Copyright & Fair Use Guidelines

What is Copyright?

Copyright is a legal form of protection that provides the author of any form of work the right to control how the work is used, as grounded in the U.S. Constitution. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works including books, images, movies, songs, poetry, computer software, and architecture. A piece of work does not have to be registered to be protected, it is protected the minute it is created. However, a work must be fixed, original, and showcase minimal creativity to be protected by copyright. The owner of the copyright is the author and expires 70 years after the author has passed away. If copyright owners wish to have their work shared, they must grant permission through licenses.

What is Fair Use?

According to the United States Copyright Office, Fair use is defined as a doctrine of law that “promotes freedom of expression by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances” (United States Copyright Office, 2017c) Examples of fair use in the United States includes search engines, parodies, news reporting, research, etc. There is a permissible amount of copyrighted information that can be used by teachers and students. Relying on the fair use doctrine is highly not recommended in the classroom. Teachers are urged to use lawfully acquired course materials as a resource for instruction in their classroom. These materials may include textbooks, movies, videos, recordings, images, and worksheets purchased with licensure. If permitted to use the works and/or materials, teachers should only use what's necessary for the classroom environment and always include copyright notices. Furthermore, any copyrighted material purchased by teachers must only be obtainable by students that teacher instructs. Regarding virtual instruction, teachers must ensure copyrighted materials are only restricted to users in their online classroom and cannot be distributed outside the classroom and course page. In case teachers want students to read a particular article, it's strongly suggested that teachers provide the website links from pre-approved databases such as e-book collections and institutional library databases. If at any time teachers are having concerns about what materials to use in class, they should contact their Instructional Coach or Program Director.

Source: https://sites.umgc.edu/library/libhow/copyright.cfm

How to use Wikis in the Classroom

What is a Wiki?
According to eLearning Industry, a wiki is an online application that allows users to contribute to a creative and open environment through collaboration and editing of content on various pages. A common known example of a wiki is Wikipedia, which has been deemed an unreliable source because anyone can contribute and change the content.  

Advantages of a Wiki
Although wikis can be dammed unreliable sources, they have quite a few advantages, specifically in education. Wikis in the classroom increase educational productivity through the means of technology. It makes students the “drivers” of their content, pushing their analytical, writing, and creativity skills. Wikis also help develop the skill of collaboration within students. Wikis require students to work together in groups to either complete a project on a research topic, find solutions to real-world problems and store resources into one commonplace all while being heavily engaged. Furthermore, wikis can also be fun. Students have the ability to include photos, gifs, news articles, and other gadgets of content. 

Incorporating Wikis into the Classroom
One way wiki can be used in the classroom is through project-based learning. Teachers can assign students a topic in class and have them do extensive research on the topic and showcase their findings on their team wiki page. Another way wikis can be used in the classroom is through various activities such as student online portfolios, research papers, and discussion activities, and forums. Schools can also utilize wikis by incorporate pages for each course and organize pages by grade level.

Introduction & Purpose

About Tyra Heckstall

My name is Tyra Heckstall, and I am a 12th grade AP US Government & Politics teacher and Grade Level Chair at Booker T. Washington High School in New Orleans, LA. I am currently in my 3rd-year of teaching. In the past, I have taught Pre-AP World History/World Geography to freshman.  I was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina. I am a proud alumna of UNC Charlotte, home of the 49ers, where I received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice. Currently, I am currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Educational Technology. My career goals are to start an IT Tech firm geared towards technology and Title I schools. I want to provide resources in technology for under-resourced  schools and support online and distance learning for K-12. 

Purpose of this Blog
We live in a world where technology is forever evolving and taking the lead in the global industry. The purpose of this blog is to reflect on the current educational technology practices, software and hardware. Currently as a educator in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning has become the norm for my district. Before the pandemic, the only uses of technology my district has used were Promethean boards and chromebooks. As a result of the pandemic, we have been trained on various online platforms from Google Classroom, Canvas, Nearpod, and Schoology. In this course, I am hoping to learn more innovative and engaging ways to incorporate technology into my own classroom to prepare our youth for this techno world. 

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