Copyright Law and Teachers

After learning about copyright laws in class, I have to admit that it was a very overwhelming and somewhat frightening topic. Almost every single resource a teacher uses to help them teach is protected by some sort of copyright law, and each law greatly varies. One glimmer in all the confusion is that copyright laws seem to be on the side of education. For the most part, teachers are able to use whatever they need to in the classroom, as long as they do not copy or reproduce it. However, this should not serve as an incentive for teachers to use whatever materials they want. Each source is different and laws should still be checked and followed. I think that one of the most important things for teachers to remember is that is not just them who can be held accountable and lose their job for certain copyright violations, but their administrators, and whole school districts as well. Teachers should also do all they can to educate their students on the importance of copyright.