Copyright laws have been implemented to give credit to the creator and give them the rights for people to use their idea. We need to respect this more than we do, especially on the Internet, because when we use something that isn’t ours and don’t give credit to the creator, it’s stealing. It is like plagiarizing on a paper. Someone else came up with the idea and we need to give him or her credit for it, we just agree. Copyrights go beyond plagiarism though. It gives the creator an opportunity to charge for the use of their idea and sue for anyone who tries to steal their idea. The main reason we should respect this is because no one would want someone to steal their idea and use it like they came up with it. However, in and educational setting there are fair use policies. These polices allow teachers to use these ideas and programs in their classroom while limiting the content to an extent. These policies should really be respected because they are a privilege. The creators with copyrighted material are okay with the use of their material for an educational purpose just not when the privilege is abused. If these rights aren’t respected the amount of lawsuits will increase and we will lose our privilege to use the material without spending much money. As teachers we will have to teach our students to appreciate the privilege and not abuse it because they use information on the Internet all the time. The best way to teach students of this is show them ways to give credit to the creator and also show them how it feels to have someone steal their work and their idea. That I believe is the best way to make that point to the students.
While also teaching the students about giving credit we also need to show them how to be safe on the Internet. Online safety is keeping your personal information safe. With so many kinds of social networking sites on the internet it is easy to get wrapped up in catching up with old friends we get side tracked on what information we are giving to the world. Knowing certain online safety procedures, you can keep your personal information safe. One is hard to do, but it’s don’t use your real name. On social network sties when you are trying to find your friends you need to know the name, just keep it simple. You shouldn’t put your birthday, address, phone number, or any other personal information on your page. Also not everyone needs to know what you are doing every second. People put they are going on vacation from one date to another then wonder why when they get home they have been robbed. There is also a problem with Internet bullying. It is different from safety. Using safety guidelines will help from being bullied. Bullying is when someone finds you and harasses you. They will not leave you alone and find anyway to mess with you online, including stocking you. Being knowledgeable about the effects of putting too much information for everyone to see is the best way to help students be safe. Most people don’t realize what they are doing putting certain things on the Internet till someone tells them. I have been guilty of this, too.
References:
Carnell, Liz. Major Crackdown of Internet Stalking. Accessed September 27, 2010. http://www.bullying.co.uk/
Copyright Office. About Copyright. Accessed September 27, 2010. http://www.copyright.gov/
Copyright Quiz. Accessed September 27, 2010. http://www.csus.edu/indiv/p/peachj/edte230/copyright/quiz.htm
Jessica Miller
