Copyright infringement and the misuse of original work has been able to run rampant with the introduction of technology that makes it easy to copy, print, download, and use intellectual property without permission. As a responsible digital citizen, it is important that students and teachers know how to obey copyright laws as well as why it is important to do so.
I remember many times throughout school when I would simply copy and paste images from Google into my projects without even thinking about asking for permission or giving credit to the creators. I knew that it was plagiarism to copy other peoples' writings, but for some reason, pictures seemed different. However, this isn't the case. I didn't learn how to properly give credit to the creators of online images until college. By using these images without permission, I was reproducing the work an artist had put a lot of time and energy into without giving them any of the award. Some creators make their living off of selling their work and by taking it, I was stealing. It is always best to contact an artist before using their work; oftentimes they will let it be used for free. In any case, artists should always be given credit in some form when their work is being displayed (when creating your own work, it is also easy to protect it with a free creative commons license, as is seen in the license at the bottom of this page.)
It is also important to be aware of plagiarism in the academic sphere. It is very easy to buy or copy essays and other written work from the internet and claim it as one's own. There are tools to combat plagiarism, however. Free plagiarism checkers, such as Grammarly, allow for teachers to quickly verify if a student's writing is their own. Simply copy and paste the text into the site and it will search for and detect plagiarism instantly.
Plagiarism checkers in the classroom set a precedent that is clear: there will be no dishonest work tolerated. When students know this, it takes the temptation to cheat away. They know they will be caught, so there is no point in trying. Teaching students about plagiarism early in their schooling lets them see how damaging dishonest work is to not only the original creators, but also to their own futures. Many higher level learning institution have zero tolerance for plagiarism and getting caught could have lifelong consequences. Making sure students know what plagiarism is, how easy it is to catch, and how to avoid it will inevitably make them more thoughtful and honest workers.