What’s your license?

Okay folks, you took some pretty big steps last week. You published your poetry on our blog so that anyone in the world can read it. You also copyrighted it.

Wait, what? “I don’t remember copyrighting anything last week,” you’re thinking to yourself. After all, doesn’t that involve lawyers and fees and paperwork and all that other unpleasant-sounding grown-up stuff? Nope. Since 1978, your work is automatically copyrighted the second you create it.

But regular copyright is so boring. “Can’t I license my poem under Creative Commons?” you beg. Yes. Your wish is granted. This week in class I’d like you to combine the conditions below to make your very own license. Think about what you want people to be allowed to use your work for. Can they use it in a collage? Can they send it to their friends as long as they say who wrote it? You decide.

**Please write a comment for this post that lists what conditions your license uses and why.

Example: if it were up to me, my band would license our next album as “non-commercial, sampling plus with attribution.” That way, anyone could use our music in their own creations for free as long as they give us some credit and don’t try to sell it without permission. What’s your license?

Attribution: if people use your work they need to mention that they sampled things from you.

No derivatives: people can use and copy your work as long as they don’t change it.

Non-commercial: people can use your work for anything they want as long as they don’t sell it.

Share Alike: anyone can use your work as long as they license it the same way you did.

Sampling: people can make anything they want out of pieces of your work. No one may copy the entire piece or use it for advertising.

Sampling Plus: people can copy your entire work for anything except advertising.

Developing Nations: people in developing countries (countries not classified as “high income economies” by the World Bank) may use, copy and share your work for free. People in rich countries need permission or have to pay for it.

Public domain: people can do anything they want with your work.

Publishing Poetry

Dear 6th grade,

I was totally floored by the poems I heard you read in English last week. I had no idea you guys were such eloquent and expressive lyricists! Jen and I are extremely proud of you and think your talents should be shared with the world. That’s why this week you will all be publishing your poetry on the blog.

Please type up your favorite poem in an application like Microsoft Word, AppleWorks or TextEdit and then copy and paste your poem into the comment field at the bottom of this post. Remember to put your first name only!

–Lauren

Lunch Lab will become mandatory for students missing work

Hello, 6th grade. After looking over your trimester grades and discussing them with you, I have noticed a couple of things:

1. The one area in which we could improve the most is homework. I know it’s difficult to keep track when we have so many interruptions but it’s important to do the work, and to do it on time, precisely because we can’t meet as often as we should.
2. Folks are signing up for the lunch lab but not showing up. Again, I know it’s difficult to remember things over the weekend but I don’t want anyone to fall behind, so…

Beginning this week, if you are behind in two or more assignments (including homework and in-class projects), you will be signed up for the Monday lunch lab. You will have 15 minutes to eat and then at 12:45 you will need to come down. The lunch crew will have the list of who needs to go and they will help to remind you. Please see me with any questions.

–Lauren

Homework: Creative Commons (Due 4/6)

You’ve learned about copyright. You’ve learned about fair use. You’ve even argued about it a little with each other. Isn’t there anything in between? I’m so glad you asked. There is, and it’s called a “Creative Commons License.” “Wait,” you say, “what the heck is that?” Your homework this week is to find out and to give your opinion on it.

Click the link below to watch two short videos about Creative Commons. Watch the one titled “Building on the Past” first (2 min.) and then watch the one directly above it called “Get Creative.” (4 min.)

http://creativecommons.org/support/videos#gc

When you are done watching the videos, please post a comment below that answers the following questions:

1. What is a creative commons license and what makes it different from a regular copyright?
2. Why was creative commons created in the first place?
3. Do you think it is important to have creative commons licenses along with regular copyrights? Why or why not?

If you cannot see the videos from your computer, you will need to watch them here at school. The lab will be open at lunch on Monday, as usual.

Homework: Fair Use (Due 3/9)

This week your assignment is to briefly research “Fair Use.” Some copyrighted materials can be used under Fair Use provisions, without asking the creator’s permission or compensating them. When (or for what purpose) are you sometimes allowed to use copyrighted work?

There are two main things you are allowed to use copyrighted works for. Please write both in a comment and add a link to the web site where you found the answer.