end of the semester wrap up

Here we are at the end of the semester...Wow. This class has definately been an adventure. What I have walked away with is immeasureable. Technology is really changing. What I new growing up is not the same by a long shot. The programs we have been taught have opened my eyes greatly to what we have acheived.
Each assignment we have had to complete has added greatly to my resume. It is wonderful to have ann opportunity to experiment with all that we have.

copyright and librarians

Simpsons chapters this week were very interesting. I feel that librarians should not be the ones in charge of copyright issues entirerly, it should be a shared responsability with administration. I believe this way for one reason and that is that teachers and educators share the need to know the rules of copyright and they do make alot of mistakes which cause trouble with the copyright laws. This can cause trouble for the school financially. The best thing educators can do is if they are unsure they should find the answer out definitively by asking. By asking this takes the responsibility from there shoulders.
I also believe that copyright laws are put into place to protect but it can be very difficult finding the correct way to persue copyright safety when you have to fumble through so many different rules and regulations.
On to writing a new resume!

e-Books

The topic of this weeks discussion being e-books brings many questions to light for me. First I wonder if doing away with textbooks in lue of ebooks is such a great idea. I like that you can access textbooks quickly using ebooks but I am still in favor a picking up a book to find information. I also wonder if constantly using a computer screen for reading really helps eyesight. I also have noticed by using a kindle ebook that the screen is very small.
I wonder if ebooks will be more or less expensive than textbooks? I think that the price of textbooks is becoming more and more expensive so if ebooks can be a cheaper alternative I am definately in favor of that.
As for ebooks in a classroom setting I like the idea of them for reference materials because they cut down on shelf space needed in the library. As for using them in an elementary school I think that they are alittle advanced. Although I like the idea of the creativity that can be used to create ebooks as way of exploring a unit or lesson. In attending the online conference I discovered that creating ebooks can be quite easy and fun and that the students enjoy doing this type of work. It also makes for a nice alternative for parents to follow what there children are up to at school.
All in all I like the idea of ebooks. We will see if they take off after they work out the problems they have with there hardware. On to next week.