Formatting Requirements:

 APA formatting (though you may disregard the running head requirement)

o If you need help with your APA formatting, a great online reference is the Purdue Online

Writing Lab https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01…

o NOTE: If you use the citation function in resources like Google Scholar, please be sure to

check the results it provides you against proper formatting. Often times it will make an

error in the capitalization rules for titles of works.

 12 point font, preferably Times New Roman

 Standard one inch margins

 Double-spaced

 Cover sheet with:

o Your name

o Class number/Instructor Name

o Date

 Reference section at the end. Use about 10 -15 sources in all paper.

o NOTE: Please be sure to differentiate between references and resources under separate

headings as may be necessary

 A quick way to remember the difference is that references are works to which

you refer to in the body of you manuscript in the form of directly quoted or

summarized content coupled with either an in-text or parenthetical citation.

Resources on the other hand are those materials that helped to provide you

with a general understanding of a topic, but from which you do not directly

quote or summarize.

 Page length

o 5-10 pages, excluding the cover page and reference/resource sections

o NOTE: If you are struggling with your writing, please talk with me. Even if you aren’t

struggling, please don’t hesitate to share your ideas or writing with me. I’m always

happy to review drafts and offer feedback.

o NOTE2: Please do not feel that your paper has to be longer to be better. I’m the most

interested in the quality of your reasoning and expression of ideas, so a refined five

page paper is better than a watered down or drawn out 10 page paper.

Content Requirements:

 Abstract – A summary of no more than 100 words describing the contents, focus, and general

conclusions of your paper.

 Body of your Manuscript

o Introduction and Context

 Please describe your background and understanding of the Public Domain and

related concepts such as Fair Use, prior to taking this class. Then please consider

how your knowledge and understanding of these concepts have changed since

taking this class. Finally, please describe your unique context and/or lenses that

inform how you’re approaching this class and the concepts we’ve been

covering.

o Main Topic

 Please describe your main topic of interest in relation to the Public Domain and

related concepts. For some of you this may involve discussing how what we’ve

addressed can be leveraged in your unique contexts presently or in the future

(e.g. a specific project you might undertake, specific activities you’ll develop),

while others will be discussing related concepts such as providing credit for

work, innovation, concepts of ownership, use of materials for instructional

development, or discussing differences in how your home country handles the

Public Domain and related concepts such as Fair Use and specific uses like

Mashups and Re-Mixes.

 This is the section where you will provide citations to works we’ve read in class

(though you can certainly utilize them in other sections of your manuscript as

well). You may also reference other materials you locate in your own

explorations or are relevant from other parts of your professional or academic

experiences (i.e. jobs, other classes, independent reading, etc.). Think of this like

having a conversation with me where you tell me which portions of the

materials you’re basing your understanding on, what concepts most resonated

with you, how that relates to your context area, and what new kinds of

connections you’re making.

 If I was tackling this as a student I would focus on two of my context areas of

teacher preparation and technology integration. As part of that I would want to

bring in some literature considerations from teacher education and technology

integration. This might take the form of concept definitions, a summary of how

teachers use technology, and some discussion of how pre-service teachers are

prepared. I could then talk about how I might address some of these

considerations through a project such as how in class I showed you the basic

structure and some context examples of a public domain education resource

site I’m slowly developing. I could then identify some links with the readings for

considerations that may need be addressed when helping teachers or pre-

service teachers to contribute their own lesson ideas to such a site or broader

discussion points that may be important for users of such a site to consider. I

could also discuss how free materials from the Public Domain could be used in

poorer schools or as materials for encouraging the development of 21 st Century

Skills by having students re-mix and redesign past works. Using any portion of

my example above, can you see how you might develop your own topic?

o Future Explorations, Possibilities, and Growth Opportunities

 In this section please consider areas of future exploration or areas of growth

that you may be able to achieve in relationship to the Public Domain and related

concepts. In writing this section you may find that as you’ve worked through

this portion of the seminar you’ve developed new questions or new lenses

which to view our field or your own unique contexts. Similarly, you may have

new or different ideas about the dissemination of your own work.

o Concluding Thoughts

 In this section you’ll be summarizing what you’ve addressed in your manuscript,

but I also want you to take this opportunity to be reflective. As we’ve worked

through the seminar we’ve seen that concepts like what’s in the Public Domain

and what constitutes Fair Use have changed over time. Similarly we’ve explored

ways that we can play/work with different materials to either educate, subvert,

express, bring people together, cause people to question, or serve as a

foundation for future work. Having read, discussed, and experienced these

things what are your thoughts on all of this and how these topics might evolve

in the future?

 NOTE: I’m not looking for a particular answer here, so please don’t feel that I’m

looking for a “right” answer. This is just an opportunity to look back over the

proverbial ground that we’ve covered through unfamiliar territory on this little

journey of ours together.