Shout media education helps learners of all ages become critical thinkers, effective communicators, and active citizens. This is a vital skill that they will need to survive and thrive in an increasingly complex world.
It also promotes a healthy democratic culture and protects students against false news that spreads rapidly on social media. It provides them with the tools to identify fake information and understand why it is important to check it.
Using copyrighted material under fair use can be a challenge in many settings, but educators have the legal rights to make use of media to engage their audiences and support learning and teaching. Educators who are aware of their legal and ethical obligations to use copyrighted materials may be more likely to use them responsibly in the classroom.
This document provides educators with a code of best practices that represents the shout media education services literacy education community’s current consensus about acceptable practices in using copyrighted materials in the context of their educational programs. The guidelines apply to both classroom and non-school-based programs.
They are not a legal guide to copyright law but instead represent the community’s consensus about acceptable practices in interpretation of the principles of fair use. They are designed to help learners of all ages learn about their fair use rights and apply them in the context of their own learning.
Copyright laws are designed to protect the original creator of a work and the public from unauthorized uses that damage the creative or commercial value of the work. They are a necessary component of the rule of law, and they must be understood to be respected.
In fact, teachers in conventional schools enjoy limited educational exemptions under Section 110 of the Copyright Act that enable them to make use of a limited amount of copyrighted materials for their teaching without violating the owner’s rights. However, educators and learners in community-based education programs often do not receive these exemptions.
Moreover, they are frequently not covered by the copyright doctrine of “fair use,” which allows the limited use of copyrighted material when the cultural or social benefits are predominant. In fact, the right to use copyrighted material under the doctrine of “fair use” is a fundamental part of the free speech rights of educators and students.
As a result, they must understand their legal and ethical obligations to use copyrighted material responsibly in the classroom. In addition to teaching about their legal and ethical obligations, educators must ensure that their learners are aware of their fair use rights and understand how they should be applied in the context of their own learning.
They must know that they have a responsibility to inform their institutional allies, such as librarians and school administrators, of their legal and ethical obligations to use copyrighted media in the classroom. This is the first step in reclaiming their fair use rights and in protecting the legal rights of other authors.