Kimberly PattersonManaging Editorkpatterson@curriki.org

Who is Curriki?• Traditional approach vs. OER

• Benefits and challenges

• Lesson plans at Curriki and other sources

Digital Lesson Plans

Who is Curriki?• High cost of today’s instructional materials

• Quality instruction not easily disseminated

• Sharing of ideas not easily facilitated

Challenges of Traditional Approach

Who is Curriki?• Information access anywhere in the world

• Web 2.0—participatory– Networks of people interact and provide feedback– Opportunity to leverage the knowledge of the entire community

• Open Source• Programmed by volunteers• Free and available to anyone

Opportunities for Innovation

Who is Curriki?Web 2.0 Content Development

What Does This Mean for Education?

• High quality content made widely available for free• Users can create and improve, not just consume content• Content can be collaboratively developed by the

community (both locally and globally)• Teachers are more engaged, which can result in

improved student outcomes• Content can be updated regularly to stay current

OER Inverts the Existing Publishing Model

• No need to buy a single expensive textbook, workbook, or instructional activity from a publisher

• Can now share a portion of the “book” • Can create a customized learning resource (or

dozens) at no cost• Teachers are empowered to be content creators

Challenges

• Copyright issues & Creative Commons• Locating materials• Quality of materials• Permanence of resources

What Is Curriki?

Free, online curricula created & validated by the community

• Defined learning objectives• Scope & sequence for instruction• Lesson plans• Textbooks & other instructional materials• Teacher training• Capable of hosting virtually any file format, including video• Tools for content creation

Who Is Curriki?

• The first Internet destination for Open Source Curricula (OSC)

• Founded by Sun Microsystems in 2004• Created as independent 501(c)(3) in 2006• More than 100,000 registered members• 35,000+ learning assets• Global reach

Content Contributors

• For-profit publishers• Non-profit publishers/organizations• School districts/regional organizations• Ministries of Education• The global community of educators

Quality Control

Robust multi-level quality control• File Check• Review by subject matter experts• Member Comments• Member “Star Rating” system• Member “Flag” for questionable content