Week 11: A Behind the Scenes Look at OER Commons
Introduction
Have you ever hoped to find a library for teachers with endless resources that aren't hidden behind a paywall? You've found it! If you're on the hunt for teacher-approved resources that meet educational standards and come in a variety of forms, check out OER Commons. Not only will it give you access to hundreds of free downloadable resources that are ready to use in your library, you can also create your own resources and publish them!
Audience
OER Commons in designed to be used by librarians. This is unique because most of the web tools I've reviewed here have kids in mind as the users. Kids could use this site, but it is ideal for librarians because it relates to lesson planning and classroom material. This material is ready for students once the librarians distribute it or assign it. Operating OER will be a piece of cake for librarians who have any research experience. It's more accessible than most databases, with built-in and easy to use advanced search features that do the work for you and help you filter everything to get niche, curated results.
OER has resources for all age groups; from k-12 to beyond. No matter where you are in your educational journey, there will be materials made just for you!
Cost
OER is completely free to use! You can make a free account and immediately start downloading and creating resources, making it an essential web tool. There are no trials, and no strings attached. Once you start exploring, nothing is holding you back!
All of the resources are clearly labeled by how they fall under copyright law. Resources are organized by:
Unrestricted Access: Whether protected by the Creative Commons BY license or in the public domain, these resources are free to use and can be distributed any way the user would like.
Conditional Remix and Share Permitted: Second to least restrictive (Creative Commons BY-SA, BY-ND, and BY-NC-SA), the users can share this source any way they'd like and can remix it as long as they follow the author's wishes.
Only Sharing Permitted: The middle ground (Creative Commons BY-ND, BY-NC-ND) Remixes are not allowed, but sharing is.
Read the Fine Print: More restrictive, only educational use is allowed, some rights are reserved, and users have to make sure they follow protocol.
Restricted Use: Resources that are protected under copyright and are inaccessible.
Features
OER Commons has a plethora of resources in different forms, on different topics, and for a variety of ages. OER has resources that fit under many categories; everything from the humanities to continuing education. OER Commons offers many different resource types such as lessons, games, activities, assessments, labs, diagrams, homework assignments, full courses, lectures, interactive components, textbooks, etc.
The basic search includes a box where you can type in keywords, and filters for the topic you’re looking for, the intended age group (preschool-adult education), and if you’re aiming to meet any educational standards such as AASL National School Library Standards or Common Core, for example.
The advanced search also includes further filtering categories such as accessibility (audio description, textual, caption, etc.), by the intended user (teacher, librarian, student, parent, administrator), media format, license types (unrestricted use, remix and share permitted, restricted use), activity type and how much material it is (an entire course, a unit of study, one lesson).
There are also curated collections organized by subject matter that can help if you’re still in the brainstorming stage and haven’t landed on a solid query.
Librarians also have the chance to be on the other end and create content. Through OER, you can become an educator who inspires countless others. With the Open Author feature, you can create and publish your own work and post it to OER to be shared with people all around the world. You can create your own post/document with links, images and videos, etc. and it can be remixed and adapted by others.
Accessibility
There’s an accessibility checker built into the editor to make sure your resource is compliant with WCAG 2.O, WAI-ARIA, and more
The checker makes sure your paragraphs are spaced so they’re readable, that your font size is appropriate, etc. An example given is to not make random paragraphs into headers, because than can trick visually impaired users or blind users using a screen reader. The header font size should be reserved for headers so it serves its purpose. This is a good way of realizing that aesthetic choices matter. It’s not just about making your resource look good or to have your branding be consistent, a simple thing as font size can make you seem like a trusted educator or incompetent.
Use in a School Library
Resources from OER Commons can be used in school library settings. Whether the librarian adapts a lesson from the resource library or creates their own, both are productive and creative ways to make sure you're following school standards while flexing your creative muscles. This is a great source of inspiration, and good in a pinch when you need a ready-to-use resource. Also, this saves copyright issues by allowing you to use unlicensed sources or create your own material. I also think OER Commons is a great way to introduce your students to the concept of copyright and Creative Commons. By showing them the variety of licenses and protections a resource can have, you can use OER as a starting point for lessons about copyright. This is also a great way to teach students how to ethically use other people's work. Allowing them to explore OER Commons and testing them to see if they use the resources correctly will build up their skills and prepare them for the future.
Above are two examples of resources OER Commons offers. The first is an infographic about copyright made for elementary age students. The next is a lesson plan with downloadable worksheets and rubrics for an activity: a library scavenger hunt for middle school students.
Conclusion
OER Commons is a resource all librarians should familiarize themselves with. It's free, accessible, and has a great tool that allows librarians to create and publish their own resources. It can be used comfortably by educators and students and will benefit any school environment.
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