Creative Commons – A quick guide to using images ethically

We all know how tempting it is when we are in a hurry to quickly copy and paste pictures from the web straight into our work.

But have you ever thought about who actually owns those picture….

There are ways of sharing your own pictures (and protecting them) as well as finding pictures that the owners actually want to share.

This is called Creative Commons, take a quick look at the slideshow below.

Quick links to Creative Commons own search, Flickr’s Creative Commons Advanced Search and Google’s Advanced Image Search are below – why not give them a try and use images ethically (legally).

Creative Commons Search

Creative Commons own Search

Google

Creative Commons in Googles Advanced Image Search

Flickr

Creative Commons found on Flickr Advanced Search

GP Taylor visits us TODAY!

GP Taylor (first name Graham) is in school today working with Year 7’s and 8’s as part of the Literary Festival.

GP Taylor

• Period 1 session with 150 year 7 students
• Period 2  45 Year 8 students
• i-connect two high reading tutor groups (C ABa & S GFl)
• Period 3 Yr 9 workshop
• Period 4 session with G&T students from Yr 8/9 and TheWord Interview

Why not check out his website or watch the book trailer below

I’ll post an up-date soon about how the day went!

Literary Festival

Over the next two weeks the MRC is supporting Comms College in their first Literary Festival.

Coming to the TDA this week are

Author GP Taylor – writer of Shadowmancer,

and Scriptwriter Laura Watson who has written for both Casualty and EastEnders.

They will be talking to Year 7 and 8 students as well as the top four borrowing tutor groups.

Pottermore – the Secret Revealed

Pottermore secret revealed 

Coming soon as ebooks!

We’ve been scratching our heads, trying to figure out just what Pottermore is…and now we know!

Pottermore is an interactive new web site and reading experience with more than 18,000 new words from author J.K. Rowling.

The site will be the exclusive place to purchase the digital audio books and eBooks of the Harry Potter series.

You can submit your email address and will be contacted by the site once registration starts on July 31st.

When the site fully opens in October, you’ll get to follow the story, get sorted into a house and get a wand (one of 33,000 possible combinations) which were all crafted by Ms. Rowling.

Bonus feature! If you’re not sorted into Gryffindor, you actually get even more exclusive content about your house!

Carnegie Shadowing Reading Group knows best?

Yesterday the results of 2011 Carnegie Book Award was announced.

The TDA Reading Group have been shadowing the judges by reading as many of the shortlisted books as possible.

We voted for our favourite Carnegie and Greenaway book on Wednesday and “The Prisoner of the Inquisition” came out on top in the Carnegie list, and “Big Bear, Little Brother” led the way for it’s illustrations for the Greenaway Award.

The actual winners were

Carnegie Winner = Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Greenaway Winner = FaRther illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith

Wikipedia and Bias

Here is a very short video I put together about Wikipedia turning 10 earlier this year (2011) and how you have to read for bias.

In many cases no-one knows who puts the information onto Wikipedia as the video says it could be a professor, a mad professor or a mad man.

So if you do choose to start your research by looking at Wikipedia then do remember to check all the information in other reliable sources – like Britannica Encyclopedia – which you can gain access to via the Oliver Homepage – either through the VLE or check out the quick link on this page!

Interform Winners 2010-2011

Interform Winners 2010-2011 are C ABa and this week they claimed their prize – by spending £200. on new books.

They were a little shy to begin with but soon wanted to choose whole sets of books for the MRC.

Included in their selection :- Beast Quest; Doctor Who; Manga; and Wimpy Kid plus some other titles.

Well done everyone!

Playaways launch

We launched our new Playaways in June 2011. I created a Video and loaded it on YouTube to promote these, please click below to watch.

Remember to come in to the MRC and borrow a Playaway – they are very easy to use.

and so it begins…

So this is the very first blog entry for the MRC’s blog at TDA (Thomas Deacon Academy).

The main aim of this Blog is to keep the students and staff up-to-date on the services of the Multi-media Research Centre by:-

• advertising up-coming events;
• leading discussions;
• promoting new services;
• providing research hints and tips;
• covering events;
• sharing latest news and generally give you an idea into the current initiatives of the MRC.

Why not join in?

M.s. M!