As always, Mike Hiestand from the SPLC was a veritable wealth of information today. One of the things that I loved most about this discussion (and many of the others from this week) is that it didn't matter at all whether the participants were beginners who knew nothing about policy or advisers with years of experience in the world of editorial policy - we all learned something new. And, to quote Mike Simons, “that’s worth the price of admission right there.”
I really enjoyed the presentation from Hiestand and the discussion about editorial policies that followed at lunch. I knew most of the factual details of Hiestand’s presentation – the three court cases, rules about copyright, etc – but I really enjoyed hearing some of the behind-the-scenes details of the court cases and all of the detailed examples that both Hiestand and other Reynolds participants shared throughout the presentation.
Being able to continue that conversation in smaller groups during lunch was incredibly valuable, though. We can learn so much from talking to each other and sharing experiences, and to me, that is one of the biggest benefits to the Reynolds Institute. Copyright law and press rights are often factors that make our jobs incredibly isolating – other teachers simply don’t know (or choose to ignore) copyright law, and sometimes it’s not very exciting to be the only person in the building who is saying “no” to things that are obvious violations. It’s nice to be in a room with dozens of people who can have genuine discussions about such important issues.
Julieanne McClain
Rutherford B. Hayes High School
Delaware Ohio
This is right on point Julianne! Thanks for sharing your board policy with us during our small group time, especially since your state is like ours and has no further laws on the books protecting student journalists. I admire that your school board implemented a policy at that level. I'll definitely share the resource your provided!
ReplyDeleteEva D. Coleman
Frisco ISD Career and Technical Education Center
Frisco, Texas
Hiestand gave a great speech. I love that SPLC makes all their powerpoints available, and with speaker's notes! I also appreciated hearing some more of the background of the legal cases, because it provided so much more perspective. He was very clear on copyright too: great presenter!
ReplyDeleteBefore our lunch discussion today, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the contents of an editorial policy. But sharing information with others has led me to some questioning. It will be good to continue this discussion so I can get a better understanding.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Granger
Lawrence Central High School
Indianapolis, Ind.
The press law presentation hit home with me. Listening through the morning session’s topics and sitting through two interviews at lunch with Mike Hiestand gave me new insight on student rights, adviser limitations and media law. What a resource. Two major pieces I pulled from the discussion: 1.) I had no idea the STLC was available to answer legal questions at no charge to the district. 2.) I knew nothing about the copyright law and the need for staffs to have this in place for their yearbook publications. Another great resource for me to take home and implement.
ReplyDeleteMaureen Barton
Sedona Red Rock High School
Sedona, Ariz.