Thursday, April 9, 2009

OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Since my own EduResources Portal closed in July 2007, I've been looking for other useful portal entry points to recommend to students and instructors who are searching for educational resources. I highly recommend the OER Commons as a valuable first stop. The Commons is extremely broad in scope, but so well organized that new users can orient to its resources quickly.

The OER  materials can be browsed by categories or collections; resources are also searchable with key words. Additionally, the entry page displays the OER Top Ten and the Top 25 Tags for a quick scan of what other users are viewing. Visitors who register can set up their own OER Portfolio and also sign up to receive an E-News newsletter.

The "OER Matters" section provides links to News Stories, Articles and Reports, Conferences and Workshops, Discussion Forums, Organizations and Associations, Tools and Technology, and Blogs and Wikis.  The Commons was created by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) which is supported by the Hewlett Foundation.  OER professionals will want to mark the OER Commons in their bookmarks and visit the site regularly (an rss feed is also available). _____JH

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"OER Commons is a teaching and learning network, from K-12 lesson plans to college courseware, from algebra to zoology, open to everyone to use and add to."

"Learn more about the worldwide movement to make teaching and learning materials free and accessible for use and re-use by everyone."

Read the rest ...

Crashing

I experienced a major crash of my computer and my backup system recently. Consequently, I've not been able to post messages for several days. Also, I've not been able to fully recover past messages. Hope to fully recover the system today or tomorrow.

JH

Continue reading ...

Dracut PTO treasurer charged

Dracut PTO treasurer charged
Donna Breton, 42, has been charged with larceny by embezzlement over $250 for allegedly stealing nearly $13,000 from a local parent-teacher organization. Breton was treasurer of the Parker Avenue School PTO for several years. According to police, she embezzled fund-raising profits intended for school improvements to pay mortgage and utility bills, and cover the cost of a new roof ...

Hampton special education plan faces $800,000 shortfall (Daily Press)

The annual plan for special education in Hampton schools includes a possible $800,000 shortfall in federal funds. Continue reading ...