Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Critical Friend Reaction to Cycle 1 and 2 Data

To my Critical Friends:

Please read the information from my website at the following link and than post a comment about your thoughts from the data collection results.


Cycle 1 Data Collection webpage
Cycle 2 Data collection webpage

Thank you in advance for your time and constructive criticism

David

Friday, May 27, 2011

MAC - Week 4 Blog Post #4 Publishing Project


(Image is the property of David Steinke and is being used with permission)

I'm currently looking at the submission guidelines for entering my AR Project as an Article to the International Journal of Music Education. Here I believe would be the best place for the work that I've done or at least have started and could potentially be a published article down the road.

The link the the submission guidelines is here:

http://www.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?ct_p=manuscriptSubmission&prodId=Journal201697

I'm focusing on the specifics of word count and format to get my manuscript ready for peer review. I look forward to this being a great learning experience.

MAC - Week 4 Blog Post #3 Comments to Kristi


 (the image is the property of Microsoft Clipart and is used strictly for Educational purposes)

Comments to Kristi Swartz:

Kristi,

I also had many contemplative moments in reading this book and look forward to reading it again as there is so many great things to gain from the book. I thought the enrollment was very much a sense of connecting with others, enrolling them on your level and attempting to enroll in theirs. The story of the boss not listening to the employee and the self-reflection that the employee was unable to enroll or connect with the boss in such a way that he would heed his words was that lack of connection or enrollment that is essential when being able to share passions and ignite sparks in others.

Kristi Wrote on her blog: (http://swartzbloggin.blogspot.com/)

This week after finishing The Art of Possibilities I reflect further on how this book has changed my perspective. I understand the idea of being ready to participate, offering the gifts we possess for the good of the community, and being open to others eagerness to catch the spark and share it with others. This is a great model for teachers today. We can participate in the students learning in our class sharing what we know and learning from our students’ gifts and knowledge. We can definitely instill sparks within our students creating students who catch the fever to learn and grow in everything they do.

The whole enrollment thing did throw me, however. I prefer to think of it as participation, as discussed in an earlier chapter. The idea of enrollment seemed redundant to me.  I look forward to others thoughts on enrollment.

My favorite part of this reading dealt with the Nelson Mandela address of the words of Marianna Williamson. The idea of this poem in regard to sharing our power and light and how that can spark others to shine their light as well, was inspiring to me. I actually read over this several times and typed it out to print at a later time. I love the idea of all people being born to manifest the glory of God within us, all of us. That was an inspirational message, and a spark, a light,  I hope to share my students through my actions!

MAC - Week4 Blog Post #2 Comments to Levonda




 (the image is the property of Microsoft Clipart and is used strictly for Educational purposes)

Comments to Levonda Vickery

LeVonda,
I enjoyed reading all the quotes you took away from the reading. This book is definitely a collection of inspirations. Another one I enjoyed was that "love is neither about self-determination nor sacrifice. It is a context in which two people build the life they want together". Great sentiments.

LeVonda wrote on her blog: (http://levonda.blogspot.com/)

I loved Zander's words in Chapter 9 about us having the "infinite capacity to light a spark of possibility" right at our fingertips and that "passion, rather than fear, is the igniting force."  Oh how true those words ring.  That not only should we ignite a spark in others, but be willing to catch any sparks they may throw at us as well.  I must say that reading Chapter 11: Creating Frameworks for Possibility was right up my creative alley so to speak.  I know that I am the happiest whenever I am creating new things or even watching that creative spark in both of my daughters.  My 15 year old is able to do things with video that I only wish I had been able to do at her age or to have even had the opportunity to learn with the tools and technology she has available to her.  

I loved the story of the teacher who shaved her head because of the student who underwent chemotherapy and the other students were making fun of her baldness.  What a great way to take charge of a situation instead of letting it get out of hand and head into that downward spiral Zander speaks of.  I have a dream to teach and believe that dream is well within my "arena of possibility."  Zander made a really good point about how a vision does not require one to win, but merely to play into the possibility.  His words on how a personal crisis can lead to the creation of a vision that turns a life of possibility sang out to me about the past year or so of my life and how I have taken the my job loss and divorce not as a sign of failure, but rather as a sign to have a new beginning full of possibilities and dreams.  This book has helped me to realize that all the negativity about not having a job and never even being called for a job interview to teach does not define who I am.  My thinking either positive or negative is what defines me and my actions allowing me to choose to explore my own world of possibilities in order to move forward in my life and ignite that spark in others around me.

MAC - Week4 Blog Post #1 Reading Chapters 9 - 12


 (Image is property of David Steinke and used with permission)

Ch. 9 Lighting a Spark

The concept or practice of enrollment provides someone with the idea that the people around you have the potential to inspire and only require the lighting of a spark. People can influence others in unlikely and unexpected ways

Ch. 10 Being the Board

Being open to suggestion and accepting of bad experiences for the purposes of personal growth seems to be one important concept in this chapter. If your focus is too narrow, you cannot see all that there is to see in a situation and you are liable to miss something important or not understand how bad experiences have a way of providing for positive future outcomes. It becomes a self-reflection and an inward look at the implications and results of your own actions. In context to the reading, the focus is on maintaining relationships.

Ch. 11 Creating Frameworks for Possibility

The importance and clearer understanding of Vision makes a difference in determining your own perception and the value of things around you. In context, the power of possibility creates for opportunities that would not otherwise exist without the vision to see it first.

Ch. 12 Telling the WE Story

This chapter speaks largely about the consideration of group interests. It helps to breakdown the controversy of opposing view points and interests and instead looks to connect people by creating a mindset that makes everyone feel apart of the group and reinforces a thinking that is selfless or at least mutually beneficial.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Wk4_publishing_leadership_project


steinke_project_word_doc

Does computer technology advance student achievement in instrumental music performance? This question was used in developing a plan of action for an Action Research Project that looked into the validity of instructional enhancements with multimedia resources in music education. The use of Smart Music and MusicTheory.net software helped to answer that question by providing example sources of technology for student use in sight-reading situations. Data collection processes involved included correlating performance scores comparing traditional assessments with technology assessments in note recognition exercises involving urban public school students. The population sampled for the purposes of this research ranged from 6th to 8th grade and varied in experience from 0 to 3 years of music performance experience.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

MAC - Week 3 Blog Post #5 Wimba Session


 (Image is the property of Microsoft Office Clip Art and is used strictly for educational purposes)

Retrieved May 22 at 8:57am from http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900316568.jpg

Wimba Session Week #3

I took away the info on our publishing / presentation project. Essentially my questions answered about needing to fit our into the guidelines of the journal we are submitting to is an essential step in the construction process.

Having the link presented at least 24 hours in advance is essential for the purposes of sharing and communicating the process to fellow classmates.

With the reading content, I took away the overall idea about the focus on possibilities and less on the limitations. My thoughts on what to do in an anti-tech environment or any environment not conducive to learning pertained to a reintroduction of practical design. What do teachers need to be able to do, what do students need to be able to do, and how can the environment enhance that end.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

MAC - Week 3 Blog Post #4 Publishing Project

(image is the property of David Steinke and used with permission)

In continuing with the work of our Publishing project, I've begun work on the paper for submission to the following journals:

My goal is to have a working paper for our final week Wimba session for presentation. Of course this will feature the work of my ARP in Music Education technology to enhance musical performance skills.
My biggest concern is determining how much rewriting and editing their will be when compared to a lot of copying and pasting. I'm looking forward to developing a cohesive document that features the content appropriately.

MAC - Week 3 Blog Post #3 Response to Kristi Swartz

(This image is the property of Microsoft Clip Art and is used strictly for educational purposes)

Kristi,


It was interesting to hear your personal experience with the reading this week. Your story about your son's play and the power that the teacher utilized in focusing on the students potential for greatness was great to read about. As teachers, its something of a great importance that we not overlook the great work of students and their individual abilities no matter how big or how little.


Kristi wrote on her blog:
The 4 chapters we focused on this week again had me thinking in a new way. Leaders are always said to be the strong, loud, commanding type, yet, in this reality, the leader is the one that makes others strive to have a vision of what is possible. As I read this week, I could not help but think of my son’s 4th grade teacher. He truly is the best teacher I, or any of my own children, have ever had. I began to reflect on the readings and this particular teacher’s qualities. What quality does he possess? How does he lead? This is what I found. His quality is inspiration. He leads quietly. He leads by making each student feel worthy of great possibility, of vision.

When my son had this particular teacher, we attended a short play the students created in the classroom. We have all attended classroom plays, yet this one was different. Student made invitation letters went home, student created props lined the walls of the classroom. Student actors and actresses played the parts of the student written scripts. There were even student created commercials between the acts. All students were involved and the leader sat silent and just took it all in. A student made the introduction and all the leader said in the end was a simple thank you for coming to see you students amazing production.

At the time, I did notice how different the feel of the classroom was that day. Students were empowered to learn and grow, and proud to show the product they had created. The reason that teacher is such an amazing teacher is because he gets what Zander spoke of in his video this week and through The Art of Possibility. He gets that it is a teacher’s job to inspire possibility and watch students live into that vision. May it be so for all of us as educators.

MAC - Week 3 Blog Post #2 Response to Josh Tolar

(This image is the property of Microsoft Clip Art and is used strictly for educational purposes)

Josh,

I found your comments on Buddhism and their connections to the reading this week were very interesting. More specifically your thoughts from the reading on music and performing with passion made for some very interesting ideas. I connected in the same way with my experiences playing percussion in many situations. Having played with many talented musicians, the passion for music exists as long as you believe in your own performance but that passion seems to be augmented when you know the players around you are bringing their passion as well, the experience can be life altering.


Josh wrote on his blog:
The past 4 chapters of the “The Art of Possibility” started to remind me a little about Buddhism and a book called “The Power of Now”. Looking at the way things actually are instead of resisting everything around you is one of the characteristics of Buddhism and one thing that is discussed in “The Power of Now”. This is one of my major downfalls too. When something happens unexpectedly, I often get upset and become disappointed in my own little world. I have learned throughout the years to not focus on material things and these last 4 chapters are a great reminder of that. I like in chapter 7 how it explains negative emotions and not to bury them deep inside or cast them out, but rather realize that they are there. This is very powerful as you somehow step outside your self and see how you are acting. Being present to our emotions takes a lot of practice, but it gets us one step closer to being more optimistic.

“The Art of Possibility” has surprised me several times when music is mentioned, and how orchestra players play with intense passion. I admit that when I was younger I never thought that orchestra players could ever feel the passion of the music because they were always so stiff when following the conductor. In so many cases I saw people play in orchestras and symphonies and never once saw any passion in what they were doing. There were however various virtuosos that would come on stage and warmed the audience with pure passion for the music. I soon started to think about how passion in music, or anything else for that matter, can be transferred to another person. Is it how you look you when you play the instrument or how you act when working on something you love? I love asking these questions and I started to ask them again when I read about the quote that Stravinksy supposedly said about wanting to hear someone trying to play the passage instead of someone just playing it. When we enter into the unknown, we might fail or we might succeed, but there is something there that enables us to feel alive. This is what I feel when I play music. There is something about the guitar that really makes you feel when you bend the strings. Every bend becomes a part of the spirit and soul of the song. You can feel the tension in the string as you bend higher and higher, leaving way to passion.

Friday, May 20, 2011

MAC - Week 3 Blog Post #1 Reading Chapters 5 - 8


(This image is the property of Microsoft Office Clip Art and used strictly for educational purposes)

Chapter 5 Leading from Any Chair

I took away the concept of the silent conductor and their role in bringing out the passions, energy and overall power of the other players. Much the same,  a teacher plays a similar role in learning how to bring the passion out of every student. It is important in knowing how each student reacts to certain situations or simply exposing the strengths and talents of each student with the intent on cultivating a motivation from the group to achieve great success in any given situation.

Chapter 6: Rule Number 6

In this chapter, a fundamentally sound concept is presented: don’t take yourself too seriously and overall, lighten up. Life has many more moments of seriousness than the moments we create for ourselves.


Chapter 7: The way things are

This chapter spoke to me in on a personal level. Taking a new position this year, I had to come to grips with the reality of teaching middle school instead retaining my old job at the high school. Needless to say, I went through many stages of denial and transition to adjust, learn and grow my teaching skills and experience to meet the needs of a completely different kind of student.

Chapter 8: Giving way to passion

This chapter seem to continue the concepts of chapter 7 and at the same time was a chapter all in of itself full of content. The idea that we as teachers must give into natural tendencies and not be limited in practice to the structural mindsets that are built up over time due to pragmatic influences. Being able to let loose your instincts on a regular basis and not reserve judgment can play a significant role in how you perceive the world as well as your students. To give yourself completely to a situation is equally a difficult task due to the fragmentation of each persons daily life.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

MAC - Week 2 blog post #4 Project question

Image is property of Microsoft Office Clip art and is used strictly for educational purposes.
(Image source: http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900250702.jpg)

With this week's blog to myself, I thought I would answer the Publication question: Presentation or Article?

With the way I collected my research and the fact that I expedited the process to skip any photographic or videographic documentation, I felt that my material would be better spent in developing an article for a scholarly journal. To do a presentation would involve more pre-production and further research to facilitate the amount of content that would be needed for a full production.

Based on many of the journal articles I've read in the past, my research as it stands right now would fit into that template much easier. As a result, I am considering submission to the following Academic Journals:

International Journal of Music Education
http://ijm.sagepub.com/

International Journal of Music Research
http://jrm.sagepub.com/

Journal of Music Perception
http://ucpressjournals.com/journal.asp?j=mp

I will consider more journals but these seem to be the closest fit to the kind of research that I have produced so far.

MAC - Week 2 blog post#3, comments to LeVonda Vickery



Image is property of Microsoft Office Clip Art and used strictly for Educational purposes
(image source: http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900361190.jpg)


LeVonda,

I enjoyed your reading your reflection about the idea that grades do not define the work of a student. I couldn’t agree more. There is an endeavor happening to Nationalize the curriculum of schools to a “Core” curriculum that is standards based and lean more towards evaluation and assessment of student mastery of skills and concepts, getting away from letter grade system.

The old system of evaluation become a predictable and expected outcome for our students and families. Even to the point that they are not ever concerned with the work they have to do, they just want to know how to get the A letter grade which is a tragedy. I look forward to seeing the system change in my lifetime to have the community be worried about mastery of skills and achievement of acquiring abilities rather than simply getting an “A” or a “B”.



LeVonda Wrote on her Blog

As I read our reading assignment this week in the book, "The Art of Possibility" by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, I was particularly struck by chapters 3 and 4 on "Giving an A" and "Be a Contribution".  Wouldn't it be something if every educator just started giving A's to students to watch how their perspectives changed and/or evolved?  Personally I feel that would be easier said than done, but in courses where you can use project-based or game-based learning I feel that it is an easy fit.  It is more the creative based course like Music, Art, Graphic Design, Photography, etc... that allow for the actual effort put in to the work to show in the final result of the project and therefore to allow for that feeling of accomplishment. I know that most of us are used to tying that letter grade to our sense of achievement to show others and tell ourselves that we did a great job, but I have learned a lot through my time here at Full Sail in the EMDT program that while yes it is wonderful to see that letter grade it is not what defines me or my work.  That is a very hard concept to get across to students who are used to always being judged by others on the work they do. I loved working on my Action Research project because it involved using a game to teach social skills, which allowed for the participants to not receive a "grade" for the work they did, but instead to have that sense of accomplishment on a job well done whenever they successfully completed a quest/mission in the game no matter how many times they had to do it over again to get it right.  After all isn't that what we should want to instill in students is that no matter how many times they have to do something to get it right that once they have that "aha" moment and it finally clicks it teaches them that they can do it and they feel as if they actually accomplished something in the process. 

As far as the fourth chapter on being a contribution I feel that everyone should strive to do this in their life.  As teachers I would hope that all of us are a contribution not only to our students, but to our colleagues as well.  I feel that it is important to be a contribution to society, our friends and family, and others around us and I try to live my life thinking in that manner.  I know it is hard when we always seem to be so busy with our daily lives to just take a minute and try to help others with theirs, but it is what makes us different and better people.  I have been unemployed since last February and believe me it has been very tough over the past year, but I still try to contribute to those around me. I would rather help others than sit and dwell on how miserable I can and would be if all I did was think about how worthless I felt for being unemployed and not supporting my family.  Life is funny that way, on the differences a positive versus a negative outlook can have on a persons life.  

This book just helped me affirm what we could and should be teaching our children, our future, to help them be a better person as reflected in their contributions to society and the actual pride they get from a job well done versus what grade they may be given on it.  I feel more people should have that outlook on life.  What did I do today?  I made a birthday cake for a friend who was down because no one at work remembered her birthday yesterday.  I contributed!  What have you done today?

MAC - Week 2 blog post #2, comments to Kristi Swartz


Image is property of Microsoft Office ClipArt and is used strictly for educational Purposes
(image source: http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900436161.jpg)

@ Kristi,

I appreciated your take away from the reading this week in your idea about our ability to enhance not only our own quality of life but also for those around us.

I've dealt with a very difficult year being a new teacher at a middle school replacing a loved teacher. In the final 4 weeks of school I've only recently started to get kids to respond to me and not just give me a hard time.

Beyond the transition, I've felt that it requires believing that what you teach really means something to your students and it should show in the deliberation. Students know when a teacher is not on top of their game vs. when they are and they respond accordingly.

Kristi Swartz wrote on her Blog page May 10th, 2011:

My Contribution

I love Zander’s idea that a leader does not doubt peoples’ abilities to do what it is they are to do. As I look at education I ask, What if all teachers believed in the abilities of all of their students? How would education change? Stop thinking about everything along the way, and see the big picture. Have a vision, a long line, and see it through! How would education change?

Zander’s video on Ted was moving and showed the connection possible for classical music through Zander’s determination and perception.  His connection to the conductor as a person to make others powerful, and make others feel it is possible. I loved his question: Who am I being if my children’s eyes are not shining?  I hope to take this and use it in the classroom. I want a classroom with children’s eyes shining.

The idea of enhancing our quality of life and the quality of life for those around us as we have the power is really meaningful to me. I think this year has been eye opening for me as I look and understand perception and the big part it plays in each of our version of reality. I have looked at this through my Masters courses, my own Bible study, through the students I teach, and now this book. It is amazing how life opens something up to us, and we see it all around. I see this as the power of God.  In this book, I feel the importance of perception and I love thinking about how our brains constructs our reality, and how that reality is just ours, we can not know if it is the reality that is real, or created, because our brain constructs our own thoughts. The idea of it all being a story we tell, can change our own thoughts about every situation. For me, the closer I become to God, the more I want his will, this leads me try to be a better person, think about others feelings, and desire good. I love the idea in the book of setting the context and letting life unfold

I loved the thoughts on giving an A, not just in the classroom but also in the everyday world. It is so true that we measure everyone according to a standard measure. When we can believe everyone has a unique gift to share, and that not all of us have the same gift, we can begin to accept and love people for who they are, learn from their gifts, and accept their differences, as well. I love the idea of giving A’s, looking at what is great about this person I meet that I can learn from, rather than comparing them to a standard measure I set.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

MAC - Week 2 Post #1 - Reading chapter 1 - 4


Image is property of Microsoft Clipart and is used strictly for educational purposes.
(Source: http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900303032.jpg)

It’s all invented

I took away the concept behind the chapter topic that we as humans can only see by the limits of our perception. Meaning is created by us rather than observed. Many examples in the chapter reinforced this idea like a map of the world in relation to what the world actually looks like or how different animals see only what nature has created for the survival of the species.

Stepping into a universe of possibility

In this chapter I took away the concept of measurement and a need for predictability and security of known information is a common concern amongst people. Moments exist however where we forget the normal expectations of everyday life and partake in experiences that change what we know or how we view the world. 9/11 or the birth of child are just a few examples. In context to running a business, the chapter describes both of these methods as being compared to being a high risk or low risk taker.

Giving an A

I enjoyed this chapter in the introspective views on grading students. While I didn’t agree with the original purpose of grading was to foster competition amongst students, I did agree that letter grading has more flaws than it has pros. Assessing student abilities on a mastery and skill set basis is much more practical and even more specific to the task at hand of grading students. Seeing what students can become is more affective than evaluating what they currently are.

Being a Contribution

I found from the reading that there is immeasurable potential stored inside the act of contribution. The more focused you are on how your efforts in contributing to others, the more you reward yourself with the impact you have made in the lives of others and ultimately can return upon you many contributions.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

MAC - Week 1 blog post 4, Personal Choice

this image is copyright from Microsoft Office clipart and used for educational purposes only.
(source: http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900440225.jpg)

* Disclaimer: the image above is not the image in question but related to the following blog topic in its visual representation of a similar graphic.

Since we are allowed some freedom on the 4th blog post choice for each week, I thought I would comment on one of the article links from Professor Bustillos Tech and Media Hist link for the MAC class.

(Preface)
Coming from a Graphic Design / Fine Arts background, I continue to read and observe content of the graphic design world. Specifically, the links to Shepard Fairey's work on the Obama Election Poster. Fairey's stylistic approach being very commercial while also crossing over into the realm of fine art for the purposes of connecting with a large audience is somewhat compelling. Any art that provokes people for good or bad is an intriguing concept.

(Topic)
Connecting this to our reading on copyright, the appropriation of Fairey's use of a photo taken of Obama without permission raises the question of validity. While his poster design arguably far out weighs the original source in its cultural significance, it still doesn't excuse the fact that his appropriation was done without consent.

Recently, the lawsuit was dropped by the judge and other claims are being dealt with but ultimately it seems that new and updated legislation needs to be defined involving the repeated use of source material for the purposes of inspiration with the ultimate goal of creating something new.

It seems unclear as to what extent a consensus can be made on just what a noticeable difference is or how far does an artist have to go to be able to create something new from something already created.

This is a topic that will be of great concern to our collective society as long as the internet provides great accessibility to content and so many issues exist with the growing remix culture that will only continue to grow.

MAC - Week 1 blog post 3, comments to Michael Wood


this image is copyright from Microsoft Office clipart and used for educational purposes only.
(Source:http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900282170.jpg)



Michael,

I connected with your story in that I too grew up with an affinity for drawing comic book art. It was a great time in American history to grow up during the 1990's comic book craze where the art began to supersede the writing in a round about way nearly put the entire industry into bankruptcy. I had the aspirations to make a living in that line of work.  I worked at a recreational Sports park doing airbrushing and t-shirt graphics before I went into the music education business.

The issue with copyright use of content from companies who charge a generous amount of money for that use is impractical for the common person. There definitely needs to be more content creator material that is legally accessible for a  minimal price so that a greater percent of the population can share material that is culturally significant. The Netflix modal allows for viewing almost unlimited content at a monthly price. Of course you are not allowed to redistribute but there are ways to share the content with friends in a legal fashion through interfaces like XBOX  Live. This idea should be moved forward in the online environment to allow for the use of multi-media materials in a copyright free environment.





Michael Wood's Post


MAC - Week 1 blog post 2, comments to Kristi Swartz


this image is copyright from Microsoft Office clipart and used for educational purposes only.
(source:  http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900440105.jpg)

Kristi, I agree that resources like creative commons are a necessity for online content creation for the purposes of sharing ideas in a social networking environment free from the issues of copyright law that limits and prohibits the use of so many IP’s.

In education, students should be aloud the right of temporary use of IP content without any worries of copyright infringement. Ultimately its about protecting the financial interests of the content creators so as long as no money is being made, all that is really happening is the free advertising and communication of properties that may or may not be readily available to everyone.

The remix culture is the most controversial to me when considering the examples from the film good copy bad copy. In those cases, the individuals weren’t changing the appropriated material enough so that it became their own, other times they were. How to draw the lines on whats acceptable and what isn’t is a topic yet to be defined if it can be at all.

Kristi Swartz wrote


Copyright Dilemma…
Being someone who had a very limited knowledge of the copyright issues for music and film in our new social society, it was interesting to examine copyright issues this week, and learn so much about the issues with copyright for this century.
 In the documentary Good Copy, Bad Copy, the essence and complexity of copyright law and copyright infringement is explored through personal experiences.

From my learning this week, I do see the trouble for artist creation of music and film if it were to be left open to change without revenue for the creators of the songs, videos, etc. Artists put their talent, heart, and soul into creations and want to have the rights to those items. That makes a lot of sense to me. What about an image of my dog? Yes, even that has a copyright for me. Interesting.

I also enjoy the ability to use materials on Creative Commons to express my own ideas in the classroom using images, video, and audio designed by other creative individuals. I can imagine the change if teachers and students had access and the right to use original works, and could take parts and pieces of those works, put them together to share a part of history and retell a story, or express content in a new way. It could be very powerful for students. In the film Good Copy, Bad Copy this was illustrated through sampling and techno brega being created from original works.

It seems absurd that it is millions of dollars to buy out copyrights of songs from artists in order to simply use parts of the songs, or beats of the music in new creative ways. In my opinion, this aspect of copyright needs to change as we have a shift in culture to protect the artist from piracy.

If artists could share original content through a site like Creative Commons and give rights to others to use the works in new and creative ways while they still got credit and possibly profit, it could be more effective for today’s culture.

I see the use of sharing sites like Creative Commons becoming more and more popular in our 21st century culture of Internet song sharing and digital creation sharing electronically. I do, however, also see the trouble for artists ability to keep the music, video, or work as it was intended. Quite an interesting time as this change comes. As for my dog, I plan to post him on Creative Commons!

Posted by Kristi Swartz on her blog at the following URL: http://swartzbloggin.blogspot.com/

Friday, May 6, 2011

MAC - Week 1 copyright issues

(original graphics created by David Steinke used with permission)



The issues of copyright are definitely important in protecting creators to allow a financially viable career. The thing that spoke to me the most was the particularly sensitive nature of how copyright is used, how it is misunderstood and ultimately the trouble that most people and organizations can get into in breaking copyright law.

The fair use concept plays a significant role in music education. For my occupation, the controversy over protecting creator property while at the same time being able to teach with the flexibility of fair use practices is always a touchy thing. For example, students lose the music you hand out and when you legally purchase music, you are only buying a certain amount of parts per instrument. It is a practicality to create temporary copies of music by many educators although technically prohibited by copyright law to ensure your students are provided the necessary materials.

The obvious problem is that a school does not have a budget to constantly buy music when students lose it and still be able to afford everything else. Musical copyright for schools has allowed specific temporary uses of copies in the event of back ordered music and out of print music but of course, still based on permission.

My personal experience has been finding the trouble of having all original music with students when they partake in individual and small group competitions or even large group for that matter. Most if not all state music organizations require original music to be in hand at the time of the performance for competition. There are many penalties involved including disqualification when copyright has been observed as being broken.

What also intrigued me about the reading was how technology is constantly pushing ahead of federal legislation in redefining how copyright pertains to re-mixing. This technically has been around for quite some time. The artistic genre of the collage is based on the principle of combining other pre-created materials and making a new piece of art with it.

I remember being in school and cutting out magazine imagery for the purposes of designing a composited image from found artifacts. The result being a new piece of work but ultimately not 100% original beings that the materials were appropriated from other sources albeit without permission.

Culturally I appreciate the point of view that our collective society being social in nature thrives through the sharing of documents and ideas and it is inevitable that material created by others would be appropriated for the purposes of sharing. It also seems that there will always be a sub-culture that chooses to appropriate material at will without any thought or care of how this financially affects the industries that create the material in the first place.