Saturday, February 22, 2014

And this week, I learned about Copyrights...


Copyright reasons / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/


Aloha all -
This week, we looked at the complicated world of Intellectual Property and Fair Use.  Today, with the ubiquitous use and sharing of digital content through social media, it is more important than ever for us to be aware of the basics of copyrights and what constitutes fair use of intellectual property.  After taking a look at various readings, curriculum and websites, it is apparent that when it comes to the subject of Fair Use, Copyrights and Public Domain, the answer is always, "IT DEPENDS…"  There are no easy answers and guidance given is always general. 
The Fair Use doctrine allows the use of copyrighted materials under certain circumstances.  Basically, it is a set of exceptions to copyright restrictions.  It allows content to be used in certain ways based on 4 main factors.  Reviewing these factors will at least give guidance on whether or not the content can be used.  Generally fair use is permitted for criticism and commentaries, parodies, news reporting and education.
Let's take a look at these factors using the example of posting a video of a children's performance of a copyrighted song on YouTube.
  1. Purpose and character of use:  The song is being used for entertainment and is basically the original version of the song. 
  2. Nature of the original: Songs are creative, not factual, content.
  3. Amount used: They sang the whole song in their performance.
  4. Effect on the market:  It would not be a substitute for the original and would be unlikely to affect the market.
Although you could claim fair use in that it is non-commercial and would not affect the market for the original, the song is sung in its entirety and in its original version.  So again, it depends.  It seems like it only becomes a problem if the owner claims infringement.   Although I don't think that the author would claim copyright infringement in this case, personally, I would not recommend posting the video publicly on YouTube, I would prefer to err on the side of caution because you never know what video will go viral and become an issue.  Perhaps an alternative would be to share it privately with parents through other means.  Although, I'm still not confident in this very gray area, I have gained greater awareness on these issues.  Awesome learning this week!
How about you?

A hui hou,
Terri

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

And this week, I explored OERs...






Aloha all -

Open Educational Resources (OER) are simply what they seem - OPEN (freely and openly offered) EDUCATIONAL (for teaching, learning and research) RESOURCES (online materials, content, tools, lesson plans, etc. ) for use by educators, learners or anyone who may be interested.  I had heard of the term OER but had never taken the time to explore them in more detail.  This week, I got that chance.

One of the advantages of OERs is that it provides access worldwide.  They help to increase collaboration of educators all over the world.  They provide  resources to developing countries that would not have been available otherwise.  As we move towards becoming a Creator Society, educators are able to share their work and help empower others.  Another positive is that OERs can be revised often so that information can be kept up to date versus paper textbooks which can sometimes become outdated rather quickly.  I also like the fact that you are free to tailor the items to fit your students' needs.  One think to consider when using OERs is to be sure to review for accuracy and quality.  I think that it is important to review for accuracy, relevancy and suitability for your audience.  Also, since the resources are from around the globe, evaluating for any cultural and language barriers is significant as well.


By reviewing OER commons and MERLOT, I was able to get a glimpse into the wealth of resources available and freely shared on the internet.  I see how one can incorporate these objects into your locus of control.  I also think that OER repositories may also serve to stimulate ideas for your own curriculum by seeing what other educators use with their students.  I was able to find some interesting items that I would consider using with my students.  I did notice, however, that the free online book in the lesson I was looking at was no longer free when I clicked on the link.  So it pays to be diligent in your review of each resource prior to use.  You can identify any issues early and revise as needed to suit your population.  To me, overall, OERs are a great thing!  It's just a matter of choosing quality items among the quantity that will work for your learners.

And how was your week? 

A hui hou,
Terri