YouTube is a video sharing site that allows users to view videos on a wide variety of topics, as well as upload videos of their own making. TeacherTube is a similar site, although items posted to TeacherTube tend to be more educational oriented. Both sites are useful from an educational stand point.
YouTube is widely known and used and is, therefore, a repository of countless videos. A person can find just about anything there. Typing ‘animal adaptations’ into the search bar at the top, for example, yielded these two videos that connect to the grade four Science curriculum in B.C.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX8VQIJVpTg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsDJ3JrnpOI
When searching, so many videos came up that it was a little overwhelming to sift through the all the content to find appropriate clips for the classroom. I could literally spend hours searching content on any topic, and have spent many nights over the last week doing just that! The addicting nature of the search is something I will have to overcome to be able to use YouTube successfully.
The largest difficulty in using YouTube in schools is the nature of what students may access when searching the site. While strategies are in place to deal with inappropriate content, there are items that slip through because they are not flagged by users and deleted by YouTube employees quickly enough (YouTube, 2010). In my opinion, this is only part of the problem. There are many non-sexual, non-profane and non-violent messages that young students are not yet mature enough to be exposed to or that I do not wish to discuss with my students. For example, one video that I thought was quite good at explaining animal adaptations began with the message, “Allah has created…” It was stated so quickly that I didn’t catch it until the second time I viewed the video, and even at that, I had to go back and listen twice to discern exactly what was being said. I thought long and hard about what I would do if students in my class viewed the video and then asked about Allah. I was reminded of William’s question n his book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, “Wouldn’t it be better to teach students how to deal with less-than-salient content that they see when they get home?” (2010, p. 121) I wonder, wouldn’t it be better to teach students to think critically and be unafraid to ask questions about what they encounter when viewing material alone? If we block YouTube, are we sending a clear message to students that we, as educators, won’t talk about content? I’m not advocating for or against this video, but I am beginning to consider the farther reaching implications of using or not using YouTube.
On the plus side, YouTube makes it easy to upload video. Once the video has been shot and loaded onto the computer, all you have to do is hit upload, find the video (like adding an attachment to an email) and wait for the video to upload. In addition, videos can be edited using a video editing site. (See my review of Jaycut.com and embedded video of my son’s pet snake Slithers eating a mouse). YouTube will also let you upload videos as you shoot them using a webcam or directly from your cell phone. One pitfall, for my purposes, is that children under 13 can not add videos to YouTube. This means that all videos that could potentially be added will have to be done using the teacher’s account. The great thing is that students posting to YouTube will be sharing their ideas with potentially the entire world, and sharing with an authentic audience tends to motivate students to higher standards.
The potential audience is one of the most important aspects of the Read/Write Web. The idea that the relevance of student work no longer ends at the classroom door can not only be a powerful motivator but can also create a significant shift in the way we think about the assignments and work we ask of our students in the first place.
(Richardson, 2010, p.27)
I honestly can’t imagine students of mine complaining that shooting video of, well, anything, mixing it with sound and text and uploading it to YouTube is lame or boring or have no connection to the ‘real world.’
Similarly, TeacherTube is full of videos that can enrich the educational experience of students. After a brief search of TeacherTube, I found the following videos that connect to the grade four curriculum in B.C.:
World Continents
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=79292
Science
Habitats and Communities
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=90987
Adaptations for obtaining food
http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=183295&title=Adaptations_for_Obtaining_Food
Solar system
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=10038
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=167354&title=The_Solar_System&vpkey=
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=79323
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=68705
The biggest plus for TeacherTube is that the materials uploaded to this site are educational in nature, which reduces the amount of profane, sexually inappropriate or violent material that students will encounter. That does not mean that everything on TeacherTube will be appropriate for students. There are bound to be materials that are beyond younger students. I’m left then with the same considerations I have when considering using YouTube in the classroom. In my opinion, the question is not whether to let students use each of these sites, but how to weed out the less useful or harmful videos and guide students to the useful ones, while keeping a dialogue open regarding the existence and nature of on-line video. This is exactly the same consideration I would give to video delivered in the traditional way. With YouTube or TeacherTube, I am leaning towards creating a pathfinder using a Wiki or a Word document and having students travel directly to each video. This way I minimize risk, maximize use and show that on-line video is not a taboo subject.
After exploring the applications to the classroom, my research into YouTube and TeacherTube took an interesting twist As I was catching up on my reading, I came across a post by Stephen Abram on Stephen’s Lighthouse blog about Netflix coming to Canada (2010). Netflix is a company that sends movies through the mail for a monthly fee. I remember watching the commercials on TV and thinking that I would never use this service. I am one of those people who doesn’t know what movie she’ll want to watch until the time comes, not to mention whether or not I’ll have the time. Frustratingly, I also have to co-ordinate my viewing habits with my two sons and husband. So, how could I decide on a movie enough in advance to order it through the mail?
I must not be the only one in this pickle, since Netflix is coming to Canada with a streaming only option (Abram, 2010). Now, here’s something I can use. I can kick my kids off the Wii (OK, actually, it’s my husband who’s usually on it) and turn on a movie. Great! Can’t wait!
As for using it in a library or classroom setting, I admit that I found one documentary that I’ve been waiting to watch among the list of documentaries, so the potential exists. Abram writes that, “Another interesting development is the recent use of Netflix in the US by some libraries to serve customers directly. This is an amazing thing since it is against the law, license, terms of use and just about any ethical standard.” (2010) I believe that the issue here is that some libraries are paying the monthly fee for streaming video and then distributing the materials to all interested borrowers. I have to admit that I’m not really sure I would have thought of that as illegal. I rely on my school district to take care of the legalities of showing videos in the classroom. Our district has purchased a license that allows classroom teachers to show many items and has a policy in place for recording what is shown and making sure that new licenses are put into place when needed.
This got me thinking about some of the other ‘stuff’ on YouTube. In my initial search for materials to use with the classroom, I was amazed at the number of videos that were comprised of segments of material that must be copyrighted. The following clip specifically caught my eye:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kQ83_4RdkA
It is a copy of a Disney cartoon staring Goofy as he desperately tries to swing a bat or catch a ball. I thought it might be a fun introduction to baseball for my students. Then a thought crossed my mind: “What if I never had to go down to the Media Centre and collect videos for my students again?” Yet that nagging voice in the back of my head said that there must be a catch.
In reading about copyright law, I was directed by William Kist’s book The Socially Networked Classroom (2010, p.51) to look at this website: www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/publications/code_for_media_literacy_education
While the page is no longer available, it did take me to the Center for Social Media at American University, which has some valuable information about copyright and plagiarism when using media materials (go to the site and click on ‘fair use’ in the upper left corner). Essentially, if the material is being transformed or critiqued in some way and it is sited, then it is fair game (Center for Social Media, 2010).
Unfortunately, the law here is American, and, as I am an educator working at a Canadian school, I thought I should find out a little about the Canadian law. It turns out that Canadian law is similar to American law, and not co-incidentally. Treaties amongst most countries around the world have aligned many of the broad strokes of copyright law (Makarenko, 2009). Specifically, under Canadian law, copyrighted images may be used when the aim is:
criticism and review, news reporting, and private study or research (section 29). The Act also exempts certain categories of users, such as non-profit educational institutions (section 29.4)
(Media Awareness Network, 2010).
In addition
In Canada, copyright lasts for the life of the author plus fifty years (s.6 of the Copyright Act). For example, if a poet penned a poem in 1925 and lived another eighty years, her poem would not enter the public domain until December 31, 2055, for a total of 130 years. However, if the same poet died in 1936, her poem would have already entered the public domain in 1986
(Creative Commons Canada, 2004).
So, my understanding is that I can use video and other media in the classroom for research purposes or as the subject of a critique, unless the creator has been dead for a minimum of 50 years. Posts put on YouTube can be used as their creators posted these videos onto a site for people to share. I am still unclear about the use of content that shouldn’t have been posted since they are still covered potentially by copyright law. If I direct others to watch these items on YouTube am I doing something illegal? Immoral? Should I have reported what I found to YouTube? Sorry Goofy. Until I have more answers to these and other questions, you’re out. It’s just not worth the risk.
(If anyone knows something I don’t about using these videos, please let me know. Goofy sure was funny!)
References
Abrams, S. (2010) Netflix and Libraries. Retrieved from
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/09/25/netflix-libraries/
Center for Social Media. (2010). Fair Use. Retrieved from
http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/fair-use
Creative Commons Canada. (2004). Canadian Copyright Law.
Retrieved from http://creativecommons.ca/index.php?p=cacopyright#faq_law-governs-copyright
Kist, W. (2010). The Socially Networked Classroom: Teaching in
the New Media Age. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin.
Makarenko, Jay. (2009). Copyright Law in Canada: An Introduction to
the Canadian Copyright Act. Retrieved from http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/copyright-law-canada-introduction-canadian-copyright-act
Media Awareness Network. (2010). Canadian Copyright Act –
Overview. Retrieved from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/legislation/canadian_law/federal/copyright_act/cdn_copyright_ov.cfm
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other
Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin.
Wikipedia. (2010). YouTube. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtube#Criticism
About Me
My name is Kristie and I'm an elementary teacher in BC. As part of my Master's program I've been tasked with creating a blog. I'm nervous about sharing my educational journey with potentially the entire world. I'm reminded of the countless times I've put my foot in my mouth during casual or professional conversations. Creating a permanent record of what I have to say is a scary proposition.
On the other hand, I'm more than a little intrigued by the possiblility of using blogs with my class. An hour each week of typing practice and Yukon Trail seem like a waste when I consider what I could be teaching my class. So, with some trepidation, here I go. I hope all who read this blog will find something useful in it, and a great big thank you in advance to all those who post suggestions for my teaching practice!
The New World of Blogging
When I was in Kindergarten, someone invented this amazing thing: a game you could play on your television. It was called ‘Intelevision,’ and it let you play games that filled the screen with colourful images. Some people had an Atari, but Intelevision was just as good. We just couldn’t play Q-bert. About five years later, Nintendo came out with their first system. I loved Super Mario Bros. Everyone did. Here was a nice, linear game with just enough timing and memory challenges to make things interesting. The only thing I liked more than Super Mario Bros was Super Mario Bros 2. It had the same timing and memory challenges, but with a few more opportunities to move back and forth, up and down.
When I was in my late teens, something terrible happened. The Nintendo people released a new unit. I think it was the Nintendo 64. Anyway, gone was the old, linear, jump and shoot Mario Bros of the past. This was a whole new game. Characters could spin around in 360 degrees and choose any direction. There was no clear way to go. I tried, but I was soon frustrated. I asked other people, “How do you know what to do?” I was told to search around by some. Others told me there were magazines I could look at that would reveal the tricks and secrets. Lacking the time to search virtual landscapes and not having the magazines at hand, I gave up. Video games became something the other people did, as I am reminded every time I look at my favorites bar and scroll past the numerous ‘cheat sites’ bookmarked by my husband and children. I pretend disdain for these games, like they waste my time, but really they represent a nonlinear way of thinking that my brain just couldn’t master.
Web 2.0 is the new Nintendo 64 in my life. It represents a new, nonlinear, multi-strand collection of information that makes me dizzy. Yet, unlike video games, I can’t choose to just walk away. So, I will endeavor to go on the same quest as my pal, Mario. Just as he’s squished monsters, swam through infested water and jumped over lava, so shall I squish, swim and jump my way through the perilous world of Web 2.0. Here’s hoping that I too shall graduate from linear courses to a more three-dimensional conception of the multifaceted, ever expanding web.
The First Challenge: Choosing a Character
So, what do you do at the beginning of a Mario Bros game? Pick a character. Each has their own unique attributes that make them more or less suitable to each level. Choosing a blog platform is the same. I chose Blogger because Will Richardson recommended it in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (2010) and, upon trying it out, I found it easy to use. Basically, all I had to do was sign up for an account, pick a background and post. The one problem I did encounter was trying to take the ‘next blog’ button off my blog. Richardson suggests that teachers do this as the suitability of the next blog might be questionable. I tried to edit the code and thought I had done it, however, there was the button at the top. I’m afraid to mess with the basic code now that I have the blog set up, so I guess it will have to stay. Other than that, this blog seems easy to use. I was even able to change the background after the initial set up (the first one was too dark and difficult to read).
Now that I have the blog, it’s time to see Kristie in the land of Flickr and Google Earth.
On the other hand, I'm more than a little intrigued by the possiblility of using blogs with my class. An hour each week of typing practice and Yukon Trail seem like a waste when I consider what I could be teaching my class. So, with some trepidation, here I go. I hope all who read this blog will find something useful in it, and a great big thank you in advance to all those who post suggestions for my teaching practice!
The New World of Blogging
When I was in Kindergarten, someone invented this amazing thing: a game you could play on your television. It was called ‘Intelevision,’ and it let you play games that filled the screen with colourful images. Some people had an Atari, but Intelevision was just as good. We just couldn’t play Q-bert. About five years later, Nintendo came out with their first system. I loved Super Mario Bros. Everyone did. Here was a nice, linear game with just enough timing and memory challenges to make things interesting. The only thing I liked more than Super Mario Bros was Super Mario Bros 2. It had the same timing and memory challenges, but with a few more opportunities to move back and forth, up and down.
When I was in my late teens, something terrible happened. The Nintendo people released a new unit. I think it was the Nintendo 64. Anyway, gone was the old, linear, jump and shoot Mario Bros of the past. This was a whole new game. Characters could spin around in 360 degrees and choose any direction. There was no clear way to go. I tried, but I was soon frustrated. I asked other people, “How do you know what to do?” I was told to search around by some. Others told me there were magazines I could look at that would reveal the tricks and secrets. Lacking the time to search virtual landscapes and not having the magazines at hand, I gave up. Video games became something the other people did, as I am reminded every time I look at my favorites bar and scroll past the numerous ‘cheat sites’ bookmarked by my husband and children. I pretend disdain for these games, like they waste my time, but really they represent a nonlinear way of thinking that my brain just couldn’t master.
Web 2.0 is the new Nintendo 64 in my life. It represents a new, nonlinear, multi-strand collection of information that makes me dizzy. Yet, unlike video games, I can’t choose to just walk away. So, I will endeavor to go on the same quest as my pal, Mario. Just as he’s squished monsters, swam through infested water and jumped over lava, so shall I squish, swim and jump my way through the perilous world of Web 2.0. Here’s hoping that I too shall graduate from linear courses to a more three-dimensional conception of the multifaceted, ever expanding web.
The First Challenge: Choosing a Character
So, what do you do at the beginning of a Mario Bros game? Pick a character. Each has their own unique attributes that make them more or less suitable to each level. Choosing a blog platform is the same. I chose Blogger because Will Richardson recommended it in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms (2010) and, upon trying it out, I found it easy to use. Basically, all I had to do was sign up for an account, pick a background and post. The one problem I did encounter was trying to take the ‘next blog’ button off my blog. Richardson suggests that teachers do this as the suitability of the next blog might be questionable. I tried to edit the code and thought I had done it, however, there was the button at the top. I’m afraid to mess with the basic code now that I have the blog set up, so I guess it will have to stay. Other than that, this blog seems easy to use. I was even able to change the background after the initial set up (the first one was too dark and difficult to read).
Now that I have the blog, it’s time to see Kristie in the land of Flickr and Google Earth.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
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