Sunday, October 7, 2012

tuesday's guest speaker: kenn heller

About a month ago I posted a media release for everyone to sign so that everyone would have the chance to consider that we are all visible on the Internet.  In case you were wondering, you didn't assign rights to anyone else; neither "Open Source Learning" nor "We Are Superman" are legal entities.  They are just ideas.  If you and your parent signed the release, you simply acknowledged that it was OK for images of you to be posted online in connection with this course.  (You gave up way more when you clicked "I Agree" to Facebook's policies.)  The release was designed for two purposes: 1) To start a conversation about how our information is used on the Internet, and 2) To ensure that everyone understands that if your likeness isn't already on the Internet, it will be, and you should be aware of your rights and the laws surrounding the online use of any property (pictures, texts, ideas, videos, ANYTHING) that you didn't create.

On Tuesday morning at 10:30 AM we will have an online conference with an expert on intellectual property, Internet use, and collaboration.  This will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn and ask questions before we launch the shared YouTube channel that all of us can use to post videos from class.  (For starters, you can ask him about why organizations ask individuals to sign releases and agree to conditions of use.)

Kenn Heller has been a UCLA administrator for over 30 years and currently holds two key positions that further the University's mission through the use of online media.  As the Associate Dean of Students, Kenn is responsible for overseeing and implementing the University's policies on the appropriate use of Intellectual Property.  He presents dozens of workshops a year in an ongoing effort to ensure that students are aware of copyright laws and the use of file sharing software.  In addition, Kenn serves as Associate Director of Innovation for the division of Cultural and Recreational Affairs; in this capacity he uses a variety of social media and networking practices to help UCLA staff optimize the value of their work for the greater community.

I have known Kenn since I was an undergraduate student at UCLA, and I can personally vouch for his expertise and his willingness to walk people (including me!) through the woods of emerging technology.  If you have questions about using others' information, or how information about you is being used online, he is the right person to ask.  Please feel free to comment to this post with any questions you'd like him to consider in advance; I've already sent him the link. :)

Reminder: if you haven't done so already, please remember to print the on campus activity form (if you're in period 0 or 4) and bring to the talk.

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