Fair Use and Creative Commons

 What is the role of the teacher when it pertains to learning and understanding 21st Century tools?

   The role of the teacher, as it pertains to learning and understanding 21st Century tools is to act through technology, the same way that he or she would act within the classroom, as a facilitator.  When completing assignments in class involving research for such tasks as a biography, a report, or presentation, we provide students with the means with which they can reference their material, so as to give credit as to where the information and ideas originally came from.  Then they can use that knowledge within their own works to express their learning and creativity.

    As knowledge and information has become more accessible through online sources, it's important that students understand how to both give credit for where they get their information from, as well as to be able to display their own creativity and originality within an open forum. Understanding how to reference material appropriately is crucial for student development and learning.  Also, knowing how to protect their work is equally important.

    It's important for the teacher to facilitate a students ability to be creative, and give credit for the creativity of another.  Students need to understand the concept of fair use when researching and exploring new ideas.  For a student to use information from another source, they need to be sure that they are doing so for transformative purposes, meaning that the creative works used will add value to and repurpose the work for a new audience.  If the work is truly transformative, then the creativity can be used and referenced accordingly.

    Likewise, when a student creates a creative work, they'll want to protect it accordingly when they share it through 21st century tools.  Utilizing the licensing features of the creative commons site can allow students to do this, have their work shared, but still maintain credit for their own originality if others utilize their works for fair use purposes.  Students can obtain a free culture licence through the creative commons, so others may benefit from their own original ideas.

    Teachers must be facilitators in the process, to ensure that students utilize creativity appropriately, and share it safely.