Technology+Report



EDLD 5306 SP2 11 ET 8031 Kristin Bryan March 20, 2011 Technology Report As part of the technology initiative in Klein ISD, our goal is to implement the use of technology into all areas of instruction. With greater use of technology and resources we need to address copyright issues. It is very important to know what is and is not legal. To assist schools in avoiding copyright problems, Hall Davidson lays out a five step plan in “Copyright Primer for Administrators.” (Davidson, 2005) The plan is as follows: 1. Create and implement a technology policy. 2. Review the entire policy with your education community. 3. Appoint a technology manager. 4. Teach ethical and legal behavior to technology use. 5. Thank employees and students for supporting these steps. Davidson also put together a chart that is approved to be copied and printed which will be a great quick reference guide for all teachers and students in all classrooms. (Davidson, 2005) Most teachers understand that copyright is, “the statutory protection mechanism for original works such as textbooks, maps, charts, photographs, musical works, illustrations and drawings, sound recordings, motion pictures, works of fiction and nonfiction and theatrical works.” (Stroder, 2006) It is the job and responsibility of every teacher and staff member to convey ethical practices to the students. One of the best ways to teach this is by example. Children need to not only know right from wrong but they need to see adults modeling ethics. Although copyright is in place to protect the creator of works some things can be used freely such as works in the public domain. These include works by the U.S. Government and works for which the copyright has expired. (Stanford University, 2002) Other material may fall under the fair use provision of the copyright law. This allows teachers and students to use small parts of copyright work in the educational process. The nature and the purpose of the material must be considered when using works under the fair use provision. The original purpose should have the intent of instruction and it must be used only temporarily. (Stanford University, 2002) Finally, teachers need to understand intellectual property. Any works that are created within the scope of the employee’s job; teaching material, photographs, or computer software, are considered owned by the school district unless specifically express by contract. (Stroder, 2006) There are faculty authorship exceptions which allow the faculty to be the legal author of their own work but this applies at the college and university level and not for primary and secondary school teachers. Technology is so important in lives and futures of our students today and it is vital that we teach them what is and is not legal when it comes to information on the internet. We need to make sure we teach them the proper way to cite their work and we need to be consistent in checking their formats. After all, when we teach ethics we are building character in our children. REFERENCES Davidson, H. (2005). Copyright primer for Administrators. Technology & Learning, 25(11), 52 – 58. Stanford University Libraries/Academic Information Resources. Copyright Law and Fair Use.(2002) Retrieved March 20, 2011, from []. Stroder, R.S. (2006). What Every School Should Know About Intellectual Property. //Education Digest//, 71(6), 35-41.