Thing #10 - CC: Confusing Copyrights??

image

Really, it stands for Creative Commons. Confession time: Before today, I knew absolutely nothing about Creative Commons. I have honestly never noticed the logo on any website I have visited. I would suppose that's pretty bad news coming from an educator and a blogger that often uses free images in my posts. Well, consider me educated! Although it is still a bit confusing to me, at least I have a place to access the information. And look, here's another great example of how the internet can work for you if you know how to use it properly!

Since I have yet to incorporate technology the way I would like into my classroom, I can't say that up to this point that I have used audio and video clips in my teaching... but I definitely plan to. Since I DO often use images, however, the Flickr: Creative Commons section will be a good tool for me to use! When collaborating with other teachers, so many things get passed around that were created by colleagues, found on the internet, tweaked by someone else, and then it eventually makes its way to me. I can see how it can be difficult to track the original document and give them proper credit. While the concept of what is allowed under copyright is still confusing to me (I consider the fact that I can barely understand it a HUGE negative), having a place to access the information and keep me in line is a huge relief. It isn't something I want to stress over as a teacher (I have plenty other things on my plate that accomplish that), but knowing is half the battle. :)