to see the list of educational institutes that have embraced the idea. The use of OER’s is a critical component to inquiry learning in terms of providing current research from multiple sources.
Creative Commons co-founder Lawrence Lessig discusses his thoughts and reasoning around changing how we license copyright material. He felt the only way to implement real change would be through building a movement of understanding in people. One of Lessig’s criticisms of our current copyright laws are that they are outdated and unaligned with the needs of today’s youth who become “copyright criminals” in their attempt to find their voice and expression remixing and recreating digital content. Looking deeper into free licensing, copyright and openness provides an interesting segue into Copyleft and the steps taken to build an understanding and awareness of creative commons. A curious misconception that I learned from Irwin’s blog was the difference in terminology between free and open. Some “open” resources are only open to being downloaded but not changed in any way. Free content can refer to freedom in what you are able to do with the content, not the price tag. It’s important to be aware and carefully read the license. The authentic OER meaning of “open” in open content, refers to permission of users to freely engage in the 5R activities: retain, reuse, revise, remix and redistribute content. The powerful story of Aaron Swartz highlights the effect one social activist can have to bring awareness to a failing system of outdated copyright laws and bring reform to computer law. I could understand some of this disbelief as I read through the purpose of Bill C-11, to update archaic laws from 1997. The birth of fair dealing has helped to give educators increased freedom in using copyright material. The Remix manifesto emphasized the complex idea, that there is no such thing as an original thought. This concept made me seriously question how we can have copyright laws that allow us to claim work as our own. Although finding out my district owned my work initially made me angry, I know find it quite comical. I often get an idea from teacherpayteachers and use it as a springboard creating an offshoot idea. I think Angela’s blog post eloquently sums it up wondering how someone else can own work completed from years of knowledge and experience? Although I feel a bit intimidated, my goal is to share my work and I feel it is my moral and ethical right do so. I have been a big proponent of Visible Learning. John Hattie’s research is a fascinating look at how we as teachers can make learning more visible for students. It is equally important to get students excited about making their own learning visible. We can model and scaffold the importance of understanding what visible learning is by using three questions, Why, How and What. To begin, focus on “why” it is important to share learning. This is where we introduce students to the idea of audience and the possibilities of who could benefit from the learning they are sharing. The “how” refers to how do I do it? Blogging is a fantastic way to capture the learning process. With the amount of storytelling digital tools, apps, and free technology to collaborate and share, this should be easy and fun. The “what,” in the form of a blog, “can be a place for incredibly elaborate animated movies, or a quick picture of something that made a student think, and everything in between! It’s a place to show student voice, progress, achievement, failure, success, choice, and perhaps, most importantly, reflection and growth.” (James Hopkins) Teacher reflection, guided through inquiry questions,can support and nurture this process. In my opinion, the positive effects of opening resources for everyone to learn and grow, far outweigh any negative concerns. Can they totally replace the classroom and textbooks - perhaps not. I believe it is in adopting a mindset and culture of sharing, allowing our work to be reused, revised and remixed where we will begin to see a change. In the words of Aaron Swartz, “Information is power, but like all power, there are those who want to keep it for themselves. With enough of us, around the world, we’ll not just send a strong message opposing the privatization of knowledge — we’ll make it a thing of the past.” I’m on board to be a part of the change! Week 4- “Making Learning Visible”
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AuthorK-7 Coordinator in SD68. Archives
January 2017
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