Copyright Implications

I think as educators, copyright and "fair use" issues is something that should always be kept in mind. Unfortunately, it's the last thing on most educators mind, and many are unaware of copyright issues/laws. I believe that this is something that should be acknowledged to teachers and in classrooms because teachers often handout or display work (like a video, poem, song, etc) to enhance a lesson/unit without knowing the consequences. Students especially in middle and high school, are constantly being asked to reference their work and to give credit where credit is due. There are whole lessons just on referencing and using the proper MLA/APA format. If teachers are teaching this to students, they should be doing the same.

As scary as this may sound, I never really thought about copyright laws. That worries me because as future educators we are taught about curriculums, how to build a unit, and even how to communicate with parents, but copyright issues are barely touched upon. I have to be honest, not only have I not thought about copyright laws, but I really never learned about them. I feel like once you complete high school, and are given the lesson on how to site sources; it's almost expected out of you in undergrad and graduate schools.

Breaking copyright laws obviously implies consequences. I know that in college, if someone were to do that, s/he was "expelled" from that school. I would think for educators breaking copyright laws a hefty fine maybe in order as well as jail time (?). Breaking copyright laws often involves various shades of grey, and I'm almost unsure of what the exact consequences are for a person. I also think it depends on the severity, but again I am unsure. However, something this serious should not be taken lightly by anyone, especially educators.