676 Artifact Reflection #1

About a year ago, I added a post to this blog about academic integrity that you can read about here. In the time since that blog post, I've significantly increased my awareness and responsible use of digital material. I've also made a more conscious effort to teach my students about using other people's ideas and material in the hope of developing more responsible digital citizens.

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Module 5 was a stepping stone that furthered my understanding of fair use, copyright, and a person's digital footprint. Things you share online are permanent, just like a tattoo! Digital footprints are unimaginably long trails of information that follow a digital consumer everywhere. As a teacher of a Gen-Y society, it's increasingly frustrating to witness a student's careless approach to using digital media and images without permission from the owner. Students (and many adults) go straight to Google and search for whatever they need, copy it, insert it, forget to cite it, and move on.

Terms like public domain, creative commons, fair use, copyright, and plagiarism need to be regularly used in context, no matter what the age, grade level, course or discipline. Far too many students and adults are irresponsibly using digital media and risking hefty penalties and fines for their poor choices. Why take that chance?

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The artifact I'm providing for this blog post includes the copyright scenarios I analyzed. Although educators have a little more wiggle room when it comes to fair use of digital material, a teacher must always ask - is the use of this material TRANSFORMATIVE? If the answer is YES, then in small quantities, digital material may be used for educational purposes. In large chunks, a teacher should seek the permission of the owner before using it in class.

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Here are a few important facts that summarize Module 5:

• Copyright applies for any creation. A teacher or student should generally assume that everything is copyrighted. Using copyrighted material without the owner's permission is illegal. Fine can cost $250 to $150,000.
• If digital material is part of the public domain then copyright law doesn’t apply because it includes lots of creative works that are freely available for anyone to use.
• When people want their work used by others we call these open educational resources (OER); a growing hub of FREE materials.
• Showing a full-length feature film in class is often a violation of the movie’s copyright!
• Just because you bought a song or album doesn’t mean you can use it however you want. Only use small chunks of the media for personal use. 

The copyright scenarios were a unique way to question my use of digital material and challenges me to regularly address these fair use and copyright situations with my students. Everyone has digital rights that promise to protect privacy, property, and speech, but more importantly, every digital consumer is responsible for respecting the rights of others and abiding by the law.

Trends in Technology #1: Academic Integrity

Does your school have an academic integrity code? Do students and teachers at your school sign an AUP (acceptable usage policy)? As I read through some resources related to ethical technology dilemmas it triggered some thoughts about my own school's academic integrity code and the AUP form students are expected to sign before being issued their Chromebooks at the beginning of each school year.

What kinds of measures are put in place by other schools and districts to ensure a safe social learning environment for all while also teaching students and teachers how to properly use information found on the web? It seems few students and teachers realize what "borrowing" information entails and the potential legal consequences it could bring to the district, the school, and the individual.

Our school's academic integrity code describes copyright infringement as "unauthorized use of any work fixed in tangible media such as books, articles, websites, art, music, photography and video" and plagiarism as "presenting the distinctive ideas, facts, or words of another (in part or in whole), or imagery without appropriate acknowledgement of the source as one's own."

Students and teachers need to engage in training courses to review acceptable expectations in regards to plagiarism and copyright infringement. A regular routine review is essential to promote and support learning. This is something my school lacks but clearly needs.

What kind of training modules are out there? Well, I came across some information provided by Common Sense Education. On their website, they succinctly organize training modules that are leveled by grade. The modules can be taught by teachers and serve to develop digital citizenship skills in all students. What impressed was how easy and intuitive the lessons were. The lessons were easy to understand and aligned by topic:

• Self-image and Identify
• Relationships and Communication
• Digital Footprint and Reputation
• Cyberbullying and Digital Drama
• Information Literacy
• Internet Safety
• Privacy and Security
• Creative Credit and Copyright

Common Sense Education is my starting point. I hope I can convince administrators in my building that training modules similar to what Common Sense Education provides are necessary to educate, support, and protect students and teachers in the Age of the Internet.

What kinds of measures are put in place by your school/district to ensure a safe social learning environment for all while also teaching students and teachers how to properly use information found on the web? I welcome any comments about your experiences below.