In the past I have used various picture inserts in PowerPoint, Word, and other presentation assignments. Giving credit has always been a little confusing to me so sometimes I just wouldn't bother with it. In this class it is sufficient to post the URL and make it aware that I am not the photographer or artist. It is this simple for educational purposes according to fair use. Most likely in my professional career I will not have an issue with copyright laws as long as I am not making money off of it and give the source credit. I have searched Pinterest for activity ideas and in the future I will make sure that these ideas are not my own. Something I will keep in mind when assigning projects will be walking the students through how to source information. Even if the students have already learned how to cite in other classes it will still serve them to review it.
One issue is that of acceptable use. Are the websites the students access acceptable? This is a tough issue to keep under control because it is impossible to control what is on the internet. A primary step that I would take is to make sure certain sites are not accessible on the school wifi. Social media sites will be off limits. Students may find ways around these blocks so it is important to teach them the ethics of maneuvering the interwebs.
The Americans with Disabilities Act legally requires teachers to present material in a way that Americans with disabilities can understand. Personally I would learn what disabilities are common in my class as well as individually adapting to meet the needs of students with more severe learning disabilities. For example, if a student of mine is visually impaired I would customize the material in a way the student can understand such as braille.
Each student has a right to privacy. If they are under 18 then the parents shares that right. In order for a teacher to share their image, work, or personal information, the guardian must give written consent. This is a minor setback and an extra hoop to jump through if I were to take photos of my students in the classroom. However, this is a necessary law to protect the student from potential threats.
I agree with the thought that not being able to share the work, images, etc. of a student without permission can be a minor setback. This may become a setback when trying to create a project for your class or maybe even doing something as simple as updating the school's website. A suggestion I have that you may want to think about is sending a form home at the beginning of the school year for the parents and students to read and sign. This form would release permission for their work, images, etc to be used if it is for a school related or academic purpose. We had a similar system set up at my school and it was very beneficial.
ReplyDeleteJosh,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your stance on copyright and fair use. Whenever I would make PowerPoints or other visual assignments, I would never bother with citing my photos. It didn't seem like a big deal to me. However, now that I know that there could be legal consequences surrounding it, I am much more careful. I think it's great that you're going to explain to your students how to properly cite their sources. My teachers never did that for me.
Great post!
Brittany