This is a unique 2 credit block Digital Media course designed for students interested in Indigenous Education. The focus of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to embrace, document, depict, digitalize all of our cultures while experimenting with digital media. The course is made up of two grade 12 MST courses. In addition to successfully completing this 2 credit course, student with an 80% (or higher) and who meet the articulation agreement, will receive Digital Media credits at the University of Winnipeg. Digital Voices incorporates a variety of materials, techniques, tools, technologies, and skills from various arts disciplines including dance, drama, music, and visual arts. The technologies/ processes used and adapted to create digital media art may be traditional, including, but not limited to, photography, film, sound, animation, and video. The technologies and processes may also be digital: computer software, blogging, networking, game development, digital imaging, digital sound recording, 2D and 3D animation, multimedia production, web 2.0, and web-page design. Two years ago I had a vision of the evolution of the classroom. An opportunity for 21st century learners to embrace their culture, their stories their past and their future through cutting edge technology and inverted pedagogy. Our project is called Digital Voices, please take a look around our site www.digitalvoices.ca, this is the future! I have learned so much from the current generation of digital students. I would like to thank the students for challenging me to change, it has been an honour to be educated by you through the integration mobile devices in the classroom, the collaboration with students around the world, how you challenge educators to examine the ethical and responsible use of social media. How you are demanding a change in how we, the educators, need to prepare future generations for a connected world. As we prepare for the future, it is obvious that next year will be even more revolutionary, exciting and cutting edge. Here is the answer for your demand for change. Our grassroots program is spreading, Digital Voices is going global! I am so excited about our new partnerships which have been formed. In June 2012, 8 educators from around the world have collaborated on the evolution of the Digital Voices platform. We have developed cross curricular activities, inverted resources for 21st century educators and the will for change. I would like to thank educators from the Winnipeg School Division for embracing Digital Voices and becoming a stakeholder in this 21st century pedagogy. I would also like to thank Mr. Marc Dubeau from Osgoode SS in Ottawa and Mr. Frank Machos from the School of the Future in Philadelphia for becoming stakeholders in the Digital Voices program.

Copyright Basics What Is Copyright? Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following: • reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords • prepare derivative works based upon the work • distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending • perform the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works • display the work publicly, in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work • perform the work publicly (in the case of sound recordings*) by means of a digital audio transmission In addition, certain authors of works of visual art have the rights of attribution and integrity as described in section 106A of the 1976 Copyright Act. For further information, see Circular 40, Copyright Registration for Works of the Visual Arts. See the pdf in this post for read more ... - by Jarko Daltrack

For years I've tried different strategies to excite students about learning. Though I've had some success, it's just not enough. Next year, thanks to ideas generated during my ongoing online Masters Program, I've begun brainstorming with current students, alumni, and a few educators about introducing curriculum built around a gaming model.

Rather than assignments, students will embark on Quests, earning Experience Points, Leveling Up, and eventually earning creative freedom, choosing a profession, embarking on multi-player Quests, etc. (Think WoW.) Yeah, you could argue they're still just self-paced assignments but if the last nine years have taught me anything, it's that the culture of the classroom has a profound effect on student involvement and achievement. I really believe this idea has serious potential.

If you're interested in seeing the ideas as they've unfolded so far or just poking around the LMS I'll be using in conjunction with my own blog and district hosted WordPress blogs for the kids, shoot me an email mskocko@guhsd.net and I'll send you an invite.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about our progress and direction. +1 or -1, your feedback is welcome. :)