Tech Tools: Public Domain Published Works
Written by Debbie Harris, Tech Tools brings you excellent technology tips to inspire you and add creativity to your teaching.
Remix DeMille’s silent version of “The Ten Commandments” - legally!
The Technology
As good digital citizens, we know that just because it’s on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s free to use. We try to encourage our students to use copyright-free sources when they’re making movies or looking for images.
That’s why there’s big news: As of January 1, 2019, more than 50,000 published works entered the public domain. Basically, if it was created in 1923 or earlier, then it’s likely yours to use.
You can, remix, copy and repurpose this material however you want. So, if you’re teaching about Passover or the Ten Commandments and have always wanted to do something creative with DeMille’s silent epic, go for it!
Besides films, public domain works now include books (such as works by Aldous Huxley, Agatha Christie, Carl Sandberg, and Winston Churchill) and music (“Yes, We Have No Bananas!”).
More Resources
- Thousands of Copyrighted Works Will Now Be Freely Available to Teachers
- A Landslide of Classic Art Is About to Enter the Public Domain
- Duke University’s Public Domain Day 2019
Debbie Harris is the Director of Educational Technology at Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago and blogs at http://www.museforjews.com. Reach her at deb@debharris.com
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