Copyright, Digital Literacy, and Credibility Lesson
Meet Moses, Max, and Millie!
Three labs that are ready to teach you about Copyright, Digital Literacy, and Creditability.
In the digital age, it's important for dogs like us to understand concepts like copyright, digital literacy, and credibility. With so much information available online, it can be a real challenge to sniff out accurate and trustworthy information. The three of us furry friends have the skills to navigate the digital landscape safely and responsibly, and we are here to help you learn all about it as well. Don't worry—it's not hard! This will be quick, and then we can get snacks.
We may not be experts in digital technology, but we know a lot about treats.
Just like we sniff our food before eating it to ensure it's safe, you should use your digital literacy skills to find the best information online. Remember to ask for permission before using someone else's content, as this is called copyright, and it's crucial. We've learned the hard way that we can't just take treats from anyone - we need to trust the source. Similarly, check the credibility of the information before using it to avoid trouble later on.
Here are some tips for following copyright, literacy, and credibility rules online:
Use the ABCs of Credibility
As we browse the internet, it's important to be cautious and check the credibility of the sources we use. Remember, we can always double-check information to make sure it's accurate before sharing it with others.
The ABCs of credibility stand for accuracy, balance, and credibility.
- Accuracy means that the information is correct and factually accurate.
- Balance means that the information presents multiple perspectives on a topic and avoids being one-sided.
- Credibility means that the source of the information is trustworthy and reliable.
By following the ABCs of credibility, you can ensure that the information you use and share is accurate, balanced, and trustworthy.
It’s important to realize that most sources have some degree of bias. That’s okay, though! Our personal experiences and viewpoints often provide insights into topics that are important to us.
Don't Take Other People's Work
Copyright law gives creators of music, videos, and images the right to control how their work is used. However, fair use allows for some use without permission, such as for reviews, news reporting, teaching, and research. As responsible digital citizens, it's important to follow these rules and respect the creators by giving them credit.
The Copyright Act protects work used on electronic devices like tablets, smartphones, computers, and video games, as well as content distributed online. All content, whether digital or not, is subject to copyright protection. Therefore, it's always best to assume that all content is protected unless stated otherwise.
If you're thinking of reposting digital content online, you must first obtain permission from the original creator or owner. If you're unsure who owns it, it's best not to take the risk of posting it.
Only Use Trustworthy Sites
One of the most important ways to check whether a website is trustworthy is to check the website address, specifically looking at the three letters at the end of the site’s domain name. If you see “edu,” that indicates it’s educational, “gov” indicates it’s a government page, “org” indicates a nonprofit organization, and “com” indicates it’s a commercial website. Usually, we see .edu and .gov websites as being trustworthy. Sometimes websites will try to use these suffixes to misrepresent themselves and have another suffix following it. Nonprofit websites can have helpful information as well, but they might have an agenda that could be biased. Commercial websites can be okay to use, too, as new websites would commonly end in .com, but be sure to investigate to make sure they are reliable.
Another important way to make sure online content is trustworthy is to take a close look at the source. See if there are authors listed and if they cite their sources. Be sure to search for more information to back up what you’ve already found. It’s always a good idea to find more information that will help to verify what you’ve already found out.
Why is all this important?
With technology being everywhere around us, it's crucial to have the skills and knowledge to navigate, evaluate, and communicate effectively through digital technologies. Being digitally literate allows you to identify and critically evaluate credible sources of information, which is especially important with the abundance of information available online. Additionally, it helps you communicate more efficiently in a digital context and use technology to create and share content in a responsible and ethical manner. So, let's embrace digital literacy as a fundamental skill that is essential for success in education, work, and daily life.
NEXT UP: Digital Literacy, Copyright, and Credibility Training
[CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Links to an external site.] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION - INTENDED ONLY FOR USE WITHIN THE LESSON.