During this lesson we had some experts from the University of Sydney come to our class to discuss with us the legal issues and grey areas that may arise in music education and in particular the creation of resources in our teaching practice. During this time we had the opportunity to ask the experts questions about possible ways which we can avoid these grey areas in our educational process.
The most relatable point raised during this class was how to include images in powerpoint presentations that were NOT against copyright law, and how to filter these in a search engine like google. This is certainly a skill which I will take on in my educational practice and also one which I will hope to pass on to my students when I commence my teaching career.
A fascinating point raised was one which referred to the creation of online educational resources which involved repertoire either composed or produced by someone else. In some cases it was fine do simply reference the original producer/composer stating it was their work however when creating resources that involved original files/scores that would be on the internet and could be distributed beyond the students, it would have to be ‘okayed’ by the original creator which can pose some issues hence why it is a grey area and one that most educators avoid.
What current educators do in regards to the resources they create for their students may not necessarily be ethical/legal. Whilst this is an issue there are points where the creation of these with sufficient reference to the original creator is simply too difficult to be completed in full. As such it is understandable why educators both past and present and most likely future venture into this grey area unknowingly.
Not necessarily a large issue which needs to be blown up any bigger, however certainly one that is interesting do discuss.
LJS Music Education 