Open Educational Resources by Matt https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw OER en-us 2018-06-24 15:43:33 UTC 2018-07-03 03:20:53 UTC hello@padlet.com Using OER bjorgenson1 https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268486940 I have never heard of OER before today, however, upon checking it out for resources on IT education they seem to have a lot of great videos in regards to beginners program which are much more structured then what you can find on YouTube. OER also includes learning resources with tests, answers, study guides, and more. If I were building a course for the first time I certainly would start with what I can get from OER and build from there. That brings up the question of how can one tell the quality of OER. There are a few different options, the easiest being the ranking system of one to five stars built into the OER website. However our text outlines a few other metrics that I think are important at researching before you decide to use OER resources. The first is the quality of explanation of the subject matter. Are the main ideas addressed and do you have to provide supplemental explanations on top of current explanations or can they stand alone? I would say the second thing to look at is the quality of assessments. Do the assessments cover the information presented? Are the questions clear and complete?]]> 2018-06-25 16:15:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268486940 Jeremee Jones https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268733509 I was not very familiar with the term open educational resources, but after reading the information in this module, it turns out that I have already used a few in my classroom, such as a video of a song to teach the Spanish alphabet that I just found on YouTube last year. I looked at the resources available at Khan Academy, but was disappointed that they didn't even have a world languages category. Teacher tube had good resources for videos, but like YouTube, videos will need to be vetted before classroom use. After going through the resources listed in the module, I just Googled OER for Spanish and found several repositories for more professional resources that have multiple learning modules and self-paced learning courses. One of the most useful looking sites is no longer available unfortunately! There was one resource that I would like to try in my classroom. It is a set of Spanish telenovelas (soap operas) with vocab, grammar, comprehension and assessment activities included. Another resource that I would use for supplemental practice outside the classroom is duolingo, which is a self-paced language learning system that gamifies learning. 
As for telling the quality of an OER, I would use the vetting system presented in the article Rubrics for Evaluating Open Education Resource (OER) Objects. The 8 Rubrics to judge OER objects against address
 topics from alignment to standards, quality of explanation of subject material, technological interactivity, instructional and practice exercises, utility of support materials for teachers, opportunities for deeper understanding and accessibility.

]]> 2018-06-27 13:22:30 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268733509 Griff Watson https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268738531 Although I hadn't heard the term Open Educational Resources (OER) before, I was familiar with Khan Academy and a few other OER resources.  In my college advising, I've recommended OERS to students as refreshers before retaking a course or after having a semester or two off in a course sequence (i.e. Taking Chem 1 and not taking Chem 2 for a year or so).  In my future career as a counselor at the high school level, there are plenty of OERs that could be helpful.  I found several on the college application process on Khan Academy alone that would be good material for students.

Any OER needs to be vetted, but those from trusted sources like Khan Academy are pretty reliable for their content. To judge the quality of an OER, the rubrics can help when using an OER from a lesser-known source. ]]> 2018-06-27 14:03:25 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268738531 Tabby Schilling tschill1 https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268773392 I like some of the others that have posted already, had not heard of the term OER before doing the readings, so thanks for assigning a section on that so we could all be more informed about them.  I think we were well aware these tools were out there, just not what its official term was.  The one thing that I thought about right away and how I could implement OER's was regarding math.  Many times, our pacing doesn't always allow more time to teach concepts before moving on.  The kids I work with need more exposure to material sometimes before they can be successful on their homework.  I could do through TeacherTube or Khan Academy to find instructional videos on certain concepts we learned about that day for students to reference at home if they need to.  I thought I could share these through our personal websites we have through our school website page, that way even our parents could view them so they could help their students if they didn't understand.  As far as figuring out the quality of the OER, the rubrics that we read through as part of our readings gave great insight on things to look for regarding the quality.  Like others have posted, always previewing material before hand before sharing is a great place to start.  The most important thing, I think, to look for is regarding whether it really meets the standards being taught?  I find a lot of times that OER's address what we taught plus more and sometimes that is not always relevant to what we did and often times can confuse the students.  I find this a lot with resources that were designed to fit Common Core and Nebraska is not a Common Core state.  

]]> 2018-06-27 19:21:30 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268773392 Tara Dlouhy https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268785041 I had not heard the term OER prior to this lesson. I also had not heard of Khan Academy or Teacher Tube.  I particularly liked the layout and use of Teacher Tube.  I have used materials that enhance learning, especially in my Careers and Personal Finance class.  In Personal Finance, we use the Dave Ramsey series. Would this be considered a OER?  In my eyes, it would be, but maybe I am not interpreting it correctly.  
You can use rubrics and district review tips provided in the resources.  The rubrics focus on alignment of standards, quality of explanation, utility of materials, quality of assessment, technology, and instructional practices, opportunity for deeper thinking, and assurance of accessibility.  

]]> 2018-06-27 22:10:29 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268785041 Kendra Ross https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268812953 I had not been aware of the term OER until I had read through Module 4. I guess I thought I was fairly aware of websites that were out there for student learning, but after looking through this module I am floored at all of the material out there. I think I will use OER throughout my daily schedule. I want to use OER in my lessons to make them more interactive and meaningful. When looking up more resources I found a website called oercommons.org. Once you filter what you are particularly looking for there are many choices to find materials that go with what you are teaching or having students inquire about. This website has a rating for each site it has listed, but if you didn’t know the quality of a website you could always use the rubric that was posted in the resources for Module 4. It breaks down each section to make sure it is a quality website and source you are using. 

]]> 2018-06-28 03:22:40 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268812953 Jesse Fitzke https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268886881 I had not heard the term OER before, but soon found out that it definitely wasn't a foreign term. As technology continutes to grow I think we are seeing more usage of OER in classrooms. You can not just ignore the information that is out there to help as a teacher. 
One way that I would implement it in the classroom would through a virtual simulation. Having students operate a virtual business is great first hand experience without the stress of making real life mistakes. While in the TCP program I have been observing a teacher that uses is simulation in his class. It is very popular with the students and they learn quite a bit along the way too. I would also take advantage of using videos of others speaking on topics because a change of pace in the classroom sometimes helps. 
As an ISS teacher I have actually used the KHAN academy to help students and myself with math in my room. Its a good refresher for me and since math is not my strongest subject its a good for students to learn without having to bother the teacher during the day.
Using the rubric in the reading is a good way to decide if the OER is acceptable for use, but it also boils down to if you as the teacher feel like it will help the students better learn the content. I also am a big believer in reading reviews on most anything and if they are available they are usually very truthful about the product or service. ]]> 2018-06-28 17:09:17 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268886881 Liz Hamling lhamling https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268910021 Although I had not heard of the term OER before this module, I am very familair with using these types of materials in my classroom. I use khan academy and teacher tube. I found the OER rubrics very helpful. I think this would be a great way to get more teachers comfortable with using online resources. I think I could use this in a PLC on integrating technology in the classroom, which is a large focus for our school right now. I think it is also beneficial for teachers to know that there are specific resources that are available for free. ]]> 2018-06-28 22:32:42 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268910021 Toni Fowler https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268915270 I love OERs. I use Kahn academy as a supplement to my math class. Students miss class a lot because of a variety of activities. Because of this, I not only have my own materials but also OERs on Schoology (our LMS) for students to access if they need to "fill in the gaps". I have not used full units or assessments but I've used videos and images. I'm a control freak when it comes to assessments so I'm not sure if I'd be opened to that. I teach a senior Consumer Math class and have been disappointed in the textbooks out there that are current. I've started using some OER sites but need to find more. 
I appreciate that there is a rubric that I can use to evaluate OER - very good info to have. I'm usually using my own mental rubric that specifically looks for alignment with my current curriculum, accessibility, user-friendly and easy to understand, and practice/problems available.  


]]> 2018-06-28 23:55:01 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268915270 Julie Wiese https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268997628 Along with many of my classmates, I have not heard of OER's, I am excited to use it.  We do use a program called IXL that is connected to our NE standards, which is very nice, but that is a supplement, not something I teach from, I mostly use it for fast finishers or if a student is having trouble with something, I can assign them activities that cover that problem.  I also use TeacherPayTeacher a LOT.  They have tons of technology lesson plans that I have found to use(web quest, ppt's with activities...) I just hate having to pay for it myself.  Our PTO does give us a $50 gift card at the beginning of the year so that helps but does not cover even close to how much I spend($200+ a year). I am not a fan of our Foss Science program so I supplement for most of our science.  Our history books are not much better, I found a great resource (free) for the Civil War on a history site. Next year, we are implementing STEM activities on every Friday so this will be a great resource for us. I am excited to use the OER to help me make quality lesson for my students.]]> 2018-06-29 19:55:59 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/268997628 Sonja Miller https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269039858 I had not heard of the term OER before, but I do try and utilize anything I can find on the internet to better help my students and re-emphasize what we are learning in the classroom. I am going to try to use even more technology this year, and free videos to help all of my students get more interaction in the classrooms. If students are hearing, and seeing what I am trying to teach them, they are going to remember more than just hearing me lecture about it. ]]> 2018-06-30 18:49:53 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269039858 Stacey Romick https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269042589 I know that I am so far behind when it comes to knowing about all of the technology that is available for teachers. I had never heard the term OER before navigating through this module. I love learning new things and I'm always searching for new ways to help teach different concepts so this module opened up a whole new world for me!
I've done quite a bit of research on OERs now that I know about them. Not only will I be using some of them in the Media Center, I will also be educating the staff in our building on the different OERs and how to implement them. I'm sure there are already some teachers in my building using some of these but it seems we have so little time to collaborate with each other - something I'm going to try to change now that I have my first year, at this school, under my belt. 
I really liked the rubric that we were given in Module 4. I think this rubric would give a district a great place to start as far as assessing the quality of the OER they are wanting to utilize. I feel it's also important to reach out to the content experts in your district, as well as to make sure that you clearly define your goals for the OER. I feel it's also important to assess the OER after you've used it to see if it's meeting your needs effectively.]]> 2018-06-30 20:05:22 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269042589 Jessie Woodmancy jessieleewoodmancy https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269047766 Before engaging in Module 4, I was unaware that I was already implementing open educational resources into my teaching setting. With my new understanding of OER, I will continue to implement such resources into my teaching setting. OER include many resources that are stored in digital media collections everywhere. Teachers and students have access to teaching learning and research tools that are completely free. Users can revise, reuse, and distribute resources. I believe that TeacherTube will be a great OER to use. You can search for a topic, browse several videos, audios, and documents, view collections such as brain breaks, and even join groups. Previously, I have seen Khan Academy used in upper elementary, I was unaware that it is also a resource for 1st grade. As soon as I get my class list, I will be creating accounts for my students! This is a great math resource that will allow me to create assignments, find content, and differentiate instruction. In addition, I will use virtual labs, games, and simulations that are appropriate for my grade level. OER is tremendously beneficial to our students. I feel as though teachers are supplementing instruction more and more and OER are a great tool to have as teachers! 
 
There are many resources to use in order to tell the quality of OER. These include, several rubrics that should be used in independently of one another. The rubrics are used to assess the potential effectiveness of a particular resource. In addition, staff development days could be used to evaluate and adapt OER. 
]]> 2018-06-30 22:51:30 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269047766 Pamela Riffle https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269082264 I have very briefly heard about OER's being used in the classroom, but as I just finished my first year of teaching, I did not use any the past school year. I know that will change this next year because I now have a better understanding. I can see myself using the TeacherTube more to help my students (and myself) build on topics that we are learning about within the classroom. There are a wide range topics that are covered and that fact that you can revise and reuse them is extremely beneficial. Of course I would want to make sure it was a quality OER before using by using the rubrics and engaging other teachers with professional development on OER. ]]> 2018-07-01 17:29:57 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269082264 Susan Cherrington scherrington https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269085342 Like others have mentioned, I was not familiar with the acronym "OER." However, after delving into the materials provided for this class, I discovered I had used them with students in small groups or individually to increase understanding.  Videos and simulations are very important components in increasing student engagement.  Adding questions to an existing video was not something I had done before and I am eager to implement this into my classes.  
The rubric set out by Achieve describes several criteria for a quality Open Education Resource.  A quality OER must have several components.  To begin with it must be aligned with the standard.  To accomplish this it must identify both the content and performance expectations addressed by the standards.

The explanation of the subject matter should enable students to understand the subject matter and it should be linked to associated concepts within the matter.  It should require very little, or no, additional explanation.  

The OER must also be designed to support teachers in planning or presenting the subject matter.  It would be best to include explanations of ways to reach different types of learners, to include different instructional strategies.  It should also represent accurately the time needed as well as the materials required.  
 
Open Ended Resources that are quality also include assessments that offer students the opportunity to demonstrate learning about the skills and knowledge presented.  In terms of technology, the OER must be easily used by the student, have the ability to respond to individual student answers, and perform on the intended platform without interruption.  Excellent resources provide several well-written, targeted practice exercises in a variety of formats.  These practice exercises should include accurate answer  keys.

Finally, a quaility OER encourages deeper learning.  Specifically, it should include scaffolding for different levels of learners.  Additionally, it would be ideal if it required students to communicate with each other through constructive arguments, learn collaboratively, think critically, and encourage problem solving.  

Evaluating OERs takes some time and effort but they can be important pieces in a teacher's educational toolbox.]]> 2018-07-01 18:28:11 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269085342 Richard McDonald https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269088535 There are so many different ways to implement Open educational resources. Youtube or Teachertube are two of the easiest ways to implement. Online labs can be used in science to help demonstrate different ideas. I use them more for additional information. The third OER is ed puzzle. This allows students to watch a video, but allows the teacher to have the students answer question. Quality is hard to judge until you have looked at the resource. There are millions of videos on youtube, most of them are not worth the time to watch in the classroom. First thing to do is to look at the resource and see where it is coming from. I like the nova videos produced by PBS. These videos are interesting as well as informational. Second aspect on quality is how do the students respond? This is important because there is no quality if the students are not engaged. ]]> 2018-07-01 19:38:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269088535 Jessica Dunning https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269095694 I frequently use different OERs in my class. I use Class Dojo as my behavior management and communication with parents. I use youtube for videos. I use ABC mouse as a learning center for my students. I am often pulling up real life pictures and examples so my kindergartners can see what is going on.  I use online books and magazines to make what I am reading bigger. Any way I can use OERs in my classroom, I do. A lot of the time it makes it easier for me and it always very engaging for them. ]]> 2018-07-01 22:20:13 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269095694 Angie Boyce https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269156977 I was not real familiar with OERs. I had used Teacher Tube in my library classes. I use book trailers to introduce new books to my students. I find these videos to be very helpful to get students excited about reading. I do plan to let the other teachers know more about OER in the fall. I think all the science labs and STEM resources will be very helpful to teachers. The quality of OER and knowing how these resources match up to the Common Core and state standards. It is nice to know how current and up to date all of these resources are. Making sure our resources are current, up to date, engaging and fun. Having this technology available and free to use is wonderful for all educators. ]]> 2018-07-02 12:49:16 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269156977 Jarrod Williams https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269186187 I was not real familiar with the use of OER prior to this assignment. However I have used the TedEd lessons in the past, but I have not created any of my own. I do think that now that I am aware of how to create my own, that I will be incorporating those into my classroom more this coming year. I also liked the PlayPosit quiz. I think this could be another engaging way of assessing student understanding. If I can find videos that cover the same subject material that we are covering in class, then it will just be another visual way of engaging the students and re-presenting the material in a different format. 
I think the key to judging the quality of OER is to first watch it or do some background research on the creator prior to presenting it to your students. You could also do some fact checking if you are not real familiar with the content presented in the OER. ]]> 2018-07-02 19:02:37 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269186187 Grace Kusilek https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269186506 I am a huge fan of OER. As a math and science teacher, I enjoy finding sites where students can interact with the material or practice in a different way (like through Khan Academy). In fact, this coming year I plan to use a program called ASSISTments to implement interactive online math homework. ASSISTments is a free resource (although maybe not OER since it cannot be changed by others) that is available to supplement my math curriculum. I enjoy assigning youtube videos and creating google surveys for students to fill out about the video or having students create a mindmap or similar visual using google drawings. In the future, especially with the new science standards calling for more interactive lessons, I would like to include the virtual labs in my curriculum.

The rubric provided in the reading gave a very thorough process for evaluating OER materials. Of course things such as alignment to standards and quality of explanation are central to what makes a good OER. I hadn't thought about assessment being included, but I supposed that Khan academy offers formative assessment which is valuable. I think as a math teacher I need to be sure that the formative assessments I offer through OER clearly reflect the material that we learned prior to practice.

I think that evaluating the quality of OER can be a massive undertaking, so using OER that are a part of a trusted library can eliminate some of the stress and work from the teacher side. Some examples would be Khan Academy, Youtube.com/education, PBS learning media, and TED talks. While some of these resources (like youtube) aren't vetted as seriously as the Achieve rubric paper would suggest, they are generated by grouping videos commonly used for educational purposes, essentially meaning that if you trust the general community of educators than those videos should provide quality information.]]> 2018-07-02 19:07:06 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269186506 Trey Frey https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269196730 I used many of the OER's in my student teaching and classroom work in college. However, I just did not know that this is what they were called. For teaching business I really like the Khan Academy. Sometimes the students need something other than me to teach. It can help some learn in different ways. I also am a big fan of ted talks. I think these are very educational. I feel as if they are better than just a youtube clip because they are more personal. In order to know the quality of the OER, you have to watch the video or look over the resource to make sure they can line up with your state standards. If they do then they can work, if not you will need to find something else. ]]> 2018-07-02 21:49:00 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269196730 Matt Connot https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269220305 I already use OER on a regular basis. Sites like Khan Academy, Ted Talks, Minute Earth, Teacher Tube, etc. are utilized on a regular basis in my classroom. These resources are great, especially for 1:1 buildings. They do a great job of explaining things in a way that is different from how I would, which the students respond to. As far as determining the quality, you need to make sure that the content aligns with your standards. There have been many things I've found that I think is going to apply nicely and it is way off. I think it's important to keep OER lessons short. Sometimes some of them (Khan Academy) can get a little lengthy and could lose the interest of the student. You also need to make sure that the content is at an appropriate level for your students. Khan Academy can get a little too in depth at times.]]> 2018-07-03 03:15:12 UTC https://padlet.com/mkutscher3/fibr1yipzekw/wish/269220305