Thursday, December 6, 2012
Copyright and Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship. What does this really mean? What is important for teachers and students today is to understand copyright rules. We all have been there. We find something that it is great for our class or speech or lecture...and we are ready to use it! Hey, it is in the Internet, so it is available, right? How come we can't use that video, podcast, music or a map that will enhance my lecture for our students?
Here is the issue. There are copyright laws, and you should a) acknowledge where this information come from and b) pay a fee to use (if that is required).
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS LAWFUL OR NOT?
You can use this chart that quickly will guide you in some important points that you should know before using something:
http: //www.halldavidson.net/copyright_chart.pdf
A few days ago, I was an honorable speaker in the Latin American International Trade Forum. They asked me to talk about the state of competitiveness on Latin America. To prepared for it, I used a) Competitiveness Report 2) Current News 3) Some videos. I watched the videos to get ideas for the style, but I did not use it in my presentation...but I did get ideas from it, Should I acknowledge it? I worked on the presentation until 2 AM to have the perfect lecture. I analyzed several Latin American countries and used it to discuss competitiveness.
I knew that tv reporters and several experts will be there, therefore I was careful that all my comments or analysis are based on serious research. I gave the presentation, and it was phenomenal. At the end, several people asked me for the PowerPoint presentation. I said, sure, I will email you the last version (I wanted to make sure I had all slides properly cited). I did not think that I needed to put citations in each graphic but I put only one at the beginning of it to refer all. One person took part of presentation and posted it in a website, but they cut out all information about other countries, they wanted a specific country (don't blame her/him). However, when they reduced the presentation, they deleted the slide that have citations..YIKES!!! DOUBLE YIKES...!!! I can have a copyright issue here!!!
I asked them to take the presentation down from the Internet, and I promised them to send then a new file with only their country - with the appropriate citations. No damage was done. What do you think? Have you been in a sitation like this?
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The situation you describe is one that probably happens all too often. Many people do not think about citing their sources and giving credit to those it is due.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the article on digital citizenship and creative content. I think the most important thing to take away from this article is that you need permission to use or share 99% of the content on the internet. Nowadays the majority of your students will be active on one or more social media websites. Many teachers are active on these sites as well. My advice to these teachers and students are to not post anything unless it is your own. People tend to share a youtube video with their friends that they like. Most people do not realize that this is a copyright violation. You do not have permission from the original party to post this video. Technically, you need permission from the original creator of the video or content in order to share the information. You can never be too safe when it comes to giving credit to others for their intellectual property. The internet is becoming more and more popular and as teachers, it is our job to be educated about the laws of creative content as well as inform our students about these laws.
My school has added a section to the student handbook regarding student posting of instructor content on the internet (in addition to other social networking issues). It was found that students were video recording instructors' lectures and posting them on Youtube as a "courtesy" to classmates who could not attend class. This was being done without the instructor's knowledge or permission. The frequency with which students share anything and everything on the web leads them to the incorrect presumption that anything is open for sharing. In addition, there are some students who are of the opinion that since they have payed for a class they have also payed for the course content and are entitled to do with it whatever they please.
DeleteWe have also seen an increase in plagiarism cases, so perhaps it is all part and parcel of the same issue.
That's absolute true. Sometimes students shared personal videos with others and the others with others. Now, what happen when students posted something in youtube and click "public". Youtube for example has a page explaining the process copyright
ReplyDeleteIt is important to teach our students to learn the rules.
My school has been made aware of inappropriate pictures posted by students on social networking sites, so the academic integrity section of the school's handbook was modified to reflect this issue. As our students are obtaining professional degrees, they are expected to conduct themselves, and promote themselves, in a professional manner, both in class and out. Sometimes they need to be reminded of that.
DeleteThis is a very interesting topic! One that many people probably never think about. I know in the field of education we see powerpoint presentations at all these wonderful professional developments we are required to attend and nothing is EVER, EVER cited. Knowing this information I would like to see things cited more often. Also, many times teachers clip and paste stuff into worksheets such as maps or relevant charts/diagrams and I am sure that not one individuals sites where it is from. Well I certainly know I don't and I will try my best to give proper credit where necessary. After reading this though it made me think of Facebook and how everyone clicks posts and shares. Everytime you see a shared photo, I wonder how many times it is reused and how many times someone is not getting credit when needed
ReplyDeleteI think learning about copyright issues and digital content is very important for teachers, students, or anyone dealing with technology in some way. Since the use of technology has become such a widespread practice, both at home and at work, along with the fact that copyright issues can be confusing at times, it is more essential than ever that it is taken seriously and valued as an important part of being a digital citizen. I definitely learned a lot while reading through the “Creative What?” unit. I was actually surprised at how much I did not know (as supported by my fairly low pre-test score) because I always thought that copyright issues would be common sense. The one answer that really got me thinking was that copyright laws were created to encourage artists to create works for the public. I thought the answer was to ensure that profits go to the right people. I found it interesting to think about copyright issues in a positive way, rules that are meant to inspire and support creativity. My advice for teachers and/or students would be to remain aware of how they are using digital content. I think this is the key; it may not be that these issues are not understood, but that people are largely uninformed about the topic in general.
ReplyDeleteI selected the document about digital citizenship. With all the social media and access to streaming videos of all day and night, it is surprising that all that “sharing” we are doing is really illegal. I can’t count how many times I view a video that someone has posted and then show my husband or email to my dad, brother or friends. We are all constantly infringing on others rights to their intellectual property more often than not. The question that was asked “how would you feel if someone took credit for something you created” is a challenging question. When we stop to think about that we “created” something it indicates that there should be some value placed on it. But are all those you tube videos of kids, dogs, cats, people doing silly things actually considered intellectual property. There seems to be a tremendous amount of gray area on this subject now and as the internet continues to evolve, laws will have to be adapted to keep the system working.
ReplyDeleteI think that the idea of copyright and obtaining permission to use content that is so readily accessible on the Internet is often neglected and is not appropriately addressed with students today. I know a lot of teachers are not cognizant of the rules outlined in copyrights or Creative Commons licensing so I believe they are not comfortable warning their students about what they can and can’t use. However, this is a major issue that will only become more prevalent as additional technology is developed that gives people greater access to share and access intellectual property.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read the document entitled “Protect Your Work, Respect Your Work,” and learned a great deal about the difference between copyright and Creative Commons licensing. I was familiar with the idea of a copyright but I had never heard of Creative Commons and was intrigued to find that it allows for the sharing of your work with conditions that you stipulate. I have seen the Creative Commons symbol before but never given it much thought or understood what it meant. It is important that more educators and students are familiar with this type of license as it could protect work they create or define what is and what isn’t available for use.
I also liked that the document posed questions that made you think about the content you personally share as opposed to what it is likely that you use. I have never considered that the original work and photos that I share through social media sites are able to be used by these sites and that I have agreed to it in the Terms of Use. This is an important idea to reinforce with students who often don’t take the time to think before they share content or know that what they share is not always kept private.
I would also advise teachers and students to explore the definitions of originality, inspiration and plagiarism. Plagiarism is often the sole focus of teachers when having students conduct research to complete an assignment. Many times students are not sure what plagiarism encompasses and feel that they are just being inspired, when in fact they are copying someone else’s original work. I believe that by providing students with clear examples of each of these concepts will further their understanding and likely cut down on the amount of plagiarism that occurs in classrooms today.
This situation you described is extremely common and happens more often than none, as where many people do not even think about citing sources and giving credit to those where it is due. I chose to read the article "Creative what?" and I found myself knowing a lot about intellectual property and creative content due to previous classes I have taken. As a teacher, it may be difficult due to cutting and pasting things onto worksheets, and even into PowerPoint’s such as charts or diagrams without mentioning the site it originated from. Teachers must remain aware of all copyright laws and issues and how they go about using digital content. It may not be that copyright issues are misunderstood to teachers, but are uneducated about the topic overall.
ReplyDeleteI choose the Creative What document. I thought I knew enough to answer the questions without any problem. Not so, It was more detailed than I thought. I can say I learned a lot and have a different outlook on content that I may use in the future. In some cases, content that I have used in the pass gave permission to use information if used in conjunction with studies or school use, not intended for sale. After reading this document, information used will be looked at as if I was writing a paper and all work will be sited. I answered question 9(would you copy a school performance if you could get away with it)yes. I'm sure most people would say the same, even though the article feels that after reading it the answer should have been no. It would be for personal use. Most of the time these events are video taped but are made unaffordable. No excuse but honest. Copy rights are violated all the time. DVDs is one area that it is prevalent in. I think everyone has bought a bootleg video at one time or another. Its illegal but we do it anyway. Why pay $20.00 for a DVD when you could get it for $5.00? I guess the question becomes how moral are you?
ReplyDeleteInitially i read the article on 'digital citizenship and creative content'. I got very low score in pre-test i.e. 3/10. After reading the article, i then read about 'protect your work respect your work'. In this articel my score in pre-test is 9/10. A tremendous change in my knowledge! I learnt a lot from this exercise. Definitely, i will pass on my learning to my students and other colleagues! Though I am aware about plagiarism while writing assingments and research paper but i was not aware about acknowledging other's intellectual property that we come across in our day to day life while using internet. This exercise sensitized me to respect other's intellectual property.
ReplyDeleteI read the article “Calling all Digital Citizens” and scored 7/10 on the pretest. I chose this article because I wanted to broaden my scope of knowledge on the concept of digital citizenship. The content of the article did not surprise me, I was made aware of most of this content in the course “Computers for Education Administrators “and found it very enlightening and interesting.
ReplyDeleteDigital citizens are persons that exhibit technological behavior that is not only responsible but demonstrates a high level of intelligence and personal ethic. These citizens must be taught and should be able to demonstrate effective use of technology. Digital citizens make good choices when using technology while at all times and cost avoiding technology misuse.
As educators and digital citizens we must teach our students how to use technology appropriately and show respect for the work of other individuals. They must be taught to reference and seek permission for use at all times. This is important if ethical behavior is to be maintained in our digital world and classrooms.
Copy right is a big issue especially in digital citizenship . I think at the school level we should make the habit of mind of students that it is a plagiarism to use the photos, videos, and written material of authors without permission. Moreover, if any person use the written material of any author,he or she should cite it. We should create digital culture for the awareness of digital copy right.
ReplyDeleteNow that we are in the technology age, where everything can be accessed through the internet it is very important that our students are exposed to the different rules that apply to using resources from the computer. Students need to be able to use these resources in a positive manner. In addition, have a sense of respect for the creator and his/her intentions for the use of their material. I believe teachers who are in a district, school building, or classroom were technology is the main tool being utilize in educating, must be able to clearly deliver to students the proper ways of accessing and using all different of materials, resources, and pieces of literature from the internet.
ReplyDeleteTeachers should inform student of all the copyright laws and explain to them, in detail, the meaning of plagiarism. Next teachers should implement guidelines and classroom rules when using internet resources. In addition, teachers should let students know the importance of respecting other peoples work and their intentions. Finally, teacher must follow through with any violation or disregard of other people’s material from the internet. Examples like plagiarism or illegal downloads. Furthermore, showing students the proper way of citing material so that they will not be penalized.