My understanding of Copyright law and Fair Use was very limited. I really didn’t think much of it when it came to my resources for my classes. I assumed that because it was for education I was good. While I was reading Renee Hobbs kept saying how some teachers lived in fear of copyright and the whole time I kept thinking, really?! I thought about my colleagues, none of them seemed to be working in fear. I wondered if they even worried about copyright and fair use. After I read Copyright Clarity, I realized that I wasn’t completely covered under this education immunity I had created in my head.
The hardest piece to understand is Fair Use. I really thought that as long as I cited the source and didn’t make money off of it then it was fair use. Now I understand that it’s not that simple. I can use a copyrighted item as long as I transform its intended use. I also need to be able to back up my fair use. When I told my colleagues this they were surprised, many like me, did not have a clue about how copyright worked.
Mel: I felt the same way you did about the information I used off the Internet. I figured that as long as it was for educational purposes, it was fine. Copyright Clarity has been one of the best books I've read in terms of explaining copyright and fair use. I had never even heard of transformativeness and now think that knowing about it is one of the most important concepts to consider as an educator. Going forward, I am going to be much more conscience and careful in deciding how to use information I find on the Internet in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteA super useful book to be sure! I feel a lot better about Fair Use and how it impacts my classroom. Definitely feel the need to spread the word to other teachers about this, too.
ReplyDeleteI really agree about the kids. If we aren't clear on something, how can we expect the kids to learn it? Being educated ourselves is the first step to implementing it and teaching kids.
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