POST #4: Copyright

I have a much better understanding on the copyright laws after reading about it in the course.  It is so nice to see that AEA is able to sort and filter the materials and that they can be labeled.  It also makes a difference if you want to just show the materials or download materials.  I thought originally that the copyright laws were more strict than some of them are.  It will be much easier in my classroom to use the online resources without worrying about copyright laws constantly.  I feel we as teachers still need to be cautious about what we download and/or print to share with parents, but at least AEA has the resources we can read and know what can and cannot be shared off the internet.

After completing the copyright module, I definitely gained a wealth of information and now know I will be retrieving most of my resource information from the AEA website. It was shocking to see the amount of copyright infringement.  The AEA provides all safe information and has already done all the hard work for you filtering out what is not available for use. Moving forward, I will refer to the AEA site way more often than to the general web.

I have to agree that copyright is a topic that educators talk to students about.  I find that a lot of educators put the copyright laws on the back burner.  After reading more in depth information about copyright laws in this course I think I can now explain this information to students easier.  This has allowed me to stop and think about copyright laws when I go to use materials in my classroom.  One change I plan on making is using AEA Online resources more often in my classroom.  I think using AEA Online is just a safer way to go. Then I don't have to worry so much about all the copyright laws because I know that AEA Online is a safe protected site to use.

After exploring this module I have a better understanding of what copyright and fair use means.  Copyright is definitely a topic we discussed in my fifth grade classroom as we wrote papers and made online presentations, but now after reading through this module I feel better equipped to teach my students about it.  I especially liked reading about The Digital Millennium Copyright Act as my students love to put music and sounds in their presentations.  When working with students I will try to have them use AEA Online materials that have copyright permission and teach them to use resources like these in their future.  I would model this for my students as I would also try to use AEA materials more to find books, videos and other resources to use in our classroom.  As teachers continue to incorporate more technology into the daily routines of the classroom I think it is very important to educate students about copyright and how to use materials properly.  

I will not make any changes to the way I use copyrighted materials. I never copy more than one page from any book. I do not download any materials to print unless it is free. I do not download media for personal or professional use. I did learn about laws that I did not understand. There are also laws mentioned in the training that I have never heard of before. I have a new view of the law; however, I still won’t copy items, regardless of the right to do so. I am certain that my age influences my view of copyright laws. Even though things have changed somewhat, I still remember being told as a child in school that, "We don't copy work that belongs to someone else."

This course furthered my understanding on copyright and fair use as well as introduced new information to me.   Although I may not remember all these guidelines, I can look them up as needed.  I did not know about the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the TEACH Act, or First Sale.  One detail that I found interesting to recall is that works created prior to 1923 can be used without breaking copyright.  Thus, teachers can freely use their methods with many literature classics.  
Without a doubt, using the Iowa AEA online resources with students is by far the better choice than allowing students to surf the web.  These databases provide accurate, up to date, appropriate, and reliable information.  Furthermore, several of them provide citations for students to easily incorporate in the projects.  A simple copy and paste will transport the citation, which is already in its proper MLA or ALA format, to document their sources used.  How easy and convenient is that?  These kids have no idea how good they have it!

After completing the copyright section of this training I feel like I have a better understanding of the copyright laws and what it means for teachers.  I also realized that I probably didn't need to fret as much as i had because of the educational purpose behind using the materials that I used in my lessons.  I used to be one that would go to Google and start my search for videos, information, images...however it makes much more sense to go through the AEA Online resources.  Using AEA resources means that I will be able to find the information I need in a format that will enhance my lesson while also not having to worry about copyright because the source information can be easily found within the site.  

My understanding of copyright laws has really changed after taking this course. As an artist and creator myself I find these laws to be very important and I'm glad that I will be able to respect them better going forward. Teaching plagiarism to students can be challenging. I think its awesome that the AEA has done much of the work for us by filtering material. In the past, I've used google images a lot with my students. That has required constant supervision and a lot of lecturing about appropriate use. I'm glad that I now have the AEA resources to help guide students in making better choices. I'm planning on having AP Images completely replace the use of google. I definitely took "Classroom use" too far and have been committing some copyright no-no's. I still feel like I may be uncertain about some of the complexities of the copyright laws. I feel safer using the AEA resources myself though. I also think they are easier to navigate than the open web!

I actually understood the copyright section pretty well, because I taught my students about it in my Technology Communications class this year.  I purchased a Nearpod unit to use in my class and one of the units focussed on copy right for both teachers and students.  The students were really surprised to know that when they download music off the Internet or You Tube that they were pirating someone else's work and how that would affect them.  It was an eye opening experience for my students.  One student told the class how they watch movies all the time for free.  Their brother has a jail broke iPhone and can watch about any movie he wants.  We had a real intense discussion about what he was doing and how wrong it was, because he knew he was taking something without paying for it.  He felt that because he could do it, it was o.k.   That if they didn't want him to have access to it, they would figure out a way to stop him.  It was almost like a game to him.  I think that the lesson opened his eyes a little though, because it talked about the potential fines.  That made him think.

I was actually surprised about how “lenient” copyright is compared to what I had conjured up in my head. It was very beneficial to me to actually be able to read what it all entailed. I do admit, I was nervous as I began the module, because I have used material that I thought would be protected under copyright. However after seeing it written out, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was not as much of a “rule” breaker as I had originally thought.
It will be much more freeing knowing what I can use and what I should not use with my students. I do think, additionally, that it will be so much more helpful being able to use the AEA resources I have learned about it this course. When I am using these resources, I know that I am safe in what I am using, and don’t have to spend any time wondering about copyright.

The copyright section of study gave me a good understanding of how copyright laws work.  I was especially surprised to realize that copyright rules are more relaxed in educational settings, specifically within the physical classroom.  Most of all, the realization that Iowa AEA Online contains so much information that is designed to be used in an educational setting without risk of copyright infringement is very helpful.  These resources are extremely valuable!  

Overall, I was probably erring on the side of caution and underusing materials for fear of infringement.  So this course helped me understand that there are many exemptions that apply to educational settings.  One thing I learned is to be sure to keep password restrictions on web based coursework.

I always thought I knew what copyright laws were but I was surprised to find out that it was a lot more.  I didn't really think about how Google and other search engines could be using pirated copyright materal and it will be so much safer to use the AEA Online Resources. Plus, the information on Google and others could be wrong information. I will be changing my habits on using the Internet. I believe the AEA Online Resources will have the information I seek in my class assignments.  I would feel safer having the students using these resources then being free to roam the Internet.  I also will have a short over view of copyright laws with my students before we start a online project so they know what they can use and not use.  

I will not be teaching classes, so I do not need to worry about copyright in this setting. My understanding of copyright grew only slightly as I had previous training in undergrad on copyright laws in the classroom.

My first experience with copyright was during a class project at college in the late 70’s, where we had to create a product, manufacture and sell it. We picked a clock design with a screen printed image of Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice. While we only sold about 10, it was not long after before we received a cease and desist letter from Disney.

I think the unit on copyright was very good. I have had to help with the creation of training modules for test item writers and all the topics are well covered. But copyright is a slippery beast. Anything for profit gets scrutiny by the owners of copyrighted material. Even as a publisher of textbook, the permissions for each piece of copyrighted content are very specific. And while you may have permission to copy the text and digitize it, the picture used in the print material may not allow it to be digitized.

The good news for educators is that the government and a vast majority of creators of copyrighted material feel positive towards the use for education. That and not using the content for profit goes along way to making this an easier subject for teachers in the Iowa AEA’s.

I think I have a better understanding of copyright after completing this course.  

One consideration is the intent or purpose for the use.  In the past, my classroom use was always for educational reasoning, but I didn't have a firm understanding of what was ok and what was ripping the original author off.  One aha moment came from the idea of using a portion of copyrighted material.  For example, I could utilize a page or two of text for reading skill use and it would likely be justifiable.  The greater the percentage of original material used, then the larger the likelihood of copyright issues would come into question.

I liked how some links were provided with materials that were already approved for classroom use.  I will try and utilize those websites

Inside the prison classroom, I don't have internet access.  Much of the material that I use comes from a flashdrive and then be played through a tv with a usb port.  I will try to be more diligent by making sure my links are from sources that allow copying.

Ultimately, copyright remains a gray area.  It is up to judges to decide whether it is being violated.  As an educator, we must use our best judgement to ensure that we are acting with good intent and following best practices.

I think I have a better understanding of copyright after completing this course.  

One consideration is the intent or purpose for the use.  In the past, my classroom use was always for educational reasoning, but I didn't have a firm understanding of what was ok and what was ripping the original author off.  One aha moment came from the idea of using a portion of copyrighted material.  For example, I could utilize a page or two of text for reading skill use and it would likely be justifiable.  The greater the percentage of original material used, then the larger the likelihood of copyright issues would come into question.

I liked how some links were provided with materials that were already approved for classroom use.  I will try and utilize those websites

Inside the prison classroom, I don't have internet access.  Much of the material that I use comes from a flashdrive and then be played through a tv with a usb port.  I will try to be more diligent by making sure my links are from sources that allow copying.

Ultimately, copyright remains a gray area.  It is up to judges to decide whether it is being violated.  As an educator, we must use our best judgement to ensure that we are acting with good intent and following best practices.

One of the things I really appreciated about going through the copyright module is learning about the ability to access a multitude of resources the AEA has made available; I was totally unaware of this before taking this module.  Just knowing that all critical filtering has been carefully done by AEA really does make one feel at ease and relieves us of so much legwork.  In addition, I have gained valuable knowledge of the do’s and don’ts of different copyrighted materials affecting teachers. The Classroom Use, TEACH ACT, Fair Use, and Creative Commons were very clear and well presented, and I found the information very helpful.  I believe this section of the course, without a doubt, is a must for teachers as I see how on a daily basis, it can be a very useful and helpful tool to refer to any time one is unsure when we may be on the verge infringements.
Having this knowledge will also allow me to educate students of unintentional copying, copyright restrictions, and AEA available resources when they are doing 5th grade community research projects.  Now I know that they have been breaking some of the copyright laws having had very little direction given to them from their classroom teachers about using Internet materials.

The copyright information is good for students and teachers. As students use the Internet more and more, they really need to understand what they can use freely and what they should not call their own!

I now understand copyright better than I previously did.  I feel that if I use multi-media resources for educational purposes to better educate my students and the resources that I use are relevant to what I am trying to teach, then I am not violating any copyright laws.  I know now that there is a ton of resources that I can use on the AEA on-line site and perfectly be ok as long as I use them for educational purposes.  

My initial understanding of copyright laws was best laid out by Rob Reid in his TED talk regarding Copyright Math; http://www.ted.com/talks/rob_reid_the_8_billion_ipod . Although a ridicule of copyright laws was all I understood, I now feel I have a stronger and more realistic grasp of free use and creative commons.
I don’t feel as though my process will initially change much, but eventually I’ll begin to use and rely on the resources I’m aware of now to avoid any such questions in the future.