WK4: Publishing/Leadership Presentation

Hello, and welcome to my Publishing/Leadership Presentation. The purpose of my action research was to study current practices within the music department at Delaware State University, and search for new and creative ways to integrate computer-assisted instruction and music technology within the music education curriculum to improve ear training, notation, and performance skills. Based on the literature review for this study, computer-assisted instruction and music technology play vital rolls in assisting students to achieve specific learning goals.

Analysis of the data from Cycles 1 and 2 of my research shows that students were able to improve their listening/ear training skills and became increasingly more conscientious and attentive to musical performance techniques, subsequently showing improved performance skills as well.

During the past two weeks, I have been looking at potential conferences that I would like to present the material of this Action Research Project. Since several of my students are registered and participating members of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), I thought this particular conference would be at the top of my list. The additional two conferences that I would consider presenting this material would be the International Society for Music Education (ISME) and the College Music Society (CMS).

Publishing/Leadership Presentation document:

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AbY_h7iaoqCrZGN2azRteHNfMjMzNGpzcmhmbg&hl=en_US

MENC:

http://www.menc.org/

ISME:

http://www.isme.org/

CMS:

http://www.music.org/cgi-bin/showpage.pl?tmpl=/profactiv/conf/natl/2011/2011home&h=95

Follow the these links to my “Think OutLoud" Blog Posts 1and 2:
Think OutLoud Blog Post #1
Think OutLoud Blog Post #2

WK4: Think OutLoud Blog Post #2

Now that my Publishing/Leadership presentation seems to have come together, I’m going to review all areas thoroughly to ensure that I haven’t overlooked any items that might need to be included as I move forward into month 12 of the EMDT Masters Program.  Now that I’m very close to the finish line of this program, it’s time to dig deep and be sure that I focus even more on the final details. I have few very minor adjustments to make to really polish things up and I’m confident that I will be able to do that and bring forth a solid final presentation.

WK4: Think OutLoud Blog Post #1

In thinking about how I wanted to present my Publishing/Leadership project, it seemed to me that the best way for me to articulate the ideas of my Action Research Project was to present in the week 4 Wimba session. I’m really glad that I made that choice because it helped me to prepare for the final presentation. Trying to condense nearly a years worth of research into only 10 minutes was really difficult. While I didn’t get to express everything I wanted to in that presentation, I was able to point out several key items of my AR Project.

WK4: Free Choice Blog Post

At the end of Cycle 1 of my Action Research Project, a few of the students started to collaborate on doing an optional music video project, which was to include one of the songs they would be creating at the start of Cycle 2. Using the general ideas I provided them on digital storytelling, they started to put together a storyboard/treatment and then selected rolls and cast members. The project came together quite nicely as the group took ownership of the ideas and did what was necessary to accomplish the task.

The group decided to do a hip-hop/rap video to demonstrate the sometimes harsh realities of dating. In planning their ideas they were sure to get the required written consent to film in all locations, and written consent to film all people involved. The project was so enjoyable to each of them that they decided they want to do another video in the future as you will discover after viewing it.

Please be advised that this video contains strong subject matter and explicit language in some areas.

WK4 Comment #2 to Sue Calland

Sometimes it takes a little more to reach some students, but I believe when you show students that you have a great sense of humor and are capable of laughing at yourself, they seem to respond positively. It sort of indicates to them that you, as the instructor, are just as normal and human as they are. I don't consider myself to be barrel full of laughs, but I try whatever it takes to create a light atmosphere and keep the learning environment entertaining and enjoyable.


Original Blog Post from Sue:

Don’t hold back & participate wholly!

The chapter that definitely meant the most to me was chapter 9.  I have noticed many times that the students in my 7^th & 8^th grade classes who are totally uninterested in school and completely uninspired, will give me full effort when I am my nuttiest!  They may look at me and roll their eyes, but every time I am passionate about what I do and really into it, they are definitely paying more attention than when I am just giving notes or lecturing.  It is so awesome to see that student that really doesn’t give a hoot about being in my class, study for a quiz or look at me and say, “Hey I get it!”  The crazier I am, the more I can generate a spark from them.  To get my students to remember waxing and waning moon phases, I do my Karate Kid, Mr. Miagi, stance with my karate move.  I may look like a goof, but they remember the moon phases!  I was at an awards assembly at the high school and a former student caught my eye when the speaker talked about “wax on, wax off”.  Across the gym she mouthed to me, “was on, wane off” with a big smile on her face.  She was in my class three years ago.  Those are the time that I know that if I don’t hold back, they understand and remember so much more.   They are also more willing to take a risk since I do.  

WK4: Comment #1 to Kristi Swartz

While the term 'enrollment' kind of seemed rather peculiar to me as well, I did find understanding in the meaning. Maybe you have experienced the concept of enrollment, but perhaps used a different term to describe it. Nevertheless, it becomes quite evident that in order to bring the best out in people, we should be willing to discover what inspires them. I'll quickly admit that it is not as great a task when working with music programs as I do, but it is possible.


Original Blog Post from Kristi:

Flickr photo by Suzie T

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!

WK4 Reading: The Art of Possibility Chp. 9-12

The practice of enrollment, in many regards, sounds similar to what I have been doing for the past several months but didn’t actually realize that I was doing it. Perhaps many of us have been demonstrating this practice unknowingly. I have always believed that when you discover what truly interests individuals, you not only add that ‘spark’ within them, but within yourself as well.

Many of my students seem to enjoy music immensely, however, I have noticed that when it was time to incorporate music technology as a learning tool, they seemed to think that everything was going to be extremely technical. They initially viewed it as all technology jargon and intense engineering protocol, leaving no room for fun and enjoyment. It wasn’t until I spoke with them and probed to find out what their musical tastes were and suggested to them that they could learn, experiment, and discover with the musical styles of their choice. Many were surprised that I did not suggest that it had to be classical music, which they had been accustomed to hearing in all of their other courses. What I was most interested in accomplishing was allowing each of them to reach their full potential in performance techniques and how to use music technology to help achieve that goal. This approach, rather simple in my opinion, lit a fire in all of them. They became eager to get started and began to invoke a sense of creativity even I didn’t expect.

Once it was understood that they could use any style of music to engage in the learning process, they started working even harder and longer to perfect their original works, which was beneficial to the overall goals. I was completely overwhelmed with the shift in attitude by simply appealing to their interests. It was if those ‘steps to the practice’ of enrollment were evident in what was a natural process at that particular time. When you are passionate about what you do, I believe you can find ways to give individuals that spark that allows them to become much more engaged in whatever they are participating in.

Royalty free image from http://www.sxc.hu/

WK3 Free Choice Blog Post - 3 Hot Topics in Education

Working in the music department with music education majors has given me the opportunity to also work closely with the education department at the college where I teach. As new information comes forward that relates to all education majors, they generously share that information with me. Last week I was trilled that they shared an article found online that talks about 3 hot topics in education. As we all have learned during our journey through the EMDTMS program, technology is clearly one of the hot topics being discussed at many schools. This article lists content standards, technology, and school safety as the 3 hot topics in education. When we consider everything we have learned over the past 11 months, it appears that each of these topics tie into our experience and what we will be challenged with as we move forward. We are clearly familiar with content standards and technology integration in the classroom, but we must not forget about safety issues. If you can recall, our first class in the program dealt with media literature and research, which enlightened us on how to comb through online media to determine validity, reliability, and dependability. I think that safety in media becomes an important issue for the 21st century student as well as safety in the way we are most familiar with. With the emergence of so many forms of social-networking websites, we must keep in mind that educating students on the dangers of internet use is of high importance as well.


Follow this link to read more regarding the 3 hot topics in education:


http://drpfconsults.com/hot-topics-changing-the-direction-of-education/

WK3 Comment #2 to Sandra Colby

We all have different components of our lives that sometimes make it difficult to take things lightly. However, in order to begin to find fulfillment within, I believe everyone must learn to find ways to not be so serious 100% of the time. There are times when we need to focus and take things seriously, but seriousness full speed ahead with no moments to relax does not allow for the brain to release those natural endorphins that help control feelings of stress and frustration. Truly learning to not take things or yourself so seriously can be of significant help to the mind and body.

I'm glad to see that you are finding the reading interesting. While we may never fully understand everything we read, we can open ourselves to see the big picture and work with that concept as the guiding principle.

Original Blog Post from Sandra:

This week the reading contained many different ideas on how to cope.  One is Rule #6.  It is a good thing that I reread this chapter as I really didn't understand it the first time.  Rule #6 is "Don't take your self so seriously".. 

I am told that I am too serious and in my present situation it is easy for me to be too serious.  There isn't much to be happy about, but if I think more about Rule #6, I have to not take myself too seriously.  I take everything too serious and get myself in trouble because I cannot relax and laugh at myself.

The one other point that I should make is about "leading from any chair".  As a Leo, I am considered to be a leader, but when I was in band, I was never in first chair, (at least in high school).  I became more of a leader when I was in Marching band in college.  There I became a section leader and was also a person who became a bus monitor during one of our bus trips.  (What is that quote about having greatness thrust upon oneself?) 

I do find this book to be interesting despite the fact that it is written from the point of view of a conductor of an orchestra.  Not everyone can relate to this.  Not everyone can even relate to being a musician in a large band or orchestra.  However, we are all cogs in different wheels.

WK3 Comment #1 to Michael George

I have also personally witnessed the irreverent behaviors of teachers just as you have stated. I see it as perhaps they are not happy in many walks of life and feel they have earned some sort of entitlement. As for me, I share your sentiment in the fact that I refer to everyone as fellow colleagues. The sum of the parts makes up the whole, and I honestly believe that we all need each other in some capacity.  This reminds me of an experience I had several years ago when I was looking for a few classical pieces to play on the piano for a wedding ceremony. I was speaking to a colleague of mine who was a custodian at the college where I teach, and I arbitrarily mentioned my dilemma regarding the music. I had known him for many years and always enjoyed the short conversations we would have from time to time. It was on this search for classical pieces that I discovered he had earned a Ph.D in classical music performance many years ago and he was able to provide me with the sheet music and audio of several appropriate pieces. It turns out that he had retired long ago and really didn’t need to work, but he found enjoyment in being able to stay active working with his hands and interacting with other employees during the day while he continued to perform occasionally on weekends. Sounded strange to me then as it probably does now, but who was I to judge? I wonder if I had treated him with any less respect than I did if the result of his actions in helping me would have been the same. Probably not!

And, thank you for your dedication to education. It is always inspiring to hear of other educators taking on the philosophy of helping students with their “hopes, dreams, and achievements.” I make every attempt to do the same. I try to always introduce something that makes my students go – Hmmm! One of my favorites is when I share with them the eye tricks of 3D stereograms. I share these fun elements as a way to encourage students to look far beyond what they initially see and think of, and learn to develop something I refer to as infinite vision.

 

Original Blog Post from Michael:


Chapter 5. Leading from Any Chair: We’re all leaders. How can we make a difference in the people will influence each day? How do we listen to those who help us make our dreams become reality?

I have only been an educator for a handful of years and when I started I didn’t clue into to the social pecking order.  Some teachers outright abused support staff and aides and didn’t treat them as valuable team players.  Just like chapter 5 illustrates, anyone can lead and have an influence.  

At my school, I refer to everyone as fellow educator, from the lunch lady to the principal. Each of us influences students each and every day and has an impact.  We all (hopefully) help students with their hopes, dreams, and achievements.

Chapter 6. Rule Number 6: Don’t take yourself so seriously. Life is a journey–enjoy and learn along the way. Live, laugh, and love!!

There is an old Yiddish proverb, מענטש טראַכט, גאָט לאַכט and since most of you don’t speak Yiddish, myself included, it translates into: “Man plans, God laughs.”

Control is an illusion.  

Each and every one of us has limited control over our life and we should treat it as a serendipitous journey then learn to “be present” and “be loving.”   So many try to will things in life, everything from relationships to having children to job promotions.  Seemingly unattainable goals make us unhappy in life and ruin the gifts that are present all around us.

Chapter 7. The Way Things Are: Sometimes settling for the way things are is a lowering of expectations, sometimes it’s finding a starting point so that one can make things better. Where are you in this continuum?

Often times when we are presented with overly complex stimuli, we shutdown and accept things as they are.   Acceptance can be a good thing since it reduces stress and anxiety in our lives.  However, there are some situations in life where complexities need to get sorted out.  The only way to change these situations is by taking baby steps.  
If you had to clean up 10 square miles of garbage, would you try to do it all in one day?  Certainly not, you would set smaller goals and maybe work on 100 square yards per day.  This is a baby step.  An attainable goal, and this is how I tend to work to make things better.  

Chapter 8. Giving Way to Passion: Control says that the only way to avoid disappointment and frustration is to not care at all. No hits, no runs, but most importantly, no errors. What are you doing in your daily life that expresses your passion or the things you are passionate about?

What does it mean to care?  Is caring an outward act?  Is it an emotion? Is it both? In my daily life I express my passion by showing that I care through outward acts.  Spending time with a person, or idea, or project and focusing on it to help change it for the better are how I show that I care.

WK3 Reading: Art of Possibilities Chp. 5-8

While reading chapters 5 through 8 of The Art of Possibility, I was most intrigued by chapter 8, which speaks of giving way to passion. My first thought was that I felt I must share this idea with my students as way to suggest to each of them how important it is to be completely committed to the activities they choose to take on. I often remind them that participating in any activity or organization for the sake of tile, position, and/or stature is neither beneficial to them nor the activity or organization they are involved in. Reading the suggested two steps in giving way to passion are notable concepts that I will include when discussing this overall theme of passion to my students.

How gratifying it was for me when chapter 8 later used Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata as an analogy to long lines discussed in that chapter. That particular sonata, which is one of my most favorite pieces to perform, is ironically the piece that I often use to demonstrate several concepts when working with select students. I think because of the familiarity of the piece, students become more engaged, which allows me to really articulate the expressive movements within the music. The Moonlight Sonata, when misinterpreted musically, bares a strong resemblance to life itself. Just as in the Moonlight Sonata, life can produce a “dull and numbing performance” when emphasis is placed in the wrong areas.

The heart of the matter, in my opinion, and as suggested in the reading, is that knowing your passion and allowing yourself to be consciously open to discovering that energy and life force, enables you to demonstrate a positive uniqueness. That uniqueness in expression is what brings meaning that extends beyond the “meaning viewed from the ground.”

  

WK2 Free Choice Blog Post: New Music Industry Concentration at DSU

(ProTools C24 automated mixer) 

Photo by Marty Denson

After three years of research and planning, our School Board and Faculty Senate committee has just approved the new Music Industry Concentration for the Music Department. This new concentration will add a new perspective to our department where we can now offer a degree program that directly relates to the technical and business aspects of the music industry. Thanks in part to Dr. Yvonne Johnson, department chair, and Dr. David Tolley, associate professor of Music Industry, we are able to add so much more to the music curriculum. 


When I joined the music department just over a year ago, I decided to start writing a proposal that would potentially support the new concentration once it was approved. My proposal consisted of several programs that included the possibilities of creating summer engineering programs, vocal recording workshops, music recording workshops, and music composition workshops. I also included ideas of developing new certificate programs as well. It was such perfect timing that the EMDT program required us to start the process of working on action research. A lot of the research conducted in the process of my AR Project was of significant help in putting together several sections of the proposal. I am looking forward to being able to implement the ideas within the proposal in the next school year.

WK2: Comment #2 to Zoe Marlowe

Zoe:

It is so refreshing to read books that demonstrate personal accounts of higher order thinking skills from educators. I also found the content quite interesting and was enthralled myself. It seems as though the interdisciplinary nature of ‘the arts’ allows for such creative approaches to education, while other subjects tend to follow a more guided structure as mentioned in the reading. I think being a musician and teaching music helped to draw a connection for me in this case. As I was reading, I found myself attempting to think of an avant garde technique for my students. Perhaps the concept of giving all students an “A” initially is the technique we should use as a model for allowing us to be more innovative and creative in our teaching methods.

I tried an unusual and spontaneous method with one of my students and I was completely surprised by the result. I noticed he was totally fascinated when he saw me working in Photoshop CS5, so I let him borrow one of my laptops to experiment with. My instructions for him were quite simple because I really wanted to see what extent he would take it. He returned two days later and voluntarily gave me a full 30-minute presentation on everything he had discovered and created. He actually taught me a few new features within Photoshop CS5. What was so interesting about the experience was that presentation skills were a huge part of our music education lesson plans this past semester. Throughout the school semester, the faculty put all of the focus on students presenting musical content and they became so concerned if the students had the information correct that they completely ignored the purpose of the activity – PRESENTATION! I felt so bad as I watched the students struggle to remember the material while their presentation techniques suffered. It just goes to show that if presentation skills are what the students need to improve, it does not have to necessarily be musical content even if it is music education. If Photoshop can improve a students presentation skills, then Photoshop it is!

Original Blog Post from Zoe:

    

Ben and Roz Zander’s book “The Art of Possibility” is one of the best books of its kind I have ever read. It is a complete ‘page turner’ for me anyway. I absolutely love it and could not close my e-book reader until nearly 2:00 a.m. I should mention here that I am not a very engaged, excited or avid reader of non-fiction, textbook-types of reading materials, with one exception of course, I do love Adobe Creative Suite instructional books. This ‘textbook’ is so different. I really did not feel like I was reading a textbook or a ‘how-to’ book for our course. Roz and Ben’s stories are all true, from their own life experiences, so I feel very ‘connected’ to them right away. While each chapter is a sort of ‘technique’ description, such as “Giving an A” and “Be a Contribution,” they are also a testament as to why these individuals are so successful in their lives. I can’t personally see how anyone reading this book could not improve something about their own life, no matter how small. 

Zander’s concept of giving an A is really interesting to me. Because he is a teacher of a group of musical students, who play orchestral instruments, it seemed to me that they would be a really receptive ‘audience’ for that type of grading. I can also see it working in other artistic courses such as drawing, painting, graphic design, etc. However, I think it would be difficult to teach say a high school English course and start the semester giving all the students an A to begin with, and somehow expect them to ‘earn’ that A as the time goes on. I suppose every case of this is different, and I really did like the idea, it sounded like his class really took it to heart from some of the wonderful letters the students wrote to him which he published in the book. I really enjoyed the heartfelt letters very much.

On being a ‘contribution’ in your life to others around you, that makes perfect sense. No matter how busy I am, I try to be there for people who need me or need something. I am up to my ears in my AR project as well as these courses at the moment, plus I have other obligations to take care of. However, I am making time this week to help a long time friend of mine who is out of work. I have offered to create a new resume for him and to shoot some photos of him ready for his job search efforts. He is not as computer savvy as I am, and he needs the help. I am glad to do this because he is going to make the effort to look for work in an economically crippled town in this poor economic time our country is going through. I think it’s the least I can do to contribute to someone else’s luck. 

I love the book, I think everyone should read it regardless of what their profession or schooling is.

WK2: Comment #1 to Sue Calland

I echo the idea that instructors alike should understand that grades are not everything. The fact that I work in the area of music education, I am fortunate to be involved in a curriculum that focuses tremendously on performance. I guess it is just the overall nature of music education, especially when it comes to instrumentalists. I see that you view a world without measurement would be nice, however, you believe that to be unrealistic. My first question to you would be; on what premise did you draw the conclusion that the idea of a world without measurement is unrealistic? Did the very thought of measurement guide your thinking? Did you ask yourself the question of “How are my thoughts and actions, in this moment, reflections of the measurement world? I pose these questions based on the reading of “The Art of Possibilities”, which discusses getting to the heart of the matter with regards to what the practice is that orients us to a universe of possibilities. The framework talked about in that chapter, with respect to the example of the box around the nine dots, suggested that we should position ourselves in the realm of possibilities that go beyond the traditional boundaries. 


Original Blog Post from Sue:

First of all, Benjamin Zander is a wonderful speaker and extremely easy to listen to.  I was a bit confused in the beginning of the video with what exactly a “One Buttock Player” was, but then I caught his point.  You need to look at the whole, not at the individual parts.

Being a science teacher, I am constantly telling my kids to think outside the box. 

One quote from the book that stuck with me was, “…even science relies on our capacity to adapt to new facts by radically shifting the theoretical constructions we previously accepted as truth.”  Although I do completely agree that a world without measurement would be really nice and relaxing, I do not feel it is actually realistic.  The author states, “You are more likely to be successful, overall, if you participate joyfully with projects and goals and do not think your life depends on achieving the mark because then you will be better able to connect to people all around you.”  One point Zander makes is that if grades were not given, people would be more willing to take a risk.  However, I feel that also needs to be understood by the instructor.  My sophomore daughter decided to challenge herself on her Spanish assignment.  She refused to take the easy way by using given phrases and really worked hard on her assignment, but made some mistakes with it and was docked points for doing so.  If she had stuck with the easier phrases, she would have achieved all of the points for her grade.  That instructor was teaching her to just do it the easy way and don’t challenge yourself because then you will get a better grade.  In my classroom, when I ask a student a question that they do not know the answer or to think they don’t know, I tell them to just give it a try, the worst thing that can happen is they are wrong and if they haven’t been wrong yet today they should try being in my life!  This usually relaxes them and they give it a try.  They frequently surprise themselves with being right or having a new way to look at something. 

As I continued to read through chapter 3 I realized that the authors were not strictly referring to a grade, but to a teacher’s encouragement of his/her students and the manner in which the classroom is run and allowing students to be contributors. 

I just hope that I can rescue one starfish!

 

WK2 Reading: The Art of Possibility

“The Art of Possibility” reading certainly sheds light on independent thinking, which considers the commonly used phrase – think outside of the box. I can only imagine how augmented education would become if educators took on the philosophy of “it’s all invented” and truly understood the concept. The constructs of our minds rely greatly upon our previous experiences and learning, which I believe psychologically enslaves us to a world of measurement, as described in the reading.

In the reading, Mr. Zander demonstrated an interesting concept of giving each student an “A” for the course and subsequently inviting each of them to write in past-tense their explanation as to how they achieved that letter grade. This process appears as clear intent to allow the students to focus more on the accomplishments and process of attaining educational goals rather than thinking exclusively of the letter grade. I am a firm believer that the key to learning is through a students’ ability to methodically step through the educational process and focus on reaching optimal performance within the subject matter. Considering I work in music education, I find this idea a much easier concept to manage. Questions posed in the reading give a good reference as to how to begin to think differently when teaching. I have found that teachers are often caught in situations where they must meet content standards and feel constrained to delivering results in the manner school officials desire. I have been in this position many times in my professional career and it really limited me from inserting more innovative and creative ideas. In fact, I found myself losing that mentality of a task oriented way of working, and doing things more mechanically.

When considering education, we clearly see that grades are a key component that allows society to later recognize a students’ previous performance. Many of you may agree that it would be somewhat impossible to eliminate the letter/number grading system, but what if all educators learned the art of how to remove the focus from the letter grade and place it more on performance. The possibility is there. How many of us are willing to trade in the old way of thinking and make a conscious effort to initiate higher order thinking? We are teaching our students to adopt this thinking process, so it only makes sense that we as teachers challenge ourselves to do the same at an even higher level.

WK1: Free Choice Blog Post: MacOS Special Characters

Now that we have discussed the topic of copyright laws for our Media Asset Creation course, I have had a few people inquire as to how to create the copyright symbol, registered trademark symbol, etc. As some of you may have noticed, the option key on MacOS functions as a modifier key just like the shift key. Creating shortcuts for special characters can be achieved by either holding the option key and pressing an additional letter or number key – or by holding the option and shift key simultaneously and then pressing an additional letter or number key. Here are a few examples of this feature:

option+2                    ™

option+g                   ©

option+r                    ®

option+shift+k          

To see the complete list of special characters: option+command+T

When you have the special characters window open you can also double click on the character to insert it into your document. For more information regarding special characters, HTML name/number codes, and glyph, check out this site:

http://www.nouilles.info/keyboard_shortcuts.html

Wk1: Comment #2 to David Cheng

David,

The last paragraph of your post really intrigued me so I just had to respond. I worked in a graphics and printing department at the university level for 21 years and I am really sorry that you had to experience that particular issue with the use of images purchased by another unit at your institution. This was a topic I had to deal with on many occasions. The first thing I can say is that you are not completely crazy in thinking that the use of materials purchased by web designers at your institution is a violation of copyright laws. What’s important to know is that there is something that is referred to as “Multi-Seat Licenses” when it comes to purchased image subscriptions. This is described as such:

           

“Notwithstanding the restriction contained in section 4(a)(11) of the Standard License Prohibitions limiting you to a single seat or location to use the Content, you shall be entitled with respect to this Content to an unlimited number of seats or users of the Content within your organization, provided all such users are either employees or agree with us to be bound by the Agreement, and that you remain liable for all use by such additional users. The Agreement is hereby deemed amended in that respect. All other terms and conditions of the Agreement remain in full force and effect, including all Prohibited Uses.”

My suggestion for you would be to investigate this and determine if they have a “Multi-Seat License” for the images they have purchased. If indeed they do, you are entitled to use those images. Without a license for multiple users, they have the right to deny access and use of any such purchased image and/or subscriptions.

Original Blog Post by David:

There are so many things in the world that are happening with copyright..., and the way it has held and stiffened our potential, it should be considered a crime of the highest order. While we (this applies to many countries, but I'm referring to the USA) fight for censorship, we still haven't recovered from the weakening of the "press" and the powers they used to give us. Many companies don't fear the "press" anymore, ...because they own it.

I loved the clips, specially the Ted.com one, and the Remix Culture one (a logo of my Alma matter, Temple University's Media Education Lab appears in one of the pamphlets at 2:08). I think they make you think about the future of copyright, and the urge to fight before everything is off limits, and everyone becomes a pirate.

I apologize if I sound like I'm venting, but this is the issue that broke my dream of becoming a journalist (I studied journalism, and changed it to communications). I went to "The Philadelphia Inquirer" for a short internship, and after being explained what I could do and not do (can't disclose this), I just picked my things and left. This became my fastest internship ever. But I hope that enough pressure can be put to some of these corporations by the next generations, that eventually they will let go and give us our uncensored, free of permissions free speech expression. But to other matters...

There is this case at work that baffles me, and maybe I should ask a lawyer about this, but I put it here anyways, and please let me know what you think. I work in a media and online course department, in a community college, which produces courses and also videos for broadcasting and other purposes. Sometimes I need a stock photo for an internal video (one that won't circulate outside of the institution). We have some web designers that have subscriptions for some of these stock photo websites. When I go to one of them to ask for a photo, they tell me that the license is in their personal name, and that only they can use the photos. I then tell them, we not only work for the same educational institution, but also in the same department. There is no money made for some of these videos, and not even students will see these videos. They say they can only use the photos for their own projects at work, and can't even accept collaborators in their projects, or this would be a copyright violation. If the college paid for these subscriptions, then shouldn't they be open to their employees? I tried to read the copyright notices, and couldn't find much clear information as to confirm or debunk this. Since then, I just take a Canon 5D MkII and the college car, and go take my own pictures for the videos. Neither my supervisor nor the media managers want to take sides on this issue either. Would this fall in fair use if I take a picture (that is crucial to complete the video) that my co-worker used for a similar project and use it? Is this something that would merit a lawyer? Let me know what you think, thanks.