Friday, February 11, 2011
copyright issue in schools
Although I had some knowledge of copyrighting issues schools face before class, I had know idea the depth of the subject. I remember in class that many teachers just copied books for us to read or played music or videos in their presentations. I am pretty sure that they were not getting permission. I think the most surprising aspect for me is how much of certain information you can take. you can copy 10% of a book or 30 seconds of a song. Personally, I don't see what the difference is as long as you are not making money off it or claiming it as my own. Unfortunately, now that I know a little more about the subject I wonder if the lessons that we observed contained information that was against the copyright laws. It seems that there are laws out there but many people do not know the exactly which way they can use someones information. Within my classroom no matter how much i feel that if it is for education and I should be able to use something, I will have to think twice. I'm sure some people feel a bit uneasy after this class but don't worry it is not as bad as it seems. Just think twice and get permission, that doesn't seem too hard.
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I was in the same boat as you Mike...I, too, didn't realize how strict these guidelines actually are. I also agree with you that if we aren't personally gaining anything from the use of someone else's material, why does it matter if we use 31 seconds of their song as opposed to 30 seconds. Something else that goes along with this that really surprised me was the fact that a teacher cannot show a film in class unless it pertains to what the students are learning. Whether or not the content is being shown in conjunction with education or not, the content is still the same...why, then, does it break copyright guidelines? Perhaps because watching it in conjunction with education isn't as fun as watching it for leisure? It doesn't make much sense to me!
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ReplyDeletehad the same reaction. I agree that as long as we are not profiting off someone else's material and it is for educational purposes, we should have access to it. There are ways around being able to show a film in class even if it does not really pertain to what students are learning. I remember before Christmas break our band teacher showed us "Finding Nemo." She justified it to the principal by saying that the background instrumentals were important for the class to hear. So basically any movie can be connected to learning, it’s just how you word your explanation.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you. I don't see what the big deal is as long as I'm not using the copyrighted material for profit or saying that I created it. If I really want to use something for a class but have to ask permission first I'll probably end up not using it because I don't want to go through the hassle of getting permission first. If I'm using it for educational purposes then I don't really understand why I'm limited to a small amount; but I guess I can see the other side of the argument where the creators want to make a profit for their work.
ReplyDeleteWhy is using an image of Mickey Mouse or Ronald McDonald not considered free advertising? I really doubt the Pepsi Corporation would be upset about playing their 2min commercial in a presentation in front of a classroom of potential consumers.
ReplyDeleteIf we are supposed to be examples for our students it seems crucial that we know more about these copyright laws, especially since there is so much material out there that we can use for educational purposes. Maybe there shouls be a requirement for all teachers to be educated on copyright laws, at least those concerning education so that we protect ourselves and educate our students in a more responsible manner.
ReplyDeleteTo play devil’s advocate-
ReplyDeleteTo use a book for example, they can be expensive. If we wanted to supply our whole class with a copy of any work and photocopied one purchased copy, we are effectively cheating the author and publisher out of what they would have eared if the book was purchased for each student. This over the course of many years can add up to a substantial sum. It is definitely easy to think that we as educators can use and photocopy anything for our student's benefit and many teachers do this without ever being caught. The question comes down to is this right? This is a touchy subject. On one side you have educators with good intentions, on the other side you have the creators of the work who want to be paid. In fact, in many cases licensing a piece of work is the creator’s job. So where is the line? Some people see individuals that sue for copyright infringement as money hungry and greedy and feel that as long as you are not profiting from the copyrighted work that you should be able to use it. Even though as teachers we are not profiting from copying a book, we are still technically stealing work if copying a book and therefore cheating the authors out of what they would have earned. You have to remember that the author is just trying to make a living, the same as the teacher who may be in a budget strapped district just trying to help their students succeed.