InterSection: CALL-IS with PK-12 IS  Open-Education Resources (OER) in K-12 Education: Balancing the Nexus of Infinite Possibilities with Instructional Efficiency   9:30 - 11:15am EDT Thursday, March 14 GWCC, Room A315 Live broadcast link: http://tinyurl.com/call-is-specialsessions

Abstract: The draw of Open Educational Resources (OER) is impossible to resist in the age of diminishing budgets and the increasing digitization of knowledge.  This panel will explore the pros and cons of OER in K-12 education, including implementation of OER products, training teachers how to use OER effectively, and protecting student personally identifiable information.  Furthermore, K-12 teachers will demonstrate key OER products they implement in instruction and collaboration.  The session will conclude with a question and answer session to over any further topics or issues of interest to the audience.

Summary:  As budgets get smaller and smaller in the field of K-12 education, instructional leaders are struggling to find resources that are affordable, reliable, and applicable for instruction.  Open Educational Resources or OERs are a great way to bridge the budget gap by also providing quality instructional materials, content, or frameworks for instruction (Wiley, Green, & Soares, 2012).  This panel will discuss OER and student privacy rights, OER curriculum implementation pros and cons, OER applications for teacher collaboration, OER and motivation for older learners, and OER applications for diverse learners.  Presenters will speak for their allotted times and structure their information utilizing standard presentation formats such as PowerPoint or Google Slides.  In addition to theoretical background, panelists will provide concrete examples from current practice materials to illustrate theory in practice and demonstrate how to apply the information presented in classroom environments.  Session outcomes include increased knowledge about OER products, including strengths and challenges of implementation, as well as concrete knowledge about select OER products for a variety of age groups with the field of K-12 education.  This information will guide session attendees in the choice of OER products for various educational settings.   Electronic access to all materials will be provided.  Finally, panelists will be available for questions at the end of the panel presentation.