Copyright Issues in Education

As I reviewed the information on copyright and fair use, it became quite apparent how complex these guidelines can be and because of the complexity may result in several violations taking place within education. Hopefully the administration offers some support when educators are in doubt. I would say that the two most common copyright violations that I have witnessed are:  copying printed materials and the use of online materials. I have also noticed the use of television broadcast being used in violation.

Printed materials – There are several guidelines related to copying printed material. Examples of printed material could include poems, chapter from book, article from a newspaper, short story, etc. It becomes a copyright violation when teachers exceed the amount of material that can be legally copied and when they use copying as a substitute for purchasing. Teachers also need to make sure that they aren’t copying more than one copy per student.

Online materials – The internet can be a great resource for teachers but they need to remember that without permission they should not be reproducing, distributing or transmitting other people’s material. Even though it’s on the internet it’s still printed material and should follow the printed material guidelines. If you read an article form a magazine or journal’s website and copy and paste it in your email and send to others, that is considered copyright infringement. A better option would be to send out the link to the website or just include a small excerpt from the article.

 Off-air Television Recordings – Educators often use television broadcasts to help with classroom instruction which is considered fair use for educators. However, they should really pay attention to the copyright guidelines regarding how long they can retain that recording. The period is not to exceed 45 days and must be used within the first 10 days of that 45 day period.  

This is definitely a lot to digest but is quite necessary in order to prevent legal problems in the future. If in doubt get permission.

Is Technology making our youth Antisocial?

Are today's teens and preteens allowing the use of technology to rob them of really developing the intimate and emotional friendships that extended face-to-face time can give?  I think so. I recently read an article that discussed a study that was done on kids ages 8-18 and the findings revealed that  they are more likely to use their cell phones to text friends than call them. Some texters send over 100 texts a day.  That's a lot of texting.  The study also found that this age group spends on average 7 1/2 hours a day using some sort of electronic device, from smart phones to MP3 players to computers.

Today, the exchanges seem more public and superficial to me than when I was growing up. It's more like group chats, not personal at all. Facebook is not a converation to me. I remember my friends and I being on the phone for hours at a time with one person sharing secrets and really getting to know each other. Those days are long gone and I think today's youth are missing out on experiences that helps them build trust in people outside of their families, knowing how to read facial expressions and body language which is crucial to preparing them for healthy adult relationships. Their tech skills may be great but their face-to-face human contact skills are weak.

I would love to hear your thoughts....