Wow! As much as I usually hate reading "legal-ese" and delving deep into laws, policies and court cases, I found much of this week's topic oddly fascinating.
First, I started with the article by K. Walsh (http://www.emergingedtech.com/2010/10/understanding-copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons-as-they-apply-to-education/). Though I really wanted to wade through her material, I found myself quickly losing interest in the way she had presented the material. (I really did want to like it - she identified herself as a student in UW-Stout program that I had completed several years ago!) K. spent a little too long explaining WHY she was writing about copyright laws, and not actually explaining copyright laws.
Moving along, I clicked over to education world's site (http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280.shtml). The information presented on this site was comprehensive, easy to read, and succinctly organized. The site broke the information down into 5 sections, each with a separate link. (Though I normally HATE being forced to click, then return back to the hompage, then click again....I found that this helped break the information down into digestible chunks). The webpage had a clean, readable design. The writing had good flow, and though the topic is rather dull, the writing was succinct and practical enough to induce me to keep reading. Overall, this is a great resource for educators that provides easy to read information that applies specifically to educators.
I chose to watch the "Happy Birthday" video on YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzbSt0QG7mY&list=PLvzOwE5lWqhTbOCIFp_OxsN6nC-l20kMT&index=3 This is a fantastic example of how audio/video can enliven even the dullest subject matter...but I digress. Mike Rugnetta explains the history and current status of copyright laws, using the song "Happy Birthday" as an example. Mike focuses on the changes that have been made to copyright laws throughout the years and the general expansion of the laws. I would say that this video is best for adults who are just looking for an overview of copyright laws. It doesn't give specifics, but introduces the subject in an engaging manner.
For our school, my husband provided a fairly robust overview of copyright laws as they affect our courseware development. He especially focused on the copyright agreements with other countries, and I was surprised to learn that we do not have copyright agreements with many of the countries that our students work with. Without a copyright agreement between the USA and that country, we have the ability to use whatever we like.
Hi Erika - I also really liked the Education World article. I thought the layout was smart and very user friendly. Like you, I often dislike having to click back and forth, but I think it was helpful considering the heavy nature of copyright law. I also found the brief and practical way it was presented to keep my attention. It was presented in a way that highlighted the importance and applicability of the subject matter. I'm planning to use this article with some of my staff who use technology more frequently.
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Erika--I also liked how the Education World broke up the article. I have very little interest in reading law but I actually found this interesting. I also realized how much copyright law I actually break. Oops! But as I stated in my own reflections and on my other comment, I feel as educators we were not trained in this field.
ReplyDeleteSo much time was spent on educational philospholy and very little time on practicality in the classroom. This would be one of those examples of practical application of learned material so that you do not put you or students in a position of being sued.
Providing information for our students makes this increasingly difficult.
Hi Erika,
ReplyDeleteI agree tat the Education World site was very user friendly and provided the copyright information in easy-to-digest chunks. I'm with you on having to click back and forth to move from one item to the next...I much prefer the link to the next item be included in the current page, along with a "Home" button. Joe makes a good point about the lack of education for teachers on copyright issues. We include a module on ethical and legal issues in two levels of the Instructor Development Institute I facilitate...students research and teach two topics to the class, and the instructors cover copyright. I'm always looking for simple resources for them, and I think I will add one or two from the list in this week's assignment.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Erika,
ReplyDeleteI also critiqued the video, "Should 'Happy Birthday' Be Protected by Copyright?". I agree the video director presents content in an engaging manner. I think it's the way he edited the video that kept my attention - he talks quickly, uses images that correspond with what he says, provides lots of visuals, and even inputs a bit of humor.