What hogs can teach kids about intellectual property.

by Babs Hadjusiewicz June 04, 2009

WOW! Time to put on those THINKing caps. Might even want to adopt a pose like that of "The Thinker." Rodin's (pronounced RO dan) statue is yet another visual stimulation I keep around me as I work. You know...he keeps me THINKing! And, as is often the case, today I'm in need of some help with my THINKing. That is, I need some help to come up with the proper names of those real wild animals who came visiting at Lilac Elementary last Friday. So, I've called on Kiera's teacher Jeri to put me in touch with the animal trainer. That connection is in progress. I promise to report back later. Meanwhile, here's a link to some photos of that day's events. And now, since it's THINKing Thursday, I just did a quick THINK and decided to search my writing around the word think... WOW! I found tons of "think" poems in my files. Seems "The Thinker" has done its job to stimulate my thoughts...and then some! One poem, "A Hog's Life," carries an original date of 1996. Yep! It's been hanging around for some time now...in hopes of seeing daylight. WOW! THINK about that! Whether a piece of writing is tucked away in one's brain cells, a file cabinet, or it's buried deep inside a computer system (as was this poem), it just might be longing to see the light of day. (Guess you can tell how I THINK about and consider each piece I write...it's one of my "babies" with feelings and all...) So while you're THINKing, THINK and TALK with your child on this thought. When I use the figure of speech "seeing the light of day," I'm meaning as in getting to be viewed by eyes...and maybe even lucky enough to get read aloud on tongues. So, go ahead. Read this one aloud to your child of any age:

A Hog's Life My sister hogs the bathroom. My brother hogs the sink. Our baby hogs my mommy’s lap. Hmmm… I live with hogs, I think. Copyright © 1996, 2009 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

WOW! You and your child can have some THINKing fun with that poem today...in any way you like, actually. However, if you'd like a Parenting 4 Literacy tip to add to your own ideas for THINKing and TALKing about that poem, here comes one...or more. TALK about the word fun of THINKing about "hogging" space. Give your child a look at the size of that pictured hog. WOW! A hog takes up a whole lot of space! Or try innovating on my text to change sister or brother or baby to personalize names and titles around those who live in your home. Hmmm. What new poem will the two of you create? Or THINK and TALK about why "A Hog's Life" has dates for two years preceding my byline. If your child shows interest, you might say that the older date is there to protect this poem from way back in time when I first wrote those thoughts...and the newer date is there to protect my poem now as it's being first published. WOW! There's yet another tip to THINK and TALK about...you might help your child own the word byline as the name of the person who creats a piece of writing or other creative original work. You and your older child may also get into some THINKing and TALKing about the fact that the byline and copyright protect a person's ownership. Rodin's "The Thinker" is similarly protected as Rodin's unique and original creation. WOW! I'm now THINKing as a parent and educator...I've been there, done that. So I can hear what's coming in this conversation of yours! Your child wants bylines and copyrights to claim full rights and ownership on this or that possession! Hmmm, now you're likely onto the territory of trademarks. (Hey, I once wrote a children's story about trademarks.) Anyway, if the two of you can't amicably settle rights and ownership issues that come up––well, maybe it's time to call in the intellectual property attorneys. WOW! Maybe the hog knows! Tomorrow is Free-for-All Friday...wonder what's waiting for us tomorrow!?

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