My Copyright Action Plan

In reading the article “Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians” (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ21.pdf), I discovered many things I did not know before about copyright laws and how they apply to educators. It was surprising to hear what is and is not legal as far as teachers using copyrighted material.
One thing that I learned is that teachers may only make one copy of certain things, such as a chapter or picture from a book, a newspaper article, a short story, or poem. I guess I just never saw much difference between making 1 copy and making 20! However, a good alternative that I can do in my classroom is to make my own notes from something in a book, using my own words and a few of my own ideas. Then I can make as many copies as I want of my own notes and the students can use that for reference or homework.
Another thing I learned is that music can be copied in excerpts to be used as examples, but copying an entire work is prohibited, with a few exceptions. Along those lines, it is illegal to copy music that is to be used for a performance. However, something I can do instead is to find music that is no longer under copyright laws because of the time elapsed since the composer’s death. Another alternative is to simply use excerpts, because, when teaching musical styles or concepts, generally and excerpt is all that is necessary.
I also discovered the necessity of copyrighting my own work if I do not want it to be used by others without giving me credit. As an educator, I understand how helpful it is to share my work with other teachers, and for them to do the same for me. However, if you work really hard on something, you DO deserve the rights to it. This doesn’t mean you can’t share it, it simply means that you will be credited for your efforts.

Multimedia in my Classroom

“Multimedia is in essence a presentation of information that incorporates multiple media such as text, audio, graphics, and animation. The representations can be redundant, incorporating the same content, or complementary, offering additional information. Multimedia need not be computerized, but computers offer some of the most seamless multimedia presentations.”

(http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=106)

Multimedia has a huge impact on a classroom. Youtube videos, movie clips, songs, podcasts, blogs, and other similar resources are becoming more and more common in the classroom. Here are a few great examples of types of multimedia that greatly benefit the classroom.

First, there are blogs. Not only a blog for the teacher to use to keep parents and students updated on what’s going on in the classroom, but students can also have their own blogs where they can write, post photos, and use their creativity both in and out of the classroom, for points and for enjoyment.

Another good form of media is the podcast. Podcasts are great for when your child is sick and misses a few days of school. They can fall behind very quickly when they cannot be in class to hear the lessons. This is why podcasts are such a great idea. They can also be used if the student needs to refresh his or her memory about the lesson before they start their homework or studying for a test.

There are so many forms of multimedia that can make a classroom a better place to learn, and for parents to stay connected with their child’s education.

Media in my Classroom

The use of technology in the classroom is something in which most people have come to expect large growth and significant development with each passing year. Technology changes and improves so quickly these days that many schools and teachers find it difficult to keep up with the newest technological trends and gadgets. According to Howard Pitler in the article So Many Devices, So Little Use, a study was conducted in which observers went into classrooms nation-wide to observe the use of technology in classrooms, and it was reported that 63% of all the observed classrooms used no technology at all. With all that is available to teachers to enhance learning and cut overall costs through the use of technology, these results are shocking, to say the least. Even in the elementary classroom, technology can be extremely useful and helpful in the learning process. An article by Peter Levy titled Putting the iPad to Work in Elementary Classrooms shows how the iPad can be an unbelievably effective learning tool for kids of all levels. Not only are there hundreds of apps available that allow your child to use their creativity and critical thinking skills in ways that many of us could not even dream of when we were in elementary school. Another great use for the iPad in a classroom is as a textbook alternative. Kids can use the iPad to create their own online books, and teachers can publish test scores, artwork, and other classroom work online for parents to see before they are sent home with the student. They are a great tool for kids, because they can have access to great learning material, but, unlike a computer, it is easy to restrict what the child can use it for. It is used as a fun and effective learning tool, not a toy. If you would like more information on the use of iPads in the elementary classroom, I would encourage you to read the article for yourself, and do research on your own as to the pros and cons, and share with me your own ideas about implementing technology with your child's learning experience.