Month: April 2018

Copyright Resources for Teachers and Librarians

This image is a derivative of a CC0 image courtesy of StartupStockPhotos on pixabay

The internet is overflowing with information and media. There is just SO much content out there, and much of it is just a few clicks away! As someone who remembers looking at documents on those old microform machines for my own school assignments, I am, frankly, a little jealous of today’s students. (However, I did get to say the word “microfiche” from time to time, and our students don’t, and it’s a pretty fun word to say. So there.)

The downside to so much information that is easy to access and free? It’s easy to access and free, so kids can forget that it does not belong to them. Just because you CAN copy and paste and download words, pictures, songs, and videos from the internet in less than 5 seconds doesn’t mean you should. And if you do, it does not mean they are YOURS.

On the other hand, all those words, pictures, songs, and videos ARE there to be read, seen, heard, and accessed, and some of them, such as those in the public domain, are even available for almost any type of use. As teachers and librarians, we want our kids to find and use information, and although we don’t want them to misuse others’ creations, we certainly don’t want them to be afraid of finding and using media and information. We want to help our students learn to synthesize information and create new content, all while being respectful of others who have also created content.

With the complex nuances of copyright law and the ever-changing nature of technology, helping kids with all that can be a daunting task. But, I figured I’d take a stab at helping you help them!

This image is a derivative of a CC0 image courtesy of rawpixel on pixabay

Below, you’ll find links to some resources you can use to help your students get on the right track when it comes to copyright issues.

Disclaimer: I am NOT an attorney, so I cannot attest to the accuracy and validity of any information that can be found on any of the websites/resources I’ve linked to below! At the time this post was published, these websites and resources provided information that, based on my experience as an educator, may be useful to teachers, librarians, and students.

Copyright and Creative Commons Resources for Educators
  1. Common Sense Education – The Common Sense Education organization has created several fabulous videos and lesson plans that can help you teach your students about copyright, such as this Copyrights and Wrongs lesson – all available for free! That particular lesson was designed for high school students, but it could be adapted for middle schoolers, and there are other lessons for younger students on the site as well. (You do need to create an account to access these lessons, but it’s easy and free, and there is bunch of other cool digital citizenship stuff there too that you might be able to use!)
  2. Copyright Kids – Copyrightkids.org, created by the Copyright Society of the USA, is a kid-friendly site that kids can use to explore basic information about copyright law. In the past, I have asked students to visit the site to learn some background info on copyright and then take the Copyright Challenge. I would love to see the site make some updates, since I haven’t noticed any changes in the 5+ years I have been using it, but overall there seems to be a lot of useful information that kids are able to understand.
  3. Taking the Mystery Out of Copyright – This resource, available on the Library of Congress website, shares great info on copyright geared for children, including an interesting (well…interesting for geeks like me) timeline of the history of copyright.
  4. Copyright Term and Public Domain in the United States – Cornell University – When your students already have a basic understanding of what “public domain” is, this chart by Cornell University’s Copyright Information Center can be used to help students determine whether works are part of the public domain.

    CC0 image, courtesy of JaneMarySnyder on Pixabay
  5. Teaching Copyright – TeachingCopyright.org is a project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and it provides teachers with five lesson plans and other resources that you can use to educate your students about copyright.
  6. Creative Commons – Hit up CreativeCommons.org to give your students the basics on Creative Commons right from the source. I enjoy this flow chart available there that breaks down the different types of Creative Commons licenses.
  7. Can I Use That? A Guide to Creative Commons – This resource by Gail Desler clarifies questions you and your students might have about use of images with Creative Commons licenses. It’s very thorough, and as you read it, you’ll find links to many other fantastic resources that will add to your understanding of copyright.
  8. Finding Copyright-Friendly Photos for the Google Images Generation – This article by Kathy Schrock can be found in eSchool News, and it’s an awesome introduction to helping kids find photos to use in their school projects. It has a great overview of Creative Commons and also provides links to some sites that have free images that students can use in their schoolwork. (If you are still looking for more lessons and resources related to Creative Commons and copyright, Kathy Schrock has compiled a monster list of these types of resources on her website, Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything.)

I hope all those links will help you get started in the tricky task of teaching kids about copyright!

This image is a derivative of a CC0 image courtesy of rawpixel on pixabay

(By the way, the photos used in this post are thanks to the generous photographers out there who upload their photos with a CC0 mark onto pixabay.com – a website that just so happens to be another great place to visit when discussing copyright and Creative Commons!)

How to Shop Teachers Pay Teachers on a Budget

The more time I spend searching TpT, the more I wonder how I got by without it for so long! There are just so many talented teachers who contribute to Teachers Pay Teachers, and it is so awesome to be able to improve my instruction with their creativity and ideas.

As someone who both buys and sells on Teachers Pay Teachers, I thought I’d share some tips I’ve noticed along the way that will help you get the most for your money!

Shop the Freebies…

Every single seller on TpT is required to have at least one freebie. That means you can legally and ethically get something for free from EVERYONE on TpT, including some of the best educators in the WORLD. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I shop the freebies quite often.

Sellers upload freebies to get their names out there, earn positive feedback, give something back to all the hardworking teachers out there, and get kids around the world using their resources. They WANT you to download their freebies. Go wild! Here are mine – shop away! (By the way, if you happen to be a school librarian and need some freebies that will work well in a school library, check out my previous posts, “Freebies for Your School Library on Teachers Pay Teachers” and “MORE Freebies for Your School Library on Teachers Pay Teachers” to see some of the awesome free products I have found!)

Be sure you have signed up for the weekly TpT newsletter, which highlights 10 freebies every week, to keep up with new and fantastic freebies.

…And Shop Them NOW!

Here’s the thing about freebies on Teachers Pay Teachers – they don’t always have to remain freebies. Sellers can and do change their products from free to paid whenever they want. So if you see something you like, and it’s free, then download it right away – don’t let it sit on your wish list! If you have already downloaded it, you’ll still have access to the file if you need to download it again later, even if the seller decides to increase the price. Some sellers offer occasional “flash freebies” that are free only for a short amount of time, so if you see a flash freebie, you always want to click quick and get it right away.

Speaking of Wish Lists…

While it does not make sense to add freebies to your wish lists (just get them right away!), DO add resources to your wish list that you like but can’t buy at the moment. There’s always a chance that the seller will change the price, or bundle that resource with others, and then you can save money  wholesale club style. Having a wish list helps you keep track of products so you can periodically check prices and watch for potential bundle savings. Having an active wish list also sets you up to get the resources you want at seriously fabulous prices when they go on sale.

And…Speaking of Sales…

Teachers Pay Teachers has occasional sitewide sales in which you can receive discounts of up to 25%. Teachers Pay Teachers and the individual teacher-authors partner together to provide the discount, so you can save a lot of money in many TpT stores. Typically, there is a unique discount code for each sale, so keep a look out for emails about when these sales are happening.

Individual sellers, and small groups of sellers, also throw sales sometimes, so be sure to follow the sellers you love so that you’ll know about their sales.

Leaving Feedback = A Coupon

Okay, so you know how at some fast food places, the receipt says that if you call a number and do a survey on your experience, and then you get a free coffee or burger? Well, TpT does that too, except it is MUCH less of a hassle. No receipt to clutter up your purse, no phone number to call – just a couple of clicks to provide your feedback and get credits toward future purchases.

Let’s say you purchase a resource that costs $10. If you leave feedback for the seller, you will receive 10 “credits” that you can use toward a future purchase. Each credit ends up being worth 5 cents, but they add up quickly – that one $10 purchase got you 50 cents worth of credits, so imagine what a back-to-school shop-til-you-drop could do. TpT rounds up for you, also, so if the resource was $9.50, you’d still get 10 credits.

It actually works out well for everyone, because sellers love to receive feedback on their work, and buyers love discounts.

Love a Resource? Buy With a Buddy!

If you and a colleague are both interested in the same resource on Teachers Pay Teachers, you can save money if one of you purchases the resource plus an additional license, which will be at a discounted price – usually 10% off. (Just as an FYI, TpT sellers price each resource based on the idea that it will be used by one teacher only, so to make sure you are abiding by copyright law and the seller’s terms of use, you’ve gotta get those additional licenses if you and a friend both want to use a resource!)

Become a Groupie

When you find a great resource and know you’ll be back for more products from that seller, it makes sense to follow that seller, both on TpT AND on his or her blog and/or social media. TpT sellers use blogs and social media to keep you informed of flash freebies, sales, new products, and sometimes even gift card giveaways, so it makes a lot of sense to follow them every which way you can so you don’t miss any news.

(You can follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers by clicking here, and on Pinterest by clicking here and then clicking “Follow.” Oh, and you can subscribe to my blog by typing in your email address up at the top of this post!). (Update 05/17/18: I am now on Instagram too…click here and click “Follow”!) 🙂

Now, when you follow sellers on TpT, you will be the first to know about their new products, which is awesome because sellers often list their products at a reduced price for the first 24 or 48 hours. I do this somewhat haphazardly at my store, I’ll admit, but I have seen some stores that do it for EVERY new product, and I have even seen some that list ALL their products as FREE for 24 hours or so. The thing is, you aren’t necessarily going to know what is going on with the sellers you follow unless you log into TpT regularly, so make sure that Teachers Pay Teachers makes the list of sites / apps you check often – not just when you need a specific resource.

And feel free to take a step beyond following and actually connect with TpT sellers. They are, after all, just teachers like you and me who probably love meeting new people, learning, networking, and sharing ideas. True story: one time, I emailed a TpT seller with a question about a resource, and after a few emails back and forth, this generous seller offered to make some changes to the product AND give me a free resource, all for checking in with her. If you love a seller, comment on his/her blog posts or social media, leave a positive feedback or Q & A comment in TpT, or send an email to say hi or ask a question. You may end up with a free product, a free TpT gift card, some new teaching tips, or even a new pal!

Bundles, Bundles, and More Bundles!

As I mentioned when I was talking about wish lists, buying resources as part of a bundle is a great way to save money. (A bundle is just a group of resources sold together for less money than they would be if you bought them individually.)

In some TpT stores, growing bundles are also an option, which means that when you purchase the product, it is incomplete (but a lot cheaper) and more resources will be added to the product over time. Be sure to read product descriptions carefully so you know what you are buying, but this can seriously be an awesome way to get the resources you need without spending too much money.

For example, I recently purchased a clip art growing bundle that cost me $5. The price went up as more and more resources were added, and now, at the time this is being posted, the same resource costs $36.50, but I can access all of the clip art, even the clip art that was just added. Oh, yeah!

Maybe Somebody Else Wants to Pay for That?

If your school gives you a budget to spend on classroom supplies, don’t forget that TpT products can fall into that category. Teachers Pay Teachers even accepts purchase orders for purchases over $20, making it even easier to make purchases with the school district’s money.

Better yet, share info about Teachers Pay Teachers’ newest program, TpT for Schools, with your principal. TpT for Schools allows teachers to request educational products on TpT and send those requests to their administration, who can then purchase resources for each teacher. I’m thinking this could be a perfect way to get funds for those big ticket items you might not otherwise be able to afford. It’s definitely worth checking out – if your principal likes the idea, you may end up with fabulous TpT resources that you can use in your classroom without having to pay for them yourself!

Also, don’t forget about all those unbelievable PTO parents out there who go above and beyond to help their children get the best education possible. You could consider contacting the school/parent organization at your school about the possibility of purchasing resources or TpT gift cards.

Track Your Spending for Tax Savings

(Disclosure/Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, nor do I play one on TV! The following information is not intended to be considered tax advice. Please consult a qualified tax professional before making any tax-related decisions.)

If you do have to foot the bill for Teachers Pay Teachers resources yourself, here’s another tip! This isn’t exactly a way to save money on your purchases, but it could save you some money overall. The money you spend on TpT may be tax deductible, even with the new tax plan rolling out for your 2018 filing. (There was some debate on whether that deduction was going to stick around, but it did! Yay!) The TpT site does keep track of your purchases, so it will be easy to figure out how much you spent when you are doing your taxes.

If you are buying resources to use in your classroom, the deduction is for up to $250 of expenses that were not reimbursed, and educators who work at least 900 hours a year in a K-12 school may be eligible.

If you are TpT seller, the purchases you make on TpT to use for the resources you sell (e.g. clipart, borders) can offset your earnings, resulting in less taxable income, so sellers should keep track of those expenses as well.

(Again, please check with your tax professional to discuss your unique tax situation. For more information, you can read these articles on the IRS website about the educator expense deduction and small-business expenses.)

Ready to Save on TpT?

I hope these ideas will make your shopping trips on TpT even more fun because you’ll know you are providing your kids with the best resources and saving money at the same time!