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The world of open educational resources (OERs) is both a blessing and a curse for educators. The blessing lies in access to a host of free educational materials for use in the classroom. The curse is the sheer scope of the resources and providers.

Elliot Soloway, Arthur F. Thurnau professor at the University of Michigan, has heard tales of educators spending hours researching OERs when all they need is a few specific items. He fears that this leads teachers to attempt to reinvent the wheel nightly. "And what a horrible thought that is," he says.

Soloway points to a number of websites that provide more than OER content (videos, PDFs and other media that inform); they offer full lessons and curricula.

"And many educators know, there's a world of difference between content and curriculum - vetted, standards-aligned, scope and sequenced learning activities," Soloway said.

Here are his top recommendations for curricula:

ck12.org. This site has been around for years, and for good reason - it meets the needs of K-12 teachers. In addition to the usual assortment of OER content, teachers will find full lesson plans that are easily incorporated into classrooms.

edmodo.com. Also a pioneer among OER sites, Edmodo offers a time-saving "Spotlight" search to help teachers find specific OER elements.

opened.com. Turn to this OER for the greatest range of assessments available anywhere.

gooru.org. Not only does this site provide lesson plans, it offers full courses that can be downloaded and used - and they're all free!

curriki.org. Also an early OER resource, curriki.org provides content and also makes it easy for educators to share their OER-based lessons.

Educators interested in learning about a free, device-agnostic platform for creating OERs, monitoring students in real time and assessing student artifacts can join Soloway and colleague Cathie Norris for the ISTE Professional Learning Series webinar "Digital Lessons to Reap the Benefits of Your 1:1 Classroom" April 5. Participants will:

Learn how to best support student collaboration in 1:1 environments.

Get tips for managing a 1:1 classroom.

Gather best practices for creating digital curricula.

ISTE members can sign up now for the ISTE Professional Learning Series that includes the webinar "Digital Lessons to Reap the Benefits of Your 1:1 Classroom." Not a member? Join ISTE today.

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The world of open educational resources (OERs) is both a blessing and a curse for educators. The blessing lies in access to a host of free educational materials for use in the classroom. The curse is the sheer scope of the resources and providers. Elliot Soloway, Arthur F.

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Smithsonian

Learning Lab

Discover the digital education platform that connects people to Smithsonian objects, resources, and stories.

Collections by Grade

Explore some of our most popular Learning Lab Collections. Use them as a springboard to continue your exploration of the many collections available on the site.

Talk with Me!
Learn about your community and neighborhood. In this Toolkit, leaners explore different homes, shops, and people in your neighborhood and have fun with related activities.

Talk with Me Toolkits provide you with chances to talk with your children to improve thinking, vocabulary, and language development. Talking with your child is great-and research shows that the quality of words children hear matters more than how much you talk.

Talk with Me Toolkits give you ideas to begin conversations that are organized around a theme. The Toolkits feature videos, photographs, paintings, and artworks along with questions to talk about with your child. At the end of each toolkit there are more activities to do and books to read together. Go through this toolkit with your child and see how many topics there are to talk about!
This toolkit was adapted with a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

Links to third-party websites and videos are included in this Toolkit for informational purposes only. They do not indicate the Smithsonian's endorsement, sponsorship of, or affiliation with the third party or content of the linked site, including any advertisements that might be posted.

Learn More

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

What inspires you? Get to know Alma Thomas, (b. Columbus, Georgia; lived and worked in Washington, DC, 1891-1978), an American artist and educator known for her signature painting style using bright colors and patterns inspired by nature. She became a full-time artist late in her life. Born in a time of horses and buggies, she lived through big advancements in technology, such as the space race and moon landing. Her art was inspired by the nature she saw outside her home studio, and awe for the exploration of our vast universe.
Get To Know Alma Thomas Use it in the classroom to teach:
is part of the Hirshhorn KIDS About the Artist series. About the Artist biographies are designed for kids under age 12. Modern and contemporary artists' lives reflect recent human history and events. Sharing these life stories and artworks can help kids see their own potential and better understand the world and their place in it. It is our goal to inspire future generations of artists, makers, and creative problem solvers-sharing artists stories is one way Hirshhorn KIDS realize this goal.
Art classroom: Color Theory, Pattern

Language Arts classroom: Biography

Social Studies classroom: 20th century

Learn More

National Museum of American History

In this playlist you will learn about how three of the first presidents shaped the executive branch of the United States government.

Start by clicking on the first tile in the upper left hand corner. Then move through the playlist by clicking on the ">" symbol at the bottom of the page. Look for the information and paperclip icons to provide more information about selected resources. There are 34 tiles in this collection.

Learn More

Educator Programs

Cultivating Learning is a professional development series where Smithsonian educators model teaching techniques for using digital museum resources to support student learning. This year's series celebrates America at 250. Programs are free and accessible to anyone.

Wednesday, April 15, 4:00 PM EST

Join Phoebe Sherman of the National Postal Museum to explore how postage stamps can be used in the classroom to encourage civic awareness and engagement. We'll examine how stamps can spark curiosity and deepen understanding of civics, American history, national identity, and commemoration by using thinking routines that focus on both subject matter and artistic design. You'll see how these approaches come to life with students and leave with classroom-ready resources and fresh ideas for incorporating postage stamps into your teaching practice.

Watch

Wednesday, May 20, 4:00 PM EST

Join Nyssa Buning of the National Museum of American History's Spark!Lab and Carol O'Donnell of the Smithsonian Science Education Center to explore strategies for cultivating an inventive mindset in your students. We'll discuss the history of STEAM innovation in America and try an open-ended invention challenge that uses object-based learning techniques to encourage creative problem solving and support curiosity and perseverance, skills essential to inventors throughout history. You'll leave with a set of facilitation tools to support students as they develop their own inventive identity and become future problem-solvers. You'll also receive access to a newly released e-book from the Smithsonian Science Education Center, STEAM Innovation: Celebrating Our Nation's 250 Years.

Register

Wednesday, June 17, 4:00 PM EST

As America turns 250 in 2026, young people are writing its next chapter. Join a group of educators who apply interdisciplinary approaches to learning to engage young people in civic dialogue tied to their communities.

Register

What will you find in the Smithsonian Learning Lab?

Resources

Millions of Smithsonian digital images, recordings, texts, and videos in history, art and culture, and the sciences

Collections

Thousands of examples of resources organized and structured for teaching and learning by educators and subject experts

Resources

Millions of Smithsonian digital images, recordings, texts, and videos in history, art and culture, and the sciences

Collections

Thousands of examples of resources organized and structured for teaching and learning by educators and subject experts

Browse individual resources by type

Browse model collections on different topics

Tips

Tips

Create collections of resources to engage learners, or freely adapt ones already made by Learning Lab users like you.

Use Learning Lab tools to customize and enhance your collections.

Browse ready-to-use model collections by educational use

Browse ready-to-use model collections by learning strategy or theme

Tips

Tips

Subscribe to our Bright Ideas newsletter

To learn more about the Smithsonian Learning Lab and to read about strategies, approaches, new features, and more, subscribe to the Bright Ideas newsletter. We'll be sending out a new issue every few weeks.

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Smithsonian Learning Lab: Discover, Create, Share

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Smithsonian Learning Lab Discover the digital education platform that connects people to Smithsonian objects, resources, and stories. Explore some of our most popular Learning Lab Collections. Use them as a springboard to continue your exploration of the many collections available on the site. Talk with Me! Learn about your community and neighborhood.

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Search by grade level, subject, and more.

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Introduction to Open Educational Resources

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Introduction to Open Educational Resources

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OpenStax list of repositories.

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Overview of OER Collections in Follett Destiny Discover

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Overview of OER Collections in Follett Destiny Discover

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Overview of Open Educational Resources | Follett

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Open educational resources (OER) are free and openly licensed educational materials that can be used for teaching, learning, research, and other purposes.

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Free College textbooks

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OpenStax | Free Textbooks Online with No Catch

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OpenStax offers free college textbooks for all types of students, making education accessible & affordable for everyone. Browse our list of available subjects!

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CK-12 Blog | General information about CK-12

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Why is CK-12 special? Because it is a no-cost solution to engage students, differentiate practic...

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Open Author helps you build and publish Open Educational Resources for you and for the benefit of educators and learners everywhere.

Learn more about creating OER

Groups provides a flexible environment to organize, create, share, and discuss resources with others in your network. Collaborate with group members, tag and add resources to shared folders, create your own collections, all within a public or private group.

Groups

Search through collections curated by our digital librarians

Collections

Common Core resources organized for your needs

Common Core

Hubs

A Custom Resource Center

Projects, districts, states, and initiatives make use of Hubs to bring groups of educators together to create, organize, and share OER collections that meet their common goals. Explore Hubs

Microsites

Custom Digital Libraries

Microsites are custom, flexible sites that include all the features available on OER Commons. Microsites allow your users to search resource collections using a custom taxonomy at a unique URL. Contact Us

Our award-winning OER Professional Learning programs support instructors and curriculum specialists to gain the necessary skills required to find, adapt, and evaluate high quality open materials.

In-person and virtual OER workshops help focus instructors to develop a "commons" mindset, to experience the benefits of open processes using the platform's tools, collaborative features, and workflows. This can include using Open Author for creating, remixing, and publishing shared curriculum.

Learn More

How to Search OER Commons

View all How-to videos

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OER Commons is a dynamic digital library and network. Explore open education resources and join our network of educators dedicated to curriculum improvement.

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Learn about OER.

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Library Guides: OER: Open Educational Resources: Learn about OER

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Designed for educators at the University of Missouri, this guide covers ways to find and create Open Educational Resources

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The Journey of Implementing Open Educational Resources

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The Journey of Implementing Open Educational Resources

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Presentation by Dr. Eric Langhorst, Liberty Missouri Social Studies Teacher

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Presentation by eMINTS to explain selecting and curating OER resources.

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Open Educational Resources and School Librarians – The Right Fit!

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Open Educational Resources and School Librarians – The Right Fit!

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BY AASL VISION FOR IMPLEMENTING ESSA on 03/17/2017

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The key to solving a puzzle is to find the pieces that fit together! The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) consists of several pieces - one being placing emphasis on personalized learning for students supported by the use of openly licensed digital content. ESSA authorizes a formula-based funding source for states and school districts interested in using openly licensed digital content and related professional development to support teaching and learning. Additionally, Title IV Part A, ESSA's Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants program, permits grantees to use funds for developing and using openly licensed educational content and making instructional content widely available through open educational resources (OER). As the last piece of the puzzle we need to ask "who is the best person to connect these pieces?" The school librarian!
So What Are OER?
OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge" (The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation).
Why Use Openly Licensed Educational Resources?

Increase Equity - All students have access to high-quality learning materials that have the most up-to-date and relevant content because openly licensed educational resources can be freely distributed to anyone.

Keep Content Relevant and High Quality - Traditional textbooks are perpetually outdated, forcing districts to re-invest significant portions of their budgets on replacing them. The terms of use of openly licensed educational resources allows educators to maintain the quality and relevance of their materials through continuous updates.

Empower Teachers - Openly licensed educational resources empower teachers as creative professionals by giving them the ability to adapt and customize learning materials to meet the needs of their students without breaking copyright laws.

Save Money - Switching to educational materials that are openly licensed enables schools to re-purpose funding spent on static textbooks for other pressing needs, such as investing in the transition to digital learning.
(Source:US Dept. of Education)

The Right Fit for School Librarians - Lead the Digital Transition!
Learn all about OER, local and state initiatives, and how you can support the transition to digital resource use to personalize learning in your school.

Seventeen states and over 100+ school districts have signed on to the #GoOpen national initiative to create an "open education ecosystem" - see if you are one of them. (Source: Open Education, US Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology)

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), an AASL partner organization, has just released a new toolkit to assist with guidance to schools, districts, and states regarding the selection of instructional materials; to inform instructional materials adoption policies and ongoing review processes at the state level; to encourage state leadership as related to instructional materials selection and procurement; to inform the private sector with an outline of considerations regarding the instructional materials selection and adoption process; and to share resources for a variety of stakeholders involved in the process of selecting instructional materials. (Source:SETDA, "From Print to Digital: Guide to Quality Instructional Materials" )

Become familiar with existing OER portals, make them discoverable, and help teachers in the selection and curation of resources for students in your school.

Develop your own understanding of Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons licensing to assist teachers to understand their options when it comes to using resources.

Build meaningful inquiry around these resources.

For more great recommendations, see Joyce Valenza's NeverEnding Search blog post titled " OER and you. The curation mandate " (School Library Journal, Feb. 28, 2016).

For more information about OER and ESSA, make sure to check out AASL's ESSA page.

Categories: Blog Topics, Community, ESSA Updates, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models

Tags: advocacy, curation, digital transition, ESSA, OER, Openly Licensed Educational Resources, personalized learning, professional development, selection

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Open Educational Resources and School Librarians - The Right Fit! | Knowledge Quest

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The key to solving a puzzle is to find the pieces that fit together! The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) consists of several pieces - one being placing emphasis on personalized learning for students supported by the use of openly... Read More ›

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Hollister R-V School District, MO

Liberty Public Schools, MO

North Kansas City School District, MO

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Grain Valley School District, MO

Hancock Place School District, MO

Harrisonville Cass R-IX School District, MO

Kearney School District, MO

Lee’s Summit R-VII School District, MO

Parkway School District, MO

Pattonville School District, MO

Ritenour School District, MO

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We're combining our skills, staff, and resources to help Missouri GoOpen. Join us for two-days of learning, collaborating and sharing of free, open educational resources (OER). YOU and your colleagues are invited to attend this FREE, collaborative workshop on Open Educational Resources to help enhance your curriculum and decrease your budget.

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OER Background

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Openly Licensed Educational Resources

In the 2017 National Education Technology Plan, the Department defines openly licensed educational resources as teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under a license that permits their free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others. Digital openly licensed resources can include complete online courses, modular digital textbooks as well as more granular resources.

Department of Education Final Regulation on Open Licensing

Requirement for Competitive Grant Programs

The Open Licensing Requirement for Competitive Grant Programs d requires , with certain exceptions, that grantees receiving Department funds under a competitive grant program openly license copyrightable grant deliverables created with those funds. We believe the rule significantly enhances dissemination of valuable educational resources and provides stakeholders with greater access to use, reuse, and modify these deliverables. Essentially, making it easier for education stakeholders, such as LEAs, SEAs, IHEs, teachers, students, and others to benefit from Department funded learning materials, even if they are not themselves recipients of Department funds.

Read the Final Regulation and our blog announcing its release.

Read the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and public comments.

NPRM Frequently Asked Questions: Open License NPRM FAQs, Updated November 18, 2015.

Why use Openly Licensed Educational Resources?

Resources that are openly licensed benefit schools in a number of ways, but most notably they help to:

Increase Equity - All students have access to high quality learning materials that have the most up-to-date and relevant content because openly licensed educational resources can be freely distributed to anyone.

Keep Content Relevant and High Quality - Traditional textbooks are perpetually outdated, forcing districts to re-invest significant portions of their budgets on replacing them. The terms of use of openly licensed educational resources allows educators to maintain the quality and relevance of their materials through continuous updates.

Empower Teachers - Openly licensed educational resources empower teachers as creative professionals by giving them the ability to adapt and customize learning materials to meet the needs of their students without breaking copyright laws.

Reallocate Money - Switching to educational materials that are openly licensed enables schools to repurpose funding spent on textbooks for other pressing needs, such as investing in the transition to digital learning. In some districts, replacing just one textbook has made tens of thousands of dollars available for other purposes.

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Open Education - Office of Educational Technology

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Openly Licensed Educational Resources In the 2017 National Education Technology Plan, the Department defines openly licensed educational resources as teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under a license that permits their free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others.