Open Educational Resources

Explainer

Open Educational Resources (OER): Overview and Definition
Here are answers to basic questions about OER, the movement to share free educational resources and learning materials online.
BRIC ARCHIVE
Vanessa Solis/Education Week, antoniokhr/Getty
Education Funding Opinion How to Harness the Tremendous Potential of Open Education Resources
A textbook is no longer enough in many classrooms, writes Dan McDowell, but finding the right OER materials can be tricky.
Dan McDowell, January 29, 2020
5 min read
Curriculum Could Digital Resources Help Teachers Reach LGBTQ Students?
Some school districts and states are just beginning to think more broadly about how to best make sure that LGTBQ, non-binary, and other students are included in curriculum, professional development, and classroom discussions.
Alyson Klein, November 20, 2019
2 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Getty/Getty
Professional Development Teachers Nationwide Now Have Access to Open-Source Science Curriculum
For years, educators have complained that they lacked materials aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. But a new effort called OpenSciEd is slowly releasing a free, open curriculum that many say is high-quality.
Sarah Schwartz, August 28, 2019
7 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Getty/Getty
Curriculum Opinion What Teachers Need to Know to Do Right by Queer Students
Students deserve an LGBTQ-inclusive education, but many educators don’t know where to start, writes Sabia Prescott.
Sabia Prescott, June 21, 2019
4 min read
Classroom Technology Digital Content, Open Resources, Cybersecurity, and Makerspaces: That's What's on This Superintendent's Mind
Superintendent David Schuler is always trying to see what’s next in technology, but with a critical eye on its effectiveness and cost.
Michelle R. Davis, June 11, 2019
5 min read
Special Education Five Top Technology Trends in Special Education
Fueled by technological advances, policy changes, and pressure from advocates, companies and researchers craft new tools and strategies to serve students with disabilities.
Benjamin Herold, December 4, 2018
8 min read
Special Report Navigating New Curriculum Choices
From open educational resources to common-core standards, this special report guides educators through the bewildering array of K-12 curricular options available to classrooms today.
March 29, 2017
Curriculum Opinion The OER Landscape has Something for Every District
Under the right circumstances - which include meaningful district support and investment - I've seen firsthand that OER curation can lead to powerful shared assets and professional learning.
Patrick Larkin, November 3, 2016
5 min read
Curriculum Opinion Pressing The Reset Button On OER
As I reflect on what the Go Open movement can learn from our experiences, I think we underestimated the capacity-building that needed to be done with teachers to get them comfortable creating curricular resources.
Patrick Larkin, October 3, 2016
4 min read
Curriculum Opinion Three Keys To Gaining Traction With #GoOpen This Year
The #GoOpen District Launch Packet provides a comprehensive outline for schools and districts to organize their efforts to infuse their curriculum with openly-licensed educational resources.
Patrick Larkin, September 24, 2016
2 min read
Curriculum New 'Open' Ed. Project to Challenge Commercial Publishers for K-12 Work
Open Up Resources, a nonprofit led by a former Pearson executive, will try to produce openly licensed material at "curriculum scale," rather than just individual lessons and units.
Sean Cavanagh, September 16, 2016
6 min read
Curriculum Opinion Looking For Perspective On Open Educational Resources
It clear that there are a lot more questions than answers on the topic of OER. However, I am pretty sure that when we have to allocate funds to find freely accessible resources then they are not really free resources.
Patrick Larkin, April 11, 2016
1 min read
Curriculum Opinion Open Educational Resources Are About Much More Than Saving Money
This transition will help us make the cultural shift that is necessary in our schools to truly prepare our students for the rapidly changing landscape beyond K-12 education.
Patrick Larkin, March 11, 2016
1 min read