Copyright or Wrong? Definitely Right!

This week, we were assigned reading concerning copyrights with regards to digital material. I have to confess that I was a little dubious about the necessity of this topic for our students, but when put into perspective, it makes a lot of sense. 

My first reaction to the idea of teaching about copyrights was that younger students especially wouldn’t have to learn that, at least not right away, and that for the purposes of a small in class activity or assignment, would it even really matter? The answer, I now realize is yes! Of course it matters! 

Respecting the creators copyright over their work is respecting the fact that they produced and chose to display their work with the rest of the world. They are allowing us to see what they created, but that does not mean they are necessarily giving it away, or that we have the right to claim it as our own. Digital media, as Dr. Figg (2013) discusses in her article for us, is everywhere. We see it every time we go online, and we often use it without thinking to jazz up our documents, presentations, etc. As educators however, what example does this set for our students?

San Jose Library. (August 7, 2008). Children using computers. (photograph). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjoselibrary/2839901913/in/photolist-5jXeU6-2RYxn-pRr7ZD-9es4mr-8vBVVr-8vEXcj-ehBnRE-4JX9-pa1tU5-5JnWNz-o3wN4Z-abfPT5-28rtGN-fvT5PN-5b495D-pyrM81-e2QMHQ-8vBVTe-8vEXjo-bFrCvg-4m5ojv-8vEXd9-8vBWaH-6Wp8Nk-e2QMS5-5r6ss8-8Jzfg7-8Vy1nk-3oxYh-bqVQtj-6WtbrL-9iEkhF-8vEXtU-8vEXmG-8GmvbX-68mS5h-CH3be-6wnx18-6wo5vG-sjCDK-62Y6XP-8vBVWt-5mP2XB-eenL8S-hcbzps-62Yv2h-99XWwh-8uVTTM-8vEXvJ-8uVpXv

I found it interesting how the suggestion was made to carry the point across to a class of students, to have them consider the issue from the creator’s perspective. How would they feel if someone took a drawing of their’s without asking? And what if that person claimed it as their own? Even if the person didn’t mean to do it, it’s still a problem. I see this as an excellent opportunity to talk about the issue of respect and responsibility. 21st century values or ‘character traits’ are very popular in many school boards today as must-teach topics, and this lesson ties those in nicely. We have a responsibility as digital citizens to respect the work put on the internet by others. The best way to demonstrate this respect, is by giving credit where credit is due. This is not a difficult concept for students to grasp, and I realize now that yes, this is important to teach younger members of our classrooms. In fact, it’s probably better to teach this early on, as the more practice they have in recognizing the creator’s copyright, the easier it will be to remember to do. 

Ribeiro, Lucelia. (June 30, 2008). Children at school. (photograph). Retreived from https://www.flickr.com/photos/lupuca/8720604364