POST #4: Copyright

Reviewing the copyright information through this online course was very beneficial.  It reminded me that copyright is not as restrictive as one thinks, and it is actually not as scary as it sounds.  With that being said, it is still really important to know about and to talk to our students about.  I plan to continue to discuss the importance of copyright and "approved" materials with students, especially when it comes to images/pictures and music -- often these are the two areas that students are most in the dark about, or like to turn a blind eye.  I will also continue to encourage the students to use the AEA Online databases -- it takes the worry out of it.  When you use the AEA Online resources you know you are getting quality material that you don't have to question.

I was not very educated on copyright before this course.  I feel I will be more aware of what I do with materials before using in my classroom.  I plan on using AEA more often as it is more friendly and safe.  Really this portion on this gave me awareness that I might not have worried about in the past.  When doing group work with students I will be more direct as how and where to collect their information for classroom activities.  

I agree, copyright can be a very confusing topic!  After going through the module, I think I've come to the conclusion that using the AEA online resources, is the way to go when using online resources with my students.  In the past, I've often just googled a topic that I wanted to teach my students about and then shown a short video about that topic.  I've realized now that that may have not been the best idea.  Having the AEA online resources already vetted is great!  Although my preschoolers are unlikely to be citing any sources, it's nice that as a teacher, I can easily cite sources that I might use in the classroom.

Understanding copyright can be a confusing topic for educators and students alike. With the ever present world wide web and resources at our fingertips, this module has been a much needed refresher for me. As other learning objectives come into play, I am guilty of letting copyright lessons go for the sake of time. It is so important to get back to doing it right. The copyright materials (1) provided at AEA Online under the Educator tab (2) are the perfect place to center the learning for both teachers and students. Our teachers are all being asked to create curriculum within our LMS. ELA teachers are leading the way as they transform their curriculum using Open Education Resources (OER) and the OER Commons (3). Copyright issues are at the forefront of this work every time the curriculum committee works. As a new member of this committee, this copyright module couldn’t be better timed. We start next week! The checklist style provided here is simple to use, easy to refer to, and we can use as reference as we evaluate resources and the best way to deliver them in our LMS.

The same concepts apply for students as they come to the library to research and create new content. The checklist can and should be used just as easily with students. The hardest part is to convince the students why it’s important. They see so many people breaking copyright every single day in all mediums. The Creative Commons licensing structure should help with this. As we ask students to create content, my idea is to have them also following the Creative Commons Share your Work Licensing process (4). It reinforces they have control of the content they create and, hopefully, reinforces that others have control over the content that they create. If our students want to use others’ content to create content, then they must follow the proper procedures and rules. I have some work ahead of me before the school year begins, but I am determined to construct some lessons and projects for my staff and students around copyright!

Links/Paths:
(1) Copyright materials: http://www.iowaaeaonline.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/4e20af51af5a2/Copyright_Flyer.pdf

(2) AEA Online Educators Info:  http://www.iowaaeaonline.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/Educators%7CCopyright%3E%3EStudents

(3) OER Commons: https://www.oercommons.org/

(4) Creative Commons Share Your Work Licensing: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/licensing-considerations/

Copyright
Having worked for Heartland AEA11 we had training on copyright law. At that time I was please to find out the leeway that is given to educators. Time has past since that earlier training and this module helped to refresh my memory and gave me a better understanding of the fair use and creative common use.  When in question, I know that I should find out what the law is before I use someone work whether it be photos, music, art, or written words. It is also important to have student understand and follow the laws.

I was unaware that so much of the material that is out there is actually available for teachers to use for educational purposes within the classroom.  I thought the rules were far more restrictive.  Classroom use goes far beyond what I thought it did.  I also think using things like google classroom allow teachers to use items that are just meant for the classes without having to put them out on a website for the world which helps out a bunch.  The Creative Commons was what surprised me most.  I had no idea what the Creative Commons was or that it could be used in an advanced Google search.  I think it will make determining whether or not sources are okay much easier for both students and teachers.  As for what I will change, I will change so that we check on our sources more often to ensure that we are not infringing on any copyrights that classroom use does not allow us to.

As the prompt states "Copyright is often a topic that is confusing for educators".   I would definitely be put in that group.  After going thru the module I feel more confident in what I can and cant do.  But it also gives me a few key phrases to be able to go back and look up if I am struggling with what is and isn't allowed.  Phrases that will stick are one like "fair use" and "classroom use".

I think the biggest takeaway is that I will use the AEA databases more often, that way I know that I am safe and within the law.  I may still do the occasional Google search to get my thought process rolling but will be sure to use AEA when trying to use articles, images, and videos in the classroom.

After reviewing the copyright portion of this course,  it definitely opened my eyes to the importance of the issues with copyright and how easily it can be overlooked.  It is something that many teachers, students, and people in general violate without even knowing.  It show me the importance of teaching copyright laws at a young age and how to use it effectively.  It is nice to have the AEA Online Resouces to go to.  It is great as a teacher, to have AEA Online, which has a endless amount of pictures, videos, music, articles, etc.. that I can use without being afraid of copyright issues.  It is also a great place to send my students for research papers, online presentations, and posters.  It is kid-friendly and I dont have to worry about the information they are receiving.  It was also nice to see how the Advanced Search on Google works when looking for material that may not be found on the AEA Online site.  

I am fortunate that my media specialist is on top of copyright laws. She keeps us informed about what we can and can't do in our classrooms. I've honestly taken her expertise in this area for granted. I have realized this now that I completed the module about copyright laws. I know that our district wants us to pay attention to copyright when we use the materials that we have purchased with district funds that can't be duplicated. I sometimes think that we think it is okay because we are teachers. We have to be careful and don't want to get caught up in a lawsuit. This module makes me think about Teachers pay Teachers and how some of the materials are tied to curriculum that probably isn't licensed. Yikes!

After I completed the copyright module, I have a much better understanding of what copyright laws actually mean. It made me realize I have a lot more options than I had thought in the past. I think Google is something a lot of teachers lean on for a quick answer, information, video, etc. However, getting more familiar with Iowa AEA Online resources and what it has to offer, I know that there will be no troubles with following copyright guidelines. I learned each resource has a citation of where the information came from and filtered. I found this module to be very helpful with my understanding of copyright. I also will be relying mainly on AEA Online for videos, images, books, etc.

It is always good to have a refresher on copyright. I tend to be over cautious when dealing with copyright. On the other hand I think many teachers have gone too far in thinking fair use covers everything that is used in the classroom. With the digital age we need to take into account things that teachers and students add to the internet.

I had forgotten about using Creative Commons and the advanced search on Google to search for sites that you don’t have to worry about copyright. Of course you still need to cite your sources. This will need to be added to my research lessons.

The “Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video” was new to me. Since talking about copyright can be very confusing I was glad to see this website.  Here it gave common situations with the principle involved and the limitations for each situation. This made it much easier to understand. Hopefully taking students to the website and going over some of these examples students will better understand online video copyright.  

Knowing that AEA has done the leg work makes copyright much easier than I expected to understand. I did not realize the restrictions that itunes had for using the music you buy for your own personal movies. I'm sure my students did not know either. I now understand the DMCA requirements, Digital Millennium and Copyright Act. One thing that I found interesting was that titles, names, short phrases and slogans are too small for copyright so they usually fall under trade marks. I did not know this difference.
Using the chart, Is It Protected By Copyright?, will be a quick and easy guide to show my students. Teaching my students how to use the AEAs materials instead of the open web will make creative work, plays, papers, and slide shows much easier for the students to create.  

I found it very helpful to see the 8 areas of original items listed out.  
They are listed so simply, and would be easy to reference.—I’m actually going to print them out and pin to to my bulletin board.  I’ve learned some on this before, but it’s easily forgotten.  It was also helpful to see the four areas of protection.  It is simple and makes sense.  What was eye opening and important for me, was the second on Classroom Use.  I now see what I can legally use, and how.  I found it most interesting and helpful to know movies for example, can’t be recorded and added to and online setting.  This was huge for me.  So the part regarding “only in the classroom and only in person”, will definitely stick with me. In addition to this, it was helpful to read about public domain, and “orphan works”.  And finally, the Classroom Use section was very helpful, especially the part about using legal copies of dvds for example.

As a result of this class, I will post the guidelines for reference and review.   I will also make sure I”m using materials for educational purposes and in legal forms, such as original dvds.  I will also make sure that I follow the “only in the classroom and only in person” restriction.

The copyright section of this course was very interesting and helpful to me.  Being the music teacher I have always been concerned about copyright issues.  One of the biggest concerns that I have had is if we were able to video our performances and if so, were we able to put them on the internet for parents to view the performance.   It is my understanding that we can video our performance to use as an evaluative tool but not to be put on the internet.  

One thing I will continue to do is only show materials in class that I own.  I have used copies of videos in the past and have changed to only using material that I own or that the school owns.  I knew it was of some importance but now know that I need to keep doing that.  

I am looking forward to delving into the video resources available through the AEA because I think there will be a lot of material that can supplement what I am already teaching in my classroom.  And, it will be nice to not have to worry about the copyright issues.  

It will also be nice to be able to tell my students, "No, we cannot add that music to your project because of copyright concerns but let's find something on Soundzabound that will work!"  It saves me from a lot of further problems.

Prior to taking the class I felt I was fairly well versed in copyright law as it pertains to written materials. I’ve been careful about citing sources and instructing my students on plagiarism. And the information given in the course was consistent with my prior knowledge.  It was the information on the digital realm that was new learning.  It is important as an educator to understand the copyright law pertaining to this since realistically this is where students get the bulk of their information.  It is important for me as the educator to explain how to use this information in alignment with the law.  As I went through that portion of the course, I realized that I need to review how I provide digital information with my students when they miss class.  I will definitely be using more of the Iowa Online Resources such as Clip Art because of some of the copyright law issues.  I was not familiar with Creative Common license until this course.  

I have a feeling that maybe I missed the class/discussion, many moons ago, that would have even dealt with copyright.  So needless to say, I was ignorant of the issues that define and protect copyright.  It was easier in the "old days" to just teach out of the basals and do your read alouds and be safe.

I am thankful that I am now aware of copyright definitions, copyright protections, and copyright infringements.  I am also thankful that as I am more savvy about pulling things up on the internet that I have this valuable information and am able to attempt to follow Classroom Use and Fair Use requirements.  It's also exciting to know that using AEA's Online Resources, I can avoid the hassle of trying to figure out if I am using resources legally or not.  Of course if I do find something outside of AEA, I now have the information needed to make an informed decision as to appropriate usage.

The copyright module was interesting and informative.  My frequent use of Google and YouTube to find information to use with my students will certainly be done with more caution.  It was reassuring to know that the AEA online resources have been filtered and approved for classroom use. I plan to go to these resources rather than my previous options to find the information, images and videos to use in my language arts and content area lessons.  First grade is a bit young to be teaching copyright laws but I can stress to them the importance of using AEA online sources to search for appropriate, valid and relevant information when we are doing classroom research.  I could also provide this information to parents who might be helping their students at home.  Having AEA online available on our school website will make access much easier for parents at home.

I have heard about copyright, teacher "fair use" and such, but I never really paid much attention to it as a substitute teacher. It was good to really learn what material is copyrighted, what it means in how those items are used and cited, and how to use them appropriately.  I was glad to get a better understanding on how teachers can use resources in their classroom under fair use and learned how laws or "Acts" were added to grow with technology.  It was interesting that a side bar stated that "A student assignment is the property of the student, not the teacher or school, and is automatically under copyright protection."  I had a person who told me that their granddaughter wasn't allowed to take home an art project because it was the property of the school.
I hear a lot about copyright infringement with music nowadays, especially with students using songs as background music for videos.  I would definitely steer those students to the Soundzabound tab on Iowa AEA online. Even students that want to add sounds to powerpoints and such would be better off in Soundzabound.
When I am in a classroom with students researching for a paper or project, I will more readily have the students try out the AEA resources.  We know that they are reliable, appropriate, up-to-date, and some even help with citations!  I will even talk to my college kids and junior in high school to see if they will use those resources as well.  I think they will benefit greatly by utilizing these resources.  There are times when a student will google a subject and you just never know what will pop up.  Or maybe the page will be blocked that could have been a good resource but you can't use it.  By using the AEA resources, I know that the students will always have reliable information, be able to find the material that they need, and not have to worry about it being blocked.  I also like that in some resources, you can get the same material, but be able to read it in different lexile level or grade level.  I am glad that I took this class, even though I am not always in the same classroom.  I hope to be able to help the students more and help them understand the resources that AEA offers them through their schools.  Resources that are safe and free to use.

I think it's important to know where you can find these high quality resources. It might be easy and convenient to search Google for this information or Pinterest for an infographic, but without truly knowing the source of the information you cannot be certain it is accurate.  

I don't think my understanding of copyright has changed too drastically, but it was all a nice refresher on the laws and what an educator can and cannot do. I think the changes I'll make in the future are to spend a little more time in these areas and direct teachers to the resources available through Iowa AEA Online so I know they are getting the most accurate information.

While listening to the copyright module, I was encouraged to hear that common sense still prevails and that the "fair use" clause allows educators to incorporate many forms of media into their classroom without fear of breaking the law. Obviously, it is not a free for all, and caution still must be taken when using the web to find instructional sources. After this course, I believe that the difference between material that is illegal and legal is clearer. Unfortunately, after weeks and months go by, it is likely I will start to forget some of those differences. Because of this, in the future I will always try to use the AEA resources available to me because I know that material is safe. If I am unable to find what I looking for from the AEA, then it is likely I may need to do some quick review of what is and what is not legal for me to borrow or incorporate into my own lessons.