Copyright and Fair Use Policies

One thing all schools have in common is frowning upon plagiarism, copyrighting, and using someone else's work without giving them credit for it.  Depending on what grade you're in, students are told to, at a minimum, put the link of where they found the information or picture, etc., at.  If students do not give credit where it is due, there is big consequences for them.  Of course, this is a good practice to realize that just because it's on the internet, or anywhere else, doesn't just mean you can take credit for someone else's hard work.  Why do so many students think that taking things from the internet without permission is okay to do?  Well, because many teachers leave out sources and will give examples without giving any credit to the creator.  By not modelling this behavior, many students will recognize that the teacher did it and didn't get in trouble, so why should they?  This is why it is so important to show students the right way of giving credit where do by thoroughly citing the source or asking for permission.  Another helpful tip for teachers and their students is to use sites where permission is not required.  I will give a few links here: Makeuseof, Wikipedia Commons, and more.  Using these sites will be easier for students and teachers; guilt-free pictures and information, and less hassle with citing issues.  Use as many resources as you can with free public pictures and share that with your students, but if you can't find what you looking for on a public site, remember to CITE YOUR SOURCES PROPERLY!!!! A URL link usually isn't enough, but if that is all the information you have, do your best with modelling the rules.  Be a good example for your students, don't just tell them the Do's and Don'ts.  Happy public site surfing! :)