Next Steps

Consider the why, what, who, when & how of GoOpenNC, and determine what next step(s) you plan to take.

District: Mooresville Graded School District

Team: Scott Smith & Damien Akelman

Critical Path

Why?

Consider: Why is OER a value-add to our district and teams?  

Why will framing be an important component of successful engagement?

Discussion/Notes:

OER is a great resource for our team if we can build buy-in with our teachers.  It can be a great go-to resource for our teachers to be able to look at content and determine if lessons can be deployed in their classrooms.  As a value-added proposition, it's a great way for teachers to work together to compare lessons and be able to work with others outside of their building.  This is a good resource for siloed teachers who are looking for resources that will help them.

Framing is incredibly important here.  All initiatives require buy-in, but this one may be a heavy lift as it competes with already known quantities.  Content is always looking for eyes from teachers, this resource needs to be promoted in a way to show that it has high quality stuff on the platform.  If teachers come to this website, and can't find anything useful within the first 3 clicks, the resource will fail. PD and Framing will be essential to get it to be used.

Action Items:

- Add OpenEdNC directly into NCEdCloud

- Create a rollout plan that provides a percentage of teachers to use this

- Talk to administration to see if we can add this to PLC agendas to evaluate resources

What

Consider: Do I need to learn more about OER, OEP, and/or open licensing?

Would be helpful to me if I can spend more time learning about the features and functionality of the microsite?

In my district/school, we have created openly-licensed content that could be added to the microsite.  Do I need to consider the process for making this happen?

Discussion/Notes:

I need to see how other districts across the country are using OER.  I need to see how other teachers are utilizing this tool and implementing it in their classrooms.  We also need an elevator pitch to explain this to our teachers -- it needs to address all of the features that are part of this.  I need to be able to explain this to teachers in under 60 seconds... what's the best way to do this?

Yes and no.  I think it'd be good for me to become more comfortable using the site, but I think it would be better to develop PD course on using and looking over the resources.

We need to find a way to make this work with our current systems.  We have more planning documents that we know what to do with. How can we blend what we already have with this great new resource?  

Action Items:

- Come up with a plan to integrate resource with what we already have

- Develop PD based on online modules and use this for CEUs and DLCs

- Find ways to offer OpenEdNC Professional Development District wide to guide teachers to understand how to use the resource

    1) Searching for Resources

    2) Evaluating Resources

    3) Uploading Resources

- Build Buy-in from district level with ICs and get district goals incorporated into school PDPs

Who?

Consider: I know there are OER champions already in my district/school. How can I best connect with them to discuss GoOpenNC?

How can I best determine other instructional leaders in my district/school who can join me as thought partners as we investigate OER/OEP?

Discussion/Notes:

Finding those OER people will be the challenge.  So many teachers of mine create great stuff and share it within their departments.  Getting them to add it to this site will be difficult in that they will be reluctant to share their best resources with all.  Some teachers are tough in getting their items evaluated. I need to find ways to bring them into the fold and show them the benefits of this.  It could be great to get our PLC leads to use this first, it can help them evaluate content resources.

Find the teachers who are most likely to share resources.  Which one of my teachers lead district, state, national level PD?  Which ones would benefit from new perspectives on their content? Which teachers would like to evaluate other content for teachers?  Basically, we need to put our teachers into buckets that follow their strong suits and help them and guide them toward the end result which is the adoption of this resource as one of our top resources for the district.  

Action Items:

- Identify people to roll this out

- Create an online plan to build this

When?

Consider: When are there opportunities for teachers and instructional leaders to engage in professional learning related to OER?

- MGSD Summer Institute, PLC meetings, Staff meetings

When the district/school reviews and selects instructional materials, can we could consider OER and how those materials can be utilized?

- Yes., but it has to be easily accessible and seamless for teachers

Discussion/Notes:

- PLCs are the best place for this to happen

- Some Early Release days and/or faculty meetings

- This is going to be difficult given the amount of paid resources we currently have

Action Items:

- Develop and implementation plan

- Decide negotiables/non

How?

Consider: I need to spend time considering how teachers in my district/school are currently selecting instructional materials, and what supports they need to effectively select high quality, standards-aligned resources.

How can we best support teachers as they find, vet, use, and create OER.

- Cite examples and use in current curriculum guides

- Provide time to plan

Are there opportunities for teachers to curate and align OER to standards

- Somewhat but less next year with the lack of PD days

Discussion/Notes:

- Teachers will likely not do it unless they get something (CEUs, badges, etc)

Action Items:

- Teachers need to know the why