ISKME's OER Fellowship Program, Qatar 2013-2014

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Megan Simmons, Ayman Abu Delleh and Luai Alomari, Luai Alomari

Description

As Qatar moves towards a knowledge-based economy, it will be important to prepare Qatari teachers to take on a more integrated approach to life -long- learning, which ultimately will enable students to thrive in the new knowledge-based economy. In the first phase of this effort, ISKME will offer a one-year fellowship program to eight math teachers from four Qatari schools.

The purpose of this fellowship is to introduce the participants to a new model of teaching and learning based on the use of open educational resources, within a collaborative professional development model. This includes the use of education materials that are available for localization and adaptation, such as Khan Academy, and other math and STEAM-based Open Educational Resources (OER). Using new models for learning, such as those that blend face-to-face interactions with online exploration, discovery, reflection and mentoring.

Over the course of the fellowship participants will develop and document an OER Project that consists of new or adapted open digital resources (such as videos and practice exercises, project-based lessons, and hands-on activities) aligned to SEC standards. Additionally, participants will help to train others to use and adapt these resources and create a network that supports awareness throughout Qatar. 


Download: برنامج الزمالة الخاص بالموارد التعليمية المفتوح1.docx


Goals

1.Partner with schools to create opportunities for the improvement of teaching and learning

2.Enable teachers to use, adapt, and align open content to SEC curriculum standards

3.Positively impact student outcomes, and overall help to prepare Qatari students for a knowledge-based economy

Outcomes

•Participants develop, document, and share an OER project that consists of curriculum materials aligned to SEC math standards

•Measure the impact on mathematics achievement for the students and schools involved in the pilot

•Provide formative and summative evaluation of the program to assess progress toward goals

Expectations


OER Fellows:

•Align OER to SEC standards, evaluate quality, and save OER in group

•Attend and actively participate in the monthly online meetings, and face to face trainings in September, December, and May

•Complete the assignments between trainings and meetings, and participate in group online discussions

•Develop, document, and share an OER project that consists of curriculum materials aligned to SEC math standards

•Work with research to measure the impact of the OER project

•Present OER Project in December and May

•Lead an OER Training for their school community in September

SEC Specialists:

•Provide support and feedback to the Fellows

•Review Fellowship group page (timeline) and provide feedback (via comments)

•Organize weekly check-ins with the fellows (in person or via phone)

•Conduct classroom observations to ensure Fellows are using the resources and implementing their projects in their classrooms and provide feedback

•Evaluate OER and provide feedback, using the Evaluate Resource tool and comments

•Attend the monthly virtual meetings. Help coordinate the meetings

Timeline

•July and August 2013: Introductory meeting with SEC math specialists and teachers. OER Project brainstorm and survey.

•September 2013: OER Training (two days) in Doha, Qatar to introduce OER, OER practices, and OER Commons tools and resources. Fellows will develop a plan for their OER Project that they will work on throughout the course of their Fellows.

•October and November 2013: Monthly online training meetings (one and a half hour) to explore new tools and resources and share best practices connected to their OER Projects.

•December 2013: Big Ideas Fest (four days) and OER Training (two days) to present their OER Projects and collaborate with US teachers in Half Moon Bay, California, USA.

•January to April 2014: Monthly online training meetings (one and a half hour) to share best practices and collaborate on OER Projects.

  • February 2014: Mid-year evaluation and school visits. Interviews and classroom observations will inform our mid-year evaluation to assess Fellow progress and identify additional supports needed.

•May 2014: OER Fellow Project Showcase (three hours) to present OER Fellows Program and Fellows’ Projects. OER Facilitation Training to train Fellows on how to facilitate OER Trainings. ISKME trainers observe Fellows implementing their OER Projects in their classroom and provide feedback.

•May 2014: Fellows lead OER Trainings (one to two days) with educators in the four-school pilot program in Doha, Qatar. ISKME Facilitators provide support for Fellows.

•June 2014: Online closing interviews and surveys provide feedback and reflection on the OER Fellows Program.

Fall 2013

Pre-training Activities: 

  • Watch the How to Create a Profile on OER Commons video below. Then create a login and profile for OER Commons. Be sure to fill out information about yourself, share what subjects and grades you teach, and upload an image. 


How to Create a Profile on OER Commons


  • Watch the How to Search OER Commons video below. Then search OER Commons and find one resource that you can use in your teaching.


How to Search OER Commons



How to Use Groups on OER Commons


  • Reply with a comment to the Timeline Discussion here: Please share your ideas around what your focus might be for your OER Fellowship Project. Be sure to take into consideration what grade(s), subjects, themes, SEC standards, and teaching & learning goals you will cover this school year in your classroom. 

Here is an example of a 2012-2013 OER Fellowship Project that focused on 8th grade Algebra Math Expressions and Equations: Radicals and integer exponents. This Project focused on a new teaching and learning strategy, Flipped Classroom: http://www.oercommons.org/authoring/3406-rothgeb-modified-flipped-classroom-2013/1/view

Share your ideas by leaving a comment here by September 24, 2013

  • Training: Attend two day face to face training September 25-26 in Doha, Qatar
  • Post-training Assignment: 
  1. Watch the How to Align & Evaluate a Resource on OER Commons video below. Align, Evaluate, and Save Five OER to the Group by October 23.


How to Align & Evaluate a Resource on OER Commons


  • October Meeting:

Meeting objective: Explore new tools and resources on the SEC Commons and share best practices.

Meeting agenda: 

  1. Fellowship Welcome & Updates
  2. Assignment Discussion: Align, Evaluate and Save five OER to the Fellowship Group
  3. New tools and resources: Math collections, groups features, refine search features
  4. New Assignments: 
    1. Find an OER that you can use in your teaching over the next month and write a reflection of how you used the resource in your classroom in the comments section on the resource page. 
    2. Make some recommendations here of the subject areas you need resources for. 
    3. Bring your own lesson plans, activities, slides, images and videos to share at the December training in California.
  5. Big Ideas Fest Orientation
  6. Closing 

Winter 2014

  • November Meeting:


BEAUTY OF MATHEMATICS

Meeting objective: Explore new tools and resources on the SEC Commons and share best practices.

Meeting agenda: 

  1. Fellowship Welcome
  2. Assignment Discussion: Choose one OER to use in the classroom over the next month and write a reflection in the comments section on the resource page.
  3. New tools and resources update
  4. New Assignment: Bring a successful lesson plan or activity that you have used in your teaching.
  5. Big Ideas Fest update
  6. Closing 

Some Math Textbooks and Courses:

Open High School Utah: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/browse/collection/open-high-school-of-utah

CK-12 Flexbooks: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/browse/collection/ck-12-flexbook

The Saylor Foundation: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/browse/collection/saylor-foundation

Number of significant figures: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/search/?f.search=Number+of+significant+figures

Scientific Notation:http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/search/?f.search=Scientific+Notation

Simple Interest: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/search/?f.search=Simple+Interest

Adding and Subtracting Algebraic Fractions: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/search/?f.search=Adding+and+Subtracting+Algebraic+Fractions

Multiplying and Dividing Algebraic Fractions: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/search/?f.search=Multiplying+and+Dividing+Algebraic+Fractions 

Simple Trigonometric Functions: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/search/?f.search=Trigonometric+Functions

  • December Meeting:

OER Design Lab Training - Monday, December 9 

Download: Agenda: OER Design Lab

Assignments:


How to Use Open Author on OER Commons


  • January Meeting:

Meeting objectives: Explore new tools and resources on the SEC Commons and share best practices. Discuss OER Fellowship Project criteria and decide on topic area.

Meeting agenda: 

  1. Fellowship Welcome
  2. December Assignment Discussion: Using Open Author to write, describe and publish resources. Trying new activities learned at Big Ideas Fest, the Exploratorium, the OER Design Lab, and Half Moon Bay High School visit.  
  3. New tools and resources update
  4. OER Fellowship Project criteria and topic area brainstorm.
    1. Must be aligned to SEC math standards.
    2. Must meet learner's needs such as grade level, subject focus and learning style.
    3. Subject matter and materials designed to support teaching must be clearly explained.
    4. Must include high quality assessments, technological interactivity, instructional and practice exercises.
    5. Must provide students opportunities for deeper learning: Think critically and solve complex problems. Reason abstractly. Work collaboratively. Learn how to learn. Communicate effectively. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Apply discrete knowledge and skills to real-world situations. Construct, use, or analyze models.
    6. Must include examples of student work and data.
  5. New Assignment: Begin creating your OER Fellowship Project by making a copy of the OER Fellowship Project Template. Then change the title, write your resource, upload documents/ppts/pdfs, add media (videos, photos) and resource links. Be sure to watch the How to Use Open Author instructional video above for help.
  6. Closing 
  • February Meeting:

Interviews and classroom observations to inform mid-year evaluation to assess Fellow progress and identify additional supports needed.

NEXT STEPS:

  1. Finalize project focus by March 2, 2014
  2. Curate resources to be used in project in OER Fellowship Group Folders by March 15, 2014. 
    1. Examples: Geometry & Art: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/groups/iskme-s-oer-fellowship-qatar-2013-2014/94/405/ 
    2. Math & Sports: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/groups/iskme-s-oer-fellowship-qatar-2013-2014/94/406/
  3. Reference the pre-authoring questionnaire to guide project planning. Questions to guide our thinking when creating curriculum: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/authoring/5031-questions-to-guide-our-thinking-when-creating-curr/view
  4. Make a copy of the OER Fellowship Project Template, change the title, begin authoring, and adding resources and inserting media. Describe, align to SEC standards, license, publish, and save to OER Fellowship Group Folder by April 1, 2014. 
    1. OER Fellowship Project Template: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/authoring/3797-oer-fellowship-project-template/view


How to Use Open Author on OER Commons


5. Present and get feedback on published OER Project resource using the OER Quality Evaluation Rubrics on April 2, 2014. OER Evaluation Rubrics: http://www.achieve.org/files/AchieveOERRubrics.pdf

6. Revise OER Project resource based on feedback. Upload examples of student work (photos and/or videos) and student data (classroom observations and test/quiz scores) to the OER Fellowship Project resource. Resubmit OER Project resource by April 15, 2014. 

    1. Example: Rothgeb Modified Flipped Classroom: http://sec.oercommons.org/EN/authoring/3406-rothgeb-modified-flipped-classroom-2013/view

7. Present and get feedback on OER Project resource on April 15, 2014

8. Revise OER Project resource based on feedback. Resubmit OER Project resource by May 1, 2014.

9. Present OER Project resource at the SEC in May, 2014.

10. Lead OER Training for Qatari educators to search, evaluate, align, save, and author OER in May, 2014.

11. Complete closing survey to provide feedback and reflection on the OER Fellowship Program in June, 2014.

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