POST #4: Copyright

Copyright is often a topic that is confusing for educators.  Very often, educators think copyright is more restrictive than it actually is.  However, that doesn't necessarily mean educators feel comfortable about their use of copyrighted materials.

Having completed the copyright module, and considering the resources that are available with Iowa AEA Online versus the materials that are available on the general web, reflect on your learning.  In a post (150-350 words), how has your understanding of copyright changed with the self-paced course?  What will you do (or what changes will you make) in regards to your approach with classroom materials, as well as student use of those materials?

After having gone through the copyright module I now have a better understanding of copyright and yes it is not as restrictive as I had originally thought. Instead of just using Google, it is much better to go through the AEA online resources to find the multi media material that you want to use in your classroom, because it has already been sorted and filtered and the copyrighted material is labeled and the material that you can use is all ready to go. The AEA has done all the hard lifting for you. Plus if you don't download the material but just want to show it online the AEA site won't be blocked by your school like a lot of resources that you find on Google.

As a writer of published materials, I was aware of much of the information in the module. I appreciate some of the information on classroom use and fair use. I have, however, seen too many teachers copy pages and tests from other textbooks which I do not believe falls under the guidelines of this policy. Again, as someone who was paid to write texts, I think it's important that those materials are guarded by the classroom use policy. Otherwise, the authors cannot make a living.
Another thing I think would be helpful for teachers is to share some of this policy with the student. For example, when reading or linking for a term with materials that are those of others, I believe that teachers should mention some of these restrictions to the class. Otherwise, students may see this as an example of teacher plagiarism. Students struggle enough with the concept of plagiarism. As teachers we have an opportunity to share how to correctly use the material written/created by others. I think it's always important to cite where material originates. The more teachers model this, the earlier students will make connections regarding plagiarism. Soon students will have a little voice in their own heads thinking that they need to state the author of source in presentations and papers.

After going through the module of the copyright law I have a much better understanding of what you can and can't do.  I orginally thought that copyright meant that it was really limited to what you could use in your classroom or you would get into a lot of trouble in using the materials found on line.  I would feel more confident in what I was giving and presenting to my students by using the AEA online resources rather than a google search.  The hard work has been done for you already by the creators of AEA online going through and filtering it for teachers and students.  The material that you can use is all ready for you to use it and at your finger tips.  It is a tough topic to teach students what plagiarism is.  If students are taught from an early age what is ok and what is not and know how to give the credit of work than you are doing your job as an educator on this topic.  Using the AEA online resources is a great help to educators in teaching them how to do this.  Many schools also block sites that are found on on a google site but those on the AEA site have already been filtered and are not blocked by schools and come from a reliable, good source.

As I completed the copyright section, I found myself alternating breathing a sigh of relief, blushing and gaping at some of the information. I have allowed myself to be ignorant of copyright and Creative Commons even though I knew of both; it was just easier because I use a LOT of media with my students both for viewing and creation.

I'll definitely be more careful in the future. In fact, I immediately went and unpublished my class web site from last year since it is no longer needed for student use and I also had some no-no's on there. As I was learning about the various resources, I was really cognizant of the fact that these resources would be particularly helpful for their allowable use. Since I did find that the resources are really updated from when I last used them, I can also am assured that I will find engaging and age appropriate resources for my students.  

I will also be more careful in using the Creative Commons filter when using Google search and will be sure to have my students do so as well.

I was thankful for the copyright module as some things became more clear for me about copyrights.  I have always been careful about copyrights since I was a music teacher for a time and the issue would often come up about copying music for personal use. Some students and adults saw nothing wrong with copying cds or tapes(this goes back aways) and printed music for themselves and lots of others. But when you meet the musicians who make their living only by selling their music, as in cds or tapes or printed music, you understand the reason for copyrights much better. The public domain was good to know about as well as the Fair Use Act. The question "is your use of the material "fair"to the original creator or not?" and the 10% rule are good guidelines for thinking about this.

I have a better understanding of what copyright means!  I will now go to AEA online resources to find my material.  I will also show my students how to navigate and show them how to find this material.  I think it will be easier for them, and then they won't have to worry so much about the copyright.  Because with the AEA online resources it has already filtered the material and made this part easier on the teacher and the students.

After learning about copyright rules in this course, I am surprised to learn that a lot of people should perhaps be penalized for infringement.  I have seen students use music from their iPods as a background for slide shows or other multi-media presentations, using the whole song and presenting it to the public at graduation for instance.  

The use of the AEA Online materials that have copyright permission would certainly help those involved to be safe.  I can encourage students who are working on these types of projects to use appropriate materials or to ask permission.  Also, insisting that the MLA references be included would be one way that teachers could be sure that students understood that these rules exist for a reason.  I also think that a module on copyright law should be included in the computer literacy courses.  

I have a better understanding of the copyright, fair use and creative commons then I did previously to this module.  As a para I'm usually not confronted with this as the teachers are.  I feel that it is important to stress to the students information about copyright and why you are allowed to use or copy something you are using in class.  Teachers need to model fair use so that students will follow their example.  As a para, I while guide and recommend that students use AEA online resources rather than google.  They will receive credible information and copyrighted material is sorted for them and labeled.  Material you can use is already to go.  Often times sites on google are blocked and you will not run into this with AEA resources.

The copyright information was very well presented.  I was surprised at what I didn’t know correctly about copyright.  In previous years and settings, while working with students, I would run across a student that was placing a copyrighted picture they had found in a Google search,  into their presentation.  It would have the copyright logo watermarked across the front.  I would then direct them to find a different picture.  Now I have a good resource for those images. AEA Online has already provided the filters.

My husband and I published our first (and only) book about 3 years ago.  Our son had just passed away from an illness, and we wanted to offer our resources to other parents/families experiencing similar situations.  So, through this process, I learned A LOT about copyright, etc. And now, I do have an appreciation for those people who make publishing their life's work.  They need to be protected or they will not make a living.  They have worked very hard to create, develop, and write quality content.  

As a music teacher and a contest accompanist, I have also witnessed STACKS of copied music!  That is illegal unless noted otherwise as in the case of some music resource books.  Those musicians and composers have spent many hours perfecting their skills and compositions.  They deserve to have their music "bought" legally and not copied.  Also, it's very important for the students to be aware of and understand this concept as well.  "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!" We, as teachers need to be good role models for our students.  They are watching!

In all honesty, the web makes it extremely easy to ignore copyright!  As a result, I have been guilty of doing just that more often than not.  Prior to taking this course, google was my best friend.  I also liked youtube and a variety of other easy net trend sites.  After the reminder offered in the copyright module, I was feeling somewhat guilty at the likelihood of my infringements.  On the positive I have been thinking to myself what a tremendous relief it is to know that I can access clipart, audios, videos, newscasts, and much more through AEA, knowing that its all legal and moral.  I was also victim to the myth that all copyrighted material contained the symbol of such, but learned within this class that is not the case!  Additional new information I was presented with is that teachers do have legal rights to share materials within classrooms.  It is good to know that advances in the web-based learning processes are taking shape to allow for use of copyrighted material, as well.

I have always found copyright scary and confusing, in this modern age.  When I was young, it was easy, don't copy pages out of books or quote authors without giving reference and you basically follow copywrite.  
Roxine Hild's, from this  forum, gave the prefect example of common copyright missuse in slide show videos.  In our small town, every highschool graduate, wedding, and funeral has a slide show with photos and music.  It also makes since that schools block U-tube, for various other reasons, copyright being one of them.  It is a relief to learn about this, and have a simple solution all at once.  I can go to the AEA online resources to find my digital material, and the copyrighted material is organized and clearly labeled.  You guys,  AEA, already did the hard part of sorting and getting permissions.  

As a bonus if, for some reason I need another resource, I can come back to this module and review anytime, to make sure I am using Copyright, right. (Cute word play, Huh)

I think Jennifer's first line in her post from this morning was one of the first thoughts that came into my head too.  It was a lot easier to understand and comply with decades ago when we were in college or high school but not now with all the resources available electronically.   I think I really became more aware of copyright issues when I began teaching at the college level because of the type of projects I was assigning.  Then a couple years ago I began creating a graduate level course for Drake University as part of their Distance Learning Education program and I became even more aware of copyright issues because of the articles, videos, podcasts, music, and images I wanted to use in the course.  I learned quickly about how time consuming it can be to search down an author/creator to obtain permission.  And, I also learned that just because it is on YouTube doesn’t mean it’s free to be used either.  So, what I learned during this course is that there are also many things I do not need to stress over as much as an educator.  I was not aware that educators received a little more leniency.  What I learned about that was new was Classroom Use, TEACH Act, Fair Use, and Creative Commons.  I was so impressed by how much is available through the Iowa AEA Online that no matter whether its for my Elementary PE classes or my college level classes, I’m always going to start my search at the Iowa AEA Online site first before going to the web.  And, when I do need to google, I will use the Advanced Search option and select Creative Commons.  I had no idea that existed until this course, actually learned about it first in the Digital Citizenship course I also took this week.

Copyright is one of the most confusing areas in teaching. I have to give the teachers in the grades below me credit; the students have been very conscientious about giving credit where credit is due. After going through the module, I know we still have room for improvement. The best solution is to stick with the AEA Online resources to take some of the guesswork out of the picture. Students habitually go to Google for information; that is a habit that needs to be broken. There are so many great, reliable sources on the AEA site and that's where I will need to promote it to both students and staff.

     I understand the copyright laws much better now that I have worked through that section of the course.  It is true, the copyright law is not as restrictive as I had thought.  I think it is much easier and better to go through the AEA online resources and find the videos, books, and other resources  that I want to use in my classroom.  The restrictions and permissions are already labeled and the materials are readily available.  Additionally, the risk of the firewall blocking material is not a concern since I will be working through the AEA site.  

     My current mode of operation is to show no video.  I teach Pre-K and do not want to show entire works.  I will now be able to find smaller sections to use as jumping off points for learning.  I also am really jazzed about the children being able to read along with books.  This is a truly educational way to invite the children into books through technology.

I feel this is a very important topic to cover with students. As the parent of a songwriter, I have learned a lot about the importance of copyright. Many students today do not realize they are illegally downloading materials from the internet, due to the software programs that make downloading media so fast and easy. They also don't realize the impact their online stealing has on the author of that material, because they are not immediately impacted by it. I plan on discussing this topic more with my students. I also plan on sharing with them the site that have royalty free music and images. These are great resources for them to use in their power point presentations and other multimedia assignments.

Growing up in the digital age in the late 1990's, my friends and I became aware of the copyright materials when downloading music was becoming popular. My friends downloaded lots of music on their computers. I remember hearing about copyright laws then and the trouble you could be in for violating those laws.

After reading the copyright module in our self-paced course, I am much more comfortable using the AEA website and knowing we are safe to use these materials than searching through the web and provided my students with materials that I could be in trouble giving. I have often searched for materials on the web not thinking I am violating anything because it was on the web for everyone to see. Using the AEA website, there is a peace of mind of knowing we are using materials we have permission to use. Asking permission from sources that you use in the classroom would take a tremendous amount of time that we all know we don't have during the school year.

Before taking this course, I knew the bare minimum about copyright. I tried to err on the side of caution. If I was not sure, I didn't chance it. I also struggled with how to teach students about copyright since I was not well versed in it. Now I know that Iowa AEA Online is a much safer place for students to use than a search engine like Google. The databases their are set up for students to use images, audio, etc. for any research I may ask them to complete. I will now be able to teach my students where to go. Since I now have a better understanding of copyright myself, I will be able to educate my students more accurately.

After completing the copyright section of the course, I felt I gained much insight on copyright in general and what it means for me as an educator.  I liked how the course explained the different issues within the topic of copyright too.  I have a better understanding of how my students and I can  or cannot use copyrighted material in the classroom.  Since I also create and sell some classroom items commercially, I found this information helpful to me in that regard as well.  

I know that I will be using the Iowa AEA Online resources more often now to locate classroom materials online.  The site offers many ways to access materials for me to use with my students, without the added worry of copyright issues.  When I seek out materials without the AEA tools, I will have to do much more investigating & research to determine copyright regulations.  Outside of the AEA site, I really appreciate the instructions that were provided on how to use the "Advanced Search" on Google to find copyright-free resources/images.

The Fair Use and Classroom Use sections of this course put my mind at ease, regarding many of the materials I use in my classroom.  On the other hand, this course also reminded me of how serious copyright restrictions are and how important it is to be cognizant of these regulations and the rights of the creators.   Since I teach Kindergarten and the students are rarely accessing materials  independently,  I do not have many concerns about copyrighted materials and student use.  As a classroom teacher who often creates items/materials with the help of images, fonts, and other materials online and finds materials for student use....I will proceed more carefully in the future.