The selection I chose to read was Copyright 101 for Educators by Wesley Fryer. Before exploring this reading, I thought I had a general idea of what copyright was. What I didn’t realize is that copyright protection can be available to unpublished works as well. I guess I wasn’t as informed on the topic as I thought. So then I wondered, what really defines copyright? According to the definition provided by Fryer, which comes from the US Copyright Office, "Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works” (Fryer 2003).
Copyright is everywhere. I see it [©] on the bottom of every website I visit and it’s stamped into each book I read. Music, regardless of the format it is presented in, has copyright warnings about illegally distributing the material. When I have to click on a box saying “I agree” to the terms and conditions of a sale on iTunes, I honestly just continue on with the purchase without taking the time to read the guidelines. I never gave it a second thought before because I considered myself a law abiding citizen. Since I purchased the song legally, I thought that was all there was to it. This week’s lesson on copyright was an eye-opener to me!
Based on the information I learned, I am definitely going to approach each assignment in school from a different perspective. I can’t just “copy and paste” other people’s images without taking into account the copyright laws protecting the material. The way I use and share a picture can determine whether or not it is “fair use”. According to Fryer, it is likely fair if I am “utilizing graphics copied from internet websites in a PowerPoint presentation shared with a limited audience, either strictly face to face or online in a password protected website” (2003). If the same information was presented in a public setting, however, that is a different story.
The TEACH Act (Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act) is applicable to the educational setting for my EDFN 302 class I am currently taking. Signed into law in 2002, this provides rules for copyright in distance education classes. This places some responsibility on educational institutions to uphold the law to ensure that professors can take advantage of the benefits the TEACH Act. If done correctly, teachers have “permission to utilize copyrighted materials within distance instruction without the permission of copyright holders or previously required payment of royalties” (Fryer 2003).
I had never considered how important knowledge of copyright laws would be for me as a future teacher. But it all goes back to the idea of digital citizenship; it is our responsibility as teachers to educate our students about technology and the components surrounding it. If we just let these issues slide, the students are not going to have anyone to direct them away from illegal or unsafe activities. While computers and other technology have provided us with new intellectual opportunities, there are risks involved as well and it’s important to address them. I can start by clarifying any misconceptions I had about copyright and being a good role model by following copyright laws in the classroom.
Even after reading about copyright, I feel like I needed further information on the subject matter. Fryer provides some links I can look into for more in-depth summaries as well a website to check out provided by the University of Maryland University College. I am definitely curious to learn more about copyright now, especially since I know the implications it has in the classroom.
No comments:
Post a Comment