Using Flickr and other Photosharing Websites
What is photosharing?
Photosharing is the publishing of photographs online, and sharing them with others (publicly or privately). This functionality is provided through a range of web sites that facilitate the upload and sharing of the photographs such as Flikr and Picassa. You can also upload and share images within your VLE or Wiki.
What images can I share?
Before you upload any images to a photosharing site or VLE you must make sure that you have the rights to do so. If the photographs are your own, then there is not a problem, but if you have found images elsewhere such as on a photosharing site such as Flickr or on another website then you need to check the terms of use and look for a copyright licence. You may use images that have no copyright restrictions, or if you are willing to attribute the provider, images that are ‘attribution only’. Otherwise you must seek the permission of the photographer.
Finding Images on Flickr from JISC Digital Media
Can I photoshare the items in this web site?
You can photoshare any of the items in this website as long as long as it is selective (for instance you should not republish the entire Wilfred Owen Collection!), and for the creation of non-commercial educational resources. You must attribute the copyright holder and state that the image came from The First World War Poetry Digital Archive.
E.g. Copyright of the The English Faculty, University of Oxford / The Wilfred Owen Literary Estate. Made available by The First World War Poetry Digital Archive.
The copyright statement can be found in the information supplied on the page of every item.
Read our page on permitted use
Please Note
Photosharing websites exist in the public domain and thus not all content will be appropriate. You should think carefully about using these websites, especially in schools. That said, such sites do have a lot of rich materials and functionality for educational use. If you are worried about using these sites for teaching and learning speak to your IT Officer and see if it would be possible to restrict access to the particular area of the site that you want to use.
How can I use photosharing?
There are many ways that you can use photosharing to enrich and enhance teaching and learning.
Create a slideshow
Some photosharing websites let you create slide shows which you can then embed as curriculum support into other tools, including blogs, wikis, and VLEs.
A slideshow created in Flickr of the Great War Archive Flickr Group
- How to create and embed a slideshow from Flickr
- How to create and embed a slideshow in Picassa
- Alternatively you could use this web site's Path Creation Tool to create a slideshow
Photosharing as a writing tool
Images are a great way to inspire writing and creativity. Many photosharing websites allow for visitors to comment on photographs. Post a picture of the day for students to comment on, or use images as starting points for further discussion or as a basis for creative writing. Often the photosharing website will let you describe who can and can not comment on the images that you post. If you are photosharing in your VLE think about posting images in discussion threads.
Visual Storytelling
A picture can speak a 1000 words. Ask students to submit a serious of images on a particular topic or theme (you may want to limit the number to 5 or 6), with no text. Other students can then comment on and interpret the story.
Collaboratively create a photographic record
Photosharing websites often facilitate groups to contribute photographs to one album or group. This could be used to create an online photo journal with students to capture a field trip or special event. Alternatively create a montage of photos on a particular topic.
