Sometimes in education, it’s useful to repurpose someone else’s work to create a new project. The internet, in particular, is full of videos, images, sounds and written words that can help us create our own presentations. Need a clip of a biplane doing stunts or a frog jump contest for your next lesson? It’s likely you can find one. But when we use these resources, we need to be sure to use them ethically and follow the rules regarding reuse.
For example, there is a large amount of material licensed under the creative commons . The creators of this material chose to allow their work to be reused or repurposed under the conditions they specify in the license. As long as we follow these conditions we can use these creations. For example, the original creator may specify that the derivative work must not be used commercially or that it must be distributed with the same creative commons licensing terms. The creative commons website has more details about license conditions
We can even use copyrighted materials without asking for permission as long as we follow the guidelines. Basically, we need to use only a small amount, use it in a new or different way, add meaning to it and not use it for profit. We must also be sure to give proper attribution to the copyright holder. This guide for teachers by Xavier University provides more information such as how much is a “small amount”? See my video on this topic above.
While looking into fair use and creative commons, I struggled at first simply because there is so much information to take in at first. It can seem overwhelming. Hopefully, this information helps you get started reusing materials ethically and to be confident that you are following the law!
References
Creative Commons, Licensing Types. Retrieved from https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/licensing-types-examples/
Xavier University, 2008. Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.xavier.edu/library/about/documents/Copyright_9-23-08.pdf
Brian Durst EdTech 