U.S. copyright law includes five exclusive rights, but educators can use copyrighted works under the fair use practice.

With headlines about tough copyright rulings fresh in their minds, educators across the nation might hesitate when it comes to using copyrighted material in their lessons or sharing copyrighted works with students.

But according to the American Library Association (ALA), educators should not worry about using such material to boost student knowledge if it falls under the scope of fair use.

The original and intended purpose of copyright law is to promote learning and the dissemination of knowledge, said Carrie Russell, director of the library association’s Program on Public Access to Information. “The copyright law was just as important to them as the post office,” she said, adding that the founding fathers wanted to ensure that the new democracy was well-functioning and that people had access to valuable information.

U.S. copyright law includes five exclusive rights: reproduction, distribution, derivative works, public performance, and public display. Creators of copyrighted works have a limited monopoly on those works, meaning they are the only ones able to profit from or sell their works, for a particular period of time under certain conditions. Currently, the “time limit” on copyright is defined as a lifetime plus 70 years.

One important part of copyright law is idea versus expression, Russell said. A person can’t obtain protection of an idea unless that idea is expressed in an original way.

(Next page: How to determine fair use)

Click here for the full story

Advocates say that good video games can be used as teaching tools to help students develop an array of skills—from writing and physics to teamwork and problem solving.

People who worried that the technology boom would lead to kids playing video games in class were right: In schools around the country, students are playing such games as “Minecraft,” “World of Warcraft,” and “Angry Birds”—and their teachers are encouraging it.

“Video games are not the great evil that people make them out to be,” says Trish Cloud, technology instructor at Torrence Creek Elementary School in Huntersville, N.C., where she created a popular “Minecraft” club.

Cloud is part of a community of educators who love gaming and want to share that passion to help students learn by introducing video games in class. Those educators say that good video games can be used as teaching tools to help students develop an array of skills—from writing and physics to teamwork and problem solving.

Lucas Gillispie, a former biology teacher in coastal Pender County, N.C., is a leader in this national movement. He helped to create a language-arts curriculum tied to “World of Warcraft,” and he launched a grant program for local teachers to incorporate “Minecraft” into their classes.

He notes that the fast-paced, globally connected world of digital learning lets educators create new career paths and emerge as leaders, no matter where they work or what their job titles are. And that is exactly the kind of versatility teachers are trying to spark in their students.

(Next page: Learning through ‘World of Warcraft’)

Supporters say graphic novels help students develop language skills, reinforce vocabulary, and develop critical thinking skills, among other benefits.

In an honors English class at Alan B. Shepard High School near Chicago, sophomores are analyzing Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” with the help of another book filled with drawings and dialogue that appears in bubbles above characters’ heads.

“Capote in Kansas” is what generations of kids would recognize as a comic book, though it has a fancier name—a graphic novel.

That honors students at the Palos Heights, Ill., high school are using it illustrates how far the controversial comic-strip novels have come in gaining acceptance in the school curriculum, educators say.

Once aimed at helping struggling readers, English language learners, and disabled students, graphic novels are moving into honors and college-level Advanced Placement classrooms and attracting students at all levels.

They’re listed as reading material for students in the new Common Core standards being adopted across the country, even though some naysayers still question their value in the classroom.

(Next page: Why supporters say graphic novels have a place in the curriculum)

“This is a great asset that I would highly recommend to anyone in a computer lab situation,” one teacher said.

NetSupport School is a classroom management software program that gives teachers the ability to instruct and visually or audibly monitor, as well as interact with, their students—either individually, as a pre-defined group, or with the whole class.

Rising to the challenges and requirements of today’s modern classroom, NetSupport School enables teachers to deliver lesson content, simultaneously monitor all student PCs, and work collaboratively, ensuring that complete student attention and focus is maintained at all times.

There are no hidden extras; all features are included as standard benefits, including a customized testing suite, dedicated technician console, digital student revision aids, lesson planning tools, and the option for teachers to reward students for good effort.

“Since using NetSupport School, we are able to keep the students more focused on their task during the short time frame that we have them each week. When they come in, I have the computers locked down so that I have their full attention while giving them instructions for their daily lessons. Then when I unlock them, I can monitor them from one central location without the fear of [students] going off track. 

“NetSupport has also been a great resource for being able to demonstrate new lessons and activities from my computer to theirs. This also helps in time management when the students don’t even have to look away from their monitors to get instruction. One of the most valuable assets, I feel, is the ability to control each student’s computer. This is great for individual help with a student or to be able to control that off-task student. There are many other great features, such as the test module and lesson plan module. This is a great asset that I would highly recommend to anyone in a computer lab situation.”

—A teacher at Stanford Elementary School in Kentucky

(Next page: How the latest version helps teachers with assessment)

Click here for the full story

For instance, Digital Wish works with technology manufacturers to negotiate ed-tech discounts for teachers. Current deals include two Trio Stealth 7-inch Android tablets with cases and internet cards for $220; a USB document camera for $79; refurbished Dell laptops and desktops starting at $229; and a $100 matching grant for Elmo document cameras. Users can check out the website’s current deals here.

What’s more, Digital Wish includes free lesson plans, and the organization recently launched a new volunteer matching service that connects teachers with “expert” volunteers by video conference.

Click here for the full story

Schools need to take a closer look at what they’re assigning to students and why, some experts say.

A recent study led by an Indiana University professor found that traditional homework assignments won’t improve a student’s grades but could boost standardized test scores.

With many students reporting they spend more than 100 hours each year on homework, it begs the question: Is homework still worth the time?

While most experts believe it is, some recommend that educators rethink their approach to giving homework. Traditional assignments might become a thing of the past as teachers move toward assignments that are more project-based or require more critical thinking, they say.

Indiana’s Taylor High School is among the schools making those changes.

“Some districts are toying with the idea of eliminating homework completely,” said Taylor High School Principal Eric Hartman. He said he doesn’t think that’s the answer.

Neither do the authors of the study.

“We’re not trying to say that all homework is bad,” said Adam Maltese, co-author of the study and assistant professor of science education in the IU School of Education. “It’s expected that students are going to do homework.”

Schools just need to take a closer look at what they’re assigning to students and why, Maltese said.

(Next page: What Maltese’s study found)

Click here for the full story