Sharing Creativity

It was in 1440 that society really confronted the issue of copyright. Of course it was a scientific invention that created all the chaos!  The first printing press.

https://goo.gl/r00HMp

Now works could be made into multiples more easily and distributed to wider audiences. It was/is one of the most influential inventions in our history. No wonder the idea of 'copying' has become so complex, we've had almost 600 years to expand and evolve it to be all encompassing.  From text to performances, ideas, visual and oral works there is much to consider when using someone else's 'stuff'.
How does this connect to my teaching world?  Over the years I have inevitably seen students who have developed talents and skills in specific areas.  There is usually a student who is known as 'the artist'.  This year I had a proficient 'dragon drawer' as they called him.  It allows for a very good teachable moment the first time another student approaches him and asks him to draw one for their project. It seems simple to them, he does it best why not just ask him? Whether it's online or on paper there are soon multiple sketches around the room all made by the same student.  As presentation time approaches I ask the question, "How have you given credit to the artist?" Quiet room.  I'm sure they are trembling and thinking I will tell them to remove it because it's not theirs.  Perhaps because if it were an art class they instinctually know that you can't get someone else to do your picture.  It's an important lesson for both the taker and the sharer.  What follows is a discussion with a real life example of all the ways the artist can 'license' their work.  It seems to be best if the focus is on protecting the artist and not on what the other students did wrong.  This in-class experience makes the extension to works they create and share online easier to grasp.  As an example, I have created a very simple reminder poster that is meant to be viewed live so that the links are active.  It is a refresher of the 6 licenses and the important terms that students and teachers should know.  Have you created something? Follow this link to Choose the license that best suits you.

Handout Link

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.