Fair use laws permit educators to use copyrighted media if they comply with certain regulations. Unfortunately, many teachers don't know what those rules are and err on the side of safety...which means many students miss out on learning experiences.

Ars Technia reports that educators' lack of copyright knowledge:

"Here's how bad it is: not a single teacher interviewed for a recent study on copyright reported receiving any training on fair use.

Copyright confusion is running rampant in American schools, and not just among the students. The teachers don't know what...is going on, either, and media Literacy is now being "compromised by unnecessary copyright restrictions and lack of understanding about copyright law."

Fair use laws make it possible for teachers to use some really great content in their course materials. Hopefully, in the future, educators will receive access to training and copyright laws will be clarified.