October 4 Reading Log: Ethics and Copyright

The subject of copyright and ethics is probably the most talked about topic in education. Under the guidelines of Copyright and Fair use Guidelines for Teachers, there are rules such as not using a poem over 250 words or only using a portion of a DVD for teaching. But how strict are these rules and how much is only a portion of a DVD and how do you know when to draw the line about what is legal and what isn't? Doug Johnson stated in both of his articles "Beating the No U-Turn Syndrome" and "From Cop to Counselor" that the librarian should discuss with other teachers and administrators what can and can't be done in terms of fair use. In this way, everyone can be on the same page and there's no confusion about what you deem to be the legalities of using materials in the classroom.

Ethics can also be extended to students' privacy rights, as well. Helen R. Adams in Principals and Confidentiality of Library Records outlined a case study in which an administrator requests seeing what a particular student has checked out over the school year. The library media specialist checked out what the laws were regarding students' privacy records. She then discussed it with the principal and asked for a legal court order to hand them over. The library media specialist followed the rules of privacy that is covered in the case study Students' Privacy Rights in School Libraries such as "What is the legislation and school rules about students' privacy?" This article also suggests that media specialists become aware of procedures such as whether or not overdue notices are allowed and whether students are aware of their privacy rights as well as creating advocacy and training for teachers and making sure the technology in the classroom protects the students' rights as well.

I think that ethics and copyright are important and that everybody associated in education should be made aware of and properly trained in both of these matters. But in the matter of students' privacy, I'm a little confused. What if the administrator gives a direct order to hand over the students' list of books that they checked out at the library even after I discussed the legal matters with him (or her) and he doesn't have a court order? Do I have to hand it over to them as demanded or do I have the legal right to refuse him because of the legal issue? I want to follow the rules, but I also don't want to lose my job over it.