Challenges: Everchanging devices and platforms The broad content area needs across K-12 Student data privacy Concerns & equity Cost-effectiveness/streamlining delivery Teacher time to curate content Ensuring quality & equity

1. Big Picture Challenges Of Digital Curriculum
Daniel Downs, Ed.D
Coordinator Of Digital Learning
North Reading Public Schools
ddowns@nrpsk12.org
@danieldowns

2. Big Picture Challenges Of Digital Curriculum
Challenges
● Everchanging devices and
platforms
● Broad content area needs
across K-12
● Student data privacy Concerns &
equity
● Cost effectiveness/streamlining
delivery
● Teacher time to curate content
● Ensuring quality & equity
@danieldowns

3. Digital Disruption: Key findings from the 2016 Learning
Counsel survey of 708 education executives:
● $16.2 Billion spent last year on
Hardware & Major Systems.
● 78% of students have access to a
device for a good portion or all the
school day.
● 62% of schools have a 1-to-1 in place,
and 46% of schools have a BYOD
program in place.
● Device adoptions are now non-
homogeneous because older children,
particularly high schoolers, tend to
need full laptops, not tablets.
● Super desktops are still being
purchased for lab-type applications
such as computer-aided design
programs, video editing, and more.
● 79%+ of schools have wireless network
coverage for classrooms and common
areas, but most are considered
“unreliable” by teachers.
● Teachers spend 25% of their time on
searching or doing digital custom
lesson building. 75% of them complain
of too many log-ins.
Digital Curriculum Sustainability Discussion Workbook 2017: The Learning Counsel

4. Digital Curriculum Sustainability Discussion Workbook: The Learning Counsel

5. Digital Curriculum Sustainability Discussion Workbook: The Learning Counsel

6. OER & Digital Curriculum Narrative:
North Reading Public Schools
2015-16
At the end of the 2015-16 school year the Digital Learning team began investigating the use of openly
available resources(OER) to support curriculum development in the areas of digital citizenship, robotics
and digital literacy. This decision was based on the high cost of web based resources that may have
only addressed particular content, grade level, media or learning standards/outcomes.
Our Challenge
● Process of evaluating & curating resources
● Providing access to the portals that could teacher growth with using these tools
● Narrowing the options to our scope
● Adapting to existing teaching practices
@danieldowns

7. Big Picture Challenges Of Digital Curriculum
Our first steps:
● Take advantage of SSO (Single
Sign On) options
● Encourage curriculum teams to
review OER as an option
● Streamline delivery and
accessibility for teachers with
online and blended platforms
● Empower educators to share,
curate and evaluate resources
@danieldowns

8. Leveraging Analytics With Clever

9. OER & Digital Curriculum Narrative:
North Reading Public Schools
2016-17
Moving into the 2016-17 school year it became a priority to expand our district vision for the use of OER
resources beyond our digital learning team and to embed these resources within our digital learning
vision. We now had a new series of questions.
New Questions
● Can we counter the rising cost of textbooks?
● How do we support teacher practice for curating resources and inspire them to shift?
● How do we best support 1:1 & personalized learning environments with quality digital curriculum?
● How do we maintain flexibility with digital curriculum formats and cost?
● How do we maintain the ability to quickly update materials?
● What is the overall quality and breadth of these resources for the areas we are targeting?
@danieldowns

10. OER & Digital Curriculum Narrative:
North Reading Public Schools
District Supports
As we began to identify these opportunities there was also a range of support within Massachusetts
and nationally to begin the conversation around transitioning to increased use and engagement for
OER and streamlining digital curriculum.
● Future Ready Planning Dashboard & The Necessity Of High Quality Digital Content
● MAPLE Massachusetts Personalized Learning Initiative(Catalyst District)
● Hosted #GoOpen Regional Summit & Attend #GoOpen District Meetings
● Rich conversations in our local learning communities around resources and strategies
These supports provided the conversations among our leadership to support to look more closely at
issues connected to digital curriculum.
@danieldowns

11. OER & Digital Curriculum Narrative:
North Reading Public Schools
Culture Shifts & Decisions
● Develop department based team around supporting the curation and development of resources to
support instruction.
● This has started in our 1:1 learning environments and through our Library Media Specialists
● Utilize digital learning specialists and certified library media specialists to begin the conversation,
evaluation and use of resources.
● Select priority platforms for researching resources and sharing the process of curating within
disciplines.
● First steps in making professional development decisions to support the transition.
● Begin to implement district wide applications to scale and support student and teacher access to
these resources.
@danieldowns

12. #GoOpen Regional Summit: Fall 2016
#GoOpen Regional Summit provided an
opportunity for classroom teachers, school
librarians, instructional coaches, and district and
state leaders to explore opportunities to expand
the use of high quality, openly licensed
educational resources in classrooms.
Guests Included:
Andrew Marcinek: Former #GoOpen Advisor
Kristin Peters: Current #GoOpen Advisor
Grace Magely & Kerry Gallagher
Friday Institute
Commonlit.org
Amazon TenMarks
@danieldowns

13. #GoOpen In Massachusetts & Beyond
What does it mean to #GoOpen?
Selecting a team of teachers who can organize themselves around developing a
specific curriculum which will utilize OER resources.
Current #GoOpen Districts in Massachusetts-Medfield, North Reading, Burlington
What does this look like?
A Look At Our #GoOpen Summit
● Agenda-District strategy & Networking
● ODL Blog
@danieldowns

14. #GoOpen Regional Summit:
Takeaways & Next Steps
● Convene a team of interested staff to
explore ‘getting started packet’
● Train teachers in Creative Commons and
#GoOpen
● Frame the work around finding resources
and empowering teachers
● Digital citizenship training for staff
● Meet with science teachers to explore
OER
● Get Superintendents and curriculum
director on board
● Sharing LMS decisions among districts
● Statewide support for LMS to deliver and
validate resources
● Blended learning movement
● Use next PD time to start looking at open
resources
● Support a rich & engaging digital learning
environment
@danieldowns

15. Who to connect to get involved:
Department Of Educational Technology
#GoOpen Launch Packet
Overview Of #GoOpen States & Initiative
Groups & Networking
New England Open Education Collaborative
Kristina Peters Current #GoOpen Advisor
202.453.7029 | 402.957.2863 | kristina.peters@ed.gov
OER Resources In North Reading
@danieldowns