Education Commons^™

Claiming Our Place In The Center: Counterstories Of Women Of Color Open Educational Resources (Oer) Librarians, Regina Gong

Copley Library: Faculty Scholarship

Research has recognized the importance of libraries and librarians in supporting, managing, and sustaining open educational resources (OER) programs in postsecondary institutions. Open education initiatives generally align with social justice aspirations and should be open and inclusive to everyone. Yet, in practice, this has not always been the case. While librarians are considered critical partners in the leadership and management of OER programs and are often heralded as heroes and champions of these initiatives, research has failed to interrogate and discuss the experiences of Women of Color (WOC) doing OER work. In particular, the challenges and often invisible labor that …

Textbook Affordability Open Course: Facilitator Guide And D2l Course Materials, Carrie Lewis Miller, Adeyemi Adelakun, Jen Cucurullo

IT Solutions Publications

This guide will help facilitators of the Textbook Affordability Open Course organize and implement the content in their own learning environment. The designers of the course have included items that need to be updated and personalized for each implementation of the course as well as helpful tips for successful implementation.

This course is an introduction to textbook affordability, open educational resources, and other open practices that impact equity in our classrooms. While it is geared towards higher education faculty, the concepts and practices covered here can be used in any teaching and learning scenario. This course will explore concepts tied …

Battling Burnout Zombies In High School English, Jennifer Gribben, Michelle Nelson

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This PLM was created to support secondary education English teachers who are struggling to prevent student disengagement in ELA classrooms. This PLM was based on John Hattie's 10 habits. The creators of this PLM also used Explicit DIRECT Instruction and Rigorous curriculum design to ground their ideas in proven RESEARCH. This PLM will give teachers a place to find ideas and strategies to help make their classrooms a successful learning environment.

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Cultural Responsibility: Whose Job Is It Anyway?, Shannon Coleman, Siobhan Cooke, Yu'vonne James, Elizabeth Younger

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This professional learning module (PLM) on cultural responsibility in the school setting is rooted in the recognition of the importance of creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students and staff. This PLM module was designed to help teachers, and those working within the school setting, understand, appreciate, and effectively address cultural diversity and its impact on students’ learning experiences.

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Tools, Tips, And Tricks For Beginning Teachers, Kimberly Lilley, Regina Lineback, Brad Rhew, Elia Spencer

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

Tools, Tips, and Tricks for Beginning Teachers is a professional learning module (PLM) that supports the growth and development of beginning teachers. The topics reviewed in this PLM include classroom management, collaboration, instructional strategies, and student engagement. The strategies included in this PLM are research-based and support the Beginning Teacher Standards, Professional Teaching Standards, and Beginning Teacher Standards for Science Education. As you proceed through the PLM, you will have opportunities to consider your current or planned practices in each of the focus areas and select new tools, tips, or tricks that can be applied to your classroom practices.

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The Four Seasons Of Collaboration: Managing A Multi-Campus Oer Effort, Carrie Lewis Miller

IT Solutions Publications

This session will showcase a grant-funded multi-campus collaboration effort to provide OER professional development to faculty on four university campuses. An outline of the program, tools used to facilitate the administration of the program, outcomes, and lessons learned will be discussed. Recommendations for managing a multi-campus program will also be provided.

Travel Agent Vs. Tour Guide: A Passport To Student Engagement, Alexis Greer, Demia Johnson, Jenee Peace, Christopher Scruggs

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This module is designed for all teachers (elementary, middle, and high) that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through virtual and/or hybrid instruction and are currently teaching in a K-12 setting. This module will provide resources and information related to planning authentic learning tasks and re-engaging students! This module will take you approximately 4 hours to complete. The focus of this module is to provide introductory information, examples of high-yield strategies, and resources for future self-paced inquiry.

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Blended Learning: Intentional Personalized Instruction For All, Amy W. Fonseca, Andrew Mccully, Amber Tuttle, Sheila Wright

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This Professional Learning Module (PLM) was designed to support educators in learning more about Blended Learning, the related models, and information for implementing this effective, enriched, and student-driven instructional framework. Blended learning serves to combine the traditional instruction and feel of a brick-and-mortar school with online learning. This PLM reviews the four overarching models of Blended Learning: 1) rotation models, 2) the flex model, 3) the a la carte model, and 4) the enriched virtual model. The module also provides examples of Blended Learning for K-12 classrooms and covers The Blended Learning Teacher Competencies to support proper implementation. Educators, administrators, …

Deconstructing The Standards, Melissa Y. Pollard, Seon S. Sloley

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this Professional Learning Module (PLM) is to improve teacher understanding of academic standard deconstruction. We created this professional learning module to assist educators in better understanding how to deconstruct standards. In this PLM, you will find information about:

1.The need for deconstruction

2.The deconstruction process

3. Identifying learning Targets

4. Using a graphic organizer

5. Common assessments aligned to standards

We hope that both educators and district-level personnel will find this PLM instrumental in the training process of deconstructing standards. In unpacking, repacking, and organizing standards, teachers will develop a better understanding of what the standards are …

Evidence-Based Reading Interventions For Middle And High School Teachers, Brittany Evans, Beverly Hart, Mashonda Surratt

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

Welcome to Evidence-Based Reading Practices. This module is designed to help middle and high school teachers intervene with struggling readers in their regular education classrooms. This module will take you approximately three hours to complete. During that time, you will learn what to do when students are missing the necessary foundational skills to become skilled readers.

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Self-Mentoring: Discovering The Mentor Within, Lisa Savage, Pamela Williams

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This professional learning module (PLM) was created to help educators, including classroom teachers, administrators, and instructional support staff learn about self-mentorship. The module will describe the concept of self-mentoring as a process for engaging in self-directed professional and personal growth. Districts may find it beneficial to use this PLM to train educators on how self-mentoring can be used as a leadership development tool for improving their professional and instructional practices.

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Collective Teacher Efficacy, Annie Mcentyre, Stephanie Revis, Helena Vanhorn, Gina Gold

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This professional learning module (PLM) was designed for those in leadership roles in educational organizations who desire to examine the effect of collective teacher efficacy for school improvement purposes. This module defines collective teacher efficacy as it applies to educational settings and impacts student learning. School leaders will learn research-based conditions and practices that have been found to foster collective efficacy in schools. Collective Teacher Efficacy Professional Learning Module is aligned with the North Carolina Standards for School Executives, Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, and Teacher Leader Model Standards.

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Textbook Remix: An Introduction To Libretexts For Oer Editing, Mary Elmquist, Alice M. Brawley Newlin

All Musselman Library Staff Works

So, you’ve found an open textbook that you really like, but it’s not quite right for your class? LibreTexts might be the answer! Join us for this informal webinar to learn a little more about this online platform designed for customizing and distributing open textbooks. From Gettysburg College, Scholarly Communications Librarian Mary Elmquist will provide an introduction to the platform, its structure and features, and Dr. Alice Brawley Newlin, Assistant Professor of Management, will speak on her ongoing experiences using LibreTexts to edit and implement an open textbook for a Statistical Methods course.

This session should provide insight for both …

Engaging Students With Disabilities In Virtual Learning, Timothy Adams, Jessie Kong, Mike Lefko, Rachelle Peterson

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This professional learning module was designed to help teachers of students with disabilities (SWDs) who are navigating the issues related to virtual learning. The authors have experience in being teachers of SWDs, administrators, and lead teachers. We witnessed the struggles teachers had during the pandemic in engaging SWDs and their parents in virtual learning. This module was designed to help teachers alleviate some of those struggles. Districts might find it beneficial to use this PLM in training all teachers about engaging SWDs virtually as the world of education is leaning in the direction of blended learning, virtual academies, and traditional …

Compassionate Care: Working With Students With Aces, Leah Massey Huttlinger, Andrea Gardner Nordberg

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This Professional Learning Module (PLM) was created for educators to learn more about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the negative impact trauma has on student learning. Participants in the PLM will learn about ACEs, the brain science related to trauma, behaviors associated with ACEs in the classroom, strategies to help mitigate the impact of ACEs in the classroom. Participants will have the opportunity to apply these strategies to real-life situations within the PLM. The PLM was meant to be completed independently, in small groups, or as whole-group faculty training. The option to submit a certificate for CEUs is provided upon …

Student-Led Conferences, Kendra Alston, Tabitha Boyd-Collins, Lucia K. Jacobs, Phyllis Marshall

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This professional learning module is designed to lead educators through the process of successfully developing and implementing effective student-led conferences to improve student ownership in their learning and to increase family engagement. The goal is to determine what structures need to be in place in classrooms and schools, to define the key components of student-led conferences, and to explain the impact of implementing student-led conferences on the school community and overall school structure. The module presents current research and resources supporting student-led conferences in school. Resources include activities, videos, and assessments. Educators are presented potential barriers to student-led conferences and …

Designing Online Learning To Increase Student Engagement, Stacy Fuentes, Mary Newton, Jennifer Reed

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this adaptive VPLM is to familiarize educators with how to design online learning to encourage student engagement. The VPLM is designed for secondary education or higher education professionals. The VPLM features three levels geared toward varying ability and comfort levels of educators with designing online learning. Glickman et al. (2018) highlighted the importance of offering differentiated choices to adult learners. Participants are encouraged to complete one or more levels based on their comfort and ability with designing online learning to improve their online learning environments and foster increased student engagement. Each level requires a different amount of …

Trauma Informed Leadership: Leading Through The Chaos, Christina Ruegamer, Joan T. Dorsey, Laine Smith, Megan G. Robertson

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this professional learning module is to create and promote trauma-informed leadership. Throughout the module, leaders will also learn about the six trauma-informed principles on establishing a trauma-informed site. The design of this professional learning module is to prepare leaders in addressing situations involving trauma at their site. This module can be used individually for leadership training and/or professional development. It should take one to two hours to complete. Once the training is completed, an assessment will be given. Upon successful completion of the assessment with a score of 80% or higher, a certificate will be provided via …

Wise Feedback, Mary Newton

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this Virtual Professional Learning Module (VPLM) is to familiarize educators with what wise feedback is and how to provide wise feedback to students. It was created to offer professional learning to secondary English Language Arts (ELA) educators participating in a dissertation research study about the impact of wise feedback on students, teachers, and classrooms. Despite being geared toward educators in a 9-12 English Language Arts setting, wise feedback and the VPLM can be applicable to educators in other 9-12 content areas.

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A Guide To Standards-Based Learning, Geneva Bell, Sarah Rector, Elizabeth Schrecengost, Beth Washle

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This learning module educates parents/guardians and teachers new to the practice to understand what standards-based learning is, why a school system would use it, how to know when students are learning the standards, and the difference from traditional learning.

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Teaching With Oer During Pandemics And Beyond, Jennifer Van Allen, Stacy Katz

Publications and Research

Purpose – Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning materials openly licensed so that others may retain, reuse, revise, remix or redistribute (the 5Rs) these materials. This paper aims to raise awareness of OER by providing a rationale for using these learning materials and a strategy for educators to get started with OER during the collective crisis and beyond. Design/methodology/approach – Using a broad research base and anecdotes from personal experience, the authors make the case that OER improves student access to learning materials and improves the learning experience in both PK-12 and higher education contexts. Findings – The authors define …

Taking Your Teaching To The Next Level Through The Use Of Oer, Nicole N. Williams

Publications and Research

Faculty creation, adaptation, and adoption of open educational resources (OER) can be used to enrich every aspect of the professor-student teaching relationship. Adding to the body of OER available allows faculty to rethink every aspect of what they teach and refine how they present that information. Having the ability to edit and adapt existing OER provides faculty with the benefits of collaboration, but without the scheduling concerns that often plague collaborative efforts. OER creation can be as simple as licensing handouts and presentation slides for sharing, or as involved as redesigning an entire course. Putting one’s own stamp on OER …

Restorative Practices: An Introduction To A Positive, Research-Based Alternative To A Punitive Discipline System, Mindy Duckworth, Bianca Jeffries, Kelli Passmore

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this professional learning module (PLM) is to introduce educators to a positive, research-based alternative to traditional punitive discipline systems and encourage research-based practices to improve behavior. This module is intended to be completed individually.

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Coaching The Resistant Teacher, Mallory Bricker, Gwendolyn Johnson, Lashaunda Plain-Mamon

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This module was created to assist instructional coaches, curriculum facilitators, peer coaches, assistant principals, or anyone in a leadership position to help teachers grow professionally. You, the instructional coach or leader, have expertise in content, andragogy, pedagogy, and communication. However, as instructional leaders, we have all come up against the teacher unwilling to participate in the coaching process. According to Lancaster (2016), the challenges that instructional coaches encounter are "teacher resistance to coaching support, scheduling conflicts, ill-defined roles and responsibilities, lack of administrative support, and teacher reluctance to change" (p. 23). No matter the reason, through this module you will …

Inclusion: A Sense Of Belonging, Judith Mills, Pamela Moore, Alisha Privette

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this professional development module is to improve knowledge and skills in order to facilitate individual, school-wide, and district-wide improvements for the purpose of increasing academic and social achievement of students with disabilities in the inclusive setting.

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Diversity Informed Practices For Effective Family And School Communication, Shanda Jones, Joyce Patton, Tiffani Richardson

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

This module is designed to encourage teachers to examine their own perceptions of poverty and how these perceptions can influence and impact the degree and quality of parent communication. The module is self-paced and presents teachers with a variety of perspectives and resources to appeal to multiple learning modalities. As teachers increase their knowledge base about perceptions of poverty and family communication they will begin to bridge the home/school communication gap and improve student outcomes.

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Building The Future Of Oer Through Pre-Service Teachers, Liz Thompson, Melissa Wells, Jessica Lantz

Libraries

According to recent literature and research, in-service teacher awareness of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Creative Commons licenses continues to be uneven and relatively low. Providing OER education while teachers are focused on learning in their degree-granting programs could be a sustainable long-term strategy to build awareness of OER with PK-12 instructors. A small research team, consisting of two Librarians, an Instructional Designer, and an Assistant Professor in the College of Education at two higher education institutions, designed a survey and intervention for pre-service teachers to measure and increase their levels of OER awareness. The purpose of the survey is …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Special Education Families' Experiences At An Online Charter School, Delaina Cales Tonks

Theses and Dissertations

Student well-being (as opposed to an overemphasis on learning outcomes or technologies) should serve as the central component of a successful online model for students with disabilities. Historically, research on online schools for students with disabilities has focused on outcomes. One online charter schools growth of the students with disabilities population has outpaced the growth of the general education student population over the past eight years, which is an unusual trend that warrants additional scrutiny. Using anonymous parent and student surveys coupled with in-depth phenomenological interviews, this explanatory mixed-methods study investigates the reasons families of students with disabilities chose online …

How Leaders Create The Conditions For Equity, Charli Kinard, Tieshia Pickett, Anastasiya Shchetynska

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

Equity is a complex topic that encompasses many facets of leadership, education reform, and socio-economic issues. This module offers district and school leaders an introduction to equity and the conditions that create equitable school environments. The module provides educational leaders with strategies based on equity frameworks and research-based high-leverage equitable practices to implement in order to begin equity work at their sites and help teachers meet the needs of all of their diverse students. See the additional resources section at the end of this module for links to tools for assessing equity, creating action plans, and seeking support for improving …

More Than Free: Equity In Open Educational Resources, Nicole Williams, Kathryn Anastasi

Open Educational Resources

Faculty creation and adoption of OER and ZTC materials can provide students with benefits that extend beyond no-cost or low-cost considerations. These materials can be the foundation of more culturally relevant classroom materialsthanstudents are used to seeing. They can increase the accessibility of instructional materials to students with disabilities. They can be employed to support student-centered learning ideas which upend traditionalnotionshow information flows between teachers and students. Using OER and ZTC materials has the potential to address many of the concerns about inequality that faculty and students alike have about the current educational model. Although OER and ZTC initiatives present …