POST #4: Copyright

I have to admit that my understanding of copyright laws were pretty limited, especially when it came to using things on the internet.  After going through the copyright module, I am relieved to know that as educators we can be protected with Fair Use and Public Domain.  But I also realized how easy it is to misunderstand copyright with the internet and sadly have now discovered that I probably have done things that were not allowed, especially when it comes to Creative Commons.  I am glad to discover that the AEA resources really do help prevent these problems by dealing with copyright for us.  I also really appreciate how many of the resources provide a page or link to help the students know how to document their resources correctly.

Wow, there was a whole lot of information contained in the segment on copyright. I took copious notes as there is no way to remember everything. I learned that
 As a sub I'm not sure how this would work and it brings up an interesting conundrum. What do I do if I'm subbing and I'm instructed to use material that I know constitutes a copyright infringement? Right now I'm really wishing some of the information touched on what to do if a sub is placed in this position. Should I throw out the lesson plan and do a different activity with the class? How would the teacher react when he or she came back and found out that I hadn't done the assignment? I think I would try to incorporate as much of the lesson plan as I could, without infringing on copyright and have the students use the AEA site, (provided they have a user name and password) to obtain the images, sounds, video, etc that they would need to complete the assignment.
If I were a teacher, I would likely use the AEA as my go to resource so as to avoid copyright infringement. With all the resources that are available there should be enough there to complete just about any assignment.

I didn’t realize that there were so many classifications of copywriting.  The website and .pdfs will aid in looking up specific laws with regard to purpose, nature, amount and effect.  As educators, it is important to teach what plagiarism is.  Having the AEA copyright laws to reference will be beneficial.  AEA Online makes citing resources easy which allows students to reference their sources.  AEA Online stands out as a safe resource for our students and us as teachers.  It is a great resource for adding pictures and sounds to class presentations, as well as videos and music.  As a parent as well as a teacher, I look forward to utilizing AEA Online for my children’s projects and research papers down the road which should be a lot simpler, more fun and safer after learning more about the AEA through this class.

After completing the copyright module I now have a much better understanding of copyright and how educators can use it. I was very surprised about what I didn’t know when it came to copyright. I always try to be careful with what I use that I find by just doing a google search on the Internet. As I stated I now have a much better understanding on now to avoid running into copyright issues.  I think that using the AEA online resources, which have copyright privileges, will be better to use of my time then a google search on the Internet. Besides it has a world of resources available to me and not have to worry about if I’m breaking the law by using them. However, as I stated the Internet resources I’ve used before I was careful with and learned that I did use them in the correct way. I did not realize that teachers had more leeway then the general public when it comes to using resources for educational purposes in the classroom.  I also feel more comfortable with using those resources again without worrying about breaking the law.

I have taken other courses on copyright laws because of the publications course that I teach so I was well versed in copyright issues within what I use.  I am a firm believer in all artists should do something personal and new.  We work in an area where things are very personal, so using someone else's art in your own is akin to stealing their feelings and thoughts about it.  I want them to be able to create and build on things that they feel and not on what they see.  I don't think much change is necessary in regards to copyright, we don't allow copying of any works and the use of someone else's art constitutes plagiarism.  The students will use the resources as basically a jumping off point.  How has someone else solved the problem and what do I need to do personally to solve the problem in my own way?

After completing the copyright module, I was surprised at how very little I knew about the subject. Most of what I knew about copyright was about print, and didn’t pertain to digital materials. Now I know that it is just as easy to use the AEA resources that are already filtered and safe to use in the classroom as it is to do a Google search. I will definitely be using soundzabound and iClipart For Schools in my classroom instead of using media from a broad Internet search. Using these resources will give me peace of mind knowing that what I am sharing with my students is not violating any copyright laws.

My understanding and of copyright has been deepened thanks to the copyright module. One of the things I found most interesting was the "definition" of something that can or can't be copyrighted. I had never thought much about that before. I was pretty clear on rules when it comes to copying textbooks, music and digital data. It was eye opening to think about all the other things that I come across and share with my students while looking on the internet. I had never even thought to check the source of the you-tube videos that I share to make sure they were created and shared by the original author.

 I do believe that using diverse resources provided by AEA online as my first go-to will be preferred as these images, articles, music, graphics and more are all copyright pre-approved and ready for use in the classroom. I will also encourage and inform my students, especially during project time, of the readily available and ready for use material in the databases. To guide students to the resources from Clipart and Soundzabound for their use in presentations and projects will be beneficial to them now and in the future. If I can share with them a little about my new knowledge and point them in the right direction, that will only help prepare them to be more copyright aware, in their ever evolving digital world.  

The copyright portion of this class was the portion I was most surprised by.  Last year our superintendent put out a notice to all classroom teachers stating that we were no longer allowed to show any sort of movie in our classrooms....even if it was for an educational purpose such as comparing and contrasting a book.  It was stated that we had been violating the copyright protection of movies when we were showing them to our entire class.  I was very happy to see that we were in fact NOT violating any copyright laws.  I took pictures of the different slides as I read them throughout this class and I shared the new information with my 4th grade team.  We were all very surprised.  We now have a new superintendent and principal and if it comes up again that we are not allowed to show movies due to copyright, I will have photo evidence to back up the fact that we CAN show movies (for educational purposes or holiday party purposes).  Another part I was surprised to learn about was the YouTube debate...whether or not using it in the classroom is acceptable.  I use clips from YouTube various times throughout the year.  I have my students sing a Rounding Rap that I found on YouTube.  I also use short cartoon video clips when were are talking about inferencing.  I will continue to use YouTube in cases like this unless I'm told that I can no longer do so.  

I have to admit I have never thought to much about copyrights in the school settings. That just adds another aspects to the teachers making their lesson plans. It is great that the Aea online resources have done all the hard work for us. They have so many great sites in all areas to choose from. Being a para in a preschool school classroom I dont have to really worry about copyrights because so much of our work is hands on, coloring or videos, but when i refect on that now, its makes me think to watch where i print the coloring sheets or writing papers. Made me more aware.

Now that I have completed the copyright module, I have a better understanding of how things work. I have learned that copyright is not as restrictive as I once thought, especially if I am using AEA provided resources.  Rather than using a google search and having to find appropriate resources on my own, AEA has compiled these resources for me so I can confidently use materials in my class without breaking the law.  If I do come across something I think would be useful on the general internet, I feel that I can conclude how to lawfully use, if at all, what I have found.

Previous to taking this course, I think I was fairly ignorant on the subject. I would often pull images off google without much thought. While I was aware that copyright laws existed, my lack of knowledge made it easier for me to use what I want. Now, I have a much better understanding of what I can and cannot do.

Most of my classroom materials are online. The biggest change I see myself making is using the resources that AEA provides. I will no longer be looking up images for my activities through google, rather find them within the wonderful new resources I am aware of.

I also really like an idea of what another person had on the message boards. That was just sharing some of this information with the students. Since my classes are often online, it will be good for them to have a general understanding. However, AEA has the resources that I can direct my students to (or use) so we can work and create our materials without breaking any laws.

For my lesson, I started at the AEA on-line database at https://www.iowaaeaonline.org/.  Next I had students access the soundzabond database site at http://www.soundzabound.com.  I explained to students that like many other databases, this is a subscription service, but that the AEA’s across the state have made this access available to us through our school’s login information.  I first introduced the lesson in our unit on multi-media presentations—using primarily PowerPoint.  As part of the lesson, students needed to learn that much like image files, sound files also have a variety of formats, but that sound files are not always as compatible across platforms as image files.  I explained the .mp3 extension—which will most with most of the software we will be using—as the next unit will be on iMovie and will incorporate these same concepts.
The next step was for students to start browsing around the site.  It is important to note—this website is a database like other sites, and the music is sorted by title, Artist, Category, and the duration and downloads are of particular note.  The files will download as .mp3 files—and like images students must not the name, location, file name and extension for the file downloaded.  In addition, we will address the copyright implications for using soundsabounds.  It is an excellent resource for school projects.
Students will then practice placing their files in the appropriate applications, and use the software for fading, splicing, etc. that they need to do to fit their needs.

Growing up Copyrights were easy to obey.  You didn't copy anything with out getting permission or giving credit.  You didn't copy movies or cd's because we knew it was illegal.  Now with the internet and all the access to so many things I was always nervous when my own children would use something from the internet.  Now with AEA the information has already been checked and is assessable for my children to use.  Thank you for all your hard work so I can have peace of mind.

After going through this module, I have a much better understanding of copyright. I would feel much more confident in using materials that are available with Iowa AEA Online as opposed to what can be found through Google search. Recently,  I have not had many experiences in creating presentations in the last few years, but I did earlier in my career at the AEA. Looking back, I am sure that my peers and I did use some materials that should have been looked at closer when creating presentations and handouts. As a graduate student years ago, I was a perfectionist in regards to creating citations in my research papers. I thought the handout summarizing copyright law summary and hints, copyright guidelines, and fair use was and excellent overview of copyright.
In the future, most like this coming year when creating presentations for my peers, I will take a mush closer look at the materials shared on handouts and in power points.

Personally, I have not worried or thought much about copyright within my classes as far as materials go. As an art teacher, there aren't many texts or handouts that I use. I have in the past copied an image off to share with students (American Gothic or Starry Night) but because we were not reproducing, only critiquing, I never thought much about it.

As of lately, I have been using images from Google search to show my students examples of certain kind of artwork. Although I am not reproducing or asking my students to reproduce or take copies of the image home, this class has definitely made me think about my decisions. I have been careful to discuss the use of watermarks and signatures on online photos. We have careful discussions about why artists do these things and why they need protection. My 5th graders are always intrigued as to what constitutes as legal stealing of art and illegal stealing of art. It is such a strange concept to them.

Learning about copyright from this particular self paced course has given me more information that I can pass a long to my students. I also realize that we need to discuss the concept of parodies within art and the creative realm.

I guess most of my experiences with copyright laws are seeing the FBI warning at the beginning of VCR tapes that stated I was going to jail for life if I copied the tape.  After going through this module, I am now starting to get a better idea of what copyrights are and why we have them.  Most importantly, how they are set up to help educators teach children.  I have never thought of AEA as my protector, but essentially does just that.  I feel better when using materials through AEA Online then using them through something I have found on a search.  I know with all of the things I have made in my classroom that I have surely not been a rule follower when concerning the copyright laws.  Disney would cringe if they saw some of the things I’ve created without their written permission.  

I did not fully understand how many things I would use off of a google search were illegal.  I now have a better understanding of what I can use and what I cannot.  This part of the course has been an area in which I have been fairly naive and now have learned how to use things legally. I think it is essential that more people know these laws and how teachers and students can use the AEA resources legally without breaking laws or being concerned with doing something wrong, even by accident.  

The module on copyright was a nice review on what is acceptable use of online materials and what is not.  We cover this topic every year with our students, but (like another poster talked about) I think it is also important for the teachers to review this as well.  Luckily for me, we have an amazing Library staff who is an awesome resource for this type of material.  When we review online expectations or do research projects, our library staff (who are 'experts' in this) almost always creates and delivers the lessons.  They also do several days every year teaching the CRAAP testing (Currency, Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose).  This is a great checklist for students to use when evaluating online sources.  

        Copyright
When I was a para for middle school, I would spend a great deal of time reminding the students that they needed to do a bibliography showing everywhere they had borrowed that research information. This would get time consuming when students would leave the page and forget to do it first.  We would have to go back to their history  ( if we could locate the same computer in computer lab the next day)   They would end up redoing the research just to locate and cite the information. Students had a difficult time remembering each piece of information they needed to type as part of the bibliography. It was time consuming and it would happen with each student creating a mess. I was trying to instill in them the importance of copyright. Now, there is a Cite button that will actually capture all that crucial information they need while they are at the article. It should be much easier for them.
From my stand point, I love that I can feel free to use iCLIPART for School if I want to set up a fun practice game on the smartboard or spice up the look of a dull looking worksheet. I will have confidence.

Yes, copyright can easily be confusing. Honestly very intimidating to me as an educator and then it terrifies many of my students. By directing the students to the Iowa AEA Online I see how valuable not only the information but the safety and security of the information that is provided will be. I appreciate how the AEA has done the leg work for filtering the resources so that I can trust what I am using from them as well as my students. I also really appreciate the citation tools, too. The fact that not only can we trust the sources but the students don’t have to struggle old school methods of formatting Works Cited pages, but can copy the citation directly from the AEA resources they are using. I also appreciated learning more specifics on the Classroom Use and Fair Use guidelines. The University of Minnesota Copyright Tools and Fair Use Tool was really cool to share. I plan on utilizing that tool in the future on materials I would like to use for class.

 Trying to make sure I am doing something correct when it comes to copyright issues stresses me out.   I am  guilty of using google and youtube a lot in my class.  After reading through the copyright module I am thankful that there are many resources that are available for myself and my students to use on the AEA site where I won't have to worry if the copyright has been violated.  I also appreciate learning about the "Fair Use Act" from the module.  Remembering to ask myself before I use something "is the use of this material fair to the original creator" will hopefully relieve some stress of copyright issues.