If I think using a certain copyrighted
resource in my classroom will break the law…I’m not going to use it…my lesson
can go on without it.
Well,
after reading the article on Code of Best
Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, I realize that I am
probably worrying just a little too muchJ
According to the code, “Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material
without permission or payment under some circumstances—especially when the
cultural or social benefits of the use are predominant.” (p. 1)
Being in education, we more leeway. We need to follow
the rules, but we are educators and that allows us to use some works for the
benefit of education.
There are, however, a few myths regarding fair
use. One of them is the following:
MYTH: EDUCATORS
CAN RELY ON “RULES OF THUMB” FOR FAIR
USE GUIDANCE.
Truth: According to the Code
of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, “Fair use is situational, and context is critical.
Because it is a tool to balance the rights of users with the rights of owners,
educators need to apply reason to reach a decision”. (p. 14)
I am a rule follower and prefer rules when dealing
with copyright. Below is a link to a pdf that explains copyright and fair use
clearly. It is put out by Hall Davidson.
I refer to this pdf often and now, after having read
about the best practices, I understand that there is some flexibility with
being an educator. I do need to brush up on my knowledge of fair use because as
an LMS this will be part of my everyday lingo.
For now, when I’m in doubt, I talk to my LMS to be
sure that we are on the same page….
References
Center for Social Media. (n.d.). Code of best
practices in fair use for media literacy education [Brochure]. Retrieved
from http://mediaeducationlab.com/sites/mediaeducationlab.com/files/CodeofBestPracticesinFairUse_0.pdf
What you are saying is so true. I recognized your link immediately...I have that link referenced in my Media Handbook. That is a great quick reference to keep handy. I have always been nervous about using media in projects too and tend to avoid it. Our upcoming Digital Storytelling Project is really making me nervous. A couple of times in the past, I have emailed the owners for permission to use a short video and a photo. Both times, they stated that it was okay to use as long as I gave them credit such as stating "used with permission by...". Simple enough. I think we mostly fear breaking the law, but like you said, teachers have more leeway, and as long as it plays a critical role in your lesson and you use these guidelines, you can't go wrong. Thanks for your information and reassurance.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some great points here. First of all, I would think that in 99.9% of cases, teachers are not trying to make money out of their use of copyrighted materials. I can’t really think of how they would do that without publishing their work.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I believe that most teachers want to use the very best resources they have the time to pull together in order to present lessons in a way that will benefits children. If using a certain source is risky or questionable, we live in the Internet age, when some other source that is just as useful is at our fingertips.
Third, I love that poster! I have it on the wall behind every copier in our school. Even if teachers do not read it word for word, they are still exposed to it almost daily, so the word “copyright” is floating through their heads as a gently reminder.
I appreciate your easing our minds about fair use by reminding us that we are in education and have more leeway due to our altruistic motivation for sharing awesome information and images. Reminding us that there are rules tempers that realization and keeps us from breaking the law.
I agree this is an area of caution for many of us. I agree that being an educator provide a great advantage in that some leeway is afforded for educational purposes. However, this does not provide automatic reproduction and use of everything so it is important to research and be mindful of the applicable laws, especially as media specialists. The attached copyright and fair use guideline is an excellent resource that covers all areas. I have saved this document to my LMS resource folder....I believe with implied permission!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this information.
I enjoyed reading your post. I am the complete opposite of you. I don't break rules on purpose but when it comes to using materials in my classroom I tend to incorporate a wide variety of images, songs, poems and other items that might make my lessons more engaging. I really appreciate you posting the pdf about copyright and fair use. I plan to begin to refer to it more regularly since as a media specialist, I will be expected to be the expert in the building regarding this topic.
ReplyDelete- Michelle H.
I agree that understanding and following the copyright laws can be a bit nerve-racking. As teachers, we use a lot of these materials in the classroom, as a media specialist it is our job to enforce these laws. Fair Use does allow us some freedom to have access to materials that are available. This is why we must be informed and familiar with the laws. We can’t allow ourselves to follow along with the “myths” that lead us in the wrong direction. I agree that I am a rule follower as well and I understand how an artist/author needs to have their hard work protected, but the more informed we are, the better users we become of copyrighted materials.
ReplyDelete