Intellectual Property in a Digital Age

I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on Twitter.  Yet the conversation about “intellectual property” and “does the school own my work?”, has come up several times in the last month and I wanted to share my thoughts.

From my rudimentary understanding of intellectual property, older practices in education (that still might exist today) state that when you worked for a school district, the things that you created in relation to your job, while under contract, are owned by the employer.  When there is a physical element in play, this does make some sense.  You create something, use school supplies, resources, and the only one for you to “own” the physical item, would mean either taking it, or copying it, which would cost money to your employer.  But what happens when it is digital?

Technically, this would still solely be owned by the district (in many cases).

Here are a few problems with this thinking…

1. Educators may become reluctant to spend time creating digital resources, or share them with colleagues, if they know they would have to start from scratch if they were to move.
2. Because of the above, you may limit “innovation” because educators may be told that they have “ownership” over their learning, but in reality, it is owned by someone else.
3. Not only does this hurt the move to a culture of innovation, this also just hurts culture. If you get into a situation as an educator when you are leaving and a district says they own your content online, this is not the best advertisement for new educators coming in.  Many people judge their time in any organization based on how they were treated when they left,  not necessarily the majority of their time with the school or district.  Who will you attract long term?

Now with digital, it is easy for both parties to have access; not just the teacher, but the district. I can understand that if you created resources while working for a district, why they would want access, but I can also understand why the educator would want to take this with them moving forward if they are to leave. With digital, you can have both.

Since this is just something I am starting to research more, I would love your thoughts.  Yet the reason I bring this up is that this is a traditional practice that needs a rethink in our world today.  We need to look at ways where we attract and develop people who want to be innovators, not discourage the process.

“Who owns the learning?”, is not a question that applies only to students, we will have to look at this question from the viewpoint of educators as well.

 

• February 14, 2017 4 Questions to Lay the Foundation for a “Culture of Innovation”
• May 16, 2016 Meaningful Change is On All of Us
• October 18, 2012 Let’s Figure This Out
• October 30, 2016 5 Terms We Need to Rethink in Education
• November 8, 2012 Denying Our World

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The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

One thing I miss about working in a bookstore is being near the kid's books.  I always enjoyed walking into that space and looking at all of the great stories on the shelves.  I'm pretty sure if I'd had the opportunity to see so many kid's  books when I was a youngster I'd probably have danced around and twirled a bit through sheer excitement.  

I realized as I started reading The Girl Who Drank the Moon that I had read Kelly Barnhill's earlier novel, The Mostly True Story of Jack years ago when it first came out in 2011.  I loved that book; it took place in Iowa, and was very unusual and magical.  What an imagination Kelly Barnhill has--what a gift!

I picked up this novel because it had just recently won the Newbery Award and I was curious.  Whenever I read a teen or young reader novel, I have to constantly check my inner voice and basically tell it to shut up.  I have to remember who the intended audience is, and that they are reading from a much more innocent, non-adult place.  I think it will do me a lot of good to read more young reader and teen books!

So, to the novel.  The Protectorate is a town that is filled with sorrow.  It's always gloomy, the sun never shines, and the people live very poorly.  The Elders and the Sisters run the show, and they have a yearly tradition that feeds more sorrow into the atmosphere (and keeps people under control):  once a year, they take the youngest baby in the village, and leave it in the forest as a sacrifice to the witch that lives there.  This keeps the witch from coming to the village and wreaking havoc on everyone.  It keeps them safe.  This year, a mother fights to keep her child, and is deemed crazy and taken to the Tower, where she is imprisoned by the Sisters.  The child is taken to the forest and left there.  

Here's the kicker:  The Elders have made it all up.  They leave the baby in the forest to die from exposure or, worse yet, animals.  There's no witch, as far as they're concerned.  It's just a way to keep control of the village.  Very teen dystopian!  

Here's the other kicker:  there really is a witch, Xan, who lives in the forest with her friends Glerk, the swamp monster, and Fyrian, the little dragon.  She finds the babies every year, and takes them to the other side of the forest, into the towns and villages there, and gives them to loving families.  She has no idea why they leave the babies in the forest, but she takes care of them and saves them from certain death.  This time, when a baby girl is left, Xan hesitates to take her to the villages for adoption.  Feeding her moon magic, she gives the baby too much, and the baby becomes magical.  Xan decides to keep the baby for herself, names her Luna, and raises her as her grandmother in the forest. Xan knows when Luna turns thirteen her magic will really kick in, and it will be time for Xan to give all her magic and die.  After all, Xan is 500 years old, and ready to be done.  

Of course, this plan doesn't work out that well.  Luna is a powerful little girl, and the magic is leaking out of her constantly. She has no way to control it, so Xan puts a spell on her that will keep the magic tamped down, and make it impossible for Luna to learn about magic or use it until she's thirteen.  

But that's not all that's going on in this story.  There's a young man in the village who struggles with the yearly tradition, and seeks a way to reconcile his feelings and find a solution.  He's got hope, a tiny spark of hope, that things will change.  But the change is not something that the Elders or Sisters want.  

I wondered if a child reading this novel would understand the undertone of powerful people doing bad things, and the oppression of people.  That the face some people put on in public is not who they really are, and it can hide some bad stuff.  That those people you think are bad just by hearing stories or seeing their physical self, actually are very kind and loving people who got a bad rap through stories and gossip.  They are the true healers and good people. 

I did enjoy this novel; I do wonder at the length for young readers.  I'd say advanced readers would swallow it up pretty quickly, but younger kids would struggle a bit.  The writing is fantastic, and the plot is pretty clever.  You can almost feel the magic oozing off the pages.  I enjoyed how the story unfolded and concluded.  Worthy of the Newbery.  Hope to read more of Kelly Barnhill; if she ever wrote an adult novel I'd grab it without hesitation. 

Rating:  4/6 for a beautifully written young reader novel about family, love, magic, sacrifice, and the evil that lurks behind those who are supposed to be looking out for all of us.  

Available in hardcover and e-reader.  

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Berry Cereal Treats

Berry Cereal Treats are everything you love about marshmallow cereal treats, but with a berry twist. They’re simple, delicious, and the perfect recipe to make with your little one.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Campfire® Marshmallows. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that continue to make My Baking Addiction possible.

Elle has officially become a lover of the color pink. And as shocked as I am to admit this, I’m kind of into it even though I am not a huge of the color myself.

Last week, she had her first dance class and scoffed at the sight of black tap shoes the school provided. With her arms crossed and brows all furrowed up, she stated, Mommy, these shoes aren’t pretty. They’re not pink!

Once we knew she loved dance class, I was totally that mom searching the interwebs for baby pink tap shoes – which, by the way, I figured would totally be a thing. But they’re not.

All of the pairs I’ve come across are from a company in Europe and were not in her size – even eBay was a bust. So, we settled on a new black patent pair from Target to go with gray leggings with pink flamingos. I tell ya, it’s all about compromise.

To celebrate her doing so well at her first dance class, we decided to whip up a batch of marshmallow cereal treats, but – you guessed it, she wanted them to be pink.

I just so happened to have a fresh box of Very Berry Cheerios in the pantry and decided to pair them with a package of dehydrated berries that I picked up for her to snack on.

If you’ve never had dehydrated berries, add them to your grocery list immediately. They’re slightly tart, crunchy and perfectly sweet. We love adding them to yogurt, cereal, or just eating them straight out of the bag for a little snack.

When I went into the pantry to grab a bag of Campfire® Mini Marshmallows, I came across one lonely bag of Campfire® CupidMallows and decided they’d be the perfect shade of pink.

And since we can’t make marshmallow cereal treats without adding in extra marshmallows, we threw some Campfire® Mini Marshmallows in just before we spread the mixture into the pan.

My friend Amber taught me this trick years ago and I’ve never looked back. I mean who doesn’t love an extra gooey, marshmallowy treat with pops of whole marshmallow?!

The beauty of these cereal bars is that you can customize them with pretty much any flavor cereal and marshmallows, so if you can’t find the CupidMallows, no worries because any 10-ounce bag of marshmallows will do.

We immediately fell in love with these Berry Cereal Treats, but we’re already talking about fun combinations for next time. I could see adding chocolate chips at the last minute, or even dipping them in a little melted dark chocolate. Nothing like gilding the lily, right?

If you’re looking for more marshmallow cereal treats, be sure to check out the S’mores Marshmallow Crispy Treats and these Birthday Marshmallow Cereal Treats. Both a fun way to take your cereal treats to a whole new level!

Berry Cereal Treats

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 10-ounce package Campfire® Marshmallows ( I used CupidMallows)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 cups Very Berry Cheerios
• 2/3 cup dehydrated mixed berries, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup Campfire® Mini Marshmallows, optional
• 1/3 cup melted while chocolate, optional

 

Directions:

1. Line a 9 x 9-inch* baking pan with parchment paper or foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In large pan, melt butter over low heat.  Add the marshmallows to the pan and stir until completely melted. Stir in the vanilla and remove pan from the heat.
3. Gradually add Cheerios; stirring until well coated. Stir in the dehydrated berries and mini marshmallows until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Use a buttered spatula or clean hands to firmly press the mixture into the prepared pan.
5. Cool completely and cut into bars.
6. If desired, drizzle Berry Cereal Bars with melted white chocolate. Allow chocolate to harden before serving.

Notes:

• *If you want the bars to be thinner, I'd suggest using a 9 x 13-inch pan instead of a 9 x 9-inch pan.

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Lemon Sugar Cookie Cups with Strawberry Frosting

Lemon Sugar Cookie Cups with Strawberry Frosting are just about the cutest Easter sweet you could make. So fun and festive!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Wholesome Organic products. All opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.

I can’t believe we’re already headed into spring. Before you know it, Easter will be here, and with it, all the delicious ham and hash brown casserole a girl could eat.

But who am I kidding? The real story is what we’re eating for dessert, and I’ve decided what we’re eating are these Lemon Sugar Cookie Cups with Strawberry Frosting.

(more…)

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An Idea to Innovation to Best Practice

A question that was posed recently was challenging the notion of “innovation” in education, and how it challenges best practice.  “Best practice” can often be seen as the enemy to innovation.  But “best practice” doesn’t stay as “best practice” forever.  Look at the “Blockbusters” of the world. What was once best practice to them, was what they hold onto, and how they eventually collapsed.  Standing still is the same as moving backwards in our world. You can have been an amazing teacher ten years ago, but if you have changed nothing in those ten years, you could now be irrelevant.  The best veteran teachers in the world look back at the beginning of their careers and think, “What was I doing?!??!”, not because they were bad, but because they are now so much better.

Yet how dare a teacher “challenge” best practice?  First of all, “best practice” in instruction and learning is not best practice for everyone. What works for one, might not work for another.  I have been thinking a lot about the “eye test”; if a teacher doesn’t see that something is working for their students, is their professional wisdom trumped by a researcher who has never worked with their children?  If something is working for your students, then keep doing that (and I am not talking about test scores, but growth in learning). But if it isn’t, teachers either need to learn something new, or create something new to serve those students.

There has never been a best practice in teaching and learning, that wasn’t at first an “innovation”.  Someone, or some group, was in the pursuit of doing something better for students, and they saw their new practice as better than what they were doing before.  This image summarizes the process of innovation in education.

Ideas lead to innovation, but only if we turn those thoughts into actions. Yet if those actions are new and better, they will become best practice for a period of time. There should be no better researcher of student learning than the teacher working directly in classrooms. They have to decide when to embrace best practice, and when to create “next practice”. That is where the true innovation in teaching and learning happens.

• September 19, 2016 3 More Critical Questions For the Innovative Educator
• September 8, 2016 The #InnovatorsMindset MOOC Starting Soon! #IMMOOC
• September 16, 2016 What’s the risk? #IMMOOC
• October 22, 2016 Technology does not equal innovation, but using technology is often crucial to innovation.
• September 15, 2016 The Arrows Go Back and Forth #IMMOOC

Source: George Couros

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An Idea to Innovation to Best Practice

A question that was posed recently was challenging the notion of “innovation” in education, and how it challenges best practice.  “Best practice” can often be seen as the enemy to innovation.  But “best practice” doesn’t stay as “best practice” forever.  Look at the “Blockbuster’s” of the world. What was once best practice to them, was what they hold onto, and how they eventually collapsed.  Standing still is the same as moving backwards in our world. You can have been an amazing teacher ten years ago, but if you have changed nothing in those ten years, you could now be irrelevant.  The best veteran teachers in the world look back at the beginning of their careers and think, “What was I doing?!??!”, not because they were bad, but because they are now so much better.

Yet how dare a teacher “challenge” best practice?  First of all, “best practice” in instruction and learning, is not best practice for everyone. What works for one, might not work for another.  I have been thinking a lot about the “eye test”; if a teacher doesn’t see that something is working for their students, is their professional wisdom trumped by a researcher who has never worked with their children?  If something is working for your students, then keep doing that (and I am not talking about test scores, but growth in learning), but if it isn’t, teachers either need to learn something new, or create something new, to serve those students.

There has never been a best practice in teaching and learning, that wasn’t at first an “innovation”.  Someone, or some group, was in the pursuit of doing something better for students, and they saw their new practice as better than what they were doing before.  This image summarizes the process of innovation in education.

Ideas lead to innovation, but only if we turn those thoughts into actions. Yet if those actions are new and better, they will become best practice for a period of time. There should be no better researcher of student learning than the teacher working directly in classrooms. They have to decide when to embrace best practice, and when to create “next practice”. That is where the true innovation in teaching and learning happens.

• September 19, 2016 3 More Critical Questions For the Innovative Educator
• September 8, 2016 The #InnovatorsMindset MOOC Starting Soon! #IMMOOC
• September 16, 2016 What’s the risk? #IMMOOC
• October 22, 2016 Technology does not equal innovation, but using technology is often crucial to innovation.
• September 15, 2016 The Arrows Go Back and Forth #IMMOOC

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Leading Within the Box, #IMMOOC Week 2

One of the struggles that I have encountered as a connected educator is the constant comparison of what my actual leadership/position entails and what twitter and blog posts make me think it should look like. Homework is bad! Everyone should do PBL! What do you mean your staff isn’t on Twitter? Who cares about standardized [...]

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