Collabs are free content (Leaves) published under a copyright option that allows others to “remix” and publish a modified version of the original file. This article focuses on the WHY behind collabs and then how SharingTree supports collaborations on remixable content.
As teachers, Eddie and I spent a lot of time developing activities for our students. As we talked, we realized we wanted to build a community where teachers and students worldwide could collaborate and not have to create content by themselves. One day we drew out a tree diagram, like the one shown below, to model the sharing of lessons, and this image led to the name SharingTree. It is also why we call published content ‘Leaves.’
When you publish content using a remixable license, you are allowing others to collaborate and share their version with our community. SharingTree will always provide the ability to charge for copyrighted content, but we also want to provide tools to make collaborating on lessons from around the world possible. The next part of this article shows how we enable collaborations on SharingTree.
How do I find remixable content?
You can search for remixable leaves using the ‘Collab’ option on the left toolbar. All the leaves displayed allow users to remix and share their version.
Anytime you view a Leaf on SharingTree and notice it has a ‘Collabs’ button, then that leaf can be remixed.
How do I add a remixed lesson?
Clicking the ‘Collabs‘ button will take you to the bottom page where other Collab leaves based on the original are shown. Here you also have the option to add your own remix using the ‘Add a Collab‘ button.
When you click the ‘Add a Collab‘ button, you select a file from your Google Drive or Device to publish just like ‘Add a Leaf‘. The file you publish should relate to the original (extension, different format or language, modified grade level, etc.) and it will inherit the same copyright options. Using ‘Add a Collab‘ links your new remix to the original in the Collab section of both leaves. Your new Collab will be marked with a yellow ‘Collab‘ label to distinguish it from the original green ‘Leaf’ label.
Try sharing your content using ‘Add a Leaf‘ or ‘Add a Collab‘ today. We are excited to build this community with you.
Leave a Reply