Open Education Week

By using OER you can reach students where they are. It is much less costly then using textbook where you have to have each student physically have the textbook and everyone gets the same instruction. OER allows you to tailor the curriculum and give instant feedback. The experience altogether is a much richer experience. 

Hi Kelly,
I totally agree, so much easier to customize instruction when using OER, and definitely cheaper!  😀

I agree Kelly, Textbooks are extremely costly, and if students don't have them with them, it becomes a problem.  This gives us the ability to have everything at our finger tips. 

Some of the benefits of using OER would include the ability for the resources to be updated more frequently, easier access for students, lower cost for all.

Hi Bonnie,

Definitely more up to date!  I was visiting a district that was using a textbook from 1993.  Lower cost and more accessability for the win! Thanks!

I agree with the out dated text books.  I have also been to schools where the text books are so outdated and schools just can't afford to purchase new ones. 

Yes most definitely a savings cost especially for our lower income district and provide up-to-date resources.

OER provides greater flexibility and can be updated and changed much more easily.  It is also much more cost effective, especially since we are constantly learning and the curriculum is constantly evolving, so rather than investing in a textbook that then contains obsolete information and being stuck with it for years because of the cost involved in getting new ones, using OER resources allows teachers to share the most current information about a subject.  

As a math teacher, I can totally relate to this!  The point about instant feedback instead of teacher generated feedback is crucial to kids as they work on concepts.  The teacher is still a crucial part of the equation - discussing what went wrong and why and alternate strategies, point of error, etc - but the feedback loop is essential to eventual mastery.  It seems there would also been an endless resource of problems and applications - as opposed to the limited number contained in the text.  Not to mention cost!  We pay so much for textbooks and consumables but then eventually make packets and our own materials anyway pulling from different resources...seems like you could take the textbook company (money makers, test makers) out of it completely.  

I agree with you. The students want instant feedback. Using textbooks sometimes is a hassle. Kids forget them and then that becomes a classroom issue. Using many different alternate method of presenting the material will keep all engaged.

Working in a virtual school where students primarily take asychronous online courses, I wanted to explore new ways to encourage our students to further their learning.

Keeping the information current and relevant. Textbooks are so costly and become outdated quickly.

With OER, teachers have access to extra resources that they can use to reach a variety of learners. As an English teacher, I can find readings and lessons that will help students practice skills at their own skill level. OER can provide access to a range of mentor texts that I can use to model important analytic and composition skills. What I like most about OER is that I don't have to reinvent the wheel. I can adapt certain materials and personalize them to help engage my students. 

OER helps us to find useful resources. I am always searching for things I can use in the classroom. I don't want to spend tons of time or money on resources but I also don't want to always reinvent the wheel. 

It is very helpful to use Open Education Resources because the teacher can use the parts of the infortmation that fit into their class.  They can adapt the information if needed with no cost.  The teacher can also get the information to the student quickly and easily.  This information would also not cost the district money like a textbook.  I think we learned how to use some of this while teaching online.

Using OER can help make lessons more "rich" for students. It can also make the curriculum/material more accessible for students.

OER gives all students access to quality resources. Also, the resrouces can be updated and remade much faster than making a new textbook. 

There seem to be a few good reasons to use OER as opposed to textbooks - there is the cost of textbooks which can be prohibitive for smaller school districts, also the huge variety of available resources on OER is an advantage (as opposed to being stuck with just one text book) and also the possibility of interaction and customization to the special needs of your students.

Accessibilty, adaptability, and cost effective.

Ability to have freedom of what is being taught, updated materials at little to no cost, and gather materials and information quickly. 

Using OER can benefit the entire community of learners including the teacher, student, and family at home. It gives us the chance to collaborate through technology and to be able to unlock internet access to successfully integrate new ideas and lessons. Using OER verse textbooks is benefitical in asessing student needs in real time. Textbooks are on a slower pace and sometimes inaccurate to fix skills the students are lacking. 

OER has a plethora of resources that everyone can access from all over the world, while also being cost efficient.  All information is current and constantly being updated.

Some benefits would be reaching students wherever they are and ease of access. Textbooks can become outdated quickly, but this could be updated easily. The cost would be less as well.

When using OER, the students are "in the moment". They are able to receive feedback instantaneously. Also, the cost of textbooks are outrageous for school districts so, using OER would be VERY cost effective.

It promotes a more comprehensive collaborative motion.  Sharing=education.  The more we are easily able to share, the more learning that can take place.  

They are accessible by anyone, anywhere, at any time.

I like that it is updated and has teh lastest resources, and of course it is free!

OER gives access to students and keeps costs down. It also helps teachers develop or change their way of presenting information to their classes. 

OER can give you the ability to be flexible and provide students with instant feedback.  So, the students know exactly where they stand with their work and the teacher knows how to help them move further.  

I belive that textbooks can become outdated, and that staying current with up to date text is often too expensive for most schools, so FREE is very nice.  However I teach young students and having access to technology and working it is often exhausting and having a textbook to touch and read is just easier.

OER is a great option to save money and keep up to date. Traditional textbooks can be outdated quickly and are very expensive to replace. OER is also a great option for virtual learning where a textbook may not be easily accessible. 

OER can be easily customized and adpted to meet the needs of young learners. It is also more cost efficient and minimizes the need to renew outdated texts.

OER breaks down barriers to student access to materials IF they have access to quality internet and digital devices. It could make all resources equally available to all teacher, students, and schools regardless of budget constraints but one challenge I can see to that is being able to find quality resources in a very large sea of free resources.

The use of OER can be a cost-effective way to maintain updated materials for classes.  I can also see how instant feedback and hints to students would be beneficial for helping students in real-time rather than waiting for the next class period.

I agree, I think that OER is a great way to give immediate feedback to kids. 

I think price is very important for our students. My school district has many students who simply struggle to make ends meet. The price of textbooks could be too much of a strain for these low-income families.

I think Open Education Resources are better because of the ease of updating the resources. It is much easier than waiting for an updated version of a textbook.  Also, textbooks can become costly for smaller schools.  It is easier and cheaper to get Open Education Resources into the hands of all students.

It is efficient in providing feedback. Also accessible anytime anywhere if a compatible device is available with connection.

Being able to have access to certain materials that otherwise wouldn't be as easy to get.

There are so many benefits.  The most important one is that there are SO many free resources.  It is a pain to find the resource you want online only to find that it costs money.  

I like benefit he mentioned about having assignments based on skill level and be able to immediately see if a student understood the skill or needed hints. If hints were needed, the students will require some reteaching of the skill along with more practice. If the skill is understood they may move on to the next one.