Educators have throughout history been "sharers" by nature! If a teacher finds a good resource, it is often shared with others. It is this sharing that makes an educational community a great one! The issue of "open content" takes sharing to another level. According to the Horizon Report (2011), open content "allows and even encourages the re-purposing and reusing of scholarly works". As we enter even more technological pervasiveness in the educational community from early education to higher education, it is clear that the digital resources that come to the forefront in any discussion of open content are even more relevant. On the OER Commons website, teachers can find numerous resources that are meant to be shared, modified, and reused. One of particular importance is the Common Core Aligned Resources. As we move toward more integration of the Common Core, teachers are going to be looking for and finding more resources. The searchable nature of this particular website (and I know there are others, but I really like the ease of this one), allows teachers to search depending on both the resource they are looking for and the grade level.
Textbooks are also another important piece of the open content puzzle. As the standards change, teachers need to be able to find resources that may not be available in the textbooks they are given. Textbooks are expensive and become quickly outdated by the changing standards. The ability of a teacher to use an "open" textbook means that when a specific topic is needed, there may be a text online that meets the needs. As we try to differentiate instruction, this again, is a helpful way to make sure that teachers are able to reach all of their learners. E-Readers are making a splash in the textbook arena. Both e-readers and tablet computing offer users the opportunity to read books, downloaded or stored in the cloud, on their own time. I can see that schools are going to start looking seriously at the practicality of using online textbooks with student e-readers or tablets. Imagine the possible savings. Over time, it could be a money saver for districts who want (and need) for their students and teachers to have access to current material that can be tailored to meet their specific curricular needs. As a teacher, I've used Google Books to preview books that I may want to use with my students and as a student, I've previewed books that I may consider purchasing for my own use. My own children use their e-readers daily for the personal reading. We've had so many students start to bring their own devices (BYOD) to school that we are constructing a new policy to cover the use of the e-readers or tablets in school.
Just because the technology makes it very easy for us to find and use what we are in need of, teachers need to be respectful of the rules that govern the copyright of the online resources. Creative Commons provides guidelines for those wanting to use/contribute to the multitude of resources (including images, video, music, documents, etc) now readily available on the Internet. Creative Commons offers creators of content a "bridge from content to community" in which anyone can enter. There are differing levels of use, mostly dependent on giving the creator the control over how their content is used and ultimately shared. The attempt of the Creative Commons is to make copyright easier and more "user-friendly". These are important topics that educators who use technology should be aware of. ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) includes this "digital citizenship" category in the student standards revised in 2007 (ISTE, 2012).
It is clear that these are important topics that are going to continue to come to the forefront in education. As our access to technology continues to improve and our students come better equipped, teachers and administrators will need to understand the implications (both positive and negative) for these issues. Open Content can provide schools with a viable alternative to spending thousands of dollars, assuming they are practicing the ethical, digital citizenship we expect from our students!
Resources
Adams, S., Haywood, K., & Johnson, L. (2011) The NMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
Creative Commons. (n.d.). Licensing. Retrieved February 3, 2012, from http://creativecommons.org/licenses.
International Society for Technology in Education. (n.d.). ISTE: NETS for Students. Retrieved February 4, 2012, from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students.aspx.
OER Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2012, from http://www.oercommons.org.
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I really like the point you make when saying that using open textbooks “is a helpful way to make sure that teachers are able to reach all of their learners.” I think that so many decisions are based on money and people forget about the learners. Bookstores argue that using open textbooks is not a money-maker, but it really is better for students.
ReplyDeleteI find that very fascinating that your school has a new policy that covers the use of tablets – how great! It’s nice to know that schools are allowing this instead of neglecting to change with new technology available. You say, “It is clear that these are important topics that are going to continue to come to the forefront in education,” and it seems like your school is ahead of the game!
I think my favorite part is when you wrote that teachers should be practicing the digital citizenship expected of students. That is so true and such a great way to model proper behavior to students. Thanks for the reminder!