copyright

I absolutely loved the "fair(y) use tale" video...Very clever! However, I am still a little confused about copyright, especially with regard to teachers. According to the video teaching falls under fair use, so what exactly must teachers do to avoid copyright infringement? I would assume that any material used should be cited, but other than that I am lost! On that note, it's difficult for me to say what teachers I've seen violating copyright laws. I know that as a school we attempted to generate enthusiasm about the PSSA by having "North East Idol" (a teacher talent show with PSSA themed acts) rather than "American Idol". The kids really enjoyed it, but it was certainly an "American Idol" rip-off, if you will. But from what I understand, our little talent show would be considered a parody, and thus okay according to fair use. Given that I don't fully understand copyright, teaching my students about it would be difficult, but I can definitely say it's important to emphasize how to avoid plagiarism of any kind. I think that many times kids (as well as adults) violate copyright laws or plagiarize without even knowing they are doing it. Kids, and especially college students, need to learn how to properly cite sources and differentiate between what is an original thought in their writing and what is being borrowed by another source. As far as copyright goes, I do believe creators of material deserve to be compensated for their work. On the other hand, 100 years is a little extreme to hold the benefits of copyrighted items from the general public, especially if it's for the purpose of education.