Ms. Pigue's Fifth Grade
 
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     After reviewing these laws and agreements of software I am surprised were available to blog and are not incarcerated. These companies are not playing when it comes to their products!!! Before this assignment I did not understand what these four terms meant. My definition of piracy was downloading music illegally, and I thought a copyright was just small print they put at the bottom of documents. I feel like I should hang posters in the copy room and the computer lab so that I can "stop crime!" I decided to choose Software Piracy  because it appeared to be the topic that occurs in violation the most. I learned that books, workbooks, music and other documents can not always be copied in their entity...there are limitations to things-even educational things!!!
 
      Change is mystery, change is uncertainty, change is a coin-toss! One could say that change is comparable to exploring uncharted waters. The water contains different colors, some that are bright and encouraging and others that dark and disheartening; It contains different depths, some that are shallow and easy to walk through and some that are very deep and require help to stay afloat; It contains obstacles, some that require minimal effort and some that are exhausting in capability. Nevertheless, with change one finds fear, with change one finds excitement, and with change one finds opportunity!

     I found it refreshing to find an article that embraced change. It is not everyday that we can read about teachers who have dedicated themselves to continuing their education in an attempt to better provide students with the skills necessary to succeed in learning, much less the students learning on technology. The theme of this article insists that changing times need a change in instruction, and that if the children are "stuck" on technology and all its many wonders, then instructors need to get with times and get "stuck" as well. Derry mentions that it takes an effort on everyone ones part to implement his Information and Technology Literacy (ITL) curriculum. This curriculum exists with a foundation of teachers that include classroom teachers, teacher-librarians, technology teachers, and administrators, and is supported by surrounding district staff and workshop leaders across the country. Teachers are encouraging students to think on a higher level by being familiar with blogging, Blackboard, interactive whiteboards, digital storytelling and subscription databases. With change comes challenges. The obstacles ITL has faced include differentiating instruction for the wide range of abilities, and finding a budget large enough to accommodate all needs for implementation. However, followers of the ITL curriculum believe that putting in the time to face and overcome challenges is well worth one day having the possibility of having a guest lecturer ,from across the country, to skype into a classroom!

     Change is full of opportunity! One must toss a coin and take a risk on the unknown. These teachers and staff members explored the uncharted waters of the ITL curriculum and took a chance on the unfamiliar in order to discover a new world within a child's mind. This article encourages teachers to continue learning in an attempt to reach children on a new level. I would love to find out more about technology so that i can join the "wave of tech" and find a common interest with my children. This article makes me want to drive across the states to attend a workshop on ITL. It is uplifting as a teacher to read about "friends" that also understand that as times change we too must adapt. Change is mystery; however change is exciting!

 Derry, B. (2008). Information and Technology Literacy. Teacher Librarian , 3.