SOPA / PIPA and Education

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Teachers in general will often find copyrighted materials online, and use them in the classrooms.

Generally, this might include engaging educational videos, or images of licensed characters that are familiar to children.

It might also include music which helps in teaching students with autism,
or even pictures which non-verbal students with autism need to communicate using PECS.

Many of us also post these lessons and materials online for students to access, or for other teachers to use in their classrooms...

Do note that, currently, we are not breaking the law. There are exemptions in copyright law which allow us to use copyrighted materials in lessons without permission, subject to certain restrictions ("fair use".)

However, I'm concerned as to how SOPA/PIPA might affect both the availability of these materials, and our ability to share them with our students or fellow teachers online.

Thoughts?

I know I was actually thinking about that. Learning with Powerpoints is so much better and easier for me to pay attention to than a teacher just standing up there talking. What would they make teachers do, draw their OWN diagrams and pictures?

The second sentence completely applies to me! In eighth grade, the teacher had a monotonous voice just lecturing on and on an on.....

My US History teacher now has slideshows and it helps a lot. I know what to write because I don't have to sort through the rest she is saying and I can ask questions as well.