Teaching Students about Piracy

Student Assembly: 500 students, Grades 6-8, 50 groups using Socrative

This was an eye opening assembly, for both the students and myself.  I started using Socrative this year during assemblies to try to keep the students engaged and to also tailor the talk to their responses.  It is working great!  The students love being part of the process, they love seeing the responses to questions update LIVE on the screen, they love... Did I mention that they love it?

So Piracy.  Not their favorite topic.  Starting off the assembly with a couple of warm-up questions was great.  It set the tone.  I asked if they have ever given a friend a copy of digital media (music, movies, or games) and if they had ever used a torrent or download site like megadownload.  The responses were overwhelmingly on the side of excess sharing and downloading.  70% of groups responded that they do use peer-to-peer or download sites for free media.  

So the topic was relevant that was for sure!   These kids need to know what they're doing, maybe they do, and they need to know the potential consequences.  

I had a couple of video PSA's from YouTube and used a clincher at the end of the piracy talk.  I happened across an article that mentioned "confessions of convicted software pirates".  It was part of a series of videos known as BSA faces.  I found a great little 1-minute clip of a late 20-something guy who talked about the great life he had: the Hummer, the house, the boat and now it is all gone.  It was great!  Not only did the Socrative responses start to show that the students were "getting the message", I could see it in their faces that they were surprised by the confession of a real "pirate".  Throughout the day I have overheard conversations and answered random questions about what "is" pirated or "not" pirated.  The fact that they are talking about it means it struck a cord.

The part I wonder about now is how do I follow up?  How do I keep this conversation going?

I have sent an email home to families describing this event.  Hoping that will start the conversation at home.  Next will have to be the teachers and see if they feel inclined to bring it up within their classroom environments.  Something to keep the momentum going.