Korean Job Discussion Forums

[farrepatt]

I have a new handler this semester who has been reading the instructions manual we all come with. Today, she turned to me and said, "Do you have anything you've made for class?"

I asked which class she was talking about.

"Any of them."

"Yes," I replied, still not quite sure what she was talking about.

"When you leave this school, you will leave it here. It belongs to the school."

She moved on quickly to the next order of business, so I didn't ask any questions at the time. I don't care too much, because I'll be leaving Korea at the end of this contract, but it still seems a bit weird to think that anything I've made becomes the property of the school when I leave.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Just print off everything that's on your hard-drive and dump it on her desk.

[fromtheuk]

She could be a possible nightmare co-teacher. At the end of your contract, delete everything on your computer.

If she asks for everything you've made, apologize to her and say there is nothing left on your computer, because it has all been deleted.

[prideofidaho]

yeah, this is a good one. It makes me laugh, cause really all it does is make them look like hacks. I'm not qualified to be making curriculae, or professional language-learning books, but it's nice to know that the so-called 'world's biggest school board' SMOE seems to think that's no big deal.

I'd have half a mind to print off some massive novels and claim that I wrote them, then kindly tell them that they should forward said novels on to some publishing houses.

[rationality]

[akiakiaki]

my co teacher's were quite surprised in March when they asked me about my Winter Camp materials I told them it was all deleted.

[nomad-ish]

my co-teacher likes me to print off my materials so she can make a record booklet out of them. i'd care more if she asked for my actual powerpoints, as it stands, the printed powerpoint slides won't do her any good because i use one slide for numerous things that overlap (not that she's noticed this very obvious fact)

[oldfatfarang]

This is pretty standard. Anything you make during your paid hours of employment (and sometimes non-paid study) is usually considered the property of your employer. That is, unless you negotiate otherwise (intellectual property/copyrights/patents and inventions etc).

I had a row with my university over the publishing rights for my thesis. They claimed every thesis was the property of the uni - and they refused to award my degree until I gave a signed letter saying that. That allowed my professor to use my ideas - research - and later publish them (under his name). It also allowed other students to use my thesis for their own research. (It still hurts.)

My SMOE head teacher literally swiped my year's lessons off the classroom computer. (I doubt she could have followed them, but she probably passed them off as her own come promotion time).

The EPIK contract doesn't expicitly state who owns your lessons. It just says: (2) To prepare teaching materials for English class(es).

I guess deleting your files is the best idea. But maybe they could withold your reference (or final pay) until you give them your lessons.

[nomad-ish]

or just buy a decent-sized usb for your folders (i usually try to avoid leaving anything on my computer, just in case).

[PeterDragon]

I use copyrighted characters in all of my course materials (basically fanart I draw myself of Spongebob, Homer, Mickey Mouse, etc...) so my shcool better be careful not to publish naything I give them too widely. Having said that, they're more than free to anything I make here. And I'm confident that if I try to use the material myself after I leave, they'll have far better things to do than sue me for copyright infringement.

[BS.Dos.]

That's great news as I've just made a terrible mess in one of the toilets.

[mnhnhyouh]

I dont see what the big deal is.

I did make some stuff, took some stuff that the previous teacher left and altered it.

I left it all for the next teacher, but made a copy for myself.

h

[prideofidaho]

Sharing lessons and materials is one thing. Claiming possession is another watermelon.

[Straphanger]

Like the other poster said, it's SOP for your employer to own your work product. Why are you whining about this? I personally don't care who has my work product.

[sarbonn]