This week was about learning about the different aspects of copyright laws. This is a topic that I was previously unfamiliar with so there was a lot of information that I read and learned this week that was new to me. There was one particular topic that stood out to me this week. The differences and similarities between plagiarism and copy right infringement are striking and they deserve thorough examination in each situation in order to determine which term applies.
One of the things that really stood out to me about this topic this week was during the case studies determining whether the resources being used were violating any laws and be considered copyright infringement. These scenarios are things that we as teachers encounter on an everyday bases. However, I will be the first to admit that I use resources without ever thinking about whether or not I am violating any laws with the usage. There are times when colleagues have made a copy of a consumable because there weren’t enough or recorded something from TV to show in class. We think we are just doing what we have to do for our students. Never do we consider the fact that we are breaking the law and violating the work of the creator. Reading the copyright laws have definitely brought awareness to consider the creator and appropriately citing and giving credit before using someone else’s work.
I think that It is great that laws are in place to protect and help teachers to be able to use other’s creative work without violating copyright laws. Fair use and the TEACH act are the saving grace for educators to be able to use the work of others for educational purposes. The evidence at www.copyright.gov shows that. “The TEACH Act facilitates and enables the performance and display of copyrighted materials for distance education by accredited, non-profit educational institutions (and some government entities) that meet the TEACH Act’s qualifying requirements. Its primary purpose is to balance the needs of distance learners and educators with the rights of copyright holders.” This is really great with the direction that society is moving in with blended learning becoming a driving force in education. It allows educators and students to digitally upload resources for students to use during the course. This type of protection is needed for educators to not be so restricted while using various resources for educational purposes. It was refreshing for me to see the information regarding fair use and teach act. After reading so much information about what you can’t do and what is copyrighted it can be very intimidating for an educator and take away from creative ways to engage our students in the classroom. The information given about Fair Use and the TEACH act gives educators hope and the freedom to still teach with creativity while using the creative works of others for a great cause. I was able to reflect on my own practices as an educator to make sure that I am appropriately using my resources and giving credit when credit is due to the original creators of the work.
References
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.copyright.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CR-Teach-Act.pdf
Dakeisha Bell M.Ed 