OER About | OER Commons

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Press Return to Expand">Learn More</span><span class="fa-stack header-navbar-navigation-arrow-down"><i class="fa fa-chevron-down fa-stack-1x" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="fa fa-chevron-up fa-stack-1x" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></a><ul class="header-dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-left dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="header-navbar-dropdown-4-open-btn"><li class="header-dropdown-menu-item" role="menuitem"><a href="/about" class="header-dropdown-menu-item-link">About</a></li><li class="header-dropdown-menu-item" role="menuitem"><a href="/help-center" class="header-dropdown-menu-item-link">Help Center</a></li><li class="header-dropdown-menu-item" role="menuitem"><a href="/about-hubs" class="header-dropdown-menu-item-link">About Hubs</a></li><li class="header-dropdown-menu-item" role="menuitem"><a href="/services" class="header-dropdown-menu-item-link">Services</a></li><li class="header-dropdown-menu-item" role="menuitem"><a href="/oer-101" class="header-dropdown-menu-item-link">OER 101</a></li></ul></div><div class="header-authoring-overview js-header-mobile-item mod-authoring-overview" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"><div class="dropdown header-navbar-dropdown header-dropdown-arrow header-dropdown-create-options js-header-dropdown"><button type="button" class="dropdown-toggle visible-md-block visible-lg-block btn btn-primary header-create-options-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" id="header-create-options-toggle" title="Show add OER options" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"> Add OER </button><div class="header-dropdown-menu dropdown-menu mod-left header-add-oa-options-menu" role="menuitem" aria-labelledby="header-create-options-toggle"><div class="col-md-6 add-oer-item"><img src="/static/newdesign/images/header/add-oer-icon-oa.png" class="add-oer-icon" alt="{% trans " Add OER" %}" aria-hidden="true"><h4>Open Author</h4><p class="header-create-options-description">Create a standalone learning module, lesson, assignment, assessment or activity</p><form action="/courseware/lesson/add" method="post"><button type="submit" class="btn btn-secondary add-oer-btn">Create Resource</button></form></div><div class="col-md-6 add-oer-item"><img src="/static/newdesign/images/header/add-oer-icon-submit.png" class="add-oer-icon" alt="{% trans " Add OER" %}" aria-hidden="true"><h4>Submit from Web</h4><p class="header-create-options-description">Submit OER from the web for review by our librarians</p><a href="/courses/add" webAddType="navbar" class="btn btn-secondary add-oer-btn">Add Link</a></div><div class="text-center"><a href="/authoring-overview" class="oa-overview-link">Learn more about creating OER</a></div></div><div class="hidden-md hidden-lg dropdown show"><a class="dropdown-toggle dropdown header-nav-link header-dropdown-arrow" href="#" role="menuitem" id="add-oer-menu-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" tabindex="0"> Add OER <span class="fa-stack header-navbar-navigation-arrow-down"><i class="fa fa-chevron-down fa-stack-1x" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="fa fa-chevron-up fa-stack-1x" aria-hidden="true"></i></span></a><ul class="dropdown-menu header-dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="add-oer-menu-toggle" role="menu"><li class="header-dropdown-menu-item dropdown-item" role="menuitem"><a href="/courses/add" webAddType="navigation" class="header-dropdown-menu-item-link">Add Link</a></li><li class="header-dropdown-menu-item dropdown-item" role="menuitem"><form action="/courseware/lesson/add" method="post"><button type="submit" class="header-dropdown-menu-item-btn-link">Create Resource</button></form></li><li class="header-dropdown-menu-item dropdown-item" role="menuitem"><a href="/authoring-overview" class="header-dropdown-menu-item-link">About creating OER</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div></nav><div class="header-navbar-widgets" role="menubar" aria-label="Search and User menu"><div class="dropdown header-navbar-search-dropdown header-dropdown-arrow js-header-search-dropdown" role="menuitem" aria-label="Search Form Dropdown"><button type="button" class="dropdown-toggle header-navbar-dropdown-open-btn header-navbar-search-dropdown-open-btn js-mobile-search-toggle-btn js-tabbing" data-toggle="dropdown" data-aria-label-open="Open Search Form" data-aria-label-close="Close Search Form" aria-label="Open Search Form" id="header-navbar-search-dropdown-open-btn" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="aria-expanded-region"><i class="fa fa-search" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="fa fa-times" aria-hidden="true"></i></button><div class="header-navbar-search-dropdown-wrap header-dropdown-menu dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="header-navbar-search-dropdown-open-btn" role="region" id="aria-expanded-region"><div class="container"><div class="header-navbar-search-dropdown-inner"><form action="/search" method="GET" name="advanced-search" class="header-navbar-search-dropdown-form js-header-search-dropdown-form js-header-search-form"><input type="hidden" name="search_source" value="navbar"><div class="header-navbar-search-dropdown-search-field"><input type="text" name="f.search" class="header-navbar-search-dropdown-search-input form-control" title="Search keywords" aria-label="Search keywords" placeholder="What are you looking for?" /></div><select name="f.general_subject" class="header-navbar-search-dropdown-search-select form-control" aria-label="Subject"><option value="">Subject</option><option value="applied-science">Applied Science</option><option value="arts-and-humanities">Arts and Humanities</option><option value="business-and-communication">Business and Communication</option><option value="career-and-technical-education">Career and Technical Education</option><option value="education">Education</option><option value="english-language-arts">English Language Arts</option><option value="history">History</option><option value="law">Law</option><option 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value="adult-education">Adult Education</option></select><select name="f.alignment_standard" id="id_curriculum_standard_in_header" class="header-navbar-search-dropdown-search-select form-control js-header-standards-select" data-helper-url="/standards/align-widget-helper?existing" aria-label="Standard"><option value="">Standard</option></select><button class="btn btn-primary header-search-dropdown-search-button">Search</button></form><div class="header-search-dropdown-advanced-search-call-out"><a class="header-search-dropdown-advanced-search-link" href="/advanced-search">Advanced Search</a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="visible-md-block visible-lg-block js-notifications-widget-container"><div class="dropdown header-dropdown-arrow notifications-widget js-notifications-widget js-header-dropdown" role="menuitem" data-mark-as-read-ids="" data-mark-as-read-url=""><button type="button" class="header-navbar-dropdown-open-btn notifications-widget-open-btn" data-toggle="dropdown" title="Notifications" id="header-navbar-notification-widget-open-btn" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false"><span class="fa fa-bell notifications-widget-open-btn-bell" aria-label="Notifications dropdown"></span><span class="notifications-widget-open-btn-text">Notifications</span></button><div class="js-notifications-widget-popup notifications-widget-popup header-dropdown-menu dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="header-navbar-notification-widget-open-btn"><div class="notifications-widget-popup-scroll"><ul class="notifications-widget-popup-items"></ul></div></div></div></div><div class="header-dropdown-user-menu visible-md-block visible-lg-block js-header-mobile-item mod-user-menu"><a class="header-navbar-dropdown-open-btn login js-login" rel="nofollow" href="/login"> Sign In/Register </a><a class="login-form-url hide" href="/login/form"></a></div></div></div></nav><nav class="header-mobile-container hidden-md hidden-lg js-header-mobile-container js-action-links"></nav></header> <div role="main" id="content" class="content" tabindex="0"> <div class="container-status-messages hidden"> <div id="status-messages"> </div> </div> <div class="learn-more-page" role="main"> <section class="learn-more-page-header about-header" aria-labelledby="about-title" style="background-image: url(/static/staticpages/images/about/header.jpg);"> <h1 id="about-title">OER Commons & Open Education</h1> <p>The Future of Education, Co-Created With You</p> </section> <div class="about-movement-section-wrapper"> <div class="container"> <div class="learn-more-page-section-container mod-center"> <h2 id="equity-title">Open Educational Resources (OER) Support Equity and Flexibility</h2> </div> <section class="learn-more-page-section mod-image-first" aria-labelledby="equity-title"> <div class="learn-more-page-section-image" aria-hidden="true"> <img src="/static/staticpages/images/about/the-movement.jpg" alt=""> </div> <div class="learn-more-page-section-text"> <h3>The Movement</h3> <p> The worldwide OER movement is rooted in the human right to access high-quality education. This shift in educational practice is not just about cost savings and easy access to openly licensed content; it’s about participation and co-creation. Open Educational Resources (OER) offer opportunities for systemic change in teaching and learning content through engaging educators in new participatory processes and effective technologies for engaging with learning. </p> <div class="learn-more-page-btn-in-block about-movement-section-download-pdf"> <h3>Want to know more about OER?</h3> <p>Download FAQ: OER for K-12 Educators?</p> <a href="/static/staticpages/documents/FAQ-OER-K-12.pdf" class="btn btn-default" target="_blank">Download PDF</a> </div> </div> </section> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <section class="learn-more-page-section" aria-labelledby="open-edu-title"> <div class="learn-more-page-section-text"> <h3 id="open-edu-title">Open Education Practice</h3> <p> The move to open education practice (OEP) is more than a shift in content, it is an immersive experience in collaborative teaching and learning. OEP leverages open education resources (OER) to expand the role of educators, allowing teachers to become curators, curriculum designers, and content creators. In sharing teaching tools and strategies, educators network their strengths and improve the quality of education for their students. </p> <p> With an open practice, educators are able to adjust their content, pedagogies, and approach based on their learners, without the limitations of “all rights reserved”. </p> </div> <div class="learn-more-page-section-image" aria-hidden="true"> <img src="/static/staticpages/images/about/open-education-practice.jpg" alt=""> </div> </section> <section class="learn-more-page-section mod-image-first" aria-labelledby="and-oer-title"> <div class="learn-more-page-section-image" aria-hidden="true"> <img src="/static/staticpages/images/about/iskme-and-oerc.jpg" alt=""> </div> <div class="learn-more-page-section-text"> <h3 id="and-oer-title">ISKME and OER Commons</h3> <p> ISKME's OER initiatives aim to grow a sustainable culture of sharing and continuous improvement among educators at all levels. In 2007, ISKME launched OER Commons, its digital public library and collaboration platform, informed by the organization's pioneering efforts in knowledge management and educational innovation. OER Commons offers a comprehensive infrastructure for curriculum experts and instructors at all levels to identify high-quality OER and collaborate around their adaptation, evaluation, and use to address the needs of teachers and learners. Diving into OER Commons is an exciting opportunity to collaborate with other educators and learners, at the forefront of a new educational era. </p> </div> </section> </div> <div class="about-getting-started"> <div class="container"> <div class="learn-more-page-section-container mod-center"> <h3 id="get-started-title">Getting Started with OER</h3> </div> <section class="learn-more-page-section" aria-labelledby="get-started-title"> <div class="learn-more-page-section-text mod-top "> <p> Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that you may freely use and reuse at no cost, and without needing to ask permission. Unlike traditionally copyrighted resources, OER have been licensed by their authors to permit no-cost access, reuse, adaptation, and redistribution. They may also exist in the public domain, free of all copyright restrictions. </p> <p> In some cases, that means you can download a resource and share it with colleagues and students. In other cases, you may be able to download a resource, edit it in some way, and then re-post it as a remixed work. How do you know your options? OER often have a Creative Commons license or other permission to let you know how the material may be used, reused, adapted, and shared. </p> </div> <div class="learn-more-page-section-text mod-top"> <p> From a single point of access in OER Commons, you can search, browse, and evaluate resources in OER Commons' growing collection of over 50,000 high-quality OER. Here are some curated collections to start exploring: </p> <ul> <li> <a href="https://oercommons.org/browse/?f.material_types=full-course&f.provider=the-saylor-foundation&f.provider=lumen-learning&f.provider=johns-hopkins-bloomberg-school-of-public-health"> Full university courses </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://oercommons.org/hubs/climate"> Climate education resources </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://oercommons.org/search?batch_size=20&sort_by=rating&view_mode=summary&f.search=remix"> Adaptations of existing open work </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://oercommons.org/curated-collections/913"> Open Textbooks </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://oercommons.org/curated-collections/612"> K-12 Lesson Plans, worksheets, and activities </a> </li> </ul> </div> </section> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="learn-more-page-section-container" role="region" aria-labelledby="oer-partners-title"> <h3 id="oer-partners-title">ISKME’s OER Commons Partners</h3> <p> OER Commons forges alliances between trusted content providers and creative users and re-users of OER. In addition to content partnerships, OER Commons, and its creator, ISKME, builds strategic relationships with organizations, consortia, states, districts, and others, in order to develop innovation and new research focused on OER, to advance the field of open education, and to build models for its sustainability. </p> <p> Supported in part by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, ISKME, the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education, created OER Commons as part of the Foundation’s worldwide OER initiative. </p> <p> From content, to infrastructure, to policies, many individuals and organizations work to make open content for all a reality. We acknowledge our partner organizations for their vision, expertise, and collaborative know-how. </p> <div class="learn-more-page-btn-in-block about-oerc-partners-download-pdf"> <h3>Scale Your #GoOpen Initiative</h3> <p>ISKME's OER PD & Support Services</p> <a href="/static/staticpages/documents/Scale-your-GoOpen-initiative.pdf" class="btn btn-default" target="_blank">Download PDF</a> </div> </div> <div class="learn-more-page-section-container about-partners"> <ul> <li> <a href="http://www.nwp.org/" target="_blank"> <img src="/static/staticpages/images/about/partners/nwp.png" alt="National Writing Project"> </a> </li> <li> <a href="http://tech.ed.gov/open/" target="_blank"> <img src="/static/staticpages/images/about/partners/go-open.png" alt="#GoOpen"> </a> </li> <li> <a href="http://teachstrong.org/" target="_blank" class="about-partners-list-item"> <img src="/static/staticpages/images/about/partners/teach-strong.png" alt="TeachStrong"> </a> </li> <li> <a href="http://futureready.org/" target="_blank" class="about-partners-list-item"> <img src="/static/staticpages/images/about/partners/future-ready-schools.png" alt="Future Ready Schools"> </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://classroom.google.com/" target="_blank" class="about-partners-list-item"> <img src="/static/staticpages/images/about/partners/google-classroom.png" alt="Google Classroom"> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="about-services"> <div class="container"> <div class="learn-more-page-section-container" role="region" aria-labelledby="oer-services-title"> <h3 id="oer-services-title">OER Partnerships, Training, and Services</h3> <p> New tools and processes take time to learn. ISKME can help. We offer <a class="oer-services-link" href="https://www.oercommons.org/about-hubs" target="_blank">OER Commons Hubs</a>, <a class="oer-services-link" href="https://www.oercommons.org/microsites" target="_blank">Customized Microsites</a>, <a class="oer-services-link" href="https://www.oercommons.org/information-services" target="_blank">Content Integration Services</a>, and <a class="oer-services-link" href="https://www.oercommons.org/training" target="_blank">OER Training Programs</a> in addition to content partnerships. </p> <p> Interested in partnering with ISKME and OER Commons? 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