Lesson Plans | Philosophy of Edu

Mass Media Law blog

After reading the articles about mass media law, I was surprised to learn the controversy that exists behind copyrighting. I was unaware that there is such a group as the creative commons group. I think it is a wonderful idea because it is focused on establishing the amount of creative work available for others to use. It is an intricate part of education to be able to reproduce other scholars’ work and an organization that is focused on this deserves all the credit in the world. Also an organization such as the WIPO is also helpful in defining boundaries of what is accessible internationally and domestically for others to use.

After reading about copyright laws and what is and is not accessible I don’t think my Internet habits will change too much. I believe that the information that is posted on the Internet exists for the benefit of others. Information that is plagiarized or taken illegally should not be on the Internet to begin with. It is vital for laws such as the digital millennium copyright act to exist solely for this purpose.

I think person-to-person file sharing has a very important place in today’s world. Although there is an outpouring of criticism about it, so many people use it that it is nearly impossible to be able to control. Although much of the material that is shared is likely illegal, it seems that this is the way of the future. With the digital video and music age upon us, the ease at which this material is passed is bound to continue to grow. I myself don’t use it but I can certainly see the practicality of it.

It seems to me that creative commons doesn’t seem to take into account enough important media material. The idea behind creative commons is great. I believe in the future it will allow for a much broader spectrum of accessible material on the internet but for now it seems that it will remain small.

Adaptive Technology blog

The new technology available to people with disabilities has been a wonderful invention. It allows for people who are hearing or visibly disabled to use computers and interpret text in many easy ways.

I have learned about digital reading solutions such as electronic text and the Kurzweil system. This system allows for the text to be scanned into a computer and read back to an individual or it can be printed into Braille for the visually impaired. Screen readers allow for a visually impaired person to have the text of a document or web page read back to them or for a person who has trouble reading or cannot read. This technology can be difficult to learn as it takes a very long time for the user to get the layout of certain pages. Screen Magnification allows for persons who need to the text much larger because of sight impairment. The more text on a page, however, makes it more difficult to use the screen magnifier because it can only see a small amount at one time when the text is enlarged.

Outside of the world of Academia, it is extremely important for companies to provide this type of technology to their work force. It opens a whole new world for people with disabilities. It opens a multitude of doors with new opportunities for many people who felt that they might not be able to do many things. It encourages people, and allows for companies to fully put their impaired workers’ skills to work. It eliminates a barrier that has stood in the way for many years.

Adaptive and Assistive technology has evolved at a rapid rate. It seems that over the last 15 years, the growth of this technology has allowed for much more freedom for people with disabilities. It would be wonderful to see it more widely available in schools. I’m sure that much of it is already available but it must be updated in many cases. It is vital to the learning of impaired students.

Student Support Services opened my eyes to something I knew very little about. I could not believe the amount of technology that is already out there and seeing the Kurzweil system in action was very interesting. It seems like a very helpful place for students that need that extra help.

The ability for people with disabilities to navigate the Internet so freely in a world where the Internet is used daily is incredible. It is amazing to me to see how much accessibility there is available. I hope that this technology will continue to be used and updated frequently allowing for more and more opportunities to people who may yet have had the experience.

Podcasting Blog

Until this summer I thought that podcasting was kind of a silly thing. However, when I got an mp3 player I decided that I would try one out. Ever since, I have been hooked. I think they are the neatest things. The fact that just with a computer and a microphone you can have your voice heard is great. The range of podcasts that are out there is unbelievable. I think they are a way of the future. Aggregators are also great because they allow for ease in finding information. They make it much easier to find a podcast that you are interested in rather than surf through the many that exist. I think there is a strong educational benefit to podcasting. It allows for a worldwide transfer of auditory information without having leaving your home. It is extremely useful to a college student who can get a lecture downloaded right of the net. If I were to use podcasts in my classroom I think the kids would really enjoy it. Even if it wasn’t a podcast I created, I’m sure there would be some educational value in some of the podcasts that are out there such as the American masters series from PBS. I think this technology is just beginning and I think it will continue to grow and be useful to millions of people.

Created By: Mike Anderson
mdanderson_5483@yahoo.com
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Last Updated 9/5/06