2. Students could use their smart phones’ cameras to map their own neighborhoods, documenting (for example) the number of trash cans on street corners. That information could be plotted and shared city-wide, and the data could be examined for patterns and anomalies. Are there more trash cans in wealthy areas? If so, ask the mayor, the Department of Sanitation and the City Council for an explanation. Again, students will be turning information into knowledge. I wrote about this a while ago in more detail.

3. Why not measure water quality? A hand-held monitor/tester of Ph costs under $100, and the instrument that tests conductivity (ion levels, which relates to purity) is available for under $100. Turbidity — how cloudy the water is — is important to measure as well, and that can be done with an inexpensive instrument and a formula. Students could also measure the speed of the current and keep track of detritus. Then share all the data with other science classes around the city, region and state. Everyone could dig into the information looking for patterns. If one river’s water seems relatively pure until it passes point X, students could endeavor to find out why.

Work like this is, well, real work. Students are creating knowledge; they are designing projects and seeing them through from beginning to end. These projects have to meet real-world standards because the results are in public view.

Then the school called. She was caught texting in class. Trouble was, it was with me. I had texted her to let her know I needed her to babysit after school. But she was given in-school suspension anyway. As it turned out, she had been texting more than just me, but I still feel partly responsible for putting her in that position.

Generally, the place where teachers and students get into trouble when it comes to copyrighted music is when anyone is doing something for a COMMERCIAL purpose (like a fundraiser) and using copyrighted content without permission, or when they are RE-PUBLISHING content without permission on the “open web.” (The public Internet, on a website which does not require a login or authentication to access it.)

Educators (especially librarians) should be copyright counselors, not copyright cops. Our primary role should be helping people make good personal judgements about the use of others' intellectual property.

While there are those who would disagree, I do believe intellectual property creators should have control over how their work is used, have the right to charge for it, and have the right to deter unauthorized copying. An increasing number of people make their living by being creative for us to ignore theft and misuse.

Please remember that I am not a lawyer - although I sometimes play one on the Internet. But I am an educator and one thing I always think about is the example I set. Making copyright decisions in the open, with a clear conscience, might be the best guide of all.

Unfortunately, I’ve come across a number of resources which only focus on the negatives of digital footprints and promote a culture of fear. The message I like to promote is that we should protect our digital footprints and try to ensure that they are positive. Encouraging students to avoid posting or doing anything online just seems cou