POST #4: Copyright

After taking this course, I have identified many places on the Iowa AEA Online site that I now can safely search for items to use in my classroom.  Previously, I only used the web and just like my students only googled for images to add to power points or notebook files to put on the smart board.  I had never really considered the copyright implications before.  I did not know that there was a resource for us to use for Clip Art and actual images to use.    Now that I have several safe sources to use, I will use them a lot more.  I like the ability for many of these sites to have individual teacher accounts created to be able to store items that are usable rather than having to search for them all the time.  In creating my documents, I will also be sure to site where I have obtained my material from to model this aspect for students as they create their own documents.    

    Until I took this self-paced course, I really didn't know much of anything about copyright.  I had it in my mind that if copying was done for educational purposes and not for profit, then it would probably be okay.
     
    I think having the Iowa online databases makes it easier, especially iClipArt and Soundzabound. They take the worry out of copyright usage and allow teachers and students to concentrate on the projects at hand.

     I think the Creative Commons License is very helpful. I knew nothing about it before I took this course. I saw the Attribution symbol on the video I watched today.

Going through the copyright information (actually twice since my initial exposure was timed out) I believe I have gained an understanding of what copyright is really for; people should expect to get credit for the work of ideas and creativity they have generated.  If there is one thing we do well in this country, it is  cultivating very innovative people and the property they have produced.  If we don't protect their "fruits", we can expect to see yet another part of our society decline.

I'm not sure my ideas about copyright have changed very much.  It is still a bit confusing.  I worked for a principal years ago that was very strict about copyright.  He checked everything we copied and we had him approve any video we used.  So I still am very cautious about copying materials or using video.  He insisted that we would have to pay a very heavy fine that could destroy a small private school.  Obviously he didn't have a very good understanding about copyright!
I don't feel quite so restricted after watching this part of the training.  I probably don't need to be quite so concerned about copyright, but it has just become a habit.  I really appreciate that I don't have to worry about copyright when using AEA's resources. I also like that I can trust the information and know that the content will not be blocked.  Sometimes using UTube is risky.  It is nice to have a resource that I can trust in my classroom.

1) Before this course, I knew quite a bit about Copyright in terms of its legal process and ownership rights; and my own published research has focused on a closely related subject, that of Trademarks. But my understanding about Copyright and Fair Use has definitely been enriched considering application to Education. 2) I’ve considered what it would be like to post units Online or even conduct an Online course, and so I am particularly grateful for learning about the TEACH Act and its requirements. I will review my notes from this course if the day comes when I do offer such Online education. 3) I also gained a new perspective as far as reading a book in class. As high school teacher and college professor, I never thought in terms of reading a book or chapter in class. I probably would have considered it not a legal activity; but now I can picture the Elementary school teachers and Librarians who regularly read small story books to groups of children. And so I’m wondering, perhaps there are references, probably shorter rather than longer, that may be read to older students -- maybe selections from countries’ Constitutions, to Government students. Reading aloud to older students followed by critical discussion might be a nice variation from a blackboard lecture or just assigning students to read. This Classroom Use provides me a unique perspective toward future lesson plans. 4) Besides Copyright Law, one thing that still amazes me is the amount of information and tools available through AEA already selected and provided for Educators’ use – visuals, sound, data stats, print references. It’s amazing that teachers and students may prepare projects using such varied quality content; and that they don’t need to worry about source credibility. This is in great contrast to if students were merely told to search the Web for resources.

The module on copyright was very beneficial. At the university level, we need to be very careful what materials we present in the classroom. I usually try to stay on the "safe side;" meaning, I just don't use many materials at all that I find questionable. What I have learned from this course is that many of the materials I have veered from in the past were not going agains copyright; this was great for me to learn. However, I also believe there are some articles, publications, etc. that we post on our Blackboard Course Site that may not qualify, so I plan to go into the site, discuss some of the materials with my colleagues, and make sure we are posting these items correctly. Many times, we work with the ISU Library for help with copyright usage. This module helped me to learn that I am doing many things correctly, yet need to learn more about which materials might be available for use which I had previously questioned.

I appreciated how the copyright module really cleared up what is ok to use and what is not. As a choral teacher, I have often been offended with the use and practice of so many copies being made of music. I have a number of friends that are in the music field and make their living writing and publishing music. Many of my fellow teachers don't seem to find a problem with copying if it is saving their budget -even if it's costing someone else their livelihood. It's great to know about the music available that's public domain and the royalty free music available through AEA.

I now have a better understanding of the copyright laws.  As an educator, I am not immune to copy right infringement and I can be prosecuted like anyone else.  Since I am an educator, I have alot more freedom than the average person with using web material and not violating copyright law.  Thus I should be mindful of how I use information and should use it responsibly.   Prior to this course there was always a bit of uncertainty as to whether I am violating copyright laws when I used web resources. I now understand how copyright works in education.  The AEA Online database puts my mind at ease when it comes to pondering copyright issues. Since the databases contain information that has already been pre-screened and copyrighted they are a superior choice to use in the classroom instead of a web search.  My class will use more of these resources in the future.

        Upon finishing this self-paced course, my biggest “takeaway” when finding media is, “Can I use what I find?”  Yes, I may find a great video on YouTube, but there is also a lot of inappropriate videos on YouTube as well.  I appreciate how the resources available through the AEA are both safe for my young students to watch and the copyrights and royalties are all taken care of.  It truly takes the guess work out of finding supplemental materials.
        Although I work with young children, I often volunteer with teenagers, so I really appreciated the Teen Health/Wellness section as well.  When I am deciphering material for older students I’m not always certain what I am looking or how to even look for it because it is not my area of expertise.  Resources through the AEA are making my job easier, that is, once I truly familiarize myself with what is available to me at my fingertips.
        In addition to the BookFLIX and teachingbooks.net resources I discussed in my previous post, I can also see myself using the iclipart and culturegrams frequently in my classroom as well.  It is comforting to know that I will be doing things correctly and appropriately when it comes to incorporating technology in my early childhood classroom.

Copyright is so hard to understand!  This module gave me a better understanding of copyright laws, but I still feel like I don’t know or  understand everything.  Overall, I am relieved that copyright is less restrictive than most people think.  As I worked my way through the module, I began reflecting on the past mistakes I have made regarding copyright and thinking about how I can change my classroom practices to in order to be in compliance with copyright law.  I will definitely be using the AEA resources that are available to me since I know that those materials are available for teacher and student use without having to worry about copyright infringement.  On another note, I was impressed that many of the resources provide a link to the information that is needed to cite sources.  I found myself wishing that these would have been available to me when I was in high school and college.  

It is good to know that copyright isn't as restrictive as originally thought.  I am happy to know that the AEA online resources is a great place to go to since all the material is filtered through.  As a substitute teacher, I am curious what students know and don't know about copyright.  I look forward to learning from other teachers what they know about the topic and discussing these issues with them.  
As a substitute teacher, I rarely have the same classroom two days in a row.  Therefore, this will likely give me an advantage since I will have opportunities to talk to many more students and teachers about the topic presents itself in a classroom.  
Once again, I am thankful for the AEA online resources since they have taken the time to thoroughly go through material so that our jobs as educators is made easier.  I want to learn what I can from other teachers as well in order to help educate myself and the students more.  

After completing this course, I believe that I do have a better understanding of copyright.  Since I am a math teacher, I believe that, in my class, copyright laws affect me more than my students.  If I feel that the students need more practice on a certain standard, I will go online to find supplemental material that pertains to their curriculum.  I have yet to require them to do research online for any of their math assignments.

However, I do try to assist students who ask for help on research papers and such.  And I have found that if you do a Google search on anything, you will find it.  What student's don't realize is that there is a lot of things they can use that will break copyright laws.  That is why I feel that our school needs to use the Iowa AEA Online resources to have kids use for research.  They are less likely to break these copyright laws.

However, students must be educated to perjury laws as well.  

     Copyright rules and regulations can be very confusing, but this module helped me with my understanding. This module helped answer many questions about copyright.
   Fair use is one part of copyright.  Fair use includes your purpose for using the work, the type of work, how much of the work you use, and how it will affect the value of the work.  Copyrights are made to protect the originator of the work and there are penalties for violating their copyright. In many instances, you may use the work but include a citation!!!!  An interesting fact I learned is that copyright is in affect as long as the author is alive plus 70 years.  There are many regulations concerning copyright, so it is best to be informed.  When in doubt look up the law.  
     I am glad that many of the AEA Online resources may be used without worry of copyright infringement!  This will not only help me in my presentations, but also will become a valuable tool for my students.  I plan to have my students peruse the AEA Online sources and find tools that will help them not only in my class, but in all other areas! The iCLIPART for schools and AP images will be very valuable for presentations. I will encourage students to use these sources. Looking at the AEA Online sight will also open discussion about copyright rules and regulations.

Copyright is one of the subjects in which we always touch base in class; I think copyright is essential to the learning process. There are many resources we can use to support or give examples of as an idea. If we are using materials in an educational context we must not forget about the copyrights. When I began my career as an educator I didn’t use different resources (especially pictures) because I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to use it for educational purposes, and I didn’t want to pay for a picture.  Now that I know that there are many resources available for educators and students through the AEA, I feel more confident about using AP images and other resources for educational purposes.  The Copyright section in this course helped me understand how to use material properly and not to infringe copyrights. Also, if I have doubts about the copyrights, the Iowa AEA online website has a section where I can check the terms and conditions for each resource listed in the website.

I would have to say that copyright issues are still a little confusing, though they are more clear now. I have saved the Copyright slider chart and the Fair Use analytical tool from the University of Minnesota for future reference. Furthermore, I bookmarked the link for doing a Creative Commons search and will be giving that a try. I have realized that it is important to clarify if materials are original and shareable. I have personally benefited from books and music that are in the public domain.

I appreciate the ease of use in regard to copyright provided by the resources on Iowa AEA Online. It is amazing to have such a large collection of resources that are both appropriate and free. I already used the iClipArt images to complete a resource that I was designing for my students. It has concerned me when students are searching the general web for images, videos, or audio for inclusion in presentations. I will definitely be encouraging them to check the AEA online resources first.

This module clarified for me the copyright laws. I have felt the pressure in my career to be very careful about copying materials for class room assignments. The course has given me a much more accurate view on what educators can do in terms of copyright law. The AEA resources on much more credible than the good old fashioned internet searches. There is great risk in both credibility and copyright when students use safari or google or some other internet search engine.

I feel much more comfortable knowing the the AEA Online resources for both educators and students are not likely to fall into any copyright violations. And the resources are credible, and the accuracy of the information will be much more reliable. I admire the AEA for building such a vast resource database network for both educators and students.

       It was a bit scary when I first started reading the module and finding out about the copyright infringements that we could be liable for!  But as I learned more through the module, I now understand they why of copyrights and the how of it.  Most importantly, I learned what educators could and could not do.  Moreover, educators are also expected to be knowledgeable of the rules and expectations when we share an image or show a video in class- after all, we are modeling for our students how to be great digital citizens!
       Now that I have completed the copyright module I have a better understanding of how the AEA resources are better “paths” to get sources- instead of just using Google.  I have a better appreciation of the AEA resources because what they offer is specifically designed for educators and for classroom use.  When I use this I will feel more safe knowing that I’m not infringing in Copyrights laws!

After going through the Copyright section, I did learn a great deal about how copyright applies to the classroom. Even though a teacher has much flexibility in their classroom, that also comes with much responsibility. Just because it is legal doesn’t make it right.

I think as a teacher it would be best to use the resources provided through AEA online. By using those resources, you know that you are protected and many of them have been selected and chosen by educators.  That alone eases the burden of worrying about the copyright law.

I will use copyrighted material in my classroom but I will to the best of my ability be sure that they fall into the four Fair Use essential factors.  I will think twice about providing copyrighted material digitally. Even though it may be permitted, I want to know that I do have control over who has access to it and how they use it. I don’t want to be responsible for my students breaking copyright laws either or tempting them into it.

Before this module, I really had no understanding of copyright laws. I have used papers that had the "okay to duplicate for educational purposes" stamp on them and thought nothing of it. I like that the law offers so much protection to the creators of the work. In my class room I don't use a lot of outside resources, just the textbook and some older educational videos on the subject matter.
There is no doubt most class rooms can benefit from images and audio and I think it is great the Iowa AEA has given us such a fantastic resource.

I almost feel the information pertaining to copyright laws and Creative Commons should be required of all educators. In this day and age you can never protect yourself enough. In the past it has always been so easy to perform a Google search to get all the required information I needed. Little did I know I was actually doing many things flat our wrong and/or illegal! I really like how all the information on AEA has been sorted and filtered out for users. It really eliminates the worry of copyright laws when sorting out different types of multi media I want to use in my classroom.