3.1 Choosing a publication license: four activities for the creative  (Page 5/7)

Procedure

• Use clocks, timers, or reminders to keep each group to its allotted presentation time.
• After each presentation, point out to the class the aspects of the presentation that you particularly liked. Then, if the presentation did not include key points that you want emphasized, ask the group to also address those points. For example, "You didn't mention why a creator might choose this type of license. Can you tell the class what you think about that?"
• Ask the class for any questions they have about the group's researched subject or presentation.
• If the class does not have enough questions to start a good discussion, begin directing thought-provoking questions to the students who did not make the presentation, for example, "Do you think the laws they told us about should be changed?" or "Would you choose this license for your project?" Ask students to give reasons for their opinions, and encourage (polite, respectful, thoughtful) discussion of any disagreements among class members. If all the students agree, try to play devil's advocate; for example if students all agree that music should not be copyrighted (or that music copyrights can be ignored), ask them whether and how good songwriters should be paid.
• If there is further time for discussion, you can ask the students what the effects might be if that license was not available, or if every work was automatically published under that license.

Activity 3: choosing a license

This activity should be done after the students have completed Activities 1 and 2 (or similar introduction to creative intellectual property concepts and law). Before this activity, students should also have created publication-worthy works, with your guidance as a creative-arts instructor (see preparation section if you would like some suggestions.). A process of constructive criticism , reworking, and editing is strongly recommended so that students can confidently share their work with the rest of the world. However, students should not be required to publish if they are not comfortable doing so (see the activity adaptation below).

Activity summary

• Goals - The students will learn about the process of licensing and publishing creative intellectual property.
• Grade Level - Recommended for secondary and adult students.
• Student Prerequisites - Students should have completed, or be close to completing, a creative work of publishable quality. Students should also have completed Activities 1 and 2, or similar introduction to publication licenses.
• Teacher Expertise - The activity leader should understand the relevant laws and implications of the publication licenses under discussion, as well as any relevant district, school or publication-venue rules regarding student publications.
• Time Requirements - If the students have completed Activities 1 and 2, you should not need to schedule much class time for this activity.
• Objectives - Each student or group of students who has finished a publishable creative work in the class will choose an appropriate publication license and publication venue for their work.
• Evaluation - You can assess whether licensing and publication options were considered thoughtfully and procedures were followed correctly. (But allow students free reign to make their own choices without fear that it will affect their grades.)
• Adaptations - If some students or groups wish to publish and others do not, provide an alternative path for non-publishers to finish the activity; for example, they might write a short report listing the steps that they would need to take to publish their work. If you feel that many or most of the students in the class are not ready to develop and publish creative works alone or in small groups, you may want to undertake an entire-class project that results in a publishable work (for example, a video) that all students have helped to create, and for which the class as a group will choose a publication license.
• Extensions - For complex creative endeavors that are collaborations by groups of students (for example, a video might include writers, actors, photographers, costume designers, and editors), make sure the discussions and activities include appropriate consent and attribution for everyone involved. For a more involved exploration of publication licenses, or if students wish to build on each other's work, see Activity 4.