A number of years ago, I fell in love with the work of Trey Ratcliff whose HDR photography evokes memory and emotion in ways that are beyond the capability of most artists. It was because of Trey's willingness to embrace the openness of the Web and the Creative Commons, that I was first able to discover his work. In a recent post at Stuck in Customs, Trey encourages artists to 'Stop Complaining about Copyright and Embrace Pinterest'.
Beyond photography, Trey has a spirit and conversational manner that is approachable, passionate, and knowing. If you'd like to discover this for yourself, there is much wisdom scattered throughout the talk he gave at Google last summer. If you have the time, maybe you'll come to understand why I've chosen to keep his work close at hand.
Showing posts with label copyright. Show all posts
Showing posts with label copyright. Show all posts
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Monday, November 7, 2011
We Can All Do Better
Do you have a blog? a wiki? a social media site? In posting to your online space, how good are you at modelling the appropriate use of content? Do you take advantage of Creative Commons resources? Do you attribute your sources?
Just as it's important to hold students accountable in the appropriate use of previously published materials, educators have a have a moral obligation to the model the ethical use of online content. While 'fair use' policies may give educators permission to use a wide range of materials, this doesn't negate our responsibility to recognize the creators of such works. In failing to acknowledge our sources, we miss out on opportunity to lead by example.
We All Fall Down
I acknowledge that I have at times used the work of others in inappropriate ways. I've used original pieces of music without permission; I've downloaded YouTube clips in violation of the terms of service; I've grabbed screen captures of images otherwise protected by copyright. But over the past few years I've been really conscious about acting justly with regard to rights of content creators, and have worked to inform others about their obligations with respect to copyright. For the past four years, I've also chosen to freely share my creative work with through the Creative Commons. Others are free to use and remix my photos, writing, presentations, publications so long as they attribute my contribution.
What Got Me onto this Topic?
If you've visited this blog in recent years, you'll know that a few of the highlights in my career as a learner have taken place at Educon, a conference of conversations, held annually at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. As a model learning event for teachers, administrators and librarians, Educon hits the mark in a great number of ways.
Upon visiting the Educon 2.4 website two weeks ago. I couldn't help but grin to see highlighted on the banner, a photo I took at last year's event. It's a group photo from a conversation I hosted with Zoe Branigan-Pipe called "Classrooms of Tomorrow". I clicked on the Creative Commons licensed image expecting it to port to the original shot, but instead, it led to the registration page. Without the intent to do so, the Educon 2.4 website was claiming ownership of my work.
While I await an update to the Educon banner, it leads me to reflect:
How good a job do I do in providing attribution to the work of others?
Do my public websites (blogs, wikis, social media pages) use content without consent?
Can I be more effective in acknowledging the contributions of others in my work?
Am I doing everything I can to model the appropriate and fair use of media?
Whether hosting a large conference website, or an obscure resource wiki, our public faces to the world must demonstrate appropriate attribution when we choose to use Creative Commons licensed content. At the very least, an incidental lesson will be taught to anyone who takes notice. In the best of circumstances, visitors will be inspired to follow a hyperlink to the creator's work. Uncountable ripples will follow as acknowledged creators will be more and more likely to share future works.
Can You Do Better?
The idea behind attribution is simple: If you use the work of another creator, give the person credit. In doing so, you'll be modelling for learners the appropriate way to recognize the contributions of others. In a world where creating and remixing is open to anyone, it's time to hold ourselves accountable and to model the ethical use of online content.
Photo credit: London Bridge is Falling Down by Forty two. Creative Commons icon by jorgeandresam
Just as it's important to hold students accountable in the appropriate use of previously published materials, educators have a have a moral obligation to the model the ethical use of online content. While 'fair use' policies may give educators permission to use a wide range of materials, this doesn't negate our responsibility to recognize the creators of such works. In failing to acknowledge our sources, we miss out on opportunity to lead by example.
We All Fall Down
I acknowledge that I have at times used the work of others in inappropriate ways. I've used original pieces of music without permission; I've downloaded YouTube clips in violation of the terms of service; I've grabbed screen captures of images otherwise protected by copyright. But over the past few years I've been really conscious about acting justly with regard to rights of content creators, and have worked to inform others about their obligations with respect to copyright. For the past four years, I've also chosen to freely share my creative work with through the Creative Commons. Others are free to use and remix my photos, writing, presentations, publications so long as they attribute my contribution. What Got Me onto this Topic?
If you've visited this blog in recent years, you'll know that a few of the highlights in my career as a learner have taken place at Educon, a conference of conversations, held annually at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. As a model learning event for teachers, administrators and librarians, Educon hits the mark in a great number of ways.
Upon visiting the Educon 2.4 website two weeks ago. I couldn't help but grin to see highlighted on the banner, a photo I took at last year's event. It's a group photo from a conversation I hosted with Zoe Branigan-Pipe called "Classrooms of Tomorrow". I clicked on the Creative Commons licensed image expecting it to port to the original shot, but instead, it led to the registration page. Without the intent to do so, the Educon 2.4 website was claiming ownership of my work.
While I await an update to the Educon banner, it leads me to reflect:
How good a job do I do in providing attribution to the work of others?
Do my public websites (blogs, wikis, social media pages) use content without consent?
Can I be more effective in acknowledging the contributions of others in my work?
Am I doing everything I can to model the appropriate and fair use of media?
Whether hosting a large conference website, or an obscure resource wiki, our public faces to the world must demonstrate appropriate attribution when we choose to use Creative Commons licensed content. At the very least, an incidental lesson will be taught to anyone who takes notice. In the best of circumstances, visitors will be inspired to follow a hyperlink to the creator's work. Uncountable ripples will follow as acknowledged creators will be more and more likely to share future works.Can You Do Better?
The idea behind attribution is simple: If you use the work of another creator, give the person credit. In doing so, you'll be modelling for learners the appropriate way to recognize the contributions of others. In a world where creating and remixing is open to anyone, it's time to hold ourselves accountable and to model the ethical use of online content.
Photo credit: London Bridge is Falling Down by Forty two. Creative Commons icon by jorgeandresam
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Copyright School
It's surprising that it has taken this long, but Google has gone and created Copyright School, a short interactive course on how users can make appropriate use of media when posting content to YouTube. While resources have existed for some time to teach clients how to ensure their posting of material doesn't violate copyright, I discovered the news through the form of a short animated video that was embedded at Mashable.
It's a great beginning, but lessons on fair use, copyright, and Creative Commons, are long overdue. In preparing students to flourish in an increasingly media-centric world, there is a need for classroom teachers and students from primary school through university, to understand how to create content in ways that respect the wishes of other content creators.
WIth a link to copyright information now appearing at the bottom of every YouTube page, maybe Google will expand this copyright course to include:
* How to find and use appropriately licensed music for synchronized works
* How to credit photographers when using their CC licensed works
* How to make the most of archival film footage found in the public domain
* How to use Creative Commons to share your own work with the world
Now that YouTube is now one of the world's most popular search engines, I'm hopeful those who visit the site to consume media, will find themselves following links to learn about the ethical creation of mulitmedia.
It's a great beginning, but lessons on fair use, copyright, and Creative Commons, are long overdue. In preparing students to flourish in an increasingly media-centric world, there is a need for classroom teachers and students from primary school through university, to understand how to create content in ways that respect the wishes of other content creators.
WIth a link to copyright information now appearing at the bottom of every YouTube page, maybe Google will expand this copyright course to include:
* How to find and use appropriately licensed music for synchronized works
* How to credit photographers when using their CC licensed works
* How to make the most of archival film footage found in the public domain
* How to use Creative Commons to share your own work with the world
Now that YouTube is now one of the world's most popular search engines, I'm hopeful those who visit the site to consume media, will find themselves following links to learn about the ethical creation of mulitmedia.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Twitter & Copyright
As Twitter continues to engage the attention of microbloggers and media outlets alike, we may need to more carefully consider who owns the ideas being shared 140 or fewer characters at a time. The fact that Twitter has a built-in mechanism for filing copyright claims, underscores the reality that the Twitterverse exists in both the virual world and the real world.
The Law and Public Communication
According to The Independent, last week saw Courtney Love charged with libel, for comments made on Twitter. If short messages can get you into this kind of legal trouble, maybe the unauthorized use of tweets will one day lead to copyright claims? Yesterday's "Are Tweets Copyrighted" post by Mark Cuban has resulted in a number of comments, all considering the potential for such litigation.
Your Tweets are Public; are they Quoteable?
With media outlets now quoting the Twitterati, it may be time to consider licensing our tweets for such use. Will the reference of one's Twitter ID within a stream of scrolling tweets be enough to satisfy your attribution requirements?
Following Will Richardson's micro-response, I'd like to suggest that it might be worth taking the extra step of formally licensing your Tweets. As one who encourages students and teachers alike, to license their creative work, I've recently applied Creative Commons licensing directly to my Twitter page.
How Should We Behave?
The use of the retweet (RT) or partial retweet (PRT) is one more way that we can reference the origins the ideas in our posts. These few characters of attribution are one step in demonstrating a respect for copyright.
Is Copyright being Reconsidered by Twitter?
Although Twitter is functioning perfectly well for tweets, the Twitter Terms of Use page is giving a cryptic "Something is Technically Wrong" error tonight!
The Law and Public Communication
According to The Independent, last week saw Courtney Love charged with libel, for comments made on Twitter. If short messages can get you into this kind of legal trouble, maybe the unauthorized use of tweets will one day lead to copyright claims? Yesterday's "Are Tweets Copyrighted" post by Mark Cuban has resulted in a number of comments, all considering the potential for such litigation.
Your Tweets are Public; are they Quoteable?
With media outlets now quoting the Twitterati, it may be time to consider licensing our tweets for such use. Will the reference of one's Twitter ID within a stream of scrolling tweets be enough to satisfy your attribution requirements?
Following Will Richardson's micro-response, I'd like to suggest that it might be worth taking the extra step of formally licensing your Tweets. As one who encourages students and teachers alike, to license their creative work, I've recently applied Creative Commons licensing directly to my Twitter page.How Should We Behave?
The use of the retweet (RT) or partial retweet (PRT) is one more way that we can reference the origins the ideas in our posts. These few characters of attribution are one step in demonstrating a respect for copyright.
Is Copyright being Reconsidered by Twitter?
Although Twitter is functioning perfectly well for tweets, the Twitter Terms of Use page is giving a cryptic "Something is Technically Wrong" error tonight!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Creative Commons: What Every Educator Needs to Know
Whether you want to find content; to license your own work; or to engage students in licensing their own work, there are many good reasons for educators to learn more about Creative Commons.
Sites referenced in this slideshow:
Creative Commons
Big Buck Bunny
CCMixter.org
Flickr
Blip.tv
Internet Archive
Craphound.com
PICOL.org
WhiteHouse.gov
opsound
Compfight, Flickr and the Creative Commons
Quick Start Tips for New Flickr Users
Sites referenced in this slideshow:
Creative Commons
Big Buck Bunny
CCMixter.org
Flickr
Blip.tv
Internet Archive
Craphound.com
PICOL.org
WhiteHouse.gov
opsound
Compfight, Flickr and the Creative Commons
Quick Start Tips for New Flickr Users
Monday, June 30, 2008
Little Brother and the Creative Commons
I've mentioned before that I'm reading Little Brother. What I hadn't realized until recently, is that you can read this book or any of Corey Doctrow's other titles, for free, by downloading the text versions from Corey's website: Craphound.com.
Little Brother goes into great detail about how the youth of San Francisco use their technical know how to outwit 'big brother', played in the book by the Department of Homeland Security, so it should be no surprise, that Corey is swimming against the tide of the book publishing system. Click the link on at the bottom of the widget below to hear Corey explain things.
Listen to the followup Teacher 2.0 Podcast: "Engaging the Power of Creative Commons" with special guests Corey Doctorow, Larry Lessig and the Canadian Mounties
Little Brother goes into great detail about how the youth of San Francisco use their technical know how to outwit 'big brother', played in the book by the Department of Homeland Security, so it should be no surprise, that Corey is swimming against the tide of the book publishing system. Click the link on at the bottom of the widget below to hear Corey explain things.
Listen to the followup Teacher 2.0 Podcast: "Engaging the Power of Creative Commons" with special guests Corey Doctorow, Larry Lessig and the Canadian Mounties
Monday, December 24, 2007
A Darker Shade of Grey: Cheating in Digital Times
Recent news articles lead me to the conclusion that cheating is the norm. My experience in the classroom tells me that educators can use these stories to generate discussion on 'Cheating in these times of Digital Media'.
Whether you consider the confessed drug use of Marion Jones, the denials of Floyd Landis, the reporting of Major League steroid users, or the 'spygate' controversy of the New England Patriots, the issue of cheating in high stakes athletics becomes less surprising by the day. Once out of the ordinary, cheating seems to be accepted (at least by co-conspirators) until someone gets caught. Then it's a few weeks of denials before tearful 'coming clean' press conferences.
This wave of reporting on cheaters in athletics, has prompted me to think about how 'normal' cheating seems to be in everyday life.
Consider the ways global citizens make use of technology in order to get 'something for nothing':
* bootlegged DVDs
* music downloading
* video game cheat codes
* iPhone hacks
* identity theft
While the consequences of getting caught doing these things varies greatly, the acceptability of digital theft has become common to many and disconcerting to a few. In David Pogue's recent post for the New York Times, The Generational Divide in Copyright Morality, he chronicles his experience in discovering how his readers and audience members sometimes fail to differentiate 'shades of grey' in digital copyright, and concludes "I do know, though, that the TV, movie and record companies’ problems have only just begun. Right now, the customers who can’t even *see* why file sharing might be wrong are still young. But 10, 20, 30 years from now, that crowd will be *everybody*. What will happen then?"
So, what does this have to do with education? Ethics in this digital age are something educators need to model if nothing else. Consider the teacher, young or old, who sometimes teaches with tools of a darker shade of grey:
* decides to play 'pirated' music from their iPod for dramatic effect;
* who 'shares' a home-burned DVD movie that dovetails with a current novel study;
* who embeds uncredited text into a PowerPoint presentation;
* who freely photocopies a published work for classroom reading;
* who uses images trawled from Google on a classroom website.
The responsibilities of modeling lawful use of creative works at the very least should require teachers to identify their sources prior to sharing them with a given class; and at best, would highlight the need for students to copyright and license their own creative works. Lawrence Lessig's recent TED talk, "How Technology is Being Strangled by the Law" highlights the fact that digital natives regularly mash media in creating new works, and that the laws governing copyright, help make us a society of law-breakers. Thanks to Wesley Fryer I've learned that a YouTube version of the talk is now available:
With cheating becoming the norm in society, and the 'find it in your hearts to forgive me' speeches filling the airwaves, educators have a golden opportunity to open classroom discussions on ethics in our time. Provided the classroom teacher is able to model and lead students in the creation of original 'non-infringing' content, the best way to move forward, may be for students to experience copyright first hand, in granting license to the non-commercial use of their own work through Creative Commons licensing.
Access an audio briefing on the Teacher 2.0 Podcast.
Whether you consider the confessed drug use of Marion Jones, the denials of Floyd Landis, the reporting of Major League steroid users, or the 'spygate' controversy of the New England Patriots, the issue of cheating in high stakes athletics becomes less surprising by the day. Once out of the ordinary, cheating seems to be accepted (at least by co-conspirators) until someone gets caught. Then it's a few weeks of denials before tearful 'coming clean' press conferences.
This wave of reporting on cheaters in athletics, has prompted me to think about how 'normal' cheating seems to be in everyday life.
Consider the ways global citizens make use of technology in order to get 'something for nothing':
* bootlegged DVDs
* music downloading
* video game cheat codes
* iPhone hacks
* identity theft
While the consequences of getting caught doing these things varies greatly, the acceptability of digital theft has become common to many and disconcerting to a few. In David Pogue's recent post for the New York Times, The Generational Divide in Copyright Morality, he chronicles his experience in discovering how his readers and audience members sometimes fail to differentiate 'shades of grey' in digital copyright, and concludes "I do know, though, that the TV, movie and record companies’ problems have only just begun. Right now, the customers who can’t even *see* why file sharing might be wrong are still young. But 10, 20, 30 years from now, that crowd will be *everybody*. What will happen then?"
So, what does this have to do with education? Ethics in this digital age are something educators need to model if nothing else. Consider the teacher, young or old, who sometimes teaches with tools of a darker shade of grey:
* decides to play 'pirated' music from their iPod for dramatic effect;
* who 'shares' a home-burned DVD movie that dovetails with a current novel study;
* who embeds uncredited text into a PowerPoint presentation;
* who freely photocopies a published work for classroom reading;
* who uses images trawled from Google on a classroom website.
The responsibilities of modeling lawful use of creative works at the very least should require teachers to identify their sources prior to sharing them with a given class; and at best, would highlight the need for students to copyright and license their own creative works. Lawrence Lessig's recent TED talk, "How Technology is Being Strangled by the Law" highlights the fact that digital natives regularly mash media in creating new works, and that the laws governing copyright, help make us a society of law-breakers. Thanks to Wesley Fryer I've learned that a YouTube version of the talk is now available:
With cheating becoming the norm in society, and the 'find it in your hearts to forgive me' speeches filling the airwaves, educators have a golden opportunity to open classroom discussions on ethics in our time. Provided the classroom teacher is able to model and lead students in the creation of original 'non-infringing' content, the best way to move forward, may be for students to experience copyright first hand, in granting license to the non-commercial use of their own work through Creative Commons licensing.
Access an audio briefing on the Teacher 2.0 Podcast.
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