I must admit that copyright violations have pretty much been the last thing on my mind since deciding to become a teacher. Through the resources provided in lesson 8 I have learned that copyright is in fact an important entity to be valued. In Jo Warner-Howard's brief podcast she explains the importance of using resources in a respectful way. She then directs the listener to the CLA website which explains why it is important to respect copyright. This website is easy to follow and very informative. I particularly like this website because of the videos under the "What copyright means to me" section. Each video is of a person who have or could have had their copyrights violated. They explain how copyright is important to their livelihood. It is often too easy to take information for granted and forget about people like this who just want recognition for their hard work. This is why Richard Baraniuk's idea about open-source learning is so smart. He proposes that this type of open-source online resource take the place of textbooks. It saves time, money and is the most effective way to present material. Everyone always has the most up-to-date information and no one's copyrights are being violated.
10 big myths about copyright explained is another great resource for copyright information. For example, Myth number 9 reads, "It doesn't hurt anybody -- in fact it's free advertising!"This was admittedly my previous stance on the matter. Like I said earlier, it is easy to think that no one is affected by my using resources that I assume are open for public use. However, violating copyright truly does affect others. Another great resource to supplement these 10 need-to-know facts is this article, What is Copyright Protection? Here, it explains all of the general facts you would need to know about copyright. I did not know most of these. For example, I had no clue that I could copyright a "funky dance move."
3 Things I Learned about Copyright in Lesson 8:
1. The What is Copyright Protection? article taught me that the words "internet" and "public domain are not synonymous. Just because I can easily download something from the internet does not mean that it is legal for me to do so. There are many reasons that the copyright did not exclude me from downloading the information, picture, etc.
2. The CLA website taught me that the little "c" symbol is not the only symbol that can indicate a copyright. So, I should read each website's "terms and conditions page for full knowledge of the particular site's availability for use.
3. 10 Big Myths about copyright said made it clear through myth number 5 that sometimes you are only stealing someone's copyright if it is within context. They gave the Delta Airlines example. Delta Airlines has the word "delta" copyrighted within the airline business. Of course the word delta is too widely known to copyright in general, but this copyright keeps other airlines from using the word delta in their title. Very interesting.
My Action Plan:
I assume it is pretty difficult for teachers to be aware of all copyright laws of all sources they use. Through these sources in lesson 8 I will take away a very few important steps to keeping my classroom a safe respectful learning environment dedicated to fair scholarship. First I will always look at a websites "Terms and Conditions" page for all copyright information. I will never assume that something is available for use without checking first. By doing this I will avoid disrespecting the sources by not citing them or paying for their wealth of knowledge. After I present each lesson I will site sources used on my SMART Notebook. This promotes the idea that copyright and giving credit to authors is important and sets a great example for students.
Resources:
10 Big Myths
CLA Website
Podcast
Richard Baraniuk Ted Talk
What is copyright protection?
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