Multiliteracies in ELA Classrooms

Having looked at the certain links from this week’s reading of the Copyright Act and Freedom of Information and Privacy Act, the first idea that came to mind was YouTube.  As teachers, we search for various videos and music that we try to incorporate into our lessons as a way to tie in the ideas we have in mind for our students to grasp or go beyond what we had planned for them.  There is that possibility that we could simply find the original source and use that within the walls of our classroom or resort to using YouTube.  Most of us have used this website to show the clips that we need to show in order to tie reference or show additional information, but YouTube is possibly the only site I know that can show pirated clips without receiving any sort of punishment.  There are times where I have found entire cinematic classics on it and it will be there for days before it’s taken down.  Why then isn’t the act pushed on YouTube?

I did not discovered YouTube until my senior year, I thought this was a great website to watch an assortment of videos without thinking of the repercussions of the Copyright Act and the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act as any other teenager would not care for such rules.  I thought it was remarkable that I was able to access videos without any harassment or do exclusive searching.  It was with a click of a mouse and I was able to find what I wanted.  This proved helpful throughout my BA as I did presentations using YouTube clips and not asking for permission.  I didn’t realize at the time about the Copyright Infringement and the huge impact it had on YouTube and it’s users.  There were times where I was able to find videos one day, then suddenly they were taken down because of this infringement.  It then makes me wonder, as educators are we still able to use this form of text even though it breaks the law?  Am I susceptible of using a product that clearly breaks the law?  Or does the 10% increment, like it does for photocopying texts, come into play?  It is something that I have puzzled over before starting my practicum considering the amount of YouTube clips I wanted to use and show my students.  I must admit, I still use YouTube clips for explanation or to provide further interest or discussion with my students.

–Stephanie