POST #4: Copyright

The copyright module has helped me understand the laws of copyright better. That understanding will aid me in conveying the importance of copyright to my students better. I may even utilize some of the materials from the course to achieve that goal. My district stands firm against plagiarism; we insist that work be original and that students cite those elements that not. Copyright is trickier however. Having the AEA vet research and materials makes the whole process easier.

Not been called on copyright laws, but have considered it carefully when some proprietary materials I purchased myself were borrowed and not returned.   Having been ripped off like that, I'm very conscious of copyright protections, so don't rip and/or publish protected music, video, or authorship.   This course increased my specific awareness of the parameters of copyright.  One of the best parts of this course were introductions and reviews of the different online resources that provide knowledge and content that are automatically offered with terms of open use, such as iclipart.    Subscription services are good protections for teachers, though I'm still careful of what I use, how to store and present it, especially if using materials outside the classroom, presentations to adults, inservices.   Well worth reviewing and discussing compliance.

     After completing this course, I felt that I had gained a very basic understanding of copyrighting in general. I also became aware of the fact that teachers have much more freedom with the copyright guidelines. Prior to taking this course, I had not given much thought to copyrighting with exception of putting footnotes whenever material was taken "word for word".
     There is a distinct advantage for students to use the AEA Online resourse material versus Google, especially in reference to copyrighting. The AEA resource network has already addressed the copyright issues. With Google there is always a strong chance of a copyright violation.
     As far as my approach to copyrighting issues in school, I would try a couple of things. First I would start the process to implement a class at the high school level just for the copyrighting guidelines. I would also give each student a copy of " Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers" and cover that material in class. The class would be required on a yearly basis to all grades.This would be a "refresher" class given every year before they actually begin the schoolwork. It would be an opportunity to keep up with any changes. For example, if Congress would make the cable TV guidelines the same as the broadcast TV guidelines.

The internet and all our recording technology make it so easy to steal someone's intellectual and creative work.Those who create, publish, edit and illustrate deserve to reap the benefits of their work. It is a great relief to me to know that AEA Online resources are usable and quotable for classroom use. Copyright laws prevented me from using some good resources in the past because I didn't buy a copy of, say, a DVD or video. Having access to AEA sites will help my curriculum and delivery be more up-to-date. The copyright module has helped me learn more, and be more confident in helping students stay compliant with those laws.
When I sub, students are often researching and creating audio/visual projects explaining events or concepts. They are unmindful of using another's work, and often go outside the recommended sites to get music, pictures, graphics or video. I will be glad to be more knowledgeable about GWAEA Online resources and be able to help students find them, rather than being somewhat complicit in their improper use.  

The copyright section of this course was extremely informative.  Looking back to my previous years teaching full time (1996-2006), I feel that I didn’t worry too much nor did I do much that would require being worried about infringement. With that said, as I jump back in teaching almost a decade later, I can see this being even more important and prevalent due to how much we can find on the web and how easy it is to obtain copyrighted information. I am definitely much more aware of the laws regarding it and will be more cautious due to that. I also will  feel a peace of mind going through the AEA website rather than through the typical search engines for both myself and students.

As reviewing the module on copyright, I saw how the AEA online website is beneficial due to they have make sure any music, clip art, and information is already ready for classroom use.  Unlike Google, the sites, videos, music, and information is already appropriate for student use, and as I teacher I didn't need to worry about appropriate use in the classroom.  I have used Google before for videos to help teach a lesson, but the ads and content is not always student and classroom friendly. The online AEA sites are all student and classroom friendly for content and appropriateness.  As with all the AEA on line sites, you can narrow your search for information by grade, content, and student interests.  This helps save time and as a teacher, we always need ways to make sure our time is used as effective as we can.

I now have a better understanding of Copyright laws. I always try to be careful when using media from the internet, and it always concerned me when I would have my students printing pictures off the internet that they would get one that was copyright protected, although I tried to stop that from happening. I am very happy to have learned about the AEA online resources that are available and already sorted through that I can let my students search through and print without the worry of copyright laws as well as safer as I know nothing inappropriate will pop up on the screen. I also am a big user of clipart. I like to add it to my smartboards, parent letters, and just about everything I do. It is very difficult to sort through Google and find images that I can use. I am very excited to use AEA online clipart and have shared this information with my team teacher as she uses a lot of clipart as well.

I think the copyright portion of the module was extremely valuable.  My only concern is that I hope I can access this information again without having to flip through all the course pages.  (I remember that there were information sheets available but I do not remember exactly where to find the copies. I should have made copies as I was taking the course.)  The biggest advantage to me is that I will have up-to-date information to share with my students.  In times past we had a computer specialist at Brody who was my go-to guy to check on concerning copyright issues. He is no longer at my school.  I will also have access and be able to lead my students to access materials we can use without worrying about copyright violations.  This will be a great improvement in the teaching occurring in my classroom.

I felt very assured through the copyright module. Much of what I covered with my students as a teacher fell into this module. Whether or not it was listened to and used was a different story!

Being in this technological age, it is more important than ever for us to teach copyright to our students. That's why I find the AEA online resources to be reassuring. I know I am looking at quality materials that have been through a vetting process, whereas with Google or Wikipedia, I'm not entirely sure what I'm getting or if it is original.

One thing I find happening all too often with teachers is that some are copying lessons, materials, etc. out of sample curriculums, and they are used and distributed amongst the building. They're getting what they need to use later without spending thousands of dollars to get there. I find it very disheartening! If we expect our students to respect copyright, we as educators must as well!

Something I'd like to do in the future is to, with other consultants, is prep a copyright unit for teachers to use, or for us to present in schools.

I now have a greater understanding of copyright issues and laws.  I was under the understanding prior to this training that if I was using for educational purposes then I didnt have to worry about copyright issues.  I was very wrong to think that, but nobody ever really said anything different so I thought it was ok.  My biggest issue is with creating videos and using music.  This is a touchy subject, but one that really does need more clarification.  From now on I will have the students use stuff from Soundzabound instead so we dont have to worry about copyright issues as much.  I will approach my lesson on copyright differently now  having a better understanding of the rules and regulations.

I actually went through the copyright section twice. The first time I felt I had gone through the section too quickly not allowing myself to fully grasp the information. There was a lot of information. What I have learned is that the things I am doing with my elementary students are within the copyright laws. Since taking this class, I have introduced my students to the AEA Online Resources. I found the students were not familiar with these resources. These resources will allow the students and myself to access clip art, audios, videos and newscasts that are sorted, filtered, and approved to be copied for classroom and student use. This will be a reliable resource for our classroom. I learned about the new laws to help with digital education. At this time I have not put any of my lessons online. The things I have been doing in my classroom fit into the copyright laws.

After learning about the plethora of resources that can be found on Iowa AEA Online and coming to the conclusion that not only are these resources relevant and appropriate but that they also can be used without worry of breaking copyright laws, I am going to be a strong advocate of this website.  In the past I have worked with only lower elementary aged students.  With that said, it is a large task to help them understand how to use the resources on the web, but it is an even larger task to expect them to be able to evaluate the resources and which ones can or can not be used without breaking copyright laws.  Using the Iowa Online website allows students to use online materials without the worry of breaking copyright laws.

I do not recall taking any course in college or any professional development course thereafter that specifically focused on copyright rules and limitations.  I loved learning the details of “Classroom Use” and appropriate “Fair Use”.  The explanations of the four areas of the “Fair Use” policy was particularly enlightening to me.   I think this information should be presented to teachers and staff in a required setting and not just an optional course that teachers choose to take.

After having completed the copyright module, I feel more comfortable knowing, for the most part, my peers and I have used copyrighted material with integrity.
However, I feel it may be an area we would benefit revisiting periodically, whether in our district’s handbook (Live Binder) or posted in lounge or office.

Even with younger students, it is important to have the “copyright discussion.” With older students, it is imperative.

It is reassuring to know students and educators have an ally with our Iowa AEA. By using Iowa AEA Online Resources, a person can feel confident she/he is accessing and sharing material that is safe.  

A class I took a year ago really hit the whole copyright issue hard.  I was interested to find out whether that learning had “stuck” well enough to make THIS course’s copyright module easier to understand.  The verdict?  Yep – this module served as an excellent review and assured me that I AM basically doing things right with regard to copyright laws.  The most helpful piece of this course’s copyright training was reinforcing the wealth of resources (documents, images, audio clips, etc.) that is available for our use and our students’ use through Iowa AEA Online.  You have done so much of the work FOR us, giving us access to safe-to-use resources!  I am especially appreciative of the way Iowa AEA Online Resources provide citation information almost everywhere I look.  Super helpful!  I never have to wonder where I got that bit of text or that perfect image as long as I include the citation data as I collect my information.  This citation feature takes a huge sting out of the research process for students, as well.

After this refresher, I feel more confident about using Creative Commons effectively, having a clearer understanding of the various licenses, and I will DEFINITELY use Iowa AEA Online Resources as my “go to” site.

Other than the occasional film or youtube video that gets shown in my class (either as part of my lesson or a portion of a student project), I very rarely use things that might have copyright attached to them.  I suppose that the reason was to avoid any issue.  I pretty much stick with materials that I made or that has been purchased by myself or the district specifically for classroom use.  After going through the module, I think my comfort level with using some of those things has increased by quite a ways.  I was especially interested in how easy they have made it to use so many of those images in AP and others.  What a great resource.  The use of images has always been a gray area to me, and students often want to use those things in projects, so having this resource will be great.

After the completion of the copyright portion of this course, I learned that many things aren't as restricted as I thought them to be. I know finding images for student projects has always been a concern. But if I can use iClipArt or images from the AP, I won't feel so restricted. Another source, I would like to implement would be the sound bits from "Soundsabound" for video and PowerPoint presentations. I was unaware of Creative Commons organization in their mission towards expanding copyright protection. Knowing how resources can be used saves a lot of time and makes it easier to obtain permission to use resource. Using AEA Online services that have already been acquired for schools to use makes even more sense when time is so short. I was also unaware of " use with Google" where from the search results, in the upper right hand corner,  that you can click on the image of the gear and go down to advanced search. This not only narrows down the search, but terms and safe searches as well.
I am a much more informed planner and teacher now, than previously. I more fully understand what is and what is not copyrighted. I now know that using AEA Online resources, I won't violate any copyright laws and when I don't use them what to look for when choosing other resources.

As my recent memory serves me, I don’t remember ever learning much about copyright rules and regulations in the past.  To be honest, I knew there were copyright regulations out there, but my schedule was already to full that I never really concerned myself with any of them.  However, I was glad that the copyright module was a part of the class.  I definitely a different perspective in regards for the need of copyright rules and regulations.  Before the class there was just a bunch of unknowns.  After the copyright module, I now have a newfound understanding of copyright.  I think one of the biggest "take-aways" for me is I can easily access the AEA online resources to find my digital material where the copyrighted material is clearly labeled and neatly organized.  Overall, I am just excited about the volume and quality of AEA online resources.  

Sadly to say, I never thought much about copyright when I was teaching.  Sure, I know not to copy text books.  And maybe that is because copiers tend to have warnings posted on them.  And every video comes with a warning, so that seems to be drilled in my head not to copy them.  I learned a lot during this lesson.  I have gotten worked up with Etsy and how it seemed that people have violated copyrights with using song lyrics on some on their designs.  Well, I guess, depending on the when the song was written, status of the author, it may not be a copyright violation.  I think as a teacher I could make sure my students have a better understanding of copyright laws and the impact it has.  With modern day artists removing their music from free download sites, it would be an easy way to facilitate discussion.

As crazy as it  might sound, I actually enjoyed learning about copyright laws and guidelines in the last module. In this digital age, other than hearing about movie infringement by China or teens illegally downloading music, neither which applied to me, I have't given it much thought. I thought the projects I had student complete were mostly protected because of their limited size and scope and because they were for educational purposes only. For some reason the 10% concepts stuck in my mind and I have had students quote that as well in conversations with other students, so obviously they learned that myth as well.

I especially enjoyed learning about the types or categories of materials that can and cannot be copyrighted. Having some of those guidelines posted in a classroom might also develop greater student awareness of copyright concepts.

We make a lot of effort to talk to our students about "plagiarism" in writing, but not so much when it comes to the use of public images, music, poetry etc.  After completing this course I have a much better grasp of the complexity of the topic and realize that a resource for better understanding copyright is available to me here. I'm not so sure but what we shouldn't have students  and teachers review this module before they do any type of project or creative work for class.

Certainly the AEA resources have provided us with a much safer forum than google for "fair use" of materials. Once we educate our students about that, it will give them another reason to use our available AEA resources that have already been vetted. This unit has motivated me to be more cognizant of the sources I use and the sources I allow students to use.  Helping my students develop an understanding of copyright infringement will now go hand in hand with our learning of what constitutes plagiarism.

These modules on Copyright topics were very helpful. I definitely have a better understanding of Copyright laws more than I did before but I still do not feel that I am fully versed on the subject. I believe the reason being is because as a counselor, I’m not faced with this concern as often or commonly as a teacher would be. In our department, many times if we are copying documents, they are our own documents that we created. Very few times have we had to copy other’s documents to give to students or post on our website. I certainly feel that I would feel most comfortable using AEA online resources for the simple fact that it has already been fully filtered and I am safe in using these resources. I certainly feel that in this day and age that this is a topic that is very important to cover and re-cover with students.