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Teachers must constantly deal with copyright laws therefore, it is crucial that we become aware of the laws. The laws are complicated and difficult to accommodate but in order to avoid getting in trouble we must follow them. The Copyright Dos and Don’ts website best explained the laws revolving showing and playing things like music, books, and movies in the classroom. It describes public domain being an open copyright use- there is no protection against its’ use. It further explains that no things released after January 1, 1978 will be in the public domain.  There is a lot of murky waters that we, as teachers, have to tread carefully in and around. Copyright Dos and Don’ts further explains that there is, however, fair use that allows us to use some of the copyrighted material. The rules go like this; we can use if:

1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes; 2. The nature of the copyrighted work; 3.The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; 4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. (Copyright Dos and Donts)

These laws are extremely unclear and difficult to follow. However, there is also something called creative commons that consists of works openly offered into an almost free sharing. The Creative Commons website describes it as “[giving] people the right to share, use, and even build upon a work you’ve created”.

 As an aspiring art educator this will definitely be used most often in my classroom. It is also important that I educate high school students about these creative commons because, often, having other artists work and build upon your work is crucial to the establishment of the art. Creative Commons will also allow some release of stress when looking at artists work and other creative works because I know that I will not be violating the rights of that artist. It has been very helpful in learning about creative commons because it is something, as I create my own artworks, I will utilize.

I have many problems with the copyright laws and find it especially stifling on education. David Wiley said it best, “As institutions and as individuals, we seem to have forgotten the core values of education: sharing, giving, and generosity”. I don’t feel as if education should have any restrictions placed upon it. If I need a whole movie or an entire song to get across my lesson then who is to say that I am not allowed to show that work? While I see copyrights almost completely necessary in other aspects of life- the classroom should not be shielded and stunted in building the education of students.

In the end, copyright laws aren’t going anywhere and as the copyright video showed us they are just going to get more and more complicated. Any use of these copyright protected items is very limited. The best way to deal with copyright is to educate yourself and familiarize yourself with these laws.