Until recently, students didn't really have to worry about copyright and fair use guidelines. Teachers were in danger of violating copyright law nearly every time they stepped up to a copy machine, but students were just the passive recievers of our transgresions. Things are different now. Students (and teachers) have easy and ready access to a wide array of media and digital content. Fair use guidelines permit students to use copyrighted pictures from the internet in their reports, or copyrighted music in their projects. However, fair use stops protecting them after they leave the school environment. (NOTE: We're talking about copyright issues here, not plagarism. Copyright is a legal issue. Plagarism is an academic issue. It's important to keep the issues separate. Citing a source (like a photograph) which you should always do, doesn't protect you from breaking copyright law.)
We're working on lessons that will teach students about responsible (both legal and academic) use of other's content, but in the meantime, there are a few things both teachers and students should know. Read Encouraging Student Creativity with Creative Commons over at the PBS Teachers website (which, by the way, is a fabulous resource).
This week's prompt: Think about the students you teach. How and what might you share with them related to copyright and/or Creative Commons?
Looking for more information about copyright?
- TeachersFirst collection of copyright resources
- Do You Have a Simple Explanation of Copyright? blog post at U Tech Tips (includes a handy video)
- Kimberly's personal collection of copyright-related links.
