One of my passions is educating kids on what’s right and wrong online. I believe it all starts right in our classrooms. Being part of the amazing global community that education has become is not only empowering, it allows us to all share freely. Sometimes, we overstep our bounds, forget that there are people behind the things shared. Our students deserve our very best, so I’ve written the 10 Commandments of Copyright. If it helps even one teacher think twice about encouraging responsibility of digital creations in the classroom, my work here is done. If it helps more than one teacher? Awesomesauce.
The Ten Commandments of Copyright
1. Thou shalt remember to cite sources, and give credit where credit is due. Always. Because it’s the friendly, respectful thing to do. But, also because, with stuff licensed under Creative Commons, it’s the legal thing to do.
2. Thou shalt not cite Pinterest as a source. Pinterest doesn’t actually create graphics or take photographs. Saying the source is “Pinterest” would be like hanging the Mona Lisa with a pushpin and citing the pushpin as the creator. This applies to Google Images, too. Kids will often say, “I got this from Google.” I always reply, “Google made that?”
3. Thou shalt never, ever remove someone’s watermark unless I have been given permission. Seriously, watermarks are like signatures. Artists sign their work, digital artists apply the watermark. Taking that off? It’s like taking a kids work from a folder, erasing a name, and calling it yours. I know that sounds extreme and overreactive, but when a work you have created is borrowed in this way, it’s very personal.
4. Thou shalt not forget that kindness and courteousness matter in education, and in life. And many times, asking permission from a blogger, photographer, or designer will freely give you permission, and you can provide credit. Asking is easy. Not asking? It’s rude.
5. Thou shalt never walk into an art museum, photograph a work of art, and call it my own. Of course not. Digital is not any different. It’s just easier to “borrow,” but not any less wrong. You wouldn’t consider calling Monet’s Water Lilies your work on Instagram, would you? Of course not. At least, I hope not, because after all, you are not Monet and neither am I.
6. Thou shalt not make excuses like, “I didn’t know it was illegal.” We don’t let our students copy and paste into PowerPoint because it’s plagiarism, and even our youngest students know that. So we shouldn’t copy and paste either. Text, graphics, any of it. I once found this poster, one of my most stolen, for sale on Amazon. To which the company replied, “Sorry, it was a young designer who didn’t know better.’ That is not a reason, that’s a poor excuse.
7. Ask students to create “Digital Citation Norms” and have them develop up a list, together, about what is right or wrong. Lead their discussion. Don’t make it a “rule,” but help them understand that it’s the right thing to do. Encourage them to hold each other accountable in a respectful and empowering way. Encourage them as digital leaders of the future.
8. Remember that being informed about Creative Commons, Copyright, and the digital world is your responsibility and you are the primary resource for help in the classroom when students need guidance. Understanding terms like Attribution, Non-Derivative, and Share-Alike are crucial. Collaboration is the heart of what will make education better, being a respectful sharer enhances collaboration and creates a healthy environment online and in your classroom.
9. Thou shalt not copy another person’s design, work, lesson plan, poster, nor post-it note to sell in any way, shape, or form. Unless you are giving the profit to them, and the legal details have been worked out, because it’s not your work after all. Permission, permission, permission. This particular set of posters has been pinned, and repinned, and sold on sites such as Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s by people who never asked for permission, nor provided any credit. Every poster here is licensed as non-commercial, meaning, it cannot be sold by anyone, for any purpose, without permission first.
10. Thou shalt never, ever forget that you are modeling behavior for your students at all times. Kids are learning from us. When we share, we inspire them to share. When we cite sources, kids see how respectful sharing works.
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I hope these points will become discussion points for you, your colleagues, and most of all, your students. This isn’t copyright infringement to me, it’s personal. Each poster I make comes out of my head, and from my heart, into Photoshop, where I then share freely. I’m just lucky enough to be inspired by people all around the world who keep me wanting to learn.
Want to know more? Watch this great Common Craft Video on Copyright and Creative Commons.