Teachers TV to close on April 29th!

[AngryTechnician]

Got an email about this today. It seems it was announced last October but I somehow missed the announcement. Another fabulous decision by Gove's department of muppets.

 

Teachers TV Site Closure | Teachers TV

 

The Teachers TV website is closing because the Department for Education has terminated the Teachers TV contract.

 

...

 

You will be able to view and download content until 29th April, 2011. You will not be able to view or download content from http://www.teachers.tv after this date.

 

The shutdown will also mean that some previously-downloaded content will no longer be licensed and must be deleted, depending on the original licensing. See the link above for details.

[glennda]

The shutdown will also mean that some previously-downloaded content will no longer be licensed and must be deleted, depending on the original licensing. See the link above for details.

 

And how many teachers will listen to that? we all know the issues we have in schools with regards to that sort of thing.

 

I personally have never used the site apart from downloading videos for staff.

[mb2k01]

And how many teachers will listen to that? we all know the issues we have in schools with regards to that sort of thing.

I personally have never used the site apart from downloading videos for staff.

 

Completely agree with what you are saying about teaching staff, but.... If unlicensed content is on "our" servers, it is our responsibility (and a nightmare!)

[glennda]

Completely agree with what you are saying about teaching staff, but.... If unlicensed content is on "our" servers, it is our responsibility (and a nightmare!)

 

but without watching every single video on our servers what are we expected to do?

[FN-GM]

Typical, I only just managed to get the site unblocked by the managed service provider.

[mb2k01]

but without watching every single video on our servers what are we expected to do?

Generally, you should have regular complience checks to verify files stored on your servers are in line with the AUP and any other internal/external policies which apply should pick up this kind of thing, and/or highlight content you need to question users further about?

 

To answer in the context of the Teachers TV issue, they are not expecting you to do anything. It is no longer their problem. It is your responsibility to make sure only copyright material exists on your network (I should say 'probably' your responsibility as I am only assuming you are the Network Manager / most senior person with administrative control of your network?)

 

The best rule to adhere to is.... If there is no proof of copyright, no license information, and you are ultimately not sure... delete it!

If you aren't sure on the validity of content

[localzuk]

but without watching every single video on our servers what are we expected to do?

 

You just answered your own question... You're supposed to keep track of everything everyone does on your systems in the eyes of the law. Practically, its impossible, but legally required.

[glennda]

Yeah we track things as much as possible and do keep any eye on things - but i know its our responsibility i just think that in cases of copyright then the person whos area it is should be held accountable rather then the tech teams who manage to the systems.

[tech_guy]

Since it was announced we've had constant requests to download and save content. I just walk off laughing.

[russdev]

Just for peoples info Leon cynch has organised a crowd sourcing of the creative archive downloads. He has setup a dropbox He will make it available to people working in UK schools to download.

 

Learn 4 Life » Teachers’ TV Video Archive - the next stage

 

There is some very good content on there so if can help by downloading some files then do so..

 

Russell

[mattx]

Hells Bells, does this mean teachers will >actually< have to do some work now? You know, like teach ?

[GrumbleDook]

@mattx ... whilst I appreciate that the comment was tongue in cheek ... there are also videos on there for support staff, TAs, SEN, etc ... a lot of useful stuff. If people want to pick holes with it then you might as well say that each time we try and catch a webcast then we are skiving.

[IT_Guy]

You just answered your own question... You're supposed to keep track of everything everyone does on your systems in the eyes of the law. Practically, its impossible, but legally required.

 

Anyone know where I would find the actual legal information relating to this? Am I really 'legally responsible' for 'everything' on my servers? How many years am I looking at if a teacher uploads the latest lady gaga track to their dropbox!

[BaccyNet]

Very kindly someone put a notice about this on our VLE when I left this evening telling staff to download them whilst they can, yay!!

[Dos_Box]

Anyone know where I would find the actual legal information relating to this? Am I really 'legally responsible' for 'everything' on my servers? How many years am I looking at if a teacher uploads the latest lady gaga track to their dropbox!

 

Only if the taste police pay a visit.

[GrumbleDook]

Anyone know where I would find the actual legal information relating to this? Am I really 'legally responsible' for 'everything' on my servers? How many years am I looking at if a teacher uploads the latest lady gaga track to their dropbox!

 

This is where policies come in. You have two basic approaches to most things in school, such as copyright, data protection, etc ... you can deal with it purely by technology, lock things down, audit everything, review all the audit logs each and every day ... or there are rigorous policies telling staff what they can and can't do, along with consequences if they fail to follow the policies. In reality it is somewhere in the middle though ... the school is responsible and in all likelihood you are the person delegated with the technical part of that ... and if the school relies purely on a technical solution then the buck is stopping with you ... another reason why folk should look to make sure that there are adequate policies within the school.

 

Ignorance is not an excuse in the eyes of the law, only a mitigating factor.

[IT_Guy]

This is where policies come in. You have two basic approaches to most things in school, such as copyright, data protection, etc ... you can deal with it purely by technology, lock things down, audit everything, review all the audit logs each and every day ... or there are rigorous policies telling staff what they can and can't do, along with consequences if they fail to follow the policies. In reality it is somewhere in the middle though ... the school is responsible and in all likelihood you are the person delegated with the technical part of that ... and if the school relies purely on a technical solution then the buck is stopping with you ... another reason why folk should look to make sure that there are adequate policies within the school.

 

Ignorance is not an excuse in the eyes of the law, only a mitigating factor.

 

My schools policies aren't 'Law', localzuk stated 'in the eyes of the law', I'm just looking for the 'Law' - not having much luck so far.

 

I've found lots of info on Copyright 'Fair dealing' and whats allowed and plenty on data protection but nothing to suggest that I'm responsible for another adults actions - as you state their ignorance is no excuse - and surely it shouldn't pass the buck onto me!

 

The bottom line is that I don't fancy setting myself up as the school thought police, its such a cliche!

[GrumbleDook]

In the eyes of the law there are rare mentions of named roles with legal responsibilities. Some are evident such as a driver, owner of a dangerous dog, and within a company / school there is the SIRO. However you will find that many others are enshrined in case law ... such as the custody officer in a police station having responsibility for detainees under their care. These are usually backed up with stringent working practices and code of conduct. These can be as binding as legal structures and can incur hefty fines as they act as a substitute for legal acts. Take football ... someone getting a fight on the pitch could technically be dealt with as assault but is usually left to the governing body to deal with. The Press Complaints Commission will deal with journalists and papers ...

 

What schools (and other companies / organisations) are then left with is where responsibility is apportioned.

 

The conversations about where the buck stops, the role of policies, about ensuring Leadership / Manglement do not leave you in the mire ... these have been covered many times before and the ability for folk to stand up for things will vary from school to school, but if Manglement expect you to deal with it, and put nothing else in place, then don't be surprised if the smelly stuff lands on your desk.

 

It happens with a number of other areas too ... some schools have terrible Child Protection Officers who leave it all down to form tutors to deal with ... others have diabolic behaviour policies and rely on the classroom teacher to deal with everything with no support from Manglement (does that remind anyone of the recent strike up north) ...

[IT_Guy]

In the eyes of the law there are rare mentions of named roles with legal responsibilities. Some are evident such as a driver, owner of a dangerous dog, and within a company / school there is the SIRO. However you will find that many others are enshrined in case law ... such as the custody officer in a police station having responsibility for detainees under their care. These are usually backed up with stringent working practices and code of conduct. These can be as binding as legal structures and can incur hefty fines as they act as a substitute for legal acts. Take football ... someone getting a fight on the pitch could technically be dealt with as assault but is usually left to the governing body to deal with. The Press Complaints Commission will deal with journalists and papers ...

 

What schools (and other companies / organisations) are then left with is where responsibility is apportioned.

 

The conversations about where the buck stops, the role of policies, about ensuring Leadership / Manglement do not leave you in the mire ... these have been covered many times before and the ability for folk to stand up for things will vary from school to school, but if Manglement expect you to deal with it, and put nothing else in place, then don't be surprised if the smelly stuff lands on your desk.

 

It happens with a number of other areas too ... some schools have terrible Child Protection Officers who leave it all down to form tutors to deal with ... others have diabolic behaviour policies and rely on the classroom teacher to deal with everything with no support from Manglement (does that remind anyone of the recent strike up north) ...

 

So the bottom line is that I am not resposible by an act of law but might be responsible by an act of delegation via school policies or procedures. Our school policies state that everyone is responsible for ensuring copyrights on material they use are adhered to.

 

Interesting link here by the way: UK Copyright Law Section 8 on Fair dealing is quite interesting.

 

I accept I'm responsible - as my Job description states - for the safety and security of the data stored within the school but I draw the line on being the Copyright police - Sony don't pay me enough!

 

As for the 'manglement' you refer to, I must admit to being surprised at the employment of people who are unqualified as managers.

 

My previous (private sector) employer wouldn't dream of employing a mid-level manager (such as a headmaster) without a MBA and I was pleased to see my son's new headmaster was actually qualified as such.

[GrumbleDook]

NPQH is regarded as the relevant qualification for Headship ... the same way I would not demand that all Network Managers are PRINCE2 qualified, an MBA is not always what it is cracked up to be in all environments.

 

In reality, MBA is a boon ... but can also be a distraction in the wrong hands. I've seen it limit innovation in some schools because the Head has lacked flexibility ... more of a person thing than the qualification, but it shows that you can't always rely on pieces of paper (even though it is a well-earned one in most cases).

[IT_Guy]

NPQH is regarded as the relevant qualification for Headship ... the same way I would not demand that all Network Managers are PRINCE2 qualified, an MBA is not always what it is cracked up to be in all environments.).

My wife was recently made redundant from a secondary school and we are many thousands of pounds richer and the school/taxpayer subsequently poorer due to a basic lack of understanding of employment law by the schools SLT, the expansion of academies is likely to exacerbate these type of issues as they are no longer under the Councils 'wing'.

 

 

In reality, MBA is a boon ... but can also be a distraction in the wrong hands. I've seen it limit innovation in some schools because the Head has lacked flexibility ... more of a person thing than the qualification, but it shows that you can't always rely on pieces of paper (even though it is a well-earned one in most cases).

A Head lacking flexibility sounds like a Leadership rather than a Management issue. Teachers may see themselves as a special case as do most professionals but a Manager has basically the same responsibilities in a factory, on an oil rig or in a school.

[localzuk]

Anyone know where I would find the actual legal information relating to this? Am I really 'legally responsible' for 'everything' on my servers? How many years am I looking at if a teacher uploads the latest lady gaga track to their dropbox!

 

The school is liable, not you personally, but if the school ended up in court over it, you'd likely end up in front of a disciplinary for allowing it to happen. When I earlier said 'you' in my post, I was referring to 'the school' not 'you personally'.

 

Copyright law is standard, copying a file etc... without copyright permission is an offence. If it is done in a business, it is both the individual who copied it who are at fault, and the business itself. So, there is nothing specific in copyright law saying you must monitor files, but the consequence is that if you don't do it then you are leaving your school open to legal issues should copyright files be on your servers and it end up in court.

Edited April 27, 2011 by localzuk

[IT_Guy]

Copyright law is standard, copying a file etc... without copyright permission is an offence.....

 

Wow, very general statement there, what if I'm copying it for;

 

i. Private and research study purposes.

ii. Performance, copies or lending for educational purposes.

iii. Criticism and news reporting.

iv. Incidental inclusion.

v. Copies and lending by librarians.

vi. Acts for the purposes of Royal Commissions, statutory enquiries, judicial proceedings and parliamentary purposes.

vii. Recording of broadcasts for the purposes of listening to, or viewing, at a more convenient time. This is known as “time shifting”.

viii. Producing a back up copy for personal use of a computer program.

ix. Playing sound recording for a non profit making organisation, club or society. (Profit making organisations and individuals should obtain a license from PRS for Music.)

 

My point is that I'm not a lawyer and I suspect your not either, I'm not going to remove swathes of material being used for non-profit educational purposes so lightly. I have enough to do without setting myself up as the Data police, I'm here to provide a service to the Teaching staff, not hinder them.

 

I don't 'own' the Data on the servers, my role is to maintain the safety and security of that Data, not police it. It reminds me of our Caretaker who will claim Health and Safety 'Law' prohibits something when on closer inspection it turns out that firstly, He couldn't be bothered to do it and secondly, he enjoys the power trip on the Teachers.

 

If by chance we (as a school) do overstep the rules on Fair Dealing I suspect Sony will send us a letter 'Stating that the infringement must stop' as it suggests in the Copyright Act rather than dragging me off kicking and screaming to the local nick.

 

Then again, I've heard stories about Sony.....

[localzuk]

Ignorance of the law is NOT a defence. Saying you are not a lawyer will never hold up in court!

 

i. This is not a catch all allowing everything to be copied at will. It is a limited and specific issue.

ii. See i.

iii. Schools are not news outlets.

iv. This is specific to incidental things. For example, you're filming a performance on your stage and someone's mobile goes off and plays a song which is copyright.

v. Again, this is very limited to specific instances.

vi. Not relevant.

vii. Recording of materials in schools require licenses. See A Guide to Copyright Licensing in Schools

viii. Personal use is not relevant in a school.

ix. Non-profits also require a license. See A Guide to Copyright Licensing in Schools

 

You don't own data on the servers, but the school does, and you are the primary technical manager of those systems, so are responsible for them.

 

As I said, I never implied you were personally responsible for these issues, but your school is. Turning a blind eye simply because you don't know the law will not cover you if you are dragged in front of a disciplinary panel after the school ends up in trouble because of it.

[glennda]

A member of slt has just had this - looks like we could be ok.

 

 

This is the final message to confirm that, following the termination of the Teachers TV contract, the Teachers TV website will cease to be available from 29th April, 2011.

 

Where can I find Teachers TV videos after the 29th April?

The Department for Education (DfE) will make all Teachers TV programmes available to distributors on a non-exclusive basis. Any distributor who provides Teachers TV programmes will be required to stream them for free at the point of use. Details of where you can access Teachers TV programmes can be found on the DfE website.

 

Where can I find more information about the closure of the Teachers TV website?

For more information please visit our help pages.

 

What do I need to do if I have a viewing log, or links to the Teachers TV website?

If you have completed a Teachers TV viewing log, or have links to Teachers TV videos on your website or VLE, you need to take action. Please check our help pages for details.

 

Thank you very much for your messages of support and kind words about how useful you found the Teachers TV service. Unfortunately, as we approach the end of the service, we may not be able to respond to all of your messages. Thanks again for your support and the very best of luck for the future.

 

With very best wishes,

 

The Teachers TV team