My definition of multimedia incorporates visual, sound, and text to deliver a message or complete a task. It usually involves a combination of text, graphics, video, animation, and/or audio elements.
Copyright and Fair Use
In this digital age, it has become so easy to copy and paste someone else’s words, pictures, graphics, etc. With the proliferation of music and video downloads, kids have become desensitized to the notion that taking something directly from the Internet may be stealing. Adults, including teachers, sometimes fall into this mindset as well. Rereading the rules of copyright and fair use forced me to mentally review all of the multimedia that I have gleaned from the Internet. Fortunately, so far I have erred on the side of caution and followed the rules for Fair Use. But, it would be so easy to reuse something each year. The conclusion I reached is that we must be ever vigilant ourselves about using something from the Internet. We must teach our students how to properly use information, artwork, video, etc., from the Internet. We must rethink our assignments and transform our teaching to adapt to this new source of information. Preventative is so much better than punishment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hi!
I had to spend a good deal of time while working with different classes this spring talking about crediting sources and why we can't just use jay-z's latest song in a PowerPoint. In the end, the best way I found was to frame it by explaining that without getting permission for content it's like saying you made it and that whatever MM content they used it had to fit their presentation (so Jay-Z's music probably wouldn't fit into a project about the Civil War).
Adam
Patti--
I completely agree with your use of the word "vigilance." I think that is really the key--both with ourselves and our students. Because, even as teachers, we can fall suspect to it. The biggest thing for me is making sure that students really understand copyright, and why it is important.
You are so right when you said preventative is better than punishment when it comes to copyright laws. When in doubt, get permission. Copyright is such a huge controversial subject that it is so easy to copyright something and you not really knowing it.
I would venture to say that more people are guilty out of ignorance than malice intent. Not to excuse the issue because companies now hire legions of attorneys to defend and protect their materials. I fear the day may come when they have a field day.
Post a Comment