Copyright...what is it?

A definition of copyright, or copyrighting is a right given by the person of origin to publish, copy, reproduce, or use their work. Though I may have understood this definition before writing this blog, I had no idea just what copyrighting entailed.

After looking up some images on Flikr and Google, I figured it would be easy enough to find and use certain ones I was looking for. Right? Wrong. Most of the images I wanted to use for this specific blog about copyright were indeed copyrighted, and I was not able to use them. 

New Plan: I used a filter on Google to help me find certain images of computers and technology that are public domain. I really was not expecting half of the images to disappear (Ok, maybe I was, but all of the "good" images I wanted to use, magically vanished. Go figure.) However, through the filter I was able to pick out images that could be changed or modified, based on the copyright rules given by the originator. (In the end, it all worked out!)

Copyrighting, and following copyright rules are extremely important! I know that I wouldn't like someone to use my own ideas and pass them off as their own without telling me! I'm all for sharing, but I'm also a fan of adhering to rules (and, well, the law).

There are so many different copyright laws, some of which include the Creative Commons ones (Attribution, Share-Alike, Non-Commercial, and No-Derivitive Works). Fortunately for educators alike, Creative Commons has helped them to collect and use multimedia (images, videos, URLS, etc.) in numerous different ways, and as teaching aids.

As a teacher, I would explain to my students "The Internet is your Oyster!....as long as you properly cite and give credit where credit is due." A long message to live by, I know, but it important for me to teach my students to give the originators credit. Not only will this help my students to take pride in their own work ("I don't want anyone to take my own thoughts"), but it would also encourage them to take the time to research, and even care about copyrighting rules. 

I want my students to learn that the value of hard work from the "unknown people of the Internet" does not go unnoticed or is under appreciated, and that their own work should be made with the same amount of effort and care.

Put, Phillipe. (2011, July 4). dora dora 2 [Online Image].
Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/34547181@N00/6023268510/in/photolist-abfPT5-8Vy1nk-fvT5PN-5b495D-3oxYh-bqVQtj-6WtbrL-e2QMHQ-8vBVTe-8vEXjo-bFrCvg-4m5ojv-8vEXd9-9iEkhF-8vBWaH-euR54b-6Wp8Nk-8vEXtU-8vEXmG-6Wtc4J-28rtGN-pyrM81-8GmvbX-6naKtj-6WpcBi-68mS5h-CH3be-6wnx18-8vEXbY-5bwe6M-8vEXpw-8vBVYn-sjCDK-jzmHbi-62Y6XP-7LRPcs-8vBVWt-5mP2XB-7QhLB-hcbzps-62Yv2h-99XWwh-5p2g39-e3ZzK-7DAUZj-8uVTTM-8vEXvJ-8JuV4H-5k2wrs-7Cj5Uu/

Tduk. (2007, October 12). Commodore Pet model 4016 [Online Image].
Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pet4016.png