Blog Post #3

     Copyright is a legal right that people have over their own creative works. Now it doesn't lock everything on the internet down, but it does give credit where credit is owed. When we use things that have copyright we need to check who owns the work, get permission to use it, give credit to its maker, maybe buy it if needed, and then we can use it. Fair use is when we use portions of people's creations without permission or paying a fee. This is used for things such as school, news, critics, etc. When using fair use you can only use a small part of the work, you have to add your own meaning to make it original, you need to use it in a different way, and you can't make money off of it. As a teacher, you definitely need to inform your students about these concepts. It is always a good idea to use your own material and to have your students create their own works, however, there will come a time when it is helpful to use other people's already created works. When this does occur, make sure that you know and your students know how and when to give credit to those who deserve it. 

    A couple of issues that can occur when teachers/schools implement technology can be cyberbullying and decreased productivity. Cyberbullying is one of the biggest problems that accompany technology everywhere it goes. It is so sad to me that people use the internet as an outlet to harm others. This is even sadder when it is in a class setting. Teachers need to be able to have some sort of handle of cyberbullying when using technology in their classes. This can mean that the teacher has complete access over the students and their use of technology and continuously checks to make sure they are using it correctly and not to hurt others. Decreased productivity is a concern to those who believe that kids are obsessed with technology. This can be true in some cases, however, technology has provided so many more ways of learning and has helped students overall. But in order to prevent decreased productivity, I believe that teachers should not fully rely on forms of technology to teach and make sure that their students are experiencing all kinds of methods of learning. 

    The Newsletter Assignment helped me become more comfortable with Microsoft Word. I hadn't used Word in a while so I was a little dusty. I learned how to make WordArt, I used the column settings, I created different kinds of shapes, etc. It was a little aggravating at times, but I got through it and learned on the way. I believe that I could improve my Newsletter with more WordArt or maybe some fun icons if I could figure out how to add those. I will definitely be using these skills in the future whether it be in my schooling or when I become a teacher. Here are some screenshots of my Newsletter: