WHY

Safety net (noun) - something that provides security against misfortune or difficulty

http://mw1.meriam-webster.com/dictionary/safety+net?show=0&t=1295992721 , retrieved 1/25/2011

About Me

Hello Cameron students and parents! I'm the counselor at the high school, and this blog is being developed to help you spin Safety Nets that will protect you physically, emotionally and legally while you use the web. Check out all of the pages and feel free to comment, post and ask questions. Let's start talking.

Goals

This blog is intended to address the standards below in a way that makes sense for parents and students at Cameron Junior/Senior High School.


From: http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/p2520.14_ne.doc


21C.O.9-12.3.TT1 Student protects software, hardware, and network resources from viruses, vandalism, and unauthorized use and employs proper tehcniques to access, use, and shut down technology equipment.


21C.0.9-12.3.TT.4: Student adheres to AUP and displays ethical behaviors related to acceptable use of information and communication technology (e.g., privacy security, copyright, file-sharing, plagiarism); student predicts the possible cost and effects of unethical use of technology (e.g., consumer fraud, intrusion, spamming, virus setting, hacking) on culture and society; student identifies the methodologies that individuals and businesses can employ to protect the integrity of technology systems.


21C.O.9-12.3.TT5 Student models ethical behavior relating to security, privacy, computer etiquette, passwords and personal information and demonstrates an understanding of copyright by citing sources of copyrighted materials in papers, projects, and multimedia presentations. Student advocates for legal and ethical behaviors among peers, family, and community regarding the use of technology and information.


21C.O.9-12.3,TT7 Student protects his/her identity online and in email and/or websites, limits the distribution of personal information/pictures, and evaluates the authenticity of emails that solicit personal information. Student identifies the methodologies that individuals and businesses can employ to protect the integrity of technology systems.



















Copyright, Plagiarism and Safety Nets

Downloading anything requires Safety Nets

Let's start with things you might download for school and get in trouble for:

Plagiarism- Using someone else's thoughts, ideas, images, charts, etc... and claiming them as your own; if it's in your paper/project and you don't give the author/artist credit, you ARE claiming it as your own.  You must cite your sources properly.  Consequences to not doing so may include failing the paper/project, failing the class, getting kicked out of school, being sued by the author.

To know what needs to be cited, you need to understand a few concepts.  First, copyright....if something is copyrighted, then it is protected for a period of time from other people copying it, editing it, selling it, passing it out or performing it without the author's consent.  Generally speaking, everything is copyrighted just by being created because it's the author's work and is private property, even without any copyright designation... even your work!    Not sure how to do this? Start with an appropriate request. MidLink Magazine, http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/permission.html, has several templates you may use to get permission.  You may use the templates as long as you don't charge money for their use and as long as you give MidLink credit.  They are also included on Edline in the Counselor's Corner in Word format for easy, and legal download.  If you aren't sure, for any reason, whether you may use someone else's work, then your 1st Safety Net is to get the author's permission. 

You also need to understand that it may not be enough to cite the works you use.  It also has to meet the Fair Use definition. 
Fair Use...what is it? Fair use is a legal term that allows you, as a student, and me, as a teacher, to use parts of someone's copyrighted works in our papers and PowerPoint Projects as long as it stays within the following parameters: 1) it has an educational purpose that is, 2) used for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, 3) includes only short excerpts with proper citation, and 4) does not effect the author's income made from the creation of the work. (http://www.stfrancis.edu/content/cid/copyrightbay/fairuse.htm) Now what is a "short excerpt"?  Here is your 2nd Safety Net, use these guidelines:

  • Text (quotes)- 10% of the full text or 1000 words (whichever is less)
  • Photos/Images- 5 works from one author;  10% or 15 works (whichever is less) if it comes from a collectin of work
  • Music- 10% or 30 seconds (whichever is less)
  • Videoclips- 10% or 3 minutes (whichever is less)
  • Poems- up to 250 words; 3 poem limit per poet; 5 poem limit by different poets if they're from a collection
  • Database information- 10% or 2500 fields/cells (whichever is less)
  • Cite the work properly!
A little confused?  Try Copyright Bay. It's an interactive site that might clarify the concepts.

Are there exceptions?  Yes, works in the public domain may be used without giving credit.  So what's in the "public domain"?  Sometimes people think that if it's on the internet, then it's in the public domain...NOT SO!  To be in the public domain, it had to have been created before 1950, and not have a legal extension on the copyright.  If it was created between 1950 and 1978, then it is copyright protected for 95 years.  If it was created after 1978, then it is copyrighted for 70 years past the death of the author.  Your work is copyrighted until 70 years after you die. (http://www-sul.stanford.edu/cpyright.html) Your 3rd Safety Net is to only use works in the public domain.  This limits you-I don't suggest it.

This seems overwhelming with all the new technology.  What if I create something and want to share my work and let others utilize it, too?
Glad you asked that!  Many people in this new age of technology want to share their work.  You may designate its uses the way MidLink Magazine did.  Go back to the link and see exactly what they wrote.  Another way is a new licensing type called Creative Commons, (CC).  There is a website, http://www.creativecommons.org/,  that explains the different designations or levels of copyright that you can assign to your work. This new classification system is global and catching on quickly.  Authors of their work can decide to let others copy it, edit/modify it, sell it, distribute it, or a combination of these.  Your 4th Safety Net is to check to see if there is a CC copyright.  Poeple who use this will have a designation on their website.

Now what about music?????

If I can't download more than 30 seconds of music, what's the point of downloading???  Well that's exectly the point!  If you download more than that, you interfere with the artist's ability to make a living and make money on their product-music.  Therefore, your 5th Safety Net is pay for your music!

If this just doesn't work for you, then, believe it or not, there are a lot of sites where you can download music because the creator decided to use Creative Commons copyright licences that allow certain uses legally. Try these sites:
 http://www.ccmixer.com/,  http://www.jamendo.com/, http://www.magnatune.com/, http://www.freesound.iua.upf.edu,/ or http://www.simuze.com/.


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