Of all the topics that comprise our 7th grade Digital Literacy curriculum, the intricacies of copyright, fair use, Creative Commons, and the public domain are among the most challenging for students (and teachers) to grasp.  In addressing these issues last fall, I wrote a brief but detailed summation that included a number of classroom-friendly media [...]

Copyright and Fair Use are perhaps the most challenging and controversial topics in our 7th grade Digital Literacy course.  Copyright law is complex, Fair Use guidelines are fluid, and what educators deem “fair” varies widely throughout the profession.  Commercial copyright holders and the organizations that represent them are litigiously protective of their work.  Conversely, attorneys [...]

For the past six days I’ve been teaching a lesson on Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons to the 10 sections of my Digital Literacy course.  About half-way through the cycle, I made a rather timely discovery; another school has taken the liberty of copying our 7th grade Digital Citizenship program! I’m all for sharing [...]