Copyright for teachers??? It seems a bit scary to me, because it is so grey & so very new to me. It also pushes me outside of my comfort zone because legal writing can be so difficult to understand, and when consequences are attached to "not knowing" it is a scary thing. I will absolutly need to become more educated and more aware of materials that I am choosing to use. When I completed my undergrad. I do not ever recall hearing about copyright infringement in the classroom, we simply attached a works cited document, used materials we needed in class and went on with it. What I have walked away with is a greater appreciation and respect for copyrighted materials. I cannot copy something without permission and use it over a long term period. I need to be deligent of fair use, watch how much of the copyrighted material I use and how I use it. I need to be aware of changes that I make, and how much choices affect the market place. It appears that "for educational purposes" lessens the stress level somewhat but not totally.
I don't know ways that copyright laws have been violated in schools, I know movies are shown, but I don't know if permission was requested prior to the showing. I would imagine if a substitute pops in a movie, permission likely was not requested. Perhaps modifying the lyrics to a popular tune, to aid in the learning/memory process, would have been an infringement. Out of schools, again, I don't know if permission was requested, but I've been in churches that also show movies for kid's night or show clips during Sunday school.
I absolutly believe it is my job to teach copyright respect to my students and I think the best way to do that is to lead by example. This could be sticky at times. It's like telling your toddler to never lie to mommy, but then you get caught in a white lie...life is not always black and white, so why do I wish copyright was a little less grey ?!?!?! I would not teach my students copyright respect by pointing out everytime I use something that is or is not copyright protected, but rather on occassion toss it out there and remind them to also be respectful. When addressing assessments, part of the rubric could specifically address copyrighted material. Researching materials, and creating presentations would be a good time to work with students on copyrighted materials that they may wish to incorporate into their graded projects. NET-S standard Digital Citizenship addressess copyright issues, specificially 5.a. "Students advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology."
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