| Recently I read of a new website where | | | | plans, grade students' papers, etc. For many |
| teachers can post and sell their lesson plans | | | | teachers, the designated time is not enough |
| to recover the time that they had spent in | | | | and time must be spent after school hours to |
| developing these plans. On the surface, this | | | | complete their daily tasks. And the question |
| sounds reasonable and why would anyone object | | | | then arises, if I am doing it on my own time, |
| to teachers making a little more money | | | | then I own the intellectual capitol and have |
| through such a capitalist venture and | | | | the right to sell this capitol. However, |
| leveraging their intellectual capitol?However | | | | many salaried people take their work home to |
| this question is much more about | | | | finish it and are not compensated for those |
| understanding the importance of retaining | | | | efforts. In the real world, it is part of |
| intellectual capital (knowledge management) | | | | the job.What for me is most troubling about |
| within the educational system and how this | | | | teachers selling lesson plans (that in many |
| demonstrates questionable ethics on part of | | | | cases are the intellectual property of the |
| the teachers.Consider the following | | | | school) is one of ethics. Since I was a |
| scenario:I am an instructional designer | | | | former teacher, I experienced first hand the |
| (person who writes training programs) and | | | | extra hours invested in preparing my room, |
| employed full time. Part of my job is to | | | | grading papers and creating engaging learning |
| create activities that promote learning for | | | | activities. Yet, coming from a small |
| the target audience. Do I have a right to | | | | business background, doing all this perceived |
| sell those activities on my own time on a | | | | extra stuff wasn't really all that extra |
| website? Even though I am not a lawyer, I | | | | because it was part of the job, plain and |
| know that this would be highly unethical and | | | | simple. To go out and sell the fruits of my |
| probably illegal. These activities are the | | | | labor that were paid for by my employer would |
| direct result of my job description. My | | | | be totally unethical and probably would get |
| employer has already paid me for their | | | | me fired. Yet, teachers are being encouraged |
| creation.Now, I am a teacher who is paid to | | | | to engage in unethical behavior and they |
| educate young people. Also, I am paid to | | | | probably believe it is OK.And finally there |
| attend numerous professional development days | | | | is the issue of copyright. In many teacher |
| in which I learn to create specific lesson | | | | professional development workshops, the |
| plans that promote learning for my students. | | | | speakers distribute sample lesson plans. |
| Do I have a right to sell those activities on | | | | With today's technology, a quick scan and a |
| my own time on a website? From a legal | | | | few edits can change the visual ownership of |
| standpoint, I don't know the answer to that | | | | the lesson plan, but the intellectual capitol |
| question. However, from an ethical | | | | still belongs to the presenter of the |
| standpoint, absolutely not! What is happening | | | | workshop. Of course if a student did this, it |
| is that I am being paid twice to perform the | | | | would be cheating or plagiarism.As a small |
| same work. Some individuals call this double | | | | business and education coach who has created |
| dipping and in many proven cases it is | | | | hundreds of learning activities to help |
| illegal.As a former public school teacher, | | | | clients better understand key concepts, I |
| elected school board trustee and now a | | | | have always acknowledged the source of the |
| performance improvement consultant, I have | | | | activity such as a concept, story or quote |
| seen hundreds of thousands of dollars lost by | | | | when it wasn't mine. This keeps me always |
| school systems because they had not created a | | | | aware of my own ethical standards and ensures |
| knowledge management process. Lesson plans | | | | that I hold fast and true to those |
| created during school hours and during time | | | | standards.So before any teacher sells what |
| designated to teacher professional | | | | they believe to be their lesson plan, maybe |
| development should be archived by the school | | | | they need to identify where that plan came |
| corporation so that every teacher benefits | | | | from and ask themselves: "Have I already been |
| from this knowledge. Just think about all | | | | paid for that lesson plan?"Leanne |
| that lost knowledge and wisdom and its very | | | | Hoagland-Smith coaches small businesses to |
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| each school day, teachers receive paid | | | | minute coaching session. |
| preparation time to work on their lesson | | | | |