Using clipart in worksheets/blogs and maybe making money from it - how?

[teapleasebob1]

I use clipart from Google in my class worksheets and presentations and I know this is ok as it's for educational use.

However, I've had an idea of starting a blog and including packs of worksheets and videos and so on, that teachers can pay to download and use. However I'm concerned about the images - I have used hundreds if not thousands over the years and I don't see any way in which I can use them commercially without getting into trouble?

Does anyone know the relevant law on this - I have searched but there is so much conflicting advice out there. Does anyone have a teaching resources blog/website, and if so how have you managed to deal with the images issue?

Thanks

[Choughed]

I would imagine that you have to create your own images or pay the creator to use them.

[clopper]

I don't know the answer to your question but I hate the fact that teachers don't just share resources for free like they used to. Everything in education has become monetised. Heads providing advice as consultants, whereas in the past they would have willingly shared advice with less experienced colleagues or struggling schools for free. I know people will cite the time they use to make the resource, but often it has already been made for use in their own classes. Also, I'm not sure if you are aware but if you have made and used a resource in the course of your work (even at home using your own equipment) then the copyright belongs to your school.
I can see why it would be an attractive way to raise money as we haven't had a pay rise for about 6 years, but remember that the teachers you are selling to also have had no pay rise. I know not everyone will agree with me, but that's my opinion I'm afraid. Teaching used to be a much more collegiate and cooperative endeavor.

[SirChenjin]

I use clipart from Google in my class worksheets and presentations and I know this is ok as it's for educational use

This isn't correct. Unless it clearly states that it can be reproduced, or that's it's copyright free/cleared/etc then you can't assume you can use it for educational purposes and you could be in breach of copyright. There is a 'fair use' policy which gives you a bit more leeway, but you can't use any image you find on the internet. This is quite helpful - www.theedublogger.com/2012/02/09/the-educators-guide-to-copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons/

[SirChenjin]

And this blogs.it.ox.ac.uk/fawei/2013/10/28/how-to-find-free-to-use-images-for-educational-purposes/

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

I agree, clopper.
Yes, resources used to be shared more freely by most of us, but there were the few that jealously guarded their intellectual property and got very cross if anyone else poached.
Yes, what you create and use in your school, the school has copyright of unless you have negotiated otherwise.
I don't understand how you can create a resource using someone else's stuff and then sell it?
TES have a section where you can buy teaching resources and upload to sell, so they might be a good place to ask your questions about the legality and feasibility of your idea

[teapleasebob1]

www.copyrightandschools.org/# "When you create a resource containing only original material created by you, then you are the rights holder, unless the resource was developed during school time and using school facilities, in which case the rights belong to your employer, the school." All the resources have been made in my own time and using my own facilities, so the school does not own them.

The resources I have made are unlike anything I have found elsewhere, and unlike anything I have seen before, so I think there might be a market for them. Of course, when I originally created them I had no intentions of developing them any further so I tended to use whatever I found on Google image search!

Thanks for the idea about TES; I shall go and investigate with a

[PinkIndustry]

I agree with Clopper's response. Over the years I have created my own worksheets if I can't find something that is exactly what I'm after but whatever I put together has usually been inspired/influenced by something else I've seen or may even have whole questions reproduced so I'm under no illusions that it's "mine" or that I have suddenly become expert enough to write a textbook. Sometimes I have been very grateful to those who share their things online (TES etc) and have wondered if I ought to put the things I create online but I have never quite had the confidence, I'm convinced it's not good enough!

One of the things that most frustrates me since becoming a teacher is that we are all teaching the same curriculum yet all the teachers I know are sitting at home every night planning their own lessons and resources to teach children exactly the same things - often working individually like this in the same schools or departments!

Also, I retrained as a teacher later in life and I am astonished that we are all sitting at home creating these worksheets and resources when we used to have textbooks which, when I was at school, seemed to have everything you needed in them! My teachers didn't always stick rigidly to the textbooks, of course, but they were there when needed. When I think of the amount of worksheets I've used over the years on using the apostrophe when one really good textbook could have done the job! I'd be interested to hear from those who have been teaching longer what they think about textbooks versus creating your own resources as I really don't understand the point.

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

I've been teaching 30+ years, and I like textbooks as a resource. Not the only one, but if you have a decent set, it saves massively on photocopying, colour photocopying and teacher time spent creating the same thing.
Backed up with differentiated questions and activities created by the teacher, they are A Good Thing.

[clopper]

Pink industry I agree. Anyone remember Haydn Richards books for grammar ? We still have a few old text books for maths in my school. The kids love it when I get them out.
I think text books are usually fine for those pupils of average ability and above. I tend to create my own worksheets and resources for pupils with particular needs or with English as an additional language ( early language stage)

[SisterViktorine]

I completely agree clopper. It makes me cringe a bit that Teachers are suddenly trying to make money out of each other. Also, my Head and I wanted to go and visit another school where they were doing something similar to us but better. The Head of the school said- yep, please visit, that will be £180 for a 3 hr consultation because we are a Teaching School. WTF??

I also think some really decent textbooks for the Primary curriculum are on of the few good ideas the Government have mentioned. However, should they ever appear, could we afford to buy them?

[KyloRenNeedsTherapy]

PinkIndustry, I couldn't agree more!

This has always utterly baffled me - so much time and energy spent on resources that could be shared. It's weird and I'm not sure how we've got into this situation.

I'm currently contemplating a return to classroom teaching and the time planning/creating resources is what's putting me off .

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

It came in when teaching started to become competitive and lesson observations were graded. So people saved their ideas and creativity so they could shine for SLT and OFSTED.

[SisterViktorine]

I also think it's symptomatic of the job having become too hard. Teachers have become bitter and now think that, as they are working their own arse into the ground, why should they help anyone else to have an easier ride.

[GinandJag]

I only use textbooks for preps and cover.

Other than that I have worksheets and PowerPoint. I am lucky that our photocopying is unrestricted in my school. We even get to use colour.

As for TES downloads, I find this very useful, but I would never pay for resources as there is no preview. I usually have to edit anything I download, and sometimes it is quicker just to prepare something from scratch. As someone already said, I will have been influenced by other teachers.

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

Everywhere I go, endless worksheets. And it's not as if the children can refer to them for consolidation or a memory jogger a term later, or flick through to refresh their memory.
Then those that aren't stuck into books (more waste, why not in a file) are just binned.

[EvilTwins]

I think it's outrageous that the TES charges for resources - it didn't used to! There were also various website that you could upload to/download from for free.

Now I make use of Facebook groups - lots of teachers share their ideas/plans/resources for nothing.

Education is a huge industry and I feel quite with the so-called "educators" and "educational consultants" who make money from it. I bought a book by Ross McGill ("Teacher Toolkit") and it's nothing more than ideas he's gleaned from other teachers - and he is making a fortune from it!

Sorry OP - I know this is not what you asked about...

Do check about intellectual property though. I work part time for a theatre company who pays me to write resources for their website (which is then free to download) and I had to check with my HT as the resources were written when i was employed by the school (in my own time of course)

[FuzzyWizard]

Perhaps it depends on the subject and age range but I just can't imagine teaching without textbooks. I'm secondary history and whilst they will often be used in conjunction with worksheets and teacher designed activities I'd say the vast majority of my lessons (perhaps 95% or more) involve a textbook of some kind at some point. I don't see the logic in printing out sources and information that can be found in a good-quality textbook. I mainly ignore the activities in them though. That being said I think the publishers are charging crazy prices for them now. A level this year was over £50 per pupil. The books were £28 and £24 and each kid needed one of each. The new GCSE will cost £60 per pupil as they will need 4 books each. With budgets as tight as they are that's going to mean sacrifices elsewhere.

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

As opposed to how much for yearly photocopying and paper, per pupil?

[FuzzyWizard]

Yearly photocopying is much much less. I've never worked it out per pupil but our photocopying budget would normally be a fraction of the amount we're spending on books even if we went mad with copies for all 7 year groups. And we're only buying for y10 and y12 next year. We'll be spending about £12k in textbooks over 3 years for the new specs. Annual photocopying is always well under £1500. and we copy quite a bit compared to other departments of similar size. We're neglecting KS3 books to pay for that too. Having good textbooks will reduce some of our copying but won't shave that much off the total budget.

[cdtaylornats]

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/375951/Education_and_Teaching.pdf

The above covers recent changes and is specifically for teachers and what you propose could indeed get you into trouble although the likely outcomes would be a cease and desist letter and the disappearance of your blog.

[cdtaylornats]

I've always found the reluctance of teachers to use Project Gutenburg to download free texts odd.

www.gutenberg.org/

If its out of copyright there is a good chance they have it in multiple formats

All of Shakespeare, all the romantic poets, WW1 poets.

And my favourites the cookery books, I particularly like Science in the Kitchen - from 1893.

"A woman cannot work at dressmaking, tailoring, or any other sedentary employment, ten hours a day, year in and out, without enfeebling her constitution, impairing her eyesight, and bringing on a complication of complaints; but she can sweep, cook, wash, and do the duties of a well-ordered house, with modern arrangements, and grow healthier every year. The times in New England when all women did housework a part of every day, were the times when all women were healthy.—Harriet Beecher Stowe."

The Khaki Kook Book by Mary Kennedy Core an Indian cookery book from 1917

The Art of Living in Australia published 1909 - in what can only be described as a genius flash of foresight the author suggests it is Austalias destiny to be the vineyard of the world.

There must be things in here to give teachers brilliant ideas.

[TheSolitaryBoojum]

First few years Of Project Gutenberg, the editing was non-existent. The formatting, spelling and accuracy of transcription were appalling.
Has it got better?

[cdtaylornats]

Gutenberg has got much better. The transcribers and editors are excellent, I would say the error rate is about the same as normal books. Most of the books are available as eBooks, Kindle and PDF format.

[Acopyofacopy]

When you say you use clip art from Google, do you mean you search for pictures and use them when you find them on Google? Sorry, but that is absolutely not ok, especially when you want to sell your resources!

I do agree with other posters, I usually make my own resources and use/share for free via tes or Facebook.

Having worked in different sectors before I think it is absolutely mad how thousands of teachers create their own resources for exactly the same lessons every day and how loads of colleagues are not willing to share. It's a model lesson on "how to make life difficult for yourself".