Changes

Create a folder with this topic name, this could be a sub-folder within 'Documents' folder.  You should identify a topic (or two), in which you are interested to create resources.  Your own work as a student teacher may require you to source / make materials for classroom teaching-learning processes, or you may want to share your ideas and thoughts, as a resource, with your classmates for mutual learning, or you may simply want to create a resource for your self-development. The topic could be from the subject(s) you teach (a science topic like ‘Light’ or a mathematics topic such as ‘number system’ or a geography topic as ‘forests’), or a larger issue in education ('Challenges of teaching in inner-city public schools'), or larger social issue ('global warming'). It will be much more meaningful learning, if as a part of this course, you could access, create and publish a learning resource on a topic which you want to learn/ know more about or need teaching resources. You could create this  resource in English or in Kannada or your own language.  

Create a folder with this topic name, this could be a sub-folder within 'Documents' folder.  You should identify a topic (or two), in which you are interested to create resources.  Your own work as a student teacher may require you to source / make materials for classroom teaching-learning processes, or you may want to share your ideas and thoughts, as a resource, with your classmates for mutual learning, or you may simply want to create a resource for your self-development. The topic could be from the subject(s) you teach (a science topic like ‘Light’ or a mathematics topic such as ‘number system’ or a geography topic as ‘forests’), or a larger issue in education ('Challenges of teaching in inner-city public schools'), or larger social issue ('global warming'). It will be much more meaningful learning, if as a part of this course, you could access, create and publish a learning resource on a topic which you want to learn/ know more about or need teaching resources. You could create this  resource in English or in Kannada or your own language.  

Try searching for 'Mathematics' or 'Science' or 'Geography' applications, Ubuntu Software Centre. and install a software you think will be useful for your learning.  

Try searching for 'Mathematics' or 'Science' or 'Geography' applications, Ubuntu Software Centre. and install a software you think will be useful for your learning.

 

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You will find that much more resources are available for your topic in English compared to Kannada or other languages.   

You will find that much more resources are available for your topic in English compared to Kannada or other languages.   

==== Accessing the global digital library (GDL) ====

==== Accessing the global digital library (GDL) ====

# Is the information reliable - always check more than one website

# Is the information reliable - always check more than one website

# Is it for teachers or for children?

# Is it for teachers or for children?

==== Professional learning communities of teachers for collaboration and peer learning ====

==== Professional learning communities of teachers for collaboration and peer learning ====

Since the internet is a network of computers, you can send messages (called 'emails' or simply 'mails') from your computer to others, who can access it on any computer connected to the internet.  

Since the internet is a network of computers, you can send messages (called 'emails' or simply 'mails') from your computer to others, who can access it on any computer connected to the internet.  

You may be using a 'free' (as in free of cost) email such as Gmail. You should know that your mails can be 'read' by the email provider Google. Your mails are 'machine read' by Google to show you advertisements based on the content of your mails. Your mails may also be 'tapped' by authorised and unauthorised entities as it passes over the internet. Hence you need to take the maximum care of your digital information and be careful of what you share digitally.   

You may be using a 'free' (as in free of cost) email such as Gmail. You should know that your mails can be 'read' by the email provider Google. Just like Google retains your 'searches' information, it also  'machine reads' your mails, so that it can show you advertisements based on the content of your searches and mails.  

 

Your mails may also be 'tapped' by authorised and unauthorised entities as it passes over the internet. Hence you need to take the maximum care of your digital information and be careful of what you share digitally. You should not assume that anything digital is automatically private and confidential, it may not be.   

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable"

Your teacher would have created a 'class group' mailing list. You can send a mail to this list id, which will go to all students, who are members of the list.  

Your teacher would have created a 'class group' mailing list. You can send a mail to this list id, which will go to all students, who are members of the list.  

|}[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_resources <nowiki/>]

|}[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_educational_resources <nowiki/>]

As you use the computers and Internet, the easy sharing of digital documents will seem quite powerful – instead of physically photo copying documents or re­creating models of a device, making digital copies of the document or photos of the device is simpler and also almost free. Hence it should seem obvious that digital modes of information production and sharing would make resources easy to access, covering all kinds of digital items including content and software. However, there have been very strong forces that have worked against such easy sharing.  

As you use the computers and Internet, the easy sharing of digital documents will seem quite powerful – instead of physically photo copying documents or re­creating models of a device, making digital copies of the document or photos of the device is simpler and also almost free. Hence it should seem obvious that digital modes of information production and sharing would make resources easy to access, covering all kinds of digital items including content and software. However, there have been very strong forces that have worked against such easy sharing.  

Paradoxically such sharing has been made difficult using technological methods as well as legal methods. Legal methods have been through releasing software or content using restrictive licenses, that forbid sharing or modifying. Technological methods have been to not release the source code (in case of software), which is required   for   making   modifications   and   by   using   techniques   that   prevent   'copy   paste'   processes.     Thus 'proprietary' software which forbids sharing and customising is used by most ICT users.

Paradoxically such sharing has been made difficult using technological methods as well as legal methods. Legal methods have been through releasing software or content using restrictive licenses, that forbid sharing or modifying (making these 'proprietary' instead of 'open'). Technological methods have been to not release the source code (in case of software), which is required   for   making   modifications and by using techniques that  prevent 'copy paste' processes. 'Proprietary' software which forbids sharing and customising is used by most ICT users.

 

 

Fortunately, in the case of software, there are free software communities that have developed software and released it on liberal conditions, that allow free sharing and modifying. [[wikipedia:Richard_Stallman|Dr Richard Stallman]], who was a professor at the [[wikipedia:Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology|Massachusetts Institute of Technology,]] established the [[wikipedia:Free_Software_Foundation|Free Software Foundation]], which worked to develop software applications and released them under a '[[wikipedia:GPL|General Public License]]' (GPL), which allows the user four freedoms – to use, study, modify and share. The GPL also insists that any changes made to a free software should also be released on same terms.

One argument for restricting free sharing is that the creator needs to be compensated for producing the resource and instead of having the first buyer pay the entire amount of creation, seeking license fees from many users can reduce the costs to the first buyer and also increase the profitability for the creator. While this argument can have relevance in commercial transactions, in the case of education, where the free access to and sharing of learning resources is essential, using digital resources that do not have restrictive licensing would be required. Fortunately, in the case of software, there are free software communities that have developed software and released it on liberal conditions, that allow free sharing and modifying. Dr Richard Stallman, who was a professor at the Massachusets Institute of Technology, established the Free Software Foundation, whichworked to develop software applications and released them under a 'General Public License' (GPL), which allows the user four freedoms – to use, study, modify and share. The GPL also insists that any changes made to a free software should also be released on same terms.

Similarly in the case of content or learning materials, the '[[wikipedia:Open_educational_resources|open educational resources]]' (OER) movement aims to support creation of digital materials that allow the four rights – right to re­use, re­vise, remix and re­distribute (called the 4 Rs). As teachers, you too can release materials you create as OER, so that other teachers can give feedback as well as revise/refine the same to make it better quality. (Karnataka high school teachers are already doing this in the Karnataka Open Educational Resources (KOER) programme of DSERT, which you too can join).

Similarly in the case of content or learning materials, the 'open educational resources' (OER) movement aims to support creation of digital materials that allow the four rights – right to re­use, re­vise, remix and re­distribute (called the 4 Rs). As teachers, you too can release materials you create as OER, so that other teachers can give feedback as well as revise/refine the same to make it better quality. (Karnataka teachers are already doing this in the Karnataka Open Educational Resources (KOER) programme of DSERT, which you too can join.

FOSS and OER movements aim at providing digital resources that are licensed to allow you to make copies. In addition, you can modify the software / content resource and share again. FOSS and OER, allow greater access to software and content, and hence are necessary to adopt and promote for equitable access to ICT.

=== Ethical use of ICT ===

=== Ethical use of ICT ===

==== Violating the 'license' associated with the resource ====

==== Violating the 'license' associated with the resource ====

Digital resources, including software and content always have an associated 'license' of use. In case the software or content is licensed as [[wikipedia:proprietary|'proprietary']], where the creator has all the rights, and has not given any rights to others, then using the digital resource is illegal, without paying the required license fee, as well as unethical. Such use is called 'piracy'. You may find it technically very easy to just 'copy-paste' an article from the Internet or copy a proprietary software program from another computer, or download a movie from the internet which is not licensed to be copied. All these would be unethical practices and must be avoided. For the same reason, your school computer lab must not have any pirated software. If you find any pirated software or content in the school computers, please do bring it to the notice of your teacher.

Digital resources, including software and content always have an associated 'license' of use. In case the software or content is licensed as [[wikipedia:proprietary|'proprietary']], where the creator has all the rights, and has not given any rights to others, then using the digital resource is illegal, without paying the required license fee and unethical. Such use is called 'piracy'. You may find it technically very easy to just 'copy-paste' an article from the internet or copy a proprietary software program from another computer, or download a movie from the internet which is not licensed to be copied. All these would be unethical practices and must be avoided. For the same reason, your school computer lab must not have any pirated software. If you find any pirated software or content in the school computers, please do bring it to the notice of your teacher.

One way of avoiding this unethical practice, is to use and promote Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and Open Educational Resources (OER). FOSS and OER movements aim at providing digital resources that are licensed to allow you to make copies. In addition, you can modify the software / content resource and share again. It is ethical to use FOSS and OER. It is unethical to pirate proprietary software or content.  

One way of avoiding this unethical practice, is to use and promote Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and Open Educational Resources (OER). It is ethical to use FOSS and OER. It is unethical to pirate proprietary software or content.  

'''Remember that if a digital resource has no explicit copyright clause mentioned, it means it is owned by the creator with no rights for others.''' Hence when you create a digital resource, please take care to explicitly mention that it is an OER. You can do this by providing the copyright clause such as - "Copyright - Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0", you can mention this in the first page itself, below the title of the article.

'''Remember that if a digital resource has no explicit copyright clause mentioned, it means it is owned by the creator with no rights for others.''' Hence when you create a digital resource, please take care to explicitly mention that it is an OER. You can do this by providing the copyright clause such as - "Copyright - Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0", you can mention this in the first page itself, below the title of the article.