Fair Use, Copyright and Digital Literacy

Fair Use, Copyright, and Media Literacy

Copyright and Fair Use have been talked about and taught for years. As a high school teacher, I find myself constantly reminding my students about plagiarism. So many students in high school still find it acceptable to copy and paste paragraphs directly from an online article or type them in from a book. This has serious consequences, especially at the collegiate level. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to help my students understand what copyright and fair use are and how to prevent issues. I find myself questioning these exact same things when I am working on a paper or project for school. I always have to ask myself, “Is this appropriate? What do I need to document and give credit for?”

From the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use and Media Literacy Education article, it specifically talks about media literacy as the capacity to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate messages in a wide variety of forms. Media Literacy deals with mass media, popular culture, and digital media. These areas are of concern to educators as it is not set in black and white as much as the Fair Use and Copyright guidelines. This article mentions that teachers sometimes do not have as good of a lesson due to the fear of crossing some boundary they are unsure about. Educators are aware of the increased vigilance with which copyright owners are enforcing their rights. Hence, many know the value of materials to their assignment, but fear crossing the line when using others’ materials to enhance student learning.

The article also discussed the fact that educational guidelines have often hurt more than helping educators to understand what guidelines and regulations should be followed. I can easily see this as no one wants to over step the boundaries and get into trouble for using materials in the wrong way, for a better lesson or not. The five principles in this article apply to all forms of media. I think this too has caused confusion for many. As 21^st century classrooms move forward, it is important that this information pertains to print, images, web sites, and moving/sound images.

As we move forward in education, we have to learn more about what is acceptable and to feel comfortable with all of the resources out there. I would hope any lesson worth giving is not thrown out due to the fact that an educator is uncomfortable with the laws/regulations set forth about Fair Use, Copyright or Media Literacy.

 

Please note: I apologize for my blog being late. Many of you know I have been sick and on bedrest until my baby comes. Thanks for your understanding.