POST #4: Copyright

I found that the copyright section had a lot to teach me.  I don’t use a lot of media in the classroom-part of the reason why I took this class…and I also felt that much of the things it discussed did not pertain to me (a lot for middle school and high school).  Although, I did feel that there was a lot of new information out there that is crucial for teachers to know about, especially if they are having online discussions about literature.  
I am very appreciative of the fact that I don’t have to worry so much about infringing on any rights when I use many of the programs that AEA has provided for us, and that the materials are appropriately (in most situations) broken into categories for different levels of students.  I feel that I just got a taste of what is out there and that school districts need to educate us more on this topic.  I also feel that if I had taken this class with more background knowledge on copyright laws, it would have been easier for me to remember.

I think in the future, I will use more of the resources that are available through the AEA and less of what is out there on YouTube or available on general search engines.

I image I have broken a couple of copyright rules over the past 23 years. I am thinking of the times in the past when I used my own money to purchased 5 or 6 copies of the same paperback book to use with a small group of elementary TAG students and later discovered I needed another copy. I likely copied more than 10% of a book a few times  In my defense, this was before you could order a book and have it delivered to your house in less than two days.

Furthermore, the information on copyright rules could not have reached me at better time. Last week, I spent a lot of time creating a unit around the Spanish version of Judy Blume's book, "Blubber".  The Spanish version is called, "La Ballena".  I need two copies and I only have one copy. Unfortunately, when I went to the Amazon website to order another copy I discovered it was out of print. The book is 73 years old and it timeless, but is not old enough to be considered "public domain".  

I really did not want to spend the time to copy this 172 page book and after listening to the video on this topic, it urged me to ask other teachers what I should do so my week's worth of time would not be wasted. Luckily,  one teacher gave me another book site and I found an old copy for 74 cents. Even with postage, this price beats being chained to a copy machine!

I really appreciated clarifying how materials used through AEA can be shown in the classroom, for fair use.  It was interesting to me how often we get mixed messages about not being able to show videos or music links.  The section also helped to clarify the idea of fair use-- the purpose, nature of the work, the amount to be used and the effect on the market.

I will likely refer to these parts of the course this fall when I work with our staff.

Several years ago, I took a graduate course and one of the topics we had to write a paper on was various copyright laws.  This course was an excellent way of brushing up on that topic, especially when it came to digital music copyright laws, which always seem to be changing and expanding.

As a music teacher, copyright laws are extremely important to follow carefully.  I feel that several of the rules are 'cut and dried', so to speak, but in the ever changing world of digital music, I feel that this is not quite the case.  When it comes to using digital media or music in the classroom, I have always taken and will  continue to take a proactive approach by making sure that I keep as current as possible on the issues of copyright and ensure that my students are also informed of how to appropriately use those materials as well. By understanding and being knowledgeable about these resources, I can also protect my students from infringing on copyright laws as well.

As I went through the course I kept thinking that there is so much available from the media library I should just focus on using these resources and not spend so much time on outside searches.  With print materials I would think of copyright when using textbooks, workbooks, etc.  When going through the copyright information in this course I thought I need to start to think of technology copy right as much as I do with printed materials.  I am thrilled with all the resources offered and after learning more about copy right will focus much more with the resources provided by AEA.  

Copyright is a very confusing topic for me. I do not always know what is restricted and what is not. The Iowa AEA Online has been very helpful for educators to find materials that are not copyrighted. It makes it much easier to do a search through the AEA and using the materials that are already approved. I plan on searching through the AEA. Not only are these materials approved, they are also not blocked by schools for viewing and are easier to use (once you get the search done ;)). As of right now, I teach Kindergarten and Kindergarteners do not use searching online. It won't be of much use for them!

I learned a lot that I did not understand before this class about the copyright laws. I will be more aware of the resources I am using and use the AEA on line resources to make sure I am using the materials in the correct manner. Teaching special education I am always trying to find something quick that can be reproduced. I know understand that I will need to take more time to find materials that are allowed to be used in the classroom.

The copyright module surprised me. I was expecting a long list of rules and regulations, as I had been told it was hard to explain and therefore difficult to understand. The information was presented in an easy to understand way.  It is not as nearly restrictive as I assumed. In erring on the side of right, I did not expand my searches beyond those websites I was already accustomed to. I found the section on Fair Use to be very enlightening. Understanding Fair Use would have been beneficial while I was a classroom teacher.  I would be much more comfortable allowing students to use AEA Online as a substitute teacher as I feel it would be a more controlled environment in which to work. Knowing I can navigate and use the information and materials that AEA Online provides, gives me a learning tool to use without worrying about copyright infringement and eliminates another step in the research and lesson development process.  

This is a hard one for me, as I have never had to worry about copyright before.  I did find the section on copyright kind of interesting.  I did expect a lot of rules, dos and don'ts and  big fines imposed for using someone's work.  But it is  a lot more lenient than I thought. Especially for educators. It does make you safe about using AEA online and the vast resources. For example the current new paper articles, pictures, books, videos and many, many more.  It's nice to know they are looking out for the teachers because they use many things to help educate our children.  Everyday they need to copy worksheets or small booklets for reading or use certain videos in the classroom.

I found the copyright section to be interesting and very useful. I am one of the many who generally thought that copyright was more restrictive than it actually is. I am glad to find out that the AEA has so many great resources, especially since they have done all the work of figuring out copyrights for us. The AEA resources are leaps and bounds better than using google to find materials for teachers and students to use because you know that your are going to get relevant, quality information from the AEA and that it is okay for you to use. You never know what you are going to get with a google search in terms of quality and even appropriateness. With google it can be very hard to discern what you can and cannot use because you often don't know if the website you are looking at got the material legally themselves. Students should definitely be directed to the AEA online resources when doing reports and projects. Not only will they be sure to get quality information, they can be sure that it is okay to use said information.

After completing the copyright module, I learned things that I hadn't really thought about before.  Previously, I knew nothing about TEACH which allows the transmission of copyrighted material.  I also knew nothing about Creative Commons and the six types of licenses.

As I reflected on my own practices, I realized that I held some misguided beliefs, especially where Fair Use comes in to play.  We all need to be aware of rules pertaining to copying from textbooks - the effect on the market and the amount used in proportion to whole.  Fair Use could be violated quite easily.

I am confident that when I use AEA Online in my first grade classroom that all of the copyright laws have been followed and know that if I have a question about the use of materials, I can easily refer to the Copyright resources using the educator tab for guidance.

I found the copyright section to be interesting and very useful. I am one of the many who generally thought that copyright was more restrictive than it actually is. I am glad to find out that the AEA has so many great resources, especially since they have done all the work of figuring out copyrights for us. The AEA resources are leaps and bounds better than using google to find materials for teachers and students to use because you know that your are going to get relevant, quality information from the AEA and that it is okay for you to use. You never know what you are going to get with a google search in terms of quality and even appropriateness. With google it can be very hard to discern what you can and cannot use because you often don't know if the website you are looking at got the material legally themselves. Students should definitely be directed to the AEA online resources when doing reports and projects. Not only will they be sure to get quality information, they can be sure that it is okay to use said information.

AEA Online has really helped take some of the guesswork and questions that I have had about copyright laws and clarified it to me.  It is a very confusing topic.  It's eased some of my fears that I might not be using a resource correctly or not teaching my kids enough about what they need to know about the regulations at the elementary level.  Kids want to google everything or use Wikipedia to find information about a topic for a report.  Now I feel like I can direct my students to a safe place where they can begin a search with filters already in place.  I know that my colleagues and I don't utilize the AEA Online resources as much as we should, but now I will continue to share these resources with them and encourage them to start using it as a starting point for research and learning.  

I didn't fully understand all of the copyright stipulations and complications for online courses thoroughly.  This makes me appreciate what goes into creating an online class even more.  As resources continue to evolve digitally, I'm sure that copyright laws will continue to change and it is our responsibility to keep up with these laws and regulations.  

After taking the copyright module, I now have a better understanding of the copyright laws.  Thank you for making it easy t understand them.  I will use the AEA online resources for any material that I need from now on.  The school systems have a way of blocking certain sites and if you need the information you have to wait and find it at home or elsewhere, so why not use the site that has already taken care of the copyright issue for us .  

I really think its great having taken this self paced course that gives us valuable information about copyrights.  Copyright has not been discussed much in most of the districts I have taught in.  Mostly, you are given your textbooks and you develop lesson plans and you teach.  I do believe that the internet has really opened our educators on the importance of gathering materials from other online sources and relaying it our students.  With the easy access to google and youtube, it makes getting information much easier, but are we using this information correctly and legally.  The Fair Use Checklist and the Fair Use Evaluator makes it easier to understand if the materials used are in question to the copyright guidelines.   I plan on using the AEA Online Resources more because it has the educators interest at heart and has provided research based information through the correct channels to make it copyright friendly for us.  
By restricting our students to use certain resources such as Britannica, AP Images, and AEA Ditigal Library we know that our students and teachers will not violate the copyright guidelines.  
Copyright is a great subject to talk about at the start of each year.  With information available through the AEA's I feel confident with practice and use that the students will learn where they can best research and gather their materials for the projects and presentations they seek.  In conclusion, the copyright session has given many documents and tools to utilize in order to keep myself and my students safe from copyright punishment of fines and jail time.  Thank you.

As my role in the classroom is a substitute teacher, I have never really thought much about copyright laws.  After completing the module about copyright laws I can say that the laws seem to be somewhat complicated and left up to interpretation and judgement of the courts in some instances. When checking as to the prudent use of copy righted resources it would be advised to use trusted information such as found on the AEA resources as opposed to the open web.  Not that one is going to always get a straight forward answer to every question, but with good judgement and some common sense one should be able to make educated decisions as to what is sensible use and intent of use of these materials and resources.  My background is in food service management and we have an unwritten rule that states when in doubt throw it out. This could apply to copyrighted works. After consideration, if there is a doubt it may be wise to find other resources or materials to use in the classroom.

My understanding of the copy right laws have changed as I have more knowledge after reading through the material.  I always thought of the laws pertaining to written material, songs and movies.  Had never considered the laws also apply to other works such as pictorial, graphic, sculptured, and architectural works. I learned the four basic protections that authors control under copy right laws which are the right to make copies of the work, the right to sell or distribute copies, the right to prepare new work based on protected work (derivative works), and the right to perform the work in public such as a play or viewing. Am also aware that these laws do not apply to criticisms, parodies, or transformation of original work.  The digital age has created the need to look at the laws and make changes as we are in different times than when laws were first created. I did not that copy right is upheld until 70 years after the death of the holder.  I understand why many English and drama classes use older works of art that are no longer copy righted such as Shakespeare's work. Public domain takes the issue of use off the table. Copy right laws now fall under federal regulations as of 1976.
Had also never thought about how one would check to see how a resource or material could be legally used. We all know about copying movies as it is displayed on the screen when you view rentals or go to the theater. Many live performances also inform the audience that video taping is not allowed. There have also been Public Service Annoucements to educate the public about copying music.

As I do not make the decisions as to what will be used in the classroom, changing my approach to choosing materials doesn't apply to me.  However in other roles such as employee training that I may do in future jobs as I have in the past, I will think about any handouts, materials, and/or resources I share with my class. If I needed to confirm whether a resource was protected by copy right laws I would use the information that I have learned, the ability to research on line and some common sense as to fairness of use to make my decision. There are rules to help protect teachers, schools, and librarires. Part of the judgement on whether laws were violated to me would come down to the intent of the user and the impact on the party or parties holding the copy right. One resource to help make a decision as to use of copy righted material would be http://search.creativecommons.org

After completing the copyright module, I do have a better understanding of some things I can and cannot due in the classroom. Thank you for clearing up some of the myths, and helping bring some new things to light.  I have really restricted myself in the use of many things, and have spent a lot of time "reinventing the wheel" when maybe I did not actually have to! It was a pleasant surprise and I am feeling like it will open some new doors for resources in the class.  I really appreciated the section explaining the Fair Use guidelines: the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and the effect of the use upon the potential market or value of the work.  It really made things a lot more clear to me.  This module touched on copyright topics I had never heard of and cleared up many things that I misunderstood.

After learning more about copyright I feel much better as a teacher knowing that I don't believe I have misused any copyrights, parent knowing that I have past down my little knowledge to my own children and student knowing that I haven't plagiarized any materials. I have been very strict in the past and will probably continue for some parts.  In the past we were told to be careful and only use what you knew was approved for usage.  I am the type of person that rather be safe than sorry.  Learning more about fair use and teacher use helped me out a great deal.  I will feel much better using AEA resources instead of the web.  I will set up through my google classroom a link to the AEA resource of my choice for the students to go to.  This will cut down any possible "oops" students might encounter in the sense of misusing materials they are hunting for.  While directing them through using the AEA online resources I can give them a brief review on copyright rules.

Like some of the other "posters", I was clueless about copyright infringement,especially regarding youtube and Google stuff-another couple of bad habits I need to modify.
I haven't used AEA Online enough to know what's available but knowing it's all been checked out will be most helpful.
I've been guilty of not giving very creative people their "just rewards" and it will not continue, especially when others are relying on me to do the right thing.
We have enough problems with people not doing what they are supposed to be doing, that another example of this bad behavior is not acceptable.

I like music and some other useful videos and I would like to download to keep it or share to others, but the copyright is really issues and make it hard to do. Through AEA Online Resources I have learned that we can get lot of good materials from it without worrying about violating the copyright,  because it has been sorted out already and you can share and use it freely. Yet AEA Online Resources contains tremendous information, that could make me to spend a year to explore it. it is really worthy to learn .