Creative Commons Licensing

Here is a great video educating Youtube watchers about Creative Commons Licensing. Check it out!

Concept Map

Here is MyWebInspiration creation: http://mywebspiration.com/view/563002a17213

Week 3: A New Generation of Learners & Education

           The reading assigned in class, “Web 2.0: A New Generation of Learners and Education,” was an interesting and relevant read. The reading highlighted the numerous benefits and changes that have come about from the fusion of technology and education.

            The section “Web 2.0 Students” illuminated the creation of a culture that my generation has adapted to with ease and acceptance. The article opens with an introduction to the different names often applied to today’s generation of learners.

           

            “The term Web 2.0 students, along with other terms, such as the Net

            Generation and Digital Natives, is a popular catch phrase often thrown out.

            These terms identify a new generation of individuals who are comfortable,

almost natural, at using digital technologies.”

            The article then illuminates the saturation of our lifestyle with technology. We, as learners, welcome technology in our learning endeavors with open arms because of the convenience and effectiveness it brings to the table. The reading contained some interesting and relevant facts about technology’s role in our society of Net Geners.

They are presented as follows:

            This generation is unique in that it is the first to grow up with digital

            and cyber technologies. Not only are Net Geners acculturated to the

            use of technology, they are saturated with it. By the time he or she

            has reached 21 years of age, the average NetGener will have spent

            • 10,000 hours playing video games,

            • 200,000 e-mails,

            • 20,000 hours watching TV,

            • 10,000 hours on cell phones, and

            • under 5,000 hours reading (Bonamici et al., 2005).

            When I first read over these facts, I had to go back and read them several more times. I immediately questioned what my life had come to because I have certainly contributed to those facts on a daily, if not hourly, basis. Although at first I was taken back and embarrassed at the amount of time and trust I put into the use of technology, I was quickly reminded later in the reading that the enhancement of learning provided by technology is a great, and a bad thing. When I am in the professional world of attorneys I will be dealing with clients and fellow attorneys on a daily basis. Being a “Net Gener” will allow me to adapt and take advantage of the opportunities and conveniences that technology has provided and will provide in the future.
           
             This video explains the evolution of our society into a new generation of learners. Professor Don Tapscott explains the shift to the digital age through a synopsis of the trends of America. From the generation of baby boomers to the growing digital baby we have created (the Internet), Professor Tapscott covers it all.

Week 2: The power of a search engine: Web 2.0

      The Youtube video we were presented in class, Web 2.0, simply put, was an eye opener. More than 2 million people have seen this revolutionary video. There were many statistics and facts that would get the average American butterflies and goose bumps. Some of the facts and statistics presented were as follows:

• Many of today’s college majors didn’t exist 10 years ago. It took the radio thirty-eight years to reach a market audience of fifty million.
• It took the television thirteen years to reach a market audience of 50 million; it took the Internet just four years.
• One out of eight couples in the United States met online.
• More than 2.7 billion searches were performed on Google in a month. To whom were those questions directed before Google?

     The Internet has the power to educate billions, in days. The fact/statistic about Google searches and the question that followed was, to me, the most powerful fact/statistic presented in Web 2.0.

Without Google and the Internet, where would we find the answers to our questions? Being a young college student I use Google daily for educational purposes. What the amazing thing is, is that friends, my classmates, and me use Google as a casual fact finding service several times a day. I never realized this until Web 2.0 presented the facts about the educational power of the Internet.

With the Internet continuously growing at a ridiculous rate, Web 2.0 has evolved into Web 4.0. Check out the new video and think about 10 years from now. Think about how ridiculous the educational power of the Internet can/will be.

Introduction to EME2040

After the first week of EME class I began to realize how relevant this class is to our generation and future. The days of textbooks and classroom learning are becoming outdated, shopping online has trumped going to a store, and giant compilations of music can be downloaded in a single click (illegally). These, and many other, changes are a precursor of more to come and we, as a society, need be educated on how to handle them.

In the readings “Partnerships for 21^st Century Skills,” what caught my eye was the section about bringing 21st century interdisciplinary themes

into core subjects. The core subjects consisted of global awareness, financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy, healthy literacy, and environmental literacy. This caught my eye because these areas are essential to living a successful, well-educated lifestyle.

EME 2040 look to be a class that can educate student for “real life” scenarios, regardless of the field you are studying. I am planning on going to law school and becoming an attorney. Regardless of the field of law I enter, computer skills and education of programs will be essential to the future of my business, career, and lifestyle.


The video 21st Century Educational Reality shows how important it is for America, as a nation, and us, as the youth of America, to become educated. The future is now.

Week 4: Copyright Law: Fair Use

In today’s society, where everything can go viral and travel to millions of people in hours, copyright law has had to take on new challenges to stop the spread of copyright infringement on the web. Originally drafted to protect other medias of copyrighted material, laws have had to be re-drafted and amended to cater to today’s viral society. The author or creator of an original work is granted a set of exclusive rights to his product. The author can make copies, distribute, and adapt the work.

            Although copyright laws have been thoroughly drafted to protect a creator’s work, the fair use doctrine, under Title 17 of the U.S. Code, permits some copying and distribution without permission of the copyright owner. Fair use is not clearly defined, but there are four factors that play a role in allowing work to be used without permission:
1. The purpose and character of the use.
2. The nature of the copyrighted work.
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyright work. Works in the public domain are exempt from the restrictions of fair use.

           

            But, as we know, laws are not always 100% effective. As I type I am sure there is copyright infringement occurring on popular, regulated Web pages such as: Youtube, Facebook, Vimeo, Myspace, etc. I have uploaded a slideshow of my great memories of high school with a Beatles song playing as the pictures appear on the screen without attribution. Youtube caught my mistake and actually accredited the music for me. I think this happened because I titled the slideshow as “Octopus' Garden,” which was the title of the song I used from the Beatles. Youtube even has hundreds of videos poking fun at copyright laws. Hitler parodies have become very popular on Youtube, but have violated copyright laws. There have been so many done that Youtube can not regulate them all. There is even a "Hitler Reacts to the Hitler Parodies Being Removed" video. Nevertheless, copyright law is not to be reckoned with . . . but avoiding it is fairly easy.

            I plan on going into entertainment law after I graduate law school. Thoroughly understanding copyright law will be essential to protecting my client’s work. With all of the thievery occurring on the Web, understanding these laws are not only important for someone entering the entertainment field, but also for Web surfers who casually download, upload, and post copyrighted work. Before I learned about copyright law, I had no idea of the laws I had been breaking by posting, creating, and uploading content onto Web pages. 

Here is a video I found that was made on the topic of Copyright laws and fair use, it is very entertaining, informative, and clever. Check it out.