​CABOCES Student Programs is collaborating with iDESIGN Solutions to bring more esports gaming opportunities to middle and high school students in the region.  The newly created Empire Esports League (EEL) is set to kick off with pre-season scrimmages during the first week of October.  There will be two eight-week seasons, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, offered this school year.  A seasoned esports league commissioner will oversee all play.  Three to eight players can form a team and districts can field multiple teams.  Teams will have the flexibility to choose the day and time to play their opponent each week.  All match results will be submitted by 10:00 pm each Friday.

​Regular season play of the Fall 2021 league, featuring Rocket League, is set to begin October 11th.  Bolivar-Richburg Central School, Cuba Rushford Central School, Wellsville Central School, and Whitesville Central School have already registered teams.
A Championship event will take place in December, either remotely or in-person in Buffalo, New York.  Banners and trophies will be awarded to the top schools.

​The Spring 2022 season will follow a similar timeline, with new games added.
For more information on the Empire Esports League (EEL) go to https://empireesportsleague.com/
To learn how to start an esports program in your school or to register a team, go to https://empireesportsleague.com/events and contact Jean Oliverio ([email protected], 716-376-8323).

By: Jean Oliverio, CA BOCES Student Programs

School librarians are required to have a graduate course in copyright law, and it was one of my favorites for its practicality.  It’s relatively easy to understand when applied to the rights of the creator, however, this understanding can become muddled when Fair Use is applied.  Librarians not only manage resources but have a professional code of ethics to follow, in which one of the eight articles specifically mentions copyright.  With this knowledge, school librarians have a responsibility to provide guidance in how resources are viewed, used, copied, and streamed within the public-school setting.  
Years ago, before technology provided fingertips easy access to a plethora of resources, there were simple guidelines for using music, photocopying print materials, and viewing videos.  Not only has technology changed how we retrieve resources, but it has also drastically changed how we share resources - like videos.

Streaming videos from Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Netflix into the school environment is quite easy to do but the licensing agreement applies to the subscriber’s in-home use only.  Even with a movie license purchased through SWANK/Movie Licensing USA and Motion Picture Licensing Corp. (which may be purchased through the Library 510 CoSer), streaming a movie from a personal account is not permitted.  

So how do educators use videos for classroom use?  There are three options.  One is to use a physical DVD and measure its use against a Fair Use checklist, like this one from Cornell University:  https://copyright.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/2016-10/Fair_Use_Checklist.pdf The DVD may be from a home collection, rented from a vendor like RedBox, or borrowed from a library.  
The second option is to use streamed videos from CA BOCES’ Learning Resources.  PBS, Discovery Ed, and CCC Streaming. Videos are educational, entertaining,  complement curricula, and have already been vetted for Fair Use.
The third option is purchasing video streaming services through SWANK/Movie Licensing USA.  It is rather inexpensive and offers 200 popular titles frequently  requested by educators.  Additionally, a school may submit an additional 15 titles into the collection.  
 
What if an educator, parent group, or student club would like to host a movie viewing for entertainment? An umbrella movie license is required and is relatively inexpensive when purchased through the Library 510 CoSer.   If a movie’s title is within the bank of titles listed, the video may be shown but it cannot be streamed from a personal account.  Many schools choose to have a community event and host a free movie night.  Snacks and beverages may be sold to raise funds.  If admission is charged for viewing the movie, it must be applied to the cost of the movie license.  
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Although this is a quick overview due to limited space, I am happy to provide you with further information or answer additional questions.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or (716) 376-8206.

By: Cece Fuoco, CA BOCES Learning Resources

DJI Mavic Mini/Mini 2

Not only are regulations changing, but the technology is as well. To make sure drone pilots were more easily able to fly and avoid Part 107 regulations, DJI released the Mavic Mini (and more recently the Mini 2) weighing only 249 grams, 1 gram beneath the regulation requirements. While this drone is small, it still captures high quality photos and video.

Like the larger Phantom and Mavic models, the Mini is extremely easy to operate, but the fly more bundle is substantially cheaper for the DJI Mavic Mini and the DJI Mini 2 at $399 and $599 respectively.
Lastly, I think it is important to bring us back to educational implications. There are limited curricular resources written that utilize drones as an educational tool and are freely available, so educators must carefully consider the ways in which they intend to facilitate learning with these devices. To keep the conversation going around educational drone curriculum, reach out to [email protected]
By: Mark Beckwith, CA BOCES Professional Development

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