My first session at the annual Computer Using Educators
(CUE) Conference this month was a session led by Gail Desler and
Jane Lofton was phenomenal- Can I Use That? Not only was it packed full of
resources samples, and videos to use with students, but they began with a
Constitution reference quote. Article 1,
Section 8 of the US Constitution calls for the government “to promote the
progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors
and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries”
It is incumbent upon us as teachers to
show students the proper way to utilize resources and give proper attribution.
One cannot just go onto Google and utilize whatever image comes up. As Desler
and Lofton state on their website, “In today's media-rich world, to be truly
college and career ready, our students need a strong understanding of the
concepts of copyright and fair use and how to apply these concepts within and beyond
the school day. And teachers need a toolkit that clarifies both the limits of
copyright and the possibilities of fair use.”
The ladies have also created a Can I use that? A Guide to CreativeCommons PDF that is invaluable. You will also find image and music Fair Use
resources, links to Fair Use curriculum videos to use with students and teachers,
and more.