First Post for the (Potential) Social Studies Teacher

Well, to be completely honest, this is my first blog post, despite my being on the computer constantly.  However, this is going to be a very useful and much used tool for me in the future.  So far this summer, I have read several books on how writing in some sort of a journal is extremely helpful in reflecting on what you are currently learning.  Hence, not only will this help myself, but also other who either are teachers or planning on becoming teachers, simply because of insights shared by myself and others.  Also that and I am very excited to get underway in this "brave new world" of technology that I'm stepping into!  


My fist discussion that I would like to partake in is that of copyright law.  In some ways I see and agree with its necessity, while in others I wish it would just go away.  For example, it's great to know that you will have your ideas and hard work accredited to you and have it safe from theft.  However, for those who use the internet constantly and find many the copyrighted material unusable for whatever reasons, some have resorted to piracy and outright theft based in their moral outrage.  I agree in the respect that credit should be given when credit is due, but when it gets to royalties simply because I want to hear the Indiana Jones Theme Song whenever someone calls me, it just seems outright greedy.  


I would also like to gripe about the fact that copyright law is so ambiguous that many people break the law everyday and don't even know they have done it!  Here is an example of just one way that the law needs to change: my sister lived in American Samoa for a year from June 2009 to June 2010.  She happened to take some movies of mine to the island with her.  Now, since I have already bought the movie, I have paid for the right to watch it.  If I do not have it with me, in reality it should be okay to download the movie so I can still watch it, but it doesn't work like that, unfortunately.  Oh, and for those of you who have shown a movie to more than 10 friends at once, you've broken your copyright agreement and are liable for a $500 fee.  THAT is just another example of how ridiculous copyright law is.  If someone could make a convincing argument or reassure me that copyright law is actually okay, I give them the floor.