Thing 10 Copyright, Fair Use and Creative Commons...

In reading the information concerning copyright, users must be very careful when selecting material to be included in their presentations.  You must always remember to give credit where credit it due.  In this case, credit is due to the author that created the work you need permission to use.  Fair use allows the public limited use while still giving credit or acknowledging the original author.  Creative Commons was new to me because I wasn't aware that it existed but that it also explicitly details exactly which permissions an author has given to how their works may be used by the public.  Understanding this information before working with students and assigning activities will make it easier to relay/review the information they will need to successfully incorporate digital images into their presentation without violating copyright laws.

What stuck out in my mind about how the teacher introduced copyright and fair use to her students is that she didn't assume that they had any prior knowledge of the terms or what they meant.  She basically started from scratch and built their background with exactly what the terms meant and then engaged them in activities that utilized the information from their new learning.  I believe the lesson had a huge impact on the students because they didn't realize that prior to this lesson they may or may not have been violating copyright laws by doing simple things such as using a published beat to make a rap song.  By having the students use evidence to support their answers demonstrates that they actually understood the information presented and how it functions in the real world.  I think a lesson like this should be incorporated at the beginning of the year when students are taking home all those BOY documents for their parents to sign.  A collaborative presentation with the Technology Specialist would be a great idea.  By equipping the students prior to assigning activities, they are provided the information needed to create presentations/projects that don't violate copyright laws.