WELCOME !

Image From Google Images

I would like to welcome you to our class blog.  Here we will talk about how to use the internet and technology correctly.  Especially when it comes to the following three topics:

1. Copyright 
2. Fair Use
3. Plagiarism   

This is were we will learn about these important words and how they will help us to use the internet and technology honestly and fairly.  

COPYRIGHT

When people use the word copyright  they are usually talking about copyright protection.  Copyright protection is referring to the legal rights someone has when they create something.  Those rights mean that anybody who wants to use it has to ask for permission.

Fair Use

Generally speaking, fair use means that there are times when you do not have to ask permission to use something that has copyright protection.  Usually, it is OK to use or copy something that is copyright protected if it is for a school assignment or for teaching.

Fair Use for Teachers

Teachers have a great deal of latitude when it comes to what they can use in their classrooms.  However, that educational fair use is not without limit.  For example, teachers can use music, videos, images, and text, in print and from the internet.  So long as that use is connected to the content of the class and you are using a small portion of that copyrighted material.  Or your use does not infringe upon the owners ability to profit off their creation.  An example of that would be a teacher making copies of an entire novel for every student in their class, instead of the school purchasing a class set.  That is a big no no !

Fair Use for Students

Students can use images, video clips, sound clips, and music clips so long as they are for school work.  However, they cannot be posted onto internet sites or blogs that are accessible to those outside the school or district.  Multimedia like online computer programs and videos can also be used by students but with the same restrictions including that most programs must be paid for.

Purdue on Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is when you rewrite or restate somebody else's words.  In the classroom students are usually asked to paraphrase a story or  a passage by using their own words.  There are times when an attempt at paraphrasing can lead us to plagiarism.  Plagiarism is when someone is attempting to take credit for another persons unique work.  Normally, this happens by not correctly siting the source of the information in a reference list.

Again, I welcome students, parents, and teachers to join in our discussions as we begin this journey towards a better understanding of copyright protections, fair use, and plagiarism.  Thank you and let us have a great year !

References

United States Copyright Office  (2012), Copyright Basics.  Retrieved from http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf

United States Copyright Office  (2012), Copyright Basics.  Retrieved from http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

United States Copyright Office  (2012), Copyright Basics.  Retrieved from http://www.halldavidson.net/copyright_chart.pdf

United States Copyright Office  (2012), Copyright Basics.  Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/teachers/copyrightmystery/

Purdue Online Writing Lab  (2013), Paraphrase:  Write It In Your Own Words.  Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/1/