The part of the podcast that really caught my attention was how the speaker emphasized the use of fear to keep people from using copyrighted material. Such fear-inducing tactics seem extreme to me, especially because when most people use copyrighted material they do so without a mailicious intent to deprive the owner of royalties. It's usually just for educational or personal entertainment purposes. I don't like the idea of companies preying on people's fear in order to get them to behave in a certain manner. It's like this control factor that wants to make people obedient sheep.
The part in the podcast about how teachers self-censor was incredibly interesting to me. It reminds me of how if there's an implied threat, then people revert to this childish nature of not wanting to get into trouble. It's like the ultimate sense of power: people monitor their own behavior without you having to really do anything to warrant them doing so. It was especially interesting how the self-censoring phenomenon has exploded since the late 90s onward due to the increasing amount of material and the greater access to said material. This means that companies are losing more money, which is what our capitalist society covets to no end. Fear is a great motivator for compliance.
My first reaction to copyright laws and fair use is "Wow, this can be a little confusing and complicated!". However, when I take a step back, I realize the main reason for feeling this way is a result of fear of breaking the law. I would hate to break the law without even knowing I was doing so, especially if I am using material for educational purposes. However, after listening to the podcast and watching the fair use video in class, I feel that I have better grasp of the educational uses of material that would be protected under fair use. As a side note, now I understand how Saturday Night Live and other comedies can get away with so much!!
Hearing the podcast made me feel a little more relaxed about copyright laws and fair use. I appreciate that the speaker reminded us of the media's role in placing fear in the minds of teachers. The way the speaker phrased the law, it does seem relatively simple. (hearing again, not jumbled through Disney quotes made it a little easier to grasp...) It seems that the most important thing is to avoid making long and multiple copies, and not posting things online where students could possibly download and reproduce them on their own. I would have liked if the speaker had gone through each of the examples he cited and actually told us whether they were fair use or not. Some I wasn't quite sure about. I would also have liked to hear some non-music examples... I feel like the hardest part of navigating the law is when it relates to copying portions of written material for your student, an aspect he didn't really address, and that teachers are most likely to use.
Before hearing the podcast, I was a little nervous about how I would teach a class, how I would find material that was allowed, and how my classes would learn about current events. However, after hearing the podcast, it made me, as many of the other students have written, feel much more comfortable about using material in a classroom. My favorite take away from this podcast was when the recorder states that fair use is implemented so that students will be culturally educated. I think this is a great point because it shows why fair use is so important and it shows that teachers should be allowed the right to certain material to culturally educate a class. Although there is certainly no black and white or perfect line drawn in copyright laws, tt seems that under the teaching clause of copyright that as long as teachers are smart about what they do they will be well protected.
This podcast was okay. Not great. Not terrible. Just okay -- like maybe 5 out of 10 on my podcast scale. Unfortunately, the guy speaking was annoyingly alliterative at random times. That was distracting and I will never forgive him. And the strange insertions of music were, as my little brother would say, “epically bad.” Also, I liked that he gave us some scenarios to think about, but as Katherine says, he never told us what he would do. He really should have because I wasn’t sure about them.
However, as others have pointed out, the podcast did have some redeeming qualities. I agree with everyone that one of the things to take away from listening to this is that as teachers we shouldn’t be so afraid and intimidated to use copyrighted materials. We just need to use our best judgment and common sense because the copyright laws have our backs for the most part.
In the end, this podcast is more of a conversation-starter than an information-giver. It’s a leaping off point for discussion on a complicated issue that can’t possibly be summed up in a 10 minute podcast (at least not by this guy).
The intricacy and complexity of copyright laws rendered me uncertain about what material teachers are permitted to use in our classrooms and how we are permitted to use it. While the podcast did not do much to clear up these confusions, particularly because he did not address what was and was not fair use in the examples he gave, it did make me more confident about my right to use copyrighted material in my classroom. I think the podcast was successful in making the point that teachers do not need to self-censor to the degree that they have and do not need to fear using original sources. While teachers need to use good judgement and be aware of fair use, we have, as the podcast states, legitimate rights to use these materials in our curriculum and in fact we must, as doing so encourages deeper thinking from our students and makes them more well-informed citizens.
Copyright policies are delicate and intricate. The business fat cats want to be paid, and they want the government to enact harsher policies and control over copyright material. The podcast was very informative and raises many interesting issues that teachers should keep in mind as they prepare copyrighted materials for their lessons. As the podcaster stated, there is no black and white line, but there is a whole lot of gray area.
Honestly, as a teacher, I'm going to use technology and media whenever I want. If I want my history students to learn about colonial America, then we are going to watch Daniel Day Lewis' brilliant Oscar performance in "The Last of the Mohicans." I will even let the the credits roll to the very end, so the students can truly enjoy Trevor Jones and Daniel Lanois' captivating movie score. If 20th Century Fox wants to make a big deal about it, let them. As long as the material is used to teach and aid learning, I do not see a problem with it. If it is being used inappropriately, exploited, or used to make money, then that is a completely different issue. As Jimmy would say, that's a horse of a different color. We live in such an exciting, innovative time that it would be remiss of us as teachers to not use all available sources to help our students.
I was surprised and disturbed by the "scare-tactics" discussed in this podcast; those used to dissuade people, even those with good intentions like teachers, from using copyright material. Teachers should not be afraid to use copyright material. According to the podcast, teachers are covered under "fair use." They can use copyright material so long as it is for non-profit educational purposes and does not affect the market value of the work. As for the examples Lengall (spelling?) lists in the podcast, I think they are all legitimate uses of copyright material except for the ones involving the football game and posting the song to the school site for free download. These are not education-related uses.
I think that teachers who fall prey to the media conglomerates' scare tactics are not taking the responsibility to understand Fair Use. I agree that at first it was a little overwhelming, but that FU checklist does a good job of breaking it down. I think that it you were to honestly fill that out, and retain a copy as it suggests, then you would have no issue with refuting potential copyright infringement. The reason why the big music corporations are suing kids is because they ARE in fact losing money with illegal file trading. The decent artists are not as threatened by this, as they can still make money from people buying tickets to their live shows (after all, there is no substitution for the experience of live music) but it's those has-beens who don't even tour anymore who are just waiting for people to drop $15 or $18 or whatever it costs for a CD these days (or I guess $9.99 for the iTunes version) and they are clinging on to whatever they can get. As are the record companies who release the albums. They're all on the brink of extinction anyway, so perhaps there is a whole new paradigm on the horizon. In the meantime, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to decide what does and does not constitute Fair Use. If you go down that whole checklist and are still questioning it, then I think that's a sign that you should just leave it be.
It’s pretty refreshing to look at copyright law from the perspective of an educator. Most of my understanding of the subject stems from the classes I was required to take in undergrad in media business and law. The lens was that of the commercial film and television industry and the focus was on the sort of hoops we’d have to jump through when trying to produce a video or show. Fair use was barely touched on, except to inform us that qualifying circumstances would be the exception, not the rule. I’m ashamed to admit I believed the “54 words, this many minutes, this many days” guidelines were legitimate rules of thumb. It’s nice to hear that the actual “rules” are more sensible than that, because otherwise copyright appears to be a tangled and somewhat ridiculous mess. At the heart, copyright is supposed to be about protecting artists from losing control of their works and ensuring they are paid fairly for what they create. Somewhere along the lines, the nature of the artworks being produced (i.e. what constitutes a reproduction), and who exactly owns a work became more and more difficult to determine. In the current confusion, big media corporations have become more and more punitive and exacting in their understanding of ownership. We, as teachers, shouldn't let ourselves feel bullied. The goal of copyright law is to protect artists, but it also clearly recognizes the importance of free discourse, and the fostering of shared culture. As teachers, that's our job, and our right.
The impression that I got from this podcast was pretty basic: no on really knows what constitutes "Fair Use." Though the professor in the podcast did elect to read certain sections from Copywright law, the interpretations were ambiguous and it was difficult at times to judge how I would proceed in any of the given examples. I don't know that I really got a lot more out of this podcast than I did from class, which is not to say that it wasn't helpful, but I just feel we discussed most of this in class already, so for me it was more just reinforcing what we had already mentioned. In the end, I don't think we should be so worried about copywright law that it prevents us from using materials, but as with anything else, be smart about it.
The part of the podcast that really caught my attention was how the speaker emphasized the use of fear to keep people from using copyrighted material. Such fear-inducing tactics seem extreme to me, especially because when most people use copyrighted material they do so without a mailicious intent to deprive the owner of royalties. It's usually just for educational or personal entertainment purposes. I don't like the idea of companies preying on people's fear in order to get them to behave in a certain manner. It's like this control factor that wants to make people obedient sheep.
ReplyDeleteThe part in the podcast about how teachers self-censor was incredibly interesting to me. It reminds me of how if there's an implied threat, then people revert to this childish nature of not wanting to get into trouble. It's like the ultimate sense of power: people monitor their own behavior without you having to really do anything to warrant them doing so. It was especially interesting how the self-censoring phenomenon has exploded since the late 90s onward due to the increasing amount of material and the greater access to said material. This means that companies are losing more money, which is what our capitalist society covets to no end. Fear is a great motivator for compliance.
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction to copyright laws and fair use is "Wow, this can be a little confusing and complicated!". However, when I take a step back, I realize the main reason for feeling this way is a result of fear of breaking the law. I would hate to break the law without even knowing I was doing so, especially if I am using material for educational purposes. However, after listening to the podcast and watching the fair use video in class, I feel that I have better grasp of the educational uses of material that would be protected under fair use. As a side note, now I understand how Saturday Night Live and other comedies can get away with so much!!
ReplyDeleteHearing the podcast made me feel a little more relaxed about copyright laws and fair use. I appreciate that the speaker reminded us of the media's role in placing fear in the minds of teachers. The way the speaker phrased the law, it does seem relatively simple. (hearing again, not jumbled through Disney quotes made it a little easier to grasp...) It seems that the most important thing is to avoid making long and multiple copies, and not posting things online where students could possibly download and reproduce them on their own. I would have liked if the speaker had gone through each of the examples he cited and actually told us whether they were fair use or not. Some I wasn't quite sure about. I would also have liked to hear some non-music examples... I feel like the hardest part of navigating the law is when it relates to copying portions of written material for your student, an aspect he didn't really address, and that teachers are most likely to use.
ReplyDeleteBefore hearing the podcast, I was a little nervous about how I would teach a class, how I would find material that was allowed, and how my classes would learn about current events. However, after hearing the podcast, it made me, as many of the other students have written, feel much more comfortable about using material in a classroom. My favorite take away from this podcast was when the recorder states that fair use is implemented so that students will be culturally educated. I think this is a great point because it shows why fair use is so important and it shows that teachers should be allowed the right to certain material to culturally educate a class. Although there is certainly no black and white or perfect line drawn in copyright laws, tt seems that under the teaching clause of copyright that as long as teachers are smart about what they do they will be well protected.
ReplyDeleteThis podcast was okay. Not great. Not terrible. Just okay -- like maybe 5 out of 10 on my podcast scale. Unfortunately, the guy speaking was annoyingly alliterative at random times. That was distracting and I will never forgive him. And the strange insertions of music were, as my little brother would say, “epically bad.” Also, I liked that he gave us some scenarios to think about, but as Katherine says, he never told us what he would do. He really should have because I wasn’t sure about them.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as others have pointed out, the podcast did have some redeeming qualities. I agree with everyone that one of the things to take away from listening to this is that as teachers we shouldn’t be so afraid and intimidated to use copyrighted materials. We just need to use our best judgment and common sense because the copyright laws have our backs for the most part.
In the end, this podcast is more of a conversation-starter than an information-giver. It’s a leaping off point for discussion on a complicated issue that can’t possibly be summed up in a 10 minute podcast (at least not by this guy).
The intricacy and complexity of copyright laws rendered me uncertain about what material teachers are permitted to use in our classrooms and how we are permitted to use it. While the podcast did not do much to clear up these confusions, particularly because he did not address what was and was not fair use in the examples he gave, it did make me more confident about my right to use copyrighted material in my classroom. I think the podcast was successful in making the point that teachers do not need to self-censor to the degree that they have and do not need to fear using original sources. While teachers need to use good judgement and be aware of fair use, we have, as the podcast states, legitimate rights to use these materials in our curriculum and in fact we must, as doing so encourages deeper thinking from our students and makes them more well-informed citizens.
ReplyDeleteCopyright policies are delicate and intricate. The business fat cats want to be paid, and they want the government to enact harsher policies and control over copyright material. The podcast was very informative and raises many interesting issues that teachers should keep in mind as they prepare copyrighted materials for their lessons. As the podcaster stated, there is no black and white line, but there is a whole lot of gray area.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, as a teacher, I'm going to use technology and media whenever I want. If I want my history students to learn about colonial America, then we are going to watch Daniel Day Lewis' brilliant Oscar performance in "The Last of the Mohicans." I will even let the the credits roll to the very end, so the students can truly enjoy Trevor Jones and Daniel Lanois' captivating movie score. If 20th Century Fox wants to make a big deal about it, let them. As long as the material is used to teach and aid learning, I do not see a problem with it. If it is being used inappropriately, exploited, or used to make money, then that is a completely different issue. As Jimmy would say, that's a horse of a different color. We live in such an exciting, innovative time that it would be remiss of us as teachers to not use all available sources to help our students.
I was surprised and disturbed by the "scare-tactics" discussed in this podcast; those used to dissuade people, even those with good intentions like teachers, from using copyright material. Teachers should not be afraid to use copyright material. According to the podcast, teachers are covered under "fair use." They can use copyright material so long as it is for non-profit educational purposes and does not affect the market value of the work. As for the examples Lengall (spelling?) lists in the podcast, I think they are all legitimate uses of copyright material except for the ones involving the football game and posting the song to the school site for free download. These are not education-related uses.
ReplyDeleteI think that teachers who fall prey to the media conglomerates' scare tactics are not taking the responsibility to understand Fair Use. I agree that at first it was a little overwhelming, but that FU checklist does a good job of breaking it down. I think that it you were to honestly fill that out, and retain a copy as it suggests, then you would have no issue with refuting potential copyright infringement. The reason why the big music corporations are suing kids is because they ARE in fact losing money with illegal file trading. The decent artists are not as threatened by this, as they can still make money from people buying tickets to their live shows (after all, there is no substitution for the experience of live music) but it's those has-beens who don't even tour anymore who are just waiting for people to drop $15 or $18 or whatever it costs for a CD these days (or I guess $9.99 for the iTunes version) and they are clinging on to whatever they can get. As are the record companies who release the albums. They're all on the brink of extinction anyway, so perhaps there is a whole new paradigm on the horizon. In the meantime, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to decide what does and does not constitute Fair Use. If you go down that whole checklist and are still questioning it, then I think that's a sign that you should just leave it be.
ReplyDeleteIt’s pretty refreshing to look at copyright law from the perspective of an educator. Most of my understanding of the subject stems from the classes I was required to take in undergrad in media business and law. The lens was that of the commercial film and television industry and the focus was on the sort of hoops we’d have to jump through when trying to produce a video or show. Fair use was barely touched on, except to inform us that qualifying circumstances would be the exception, not the rule. I’m ashamed to admit I believed the “54 words, this many minutes, this many days” guidelines were legitimate rules of thumb. It’s nice to hear that the actual “rules” are more sensible than that, because otherwise copyright appears to be a tangled and somewhat ridiculous mess. At the heart, copyright is supposed to be about protecting artists from losing control of their works and ensuring they are paid fairly for what they create. Somewhere along the lines, the nature of the artworks being produced (i.e. what constitutes a reproduction), and who exactly owns a work became more and more difficult to determine. In the current confusion, big media corporations have become more and more punitive and exacting in their understanding of ownership. We, as teachers, shouldn't let ourselves feel bullied. The goal of copyright law is to protect artists, but it also clearly recognizes the importance of free discourse, and the fostering of shared culture. As teachers, that's our job, and our right.
ReplyDeleteThe impression that I got from this podcast was pretty basic: no on really knows what constitutes "Fair Use." Though the professor in the podcast did elect to read certain sections from Copywright law, the interpretations were ambiguous and it was difficult at times to judge how I would proceed in any of the given examples. I don't know that I really got a lot more out of this podcast than I did from class, which is not to say that it wasn't helpful, but I just feel we discussed most of this in class already, so for me it was more just reinforcing what we had already mentioned. In the end, I don't think we should be so worried about copywright law that it prevents us from using materials, but as with anything else, be smart about it.
ReplyDelete