Copyright: It's Everywhere!

 Copyright for teachers is something all teachers must be aware of. We cannot just show things in class without proper permission or notifying the correct people. One may say: "Who's going to catch me?" However, I just would rather not take that chance at all. I learned that I need to have the rights to a video in order to show it and if I do not have an Elmo, cannot just copy pages as freely as I please out of a book. I knew copyright laws were strict but it did surprise me a little bit at how strict they actually were. Teachers really cannot freely do things as they please with regards to copyrighted works. No matter whether it is a small video clip or a full length movie, teachers need to make sure they follow all the copyright rules.

I have seen people in schools show things that I knew they did not have permission to do and even play music that they probably downloaded illegally. Out of school, illegal downloading happens all the time and I know that people have been caught before. Copyright violations are a serious issue that people do not take lightly at all. 

For my students, I will try and teach them what copyright is. I would like to do hands on activities where they are given a scenario and need to tell me whether it is copyright infringement or not. I think it is important that they know so they may protect themselves in the future. It is not always hard to not break copyright law but it is important that all aware of what they can and cannot do.