Understanding Copyright, Fair Use And Creative Commons

Earlier this month I did a workshop for teachers from across the district on understanding copyright, fair use and Creative Commons. There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding copyright; what it is and what it isn't; what we can use in the classroom and more importantly, what we can not. There is a lot of information out there, much of confusing so what I hoped to do was show how to avoid copyright rules all together and use Creative Commons resources instead.

First, watch this video about Copyright and Fair Use. Notice how it was made and the questions it asks.



Here is the presentation that I created with some definitions and some interpretation of what can be used and what can't in the classroom.



You can also check out all the resources in this Livebinder I created for the presentation. In it you will find information about what Creative Commons is and how we can use it in the classroom. I also compiled websites to find copyright free audio, video and images for use in student and teacher projects.

All About Creative Commons And Copyright

So take some time and learn about copyright, fair use and creative commons for use both in and out of the classroom. 

"Copyright" - Enough Said

What can we do to help everyone get on the same page with Copyright Guidelines? How can we make any and all information available to everyone so that informed decisions can be made when it comes to using digital materials in the classroom.

Someone has gone and made it a little bit more simplified. The Temple University Media Education Lab, along with National Association for Media Literacy Education, the Action Coalition for Media Education, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Visual Communication Studies Division of the International Communication Association have all collaborated on their most recent project.

This project was to develop a an easier format to aid educators in understanding copyright when using "digital materials in teaching and learning." They have created the "Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education." This document was created to help educators in making good and appropriate decisions on how they use copyrighted material.

You can also watch the pre-recorded launch event from November 2008. As well read more about it from the Temple website.