Digital Storytelling: Three Birds, One Stone!

This is my first year as a media specialist, and one thing I really wanted to do to make a good impression was have several entries for the annual media festival.  My school used to have national winners, but through the transition of several media specialists over the years, we have stopped participating.  My only problem was that I had no idea where to start or what kind of projects I wanted to teach my students how to create.  Over the past week, however, I found my solution: Digital Storytelling!  According to Library 2.0 And Beyond, all we need to create a digital story are a computer, digital camera (I am going to use FlipCams and regular digital cameras), a scanner, a microphone, photo editing software (I am using PhotoShop), sound recording software (I am using Audacity), video editing software (I am using Windows Live Moviemaker).  These are all tools the students on my morning news crew use on a daily basis anyways, so all I have to do is teach them about digital storytelling and help them formulate their ideas and create storyboards.  This will also be an opportunity for me to teach them about copyright laws and how to use Creative Commons search sites.

“The shared emotion generated between teller and listener by a well-told story draws people together in ways that the unimodal and frequently unedited character of blogs and wikis may not” (Courtney, 2007).  My school is in desperate need of a science lab.  Because I am a former science teacher, my principal asked me to help.  We want to write for a $5000 grant to get funding for some start-up resources that can get a working science lab up and running…Then it hit me: For my 7477 Digital Storytelling project, I will create a digital story called “A World Without Science,” and we can submit it along with our grant proposal.  Like this paragraph’s opening quote says, a digital story can draw emotion that something in writing simply can’t. 

In looking at the some of the sample digital stories on The University of Huston’s site (http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/), the process seems fairly straightforward and honestly looks fun.  I don’t think we have to lose our creative side just because society is turning us all into techno geeks.  Like Nancy Courtney says, “we are moving from the Information Age, with its logical, linear, computer-like capabilities to the Conceptional age,” “an economy and a society built on the inventive, empathetic, big-picture capabilities.” That being said, “the Conceptual Age does not invalidate the left brain, but partners left-brained with right brained thinking” (Courtney, 2007).  This is how we become well-rounded thinkers.

Courtney, N. (2007). Library 2.0 and beyond: Innovative technologies and tomorrow's user. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

When is it Acceptable to "Copy"?

Within education, copyright law is often misunderstood.  Much of this confusion has been created by so called experts, often non-lawyers, who provide opinion of the subject frequently in rigid, overstated terms.  Written materials targeted at educators also tend to overstate the risk associated with fair use of copyrighted material.  According to the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, educators should be leaders rather than followers concerning fair use.  They need to understand fair use and assert their rights to make decisions on their own.

The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education was created, in part, to help educators interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use.  The creators of the document included members of leading educational associations and other educators across the United States.  A committee of legal scholars and lawyers, expert in copyright and fair use, also reviewed the code.  

Fair use is not exactly specified in copyright law, rather, judges refer to four types of considerations mentioned in the law: the nature of the use, the nature of the work used, the extent of the use, and its economic effect.  The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education defines five principles for the employment of copyrighted material.  For example, when employing copyrighted material in media literacy lessons, educators should choose material that is “germane to the project or topic, using only what is necessary for the educational goal or purpose for which it is being made.”  Such use is consistent and appropriate with the four considerations mentioned in the law.

Many myths exist within the educational community regarding the use of copyrighted material.  One such myth is that the school system rules are the last word of fair use by educators.  While schools systems make rules with the best of intentions often utilizing negotiated fair use guidelines, those rules may create a safe zone for the system with the unintended consequence of inhibiting creativity of the educator and the ability of the educator to utilize media within then entire range of possibility available through fair use.  A clear understanding of fair use and utilization of The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education may be used to help change the rules of the system.

Oh, Copyright, Copyright

When many people hear the word “copyright” a sudden cringe is brought on.  Why is this? Is it becomes it brings you fear that you break copyright laws? Or because you have been hounded over and over not to copyright?  Have you ever thought to yourself, am I allowed to copy this material for my students? Can I google a song clip to share with my students? Either way, copyright does not bring many people a warm, fuzzy feeling of comfort. Depending on your background, copyright is either a mind-consuming term or a rare thought.

Within the copyright world exists the idea of fair use.  Fair use is “the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances—especially when the cultural or social benefits of the use are predominant.”  Many myths surround the idea of the fair use policy.  The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education was created to help eliminate some of these myths and provide truth to users.  One myth is that fair use is too unclear and complicated to follow, therefore it’s better left to lawyers and administrators.  This is simply not true.  Fair use is written very broadly and therefore should be simple to follow.  One must think, what am I copying this material for and how will it benefit my students.  Fair use is situational and about well-informed decision making.  As educators, we have my decisions we have to make on the spot regarding our students throughout the day.  This is one more thing that can fall under that category.  For most of us, it’s a thought we process every day.  Additionally, another myth is that educators can rely on “rules of thumb” for fair use guidance.  This is not true because there is not an extensive list of rules one must follow.  Again, fair use is situational.  

I know my school adheres to copyright rules, but honestly, it is never enforced, checked, or even discussed.  We have a little sign taped to our copy machine stating “Be sure you follow all copyright rules if using this machine”.  Our county website says we will “honor copyright for materials used in our schools and provide information on the Copy right Law & Fair Use. 

Here is a link to access more information on Fair Use. Best Practices