Copyright Issues

As digital technology continues to expand access to licensed material, it will be exceedingly difficult for educators to regulate copyright use in the classroom. As I have learned through the class readings, this issue is so complicated because there is such a wealth of information available on the Internet. Students can easily copy text, video, music, software, images and incorporate it into their own work. Teachers also may find it tempting to access copyrighted materials and justify their "fair use" in the classroom. With so many great resources improving the potential effectiveness of a project or presentation, it is hard to want to limiti what can and cannot be shown in the classroom. In addition, with web pages, blogs, or other public access sites, the rights to intellectual property are too easily ignored.

Educators must set an example to students. While material may increase the effectiveness of a lesson, teachers must be careful to cite all sources and follow guidelines for use of the material in the classroom. Likewise, they should outline and expect the same behavior from their students. It is better to always cite a source and to limit use of copyrighted material in the classroom.