Videos, DVDs, Audio Tapes and CDs

• Videos, DVD’s, audio tapes, and CD’s are housed in the work area of the Media Center office.  Some AV materials are reserved for specific grade level use and are labeled with color-coded stickers.  Professional courtesy is appreciated to honor this “reserved” system.

• "Request for Prior Approval of Video Broadcast” forms are available in the Media Center.  Prior approval is required when using videos that are not catalogued in the WMS collection.

• The MATV system is available for multiple-classroom viewing of a video or DVD.  Please arrange for the showing of the tapes/DVDs with the Media Center staff.

Guidelines for Showing Films in the Classroom

The Wake County Public School System supports the strategic use of media to enhance the instructional program.  Federal legal guidelines have been established to facilitate appropriate selection and utilization of the medium.  Individual faculty/staff members and building administrators have the responsibility for implementing these guidelines.

By law, when a teacher shows any film that does not include “public performance rights” he or she must comply with the “Fair Use” provision and Chapter 1, Section 110 of the U.S. Copyright Act.  The following is a summary of the guidelines from those documents.  Films shown in school must: 

• Be used by teachers in the course of “face to face” instruction with students.
• Be directly related to the curriculum and the current instruction.
• Be correlated to instructional objectives.
• Be shown in the normal instructional setting.
• Be “lawfully” made:  the teacher has not duplicated a copy in violation of Fair Use, without the permission of the copyright holder.
• Not be used for extra-curricular, reward, recreation, or before or after school use.
• Not be used for fund-raising.  No admission should be charged for a film showing.

Films other than those from the school library media center, grade level/department collections, or Wake County School System’s central video collection must have prior approval from the principal or designee before broadcast for student viewing.

If you have questions concerning copyright and fair use, please see Copyright for Schools: A Practical Guide by Carol Simpson. A copy is available in the professional  library in the media center office. If the media staff can help you locate answers to your questions , please let us know. Do not assume that because you are an educator, using materials for educational purposes, it is “okay” to copy.  If you are unsure, please check the copyright rule for your situation.

What does this mean for my classroom?

In regards to films borrowed from the school library media center, grade level/department collections, privately purchased, or rented by teachers:

• Follow the above Fair Use provisions.
• Use of feature films, not originally intended for educational use, can cause problems even when they are used appropriately in the school setting.  Movies not rated “G” have some material to which a parent may object.  You should consider the content of the film, the age and maturity of the students, its importance to the curriculum and the preparation the students have had beforehand.  If all students meet the age requirement but the content is controversial, permission slips are recommended.  Extreme care should be used when you consider showing films rated “PG-13” or “R.”
• Remember to send a parent permission letter prior to showing a film for the following:

*  Elementary:  Any film that does not have a “G” rating.
*  Middle/High:  Any film in which all students do not meet the age requirement of the MPAA rating.

• Permission letters should be kept on file by the teacher.

 In regards to off-air taping:

• If you tape a video from a regular, commercial, or “free” network, you must apply the Fair Use guidelines.  The video may be shown once within ten consecutive school days, and may be repeated once within the same ten-day period.
• There are no Fair Use rights for exclusively cable channels (A&E, Disney, History Channel, etc.)  Taping of these programs must be researched on the basis of granted rights for each program.  (Program rights may be found at Cable in the Classroom Online, http://www.ciconline.org)

 In regards to effective instructional use of films and other media:

• Select titles that are aligned with the NCSCOS or school-based curriculum.
• Carefully choose segments of a film that are applicable to the instructional content.  It is not recommended to show a film in its entirety.
• Introduce the film and explain the curricular connection.
• Pause to stop the film to emphasize points and to encourage interaction.
• Provide a culminating or follow-up activity to reinforce the instructional content.

 In regards to persons other than WCPSS instructional staff:

• Parents, students, or guest speakers showing a film in the classroom must also complete the “Prior Approval” form and so-sign with the teacher and principal or designee.