Can I use online videos in my lesson plans?
Copyright and Fair Use
In the U.S., fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material for teaching, but it's not a blanket permission. You can generally show short clips in face-to-face teaching, but uploading full videos to a public site or sharing them broadly may violate copyright. Always check the video's license—many YouTube videos are standard YouTube license, not Creative Commons.
For safety, use videos from educational platforms like PBS LearningMedia, Khan Academy, or TED-Ed, which are designed for classroom use. If you're unsure, ask your school librarian or district copyright officer.
- Fair use is not unlimited; it depends on purpose, amount, and effect.
- YouTube's standard license does not grant educational use rights.
- Look for Creative Commons or public domain videos.
- PBS LearningMedia and TED-Ed allow classroom use.
- When in doubt, seek permission or use a licensed alternative.
Practical Tips for Using Videos
Keep videos short—under 5 minutes is ideal for maintaining attention. Preview the entire video to ensure it's appropriate and ad-free. If ads appear, use a tool like SafeShare or ViewPure to remove them.
Always have a backup plan if technology fails. Download videos in advance when possible, and check your school's internet filtering policies. Consider adding closed captions for accessibility and to support English language learners.
- Preview videos to avoid surprises.
- Use SafeShare or ViewPure to block ads and distractions.
- Download videos if your connection is unreliable.
- Enable captions for accessibility.
- Have a discussion or activity to follow up.
Common mistakes
- Assuming all YouTube videos are free to use in class; many are not.
- Showing long videos without a clear instructional purpose, leading to passive viewing.
- Ignoring accessibility needs like captions or audio description.