Copyright

Copyright is not something that should be taken lightly and there are many rules that need to be followed. The site titled, Copyright for Teachers and School Librarians, provides the reader with questions and answers about copyright at school. Teachers need to be careful about making copies, showing videos, and playing music in the classroom. However, there is a ‘fair use’ policy for non-profit educations. Fair use allows teachers to use copyrighted materials without permission, but that is only to a certain extent. Teachers are not allowed to play music in the classroom unless it is in the public domain, related to what they are teaching, or they have permission to use it. Teachers are not allowed to show videos in the classroom unless they are related to the curriculum, recently shown on TV, or the teacher must purchase a license to show other types of movies in class. Teachers are also not allowed to display pictures of well-known characters unless they have purchased the rights.

There is a site called Taking the Mystery out of Copyright which seems like a good site for children. The information is easy to understand and it has cute characters which help make the information more fun to learn. They also keep repeating some of the same information over and over again because repetition helps people remember. This site talked about how copyright protects you. Anything that you create is protected from the moment you write it down. You can also register for a copyright by sending an application to the library of congress. Your registration becomes active as soon as they receive your application and you receive a certificate four months later in the mail.

Copyright protects everyone who creates something new and unique. It is important to follow the law and be informed on what is and isn’t legal. If you are informed about your legal rights as a teacher you will be able to find a lot of materials to use legally. I attached the links to the two websites I found this information on: Taking the Mystery out of Copyright and Copyright for Teachers and School Librarians!