Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright is a picky issue. I felt like I learned a lot after exploring the websites and different instructional videos. I had never heard of fair use and didn't know that as a teacher I would have the right to use materials for an educational purpose under the constitution. I was one of those people that believed in the myth that copyright was to protect the authors and composers' work. I didn't know that it is intended for the promotion of science which is knowledge and understanding. I felt like I had a good understanding and grasp on the concept until I went through the case studies. When I went through those I was confused again because now people always try to pass off use of material as fair use. Even after learning about the four factors the supreme court uses I am still somewhat confused about when you can and can't use something. As a teacher, I can use material for an instructional purpose without having to pay for it. I loved learning this. There is so much that I didn't know about copyright. I'm going to try and make sure that when I use material as fair use that it follows the four factors, so I am using it legally.