Candace West

ETEC 424
February 19, 2019
Discussion #3

It is very important to know the understanding of copyright and fair use in the

educational classroom. As a future teacher, I know how significant it is to be aware of such

material. When discussing copyright and fair use, it may seem like a foreign language to some. I

know for me it is not a topic that I am knowledgeable about but I am eager to learn. It is

imperative that, as a future teacher, I stay open minded and enthusiastic about future teachings.

We always have room to learn new things and this can only benefit you as a teacher in the

classroom. Knowing about fair use and copyright laws can open up a lot of possibilities in your

classroom.

Fair use is something that would be very convenient to become familiar with in the

classroom. Fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the

copyright holder for purposes such as criticism, parody, news reporting, research and

scholarship, and teaching (Using Copyrighted Material.) When it comes to understanding and

incorporating fair use in the classroom, you must consider three things. These three things will

help interpret whether the information is fair use or protected by copyright laws. The first thing

to consider is, is this information for instructional purposes? Will the information that you are

about to incorporate provide some kind of educational purpose in your classroom, for your

students? The second thing to consider is, that this information is taught or viewed in the

classroom face-to-face. It cannot be considered fair use if the information is taught online over

the internet. The last thing is, as long as the information is being taught at a nonprofit educational

environment fair use is allowed. An elementary school is a perfect example of a nonprofit

educational environment. Fair use in the classroom can include using images for your

instruction, playing any kind of music, or presenting a movie. I currently work as an elementary

aide. During the week I spend most of my time in a Pre K classroom. Throughout the day music,

movies, and images get used very often. Having these options readily available is very

convenient for the teachers in the classroom. Not only that, the students absorb a lot of their

instruction through song and dance. For example, letters, the students love to watch ABC songs

and dance. These opportunities are just a few things that are included in fair use and allow you to

not have to worry about copyright laws.

It is imperative, as a teacher, that you also are aware of copyright laws. Copyright is

defined as the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form

of something(Copyright.) The good thing is that in most educational cases fair use is eligible. In

cases though when fair use is not qualified there can be some serious consequences. Depending

on your circumstance, if you break the copyright laws you can be penalized with a fine or you

may face some jail time.

If you are not one hundred percent sure on whether the material is fair use, just

remember those three questions to ask yourself. Becoming a teacher comes with a lot of

responsibility that you may not even be aware of. It is important, as educational staff, we

continue to be open to all kinds of new information. Learning the significance of fair use and

copyright is essential and will only be a positive for the classroom.

References

Copyright. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copyright

LibGuides: Copyright 101: Introduction. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://tamuc.libguides.com/copyright

Using Copyrighted Material. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.baylor.edu/copyright/index.php?id=56543#fairuse