Are we the copyright police?
Sep 4th, 2007 by Cathy Nelson
I read MANY blogs. I have a folder called classroom blogs, and most of the blogs in this folder are blogs whose target audience is not necessarily the world wide web, but instead the students that attend that class daily. Mr. K’s 21st Century Learning Center is one like this. I’m glad he lets us peak at the assignments he makes. And I have to admit I have gotten some great ideas for activities or spin off projects from content posted for his students to read. So it was with mild interest that I read about an assignment for his kids to build web pages. They are asked to find picture of their favorite band, and make it a link to a web site about this band.
Without knowing what instruction the class has
received about the use of pictures from the web, or where for that matter his students will be directed to get these pictures, it begs the question: Will the pictures be from legal sources? Since we are only allowed a sliver of information (namely the assignment) judgment cannot be passed here.
But it does make me wonder. Should these kids be told to use pictures w/o a warning about copyright, obtaining permissions, citing sources, and all that ethical stuff we are supposed to teach? Is there someone on the staff who collaborates with Mr. K., say, like a library media specialist, who can co-teach about the ethical uses of pictures from the web?
Great opportunity here for co-teaching and collaboration. I certainly hope he’s getting both. Thanks Mr. K! This is another example of how we as information and research specialists can impress upon students (and teachers) why those silly and complicated citations (that are pretty much required for most middle school and high school research projects) are necessary and required. But in a modern, fun, and up-t0-date project! Kudos to Mr. K. for another great idea for a project where I can seamlessly integrate some of my standards from the library into classroom standards, that of ethical use of information.
“Cornerstone Monitor.” Nic’s Events’ Photostream. 16 July 2007. 4 September 2007 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/nics_events/833388930/>.
I found this fair use chart on the bottom of this page very helpful for educators.
http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm
I’d like to answer the question you pose in this post: Yes!
How can we integrate technology, advocate quality research gathering skills, and neglect the ethical side of things?
In truth, any teacher that wants to integrate technology w/out first setting up the appropriate skills and responsibilities needed in his/her students is just as irresponsible in this era of 21st Century Skills as the teacher that refuses to integrate any technology at all.
Hope you’re feeling better! I’m legally blind in my left eye.
I’d like to answer the question you pose in this post: Yes!
How can we integrate technology, advocate quality research gathering skills, and neglect the ethical side of things?
In truth, any teacher that wants to integrate technology w/out first setting up the appropriate skills and responsibilities needed in his/her students is just as irresponsible in this era of 21st Century Skills as the teacher that refuses to integrate any technology at all.
Hope you’re feeling better! I’m legally blind in my left eye.
Ken I forgot to say i teach w/ a colleague who lost her eye in a horse riding accident–she is commiserating with me during my recovery! At least I will recover. But I do understand that feeling of not seeing now…