On to Other News... Most of you already know...but just in case you don't, I have two new sets up and available on TPT!! The Alphabet Sticker Set & My Shake Me Fruity Collection... I am really happy with the way they turned out & I hope you can enjoy & use them in your creative resources!!
I realized yesterday that it has been a long time since I posted and/or read blogs!! I am so hooked on the TT Facebook page that I can't seem to pry myself away from it..hehehe
I don't have my kiddos for another entire week, so I am working very hard trying to get as many graphics and resources completed before they come back. The house has been so quiet (and not in a good way) )-; At least I finally cracked down and cleaned out my pool yesterday & I am really looking forward to floating around next week. One of my major TO-DO projects is to get my Techy-Tutorial completed and published this coming Tuesday!! I am lagging on that one...SERIOUSLY!!
Because I didn't keep my word, and start the Techy-Tuesdays last month (holy cow! It has already been a month??), I have a technical help that most of you will find VERY useful!!
Many of you are not able to generate thumbnails or are having problems when trying to convert a DOC. with Adobe PDF...well, I have the solution for you...
Make sure that the option/Preference to Enable Accessibility and Reflow is NOT checked & that the Embed Thumbnails is checked. I will put a link to a PDF file to show you how to do this a little later. I have sent these directions to about 6 people already...so I am thinking that this is def. a major problem for many of you. I hope this helps!!
Here are a few freebies from my most recent set that didn't quite make the cut (the file was too large...boo). I am due to update my Terms of Use, but please read them through before using my graphics for personal and/or commercial use. Many of you are aware that I have a Pin Board up to show off many of your products that have been complemented (you like that??) by my graphics. I pin them as I see them or you can email me the link (much easier) to 3amteacher@gmail.com. One of the things I did notice was that there was a preview file that included my graphics along with another artists clip art(which is perfectly fine by me...by the way), but there was no reference anywhere in the preview file. I would really appreciate it if you placed the references for the graphics in your complete resources as well as in the preview files (not that I am trying to make it harder on you). If I pin a resource on the pin board I mentioned and someone downloads the preview file, I do not want anyone to confuse my graphics with someone else's. I would like every artist to get the recognition they deserve for their hard work. If your preview is only using my graphics...go for it and do not worry about the reference, but if your preview file includes graphics from several artists, please make sure to include references, as I will no longer Pin those ones without them. Thank you very much!
There are so many Graphic Designers and I love seeing how unique we all are. I LOVE Melonheadz...I have not had the honor of chatting with her yet, but I plan to soon (-; Her graphics are so cute and she has definitely taken the plunge for the literature themes..She pumps those babies out faster than my dog spots and snags food left out...hehehe. I also really love KPM Doodles! She is so lovely to talk with and her graphics are super cute...Oh wait, I have one more that I am in love with...GINGER SNAPS!! If those girls are here for a visit...email me - I would love to plan a collaborative set and use the earnings to start a campaign to help out new teachers or inspiring artists. I was thinking we could have a drawing every quarter and send the money to someone who needs it. (-; We could also have people write us letters that include who they think should get the money and then have bloggers vote on three that we have handpicked. Just a thought.
I don't see other artists as competition, but as inspiration! We are truly all so different - even if we were drawing the exact same thing. I love how creative minds interpret the world through their fingers (-; We can all certainly learn from each other.
With that in mind, the same goes for teachers and teaching resources on TPT. There has been quite a lot of discussions on copyright and what is and isn't acceptable. Sometimes, we can come up with the same ideas and similar projects, but it doesn't always mean that one teacher is trying to copy from another. We are all in the same field and many of us teach similar grade levels - we are bound to have similar "light-bulb" moments at some point, right? As educators, we should know better...BUT...as educators, we are also very use to using many resources in our classrooms under different copyright guidelines (much more lenient). This can sometimes get us into trouble.
I learned my lesson very early on after joining TPT in 2008. I had always completed a craft with my kids called, the Hand-Print Calendar and I couldn't remember where the idea came from, but I took pics and placed directions in a free file on TPT. It wasn't long before I had Paul emailing me. I felt like my heart was pounding outside of my chest and I felt shakey all over. The publisher of some resource book (that I had honestly never heard of before) had contacted Paul and...well, you know the deal. The lady was actually really quite rude, but I took it down in a second and apologized about a thousand times. I didn't get into any trouble, but I felt completely embarrassed as an educator - not looking up the information myself and finding where the original idea had come from before posting a freebie.
I would be mortified if I found out that my art was being sold by someone else, used for mass production without my consent, or that someone was putting my hard work up for free. I believe that most teachers unknowingly do things; however, there really is no justification (unless it was a similar idea that we can prove). It is far more humiliating to claim ignorance...am I right?? It is all of our duty to research and gather the information necessary so that we are not belittling someone's hard work and creativity. There is now a new section in the TeachersPayTeachers Forum just for copyright resources. Spread the word so that no one inadvertently makes this mistake. Here is the link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=13
Okay, that was way longer than I had planned...I need to blog more often...hehehe. Grab a few freebies & check out the Flash Sale at my TPT store by clicking the link at the end of this post.
Thank you sooooo much for following and for your support!!
Oh WAIT!!! One more thing! My To Be Continued Linky has been so much fun and I an thoroughly enjoying reading sections from blog to blog as the story unfolds. I noticed that the blog roll I placed in the post will not allow me to link and it is quite difficult to click the NEXT button and try to find the right post. Check out the numbered list below. You can copy and paste the list with the links to make following the story a little less crazy (-;
I don't have my kiddos for another entire week, so I am working very hard trying to get as many graphics and resources completed before they come back. The house has been so quiet (and not in a good way) )-; At least I finally cracked down and cleaned out my pool yesterday & I am really looking forward to floating around next week. One of my major TO-DO projects is to get my Techy-Tutorial completed and published this coming Tuesday!! I am lagging on that one...SERIOUSLY!!
Because I didn't keep my word, and start the Techy-Tuesdays last month (holy cow! It has already been a month??), I have a technical help that most of you will find VERY useful!!
Many of you are not able to generate thumbnails or are having problems when trying to convert a DOC. with Adobe PDF...well, I have the solution for you...
Make sure that the option/Preference to Enable Accessibility and Reflow is NOT checked & that the Embed Thumbnails is checked. I will put a link to a PDF file to show you how to do this a little later. I have sent these directions to about 6 people already...so I am thinking that this is def. a major problem for many of you. I hope this helps!!
Here are a few freebies from my most recent set that didn't quite make the cut (the file was too large...boo). I am due to update my Terms of Use, but please read them through before using my graphics for personal and/or commercial use. Many of you are aware that I have a Pin Board up to show off many of your products that have been complemented (you like that??) by my graphics. I pin them as I see them or you can email me the link (much easier) to 3amteacher@gmail.com. One of the things I did notice was that there was a preview file that included my graphics along with another artists clip art(which is perfectly fine by me...by the way), but there was no reference anywhere in the preview file. I would really appreciate it if you placed the references for the graphics in your complete resources as well as in the preview files (not that I am trying to make it harder on you). If I pin a resource on the pin board I mentioned and someone downloads the preview file, I do not want anyone to confuse my graphics with someone else's. I would like every artist to get the recognition they deserve for their hard work. If your preview is only using my graphics...go for it and do not worry about the reference, but if your preview file includes graphics from several artists, please make sure to include references, as I will no longer Pin those ones without them. Thank you very much!
There are so many Graphic Designers and I love seeing how unique we all are. I LOVE Melonheadz...I have not had the honor of chatting with her yet, but I plan to soon (-; Her graphics are so cute and she has definitely taken the plunge for the literature themes..She pumps those babies out faster than my dog spots and snags food left out...hehehe. I also really love KPM Doodles! She is so lovely to talk with and her graphics are super cute...Oh wait, I have one more that I am in love with...GINGER SNAPS!! If those girls are here for a visit...email me - I would love to plan a collaborative set and use the earnings to start a campaign to help out new teachers or inspiring artists. I was thinking we could have a drawing every quarter and send the money to someone who needs it. (-; We could also have people write us letters that include who they think should get the money and then have bloggers vote on three that we have handpicked. Just a thought.
I don't see other artists as competition, but as inspiration! We are truly all so different - even if we were drawing the exact same thing. I love how creative minds interpret the world through their fingers (-; We can all certainly learn from each other.
With that in mind, the same goes for teachers and teaching resources on TPT. There has been quite a lot of discussions on copyright and what is and isn't acceptable. Sometimes, we can come up with the same ideas and similar projects, but it doesn't always mean that one teacher is trying to copy from another. We are all in the same field and many of us teach similar grade levels - we are bound to have similar "light-bulb" moments at some point, right? As educators, we should know better...BUT...as educators, we are also very use to using many resources in our classrooms under different copyright guidelines (much more lenient). This can sometimes get us into trouble.
I learned my lesson very early on after joining TPT in 2008. I had always completed a craft with my kids called, the Hand-Print Calendar and I couldn't remember where the idea came from, but I took pics and placed directions in a free file on TPT. It wasn't long before I had Paul emailing me. I felt like my heart was pounding outside of my chest and I felt shakey all over. The publisher of some resource book (that I had honestly never heard of before) had contacted Paul and...well, you know the deal. The lady was actually really quite rude, but I took it down in a second and apologized about a thousand times. I didn't get into any trouble, but I felt completely embarrassed as an educator - not looking up the information myself and finding where the original idea had come from before posting a freebie.
I would be mortified if I found out that my art was being sold by someone else, used for mass production without my consent, or that someone was putting my hard work up for free. I believe that most teachers unknowingly do things; however, there really is no justification (unless it was a similar idea that we can prove). It is far more humiliating to claim ignorance...am I right?? It is all of our duty to research and gather the information necessary so that we are not belittling someone's hard work and creativity. There is now a new section in the TeachersPayTeachers Forum just for copyright resources. Spread the word so that no one inadvertently makes this mistake. Here is the link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=13
Okay, that was way longer than I had planned...I need to blog more often...hehehe. Grab a few freebies & check out the Flash Sale at my TPT store by clicking the link at the end of this post.
Thank you sooooo much for following and for your support!!
Oh WAIT!!! One more thing! My To Be Continued Linky has been so much fun and I an thoroughly enjoying reading sections from blog to blog as the story unfolds. I noticed that the blog roll I placed in the post will not allow me to link and it is quite difficult to click the NEXT button and try to find the right post. Check out the numbered list below. You can copy and paste the list with the links to make following the story a little less crazy (-;
- Tuesday, June 12th
Ms. T
Journey of a Substitute Teacher
- Wednesday, June 13
Brittany Kielar
- Thursday, June 14
April Walker
- Friday, June 15
April Kreitzer Wolfe
wolfelicious.blogspot.com
- Saturday, June 16
Michelle Lundy
Making It As A Middle School Teacher
- Monday, June 18 (Sunday= no post - Father's Day)
Nicole Heinlein (that's
pronounced Hine-line)
- Tuesday, June 19
Tammy
123 Teach With Me
- Wednesday, June 20
Tania
http://mysecondsense.blogspot.com/
- Thursday, June, 21
Elizabeth Supan
Fun in
Room 4B
- Friday, June 22
Jill HUNTSMAN
- Saturday, June 23
Jennifer
- Sunday, June 24
Allie Elliott
- Monday, June 25
Laurie
- Tuesday, June 26
Andrea Crawford
Reading
Toward the Stars!
- Wednesday, June 27
Lori Vines
Conversations in Literacy
- Thursday, June 28
Tangelia Cannon
Buggy In Kindergarten
- Friday, June 29
Jaime Pink
- Saturday, June 30 (Ending)
Vanessa Escobar
Kindergarten Schmindergarten
Thank you for hanging on to the very end!!
Great Post. I am definitely going to have to remember the credits in my preview file. Thanks for the tidbit.
ReplyDelete(I wish I lived in Arizona. I want to go to the cheesecake factory.)
Heidi
My (Not So) Elementary Life
I wish you lived here too...we need a crowd!!
DeleteMichelle
BUMMER! I won't be able to make the meet-up! I was really looking forward to it! I teach summer school and that's my last week.
ReplyDelete❤ Sandra
Sweet Times in First
sweettimesinfirst@gmail.com
I say you call in sick that day..hehehehe!! Just kidding. How late do you work??
DeleteMichelle
I didn't know you responded to this!!!!
DeleteI was about to ask if there is a way we can push it back a bit!!! I really want to go but I don't get out until 1:30!!!
I could possibly get there by 2 {It's not too far!}
I'm not sure if everyone would still be there and I don't want to be the last one there!!!
I wish I was in Arizona and then I'd come...I'd love to meet you in person!
ReplyDeleteCute graphics as always :)
Journey of a Substitute Teacher
Endless Pinabilities
I would love to meet you to...you can always just fly out here...hahaha!!
DeleteMichelle
Great post
ReplyDeleteThe forum is only for sellers I am not sure if the link will work if someone clicks on it and they are not a seller
Oh...never thought of that. Thank you...
DeleteMichelle
As a newbie, what you talked about re: copyright issues is why I am terrified of joining TPT and selling anything. Just by virtue of being immersed in Pinterest, all of the blogs, etc., I feel like it's difficult to have a truly original idea that couldn't be construed in one way or another as being inspired by another teacher blogger or someone random by way of Pinterest. It's also why I'm hesitant to even start a blog, because I worry about being repetitive, etc.
ReplyDeleteWell, I feel bad!! I don't want to discourage anyone...TPT is great to be a part of. And..no one can copyright ideas (-; Just think of how many things you come up with and use and how many teachers could really benefit from your creativity and knowledge. Just recently, there was some discussion about copyright, but it hasn't always been this way. I think that the more teachers make on TPT and the more recognition it gets, the more people are going to want to visit.
DeleteTPT has allowed me to really connect from many teachers, learn new things and provide a little extra income doing something I love to do... Very little incidences happen, but they do happen. I haven't hard of anyone on TPT getting sued or getting into trouble.
I think you should definitely give it a chance and there are always many of us willing to help in any way we can (-;
Michelle
Oh, no worries, you didn't discourage me with this post -- it just was the first time I'd seen someone talk about the reasons why I was already hesitant! As a preservice teacher I had read so many blogs for years and felt like there wasn't really a point to me blogging because I wasn't yet a "real" teacher (even though I was always in the classroom)... but it's a little different now that I'm a "real" teacher, LOL. Part of me really wants to join the community as a blogger rather than just a reader, but the copyright issues that have cropped up in the last few months has me a little hesitant, KWIM?
DeleteI love that blender!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks!! I was really pleased with the end result...I definitely had some issues..mostly surrounding my OCD...hahaha
DeleteMichelle
I'm a new Arizona blogger and would love to meet up with you! I usually work 'til noon but I think I might be able to get off early that day, so I might be seeing you soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for all the advice on TPT. I am new to this whole thing, and copyright scares the eff outta me! I wish I could create clipart and just save myself the trouble! I'm sad that I'll be going back to Austin, TX by the time y'all have your meet up! I am actually in Phoenix right now! I grew up here, and have been to that Cheesecake Factory MANY TIMES. I use to teach in the Balsz district.. not sure if you know it? Small district. But I grew up and went to school in Deer Valle Unified. So great to see so many awesome teachers still here in AZ :)
ReplyDeleteAmanda
Ms. Wilkie's Second Grade Class
omgosh...I never thought to put the clip art credits in the previews they download...although, I don't do downloadable previews all the time, either..huh...thanks for that thought!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you SOOO much for being there with all my questions!!!
But I"m so glad to know that I'm not the only one having problems...lol
NOOOO!!! I just remembered that I have jury duty that day!! It's my first time being summoned too so now I'm totally dreading it :-( I was so looking forward to being there. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteI will be at the Meet up ... I don't have a blog, but it would be nice to see other teachers besides the ones in my district. =) Sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Did you contact or email Linda yet??? Please make sure to RSVP with her so we can add you (-;
DeleteLinda's email is: kamp.linda@gmail.com
Michelle
Michelle
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