2.+Essential+Questions+(Bob+Bourgeois+Micah+Copeland)


 * //Essential Questions//**


 * // Here is a great article that just came ot my attention this morning. It is definitely worth reading about how one of our neighbors at Duke University is using technology in his Honors Chemistry classroom: [|Honors Chemistry Without the Textbook]. //**


 * What are digital teaching and learning resources?**


 * Digital teaching and learning resources are electronic tools that can be used by either teachers or students to address learning needs. These can be either purchased or accessed for free, as in the case of open source software. **


 * What are digital textbooks?**


 * Digital textbooks are an electronic version of a book. These could be as simple as an Adobe PDF formatted document, an online book accessed through a student's web browser software or a fully digitized e-book requiring a reader of some sort (such as Kindle or Nook). **

Interactive online, read aloud, extenstion activities, "look up", video resources to enhance learning.
 * Why do teachers and students need access to digital teaching and learning devices?**


 * There are a number of reasons to use digital devices and teaching techniques in education. First, many of the careers students are preparing for use a number of such devices or skills. For instance, in our art department, the dance classes frequently use audio and video equipment in preparing for performances. They record their rehearsals/performances and then can critique themselves seeing the show as the audience would. This allows them to improve prior to the actual performance. They also use audio devices to create or edit the soundtrack they will use. **


 * Online resources are critical in education as well. Students with access to online journals and blogs can improve their writing skills as well as reading. They can easily collaborate with each other using online discussion forums and wikis. Teachers can use personal websites such as Quia or Moodle to assess their students' knowledge. They can also use these sites to share resources such as notes, slideshows and assignments. Also, some departments such as CTE use online testing. New to the district just last year is the Elements testing environment which we will be using for our VoCats testing at the end of this year. **


 * Although paper books remain popular, many sellers are now offering both traditional and digital formats for their products. This is a change that will eventually make the move into education as well. **
 * Digital device content are more up to date/ current. **
 * Ability to get to content faster. **
 * Indexing, bookmarking, **


 * Another digital resource that would be valuable for families, students and teachers alike while saving money for the district involves the generation of progress reports. At the moment, teachers are required to generate a progress report every three weeks. This uses a lot of paper and ink/toner...which equates to money. Some teachers try to cut the amount of resources used by printing multiple students on a single sheet. However, I have had parents complain the font is too small to read, which defeats the purpose of printing the reports in the first place. In some districts, parents have access to their student's grades through NC Wise from any Internet connection at any time they want to peek in on how their students are performing. This would eliminate the need for printed copies and families would have access any time they had a question, helping to catch students before their grades sink within a specified period of time. It also encourages students not to slack off with the hopes of catching up right before the three week period for reports comes around as their parents can view their grades at random intervals if they desired. **


 * Another tool students should be allowed are DPS email accounts. Currently, if a teacher uses various online resources such as Moodle or Quia with their classes, each student needs their own email account to register and gain access. Although it's not common, not all students have personal email accounts outside of school. This requires teachers to require students to create accounts on sites such as Yahoo and gmail. Unfortunately, some of these accounts have age requirements which can make it difficult to set up and sometimes cause conflict with parents who feel their student should not have a personal or unmonitored email account. Having a school provided account would help to alleviate such concerns. **


 * What are the benefits of digital textbooks?**


 * Digital textbooks have numerous benefits. **


 * First, one has to decide on the format they are going to use. If one goes with the simple PDF format document, students have access to relatively small documents that are searchable and readable. If an online textbook is used, students also have access to the text anywhere they can access the Internet. If students are provided with e-readers and the compatible book format is given to them, they also have the ability to annotate information as well as highlight important passages or phrases as they are reading. **


 * Another benefit to digital textbooks relates to updating information. Over time, textbooks require updating. In the case of using traditional books, schools and districts have to wait until the next cycle to replace old or outdated books. Although some teachers may find out about changes and verbally share this information with their students, it surely does not happen for all teachers. Digital books are easier to update depending on the format one uses. It can be as simple as logging into the book online or perhaps downloading a new version, such as how one's operating system installs updates regularly. It is critical that students, and teachers, have the most up to date information in our ever changing times. **


 * Also, digital books are generally lower in cost than their paper counterparts. Having looked for one of my textbooks (Digital Multimedia) on the Barnes and Noble website, there was a noticeable cost difference. The hardcover that is sitting on my shelf sells for $77.51 new. The Nook version sells for $45.48. That's a savings of almost $30 per book! Imagine cutting the cost of all textbooks in DPS by almost 50%! **


 * One final benefit that is often overlooked involves the health of our students. Most students carry around extremely large and heavy bags full of books. This has a negative impact on them as it can put strain on their body. Being able to carry around a lightweight e-reader with all their textbooks and notes is a more ergonomic solution. **

Better for the enviornment - going green. Allows for differientiation. Career College and Life readiness skills. TCO - upfront costs with devices and ongoing purchase of new books.
 * What are open educational resources and how can they be used?**

**"Open educational resources (OER)** are digital materials that can be re-used for teaching, learning, research and more, made available for free through open licenses, which allow uses of the materials that would not be easily permitted under copyright alone."
 * According to Wikipedia: **

"Learning content includes courses, course materials, content modules, learning objects, collections, and journals. Tools include software that supports the creation, delivery, use and improvement of open learning content, searching and organization of content, content and learning management systems, content development tools, and on-line learning communities. Implementation resources include intellectual property licenses that govern open publishing of materials, design-principles, and localization of content. They also include materials on best practices such as stories, publication, techniques, methods, processes, incentives, and distribution."
 * These include a variety of assets including: **


 * These resources can be used by students and teachers alike, for free. It gives them a resource to pull information from for lessons or when completing assignments for their classes. It is a stockpile anyone in education can visit to access shared lesson plans and assignments without breaking copyright laws. Such resources can provide classes without access to standard software the ability to use the same sort of tools for free (such as Inkscape for vector graphics, Gimp for bitmaps or OpenOffice or Google Docs in place of Microsoft Office) in place of their expensive counterparts. There are numerous sources of information, applications and content available online for free. **


 * At DSA, we are using wikis to collaborate within our like-like groups for PLCs. On top of that, our department takes part in a state-wide PLC on Moodle. With regard to my students, I am using Moodle, which is provided through LearnNC for free, to distribute information, conduct formative assessments through online discussions and journaling and give quizzes in preparation throughout the year for their summative tests. Students have access to this information from anywhere they can access the Internet and by posting the lecture information online, students can focus more on understanding a lecture and asking questions for clarification rather than writing notes in their notebook. I also direct my students to a variety of open source software for use in their homes to continue exploring the skills I teach in class as we are using expensive industry-standard software in school. Other teachers here are using Quia to reinforce student learning through activities shared by teachers of the same curriculum state-wide. **


 * How can access to these resources be increased in our LEA?**


 * A lot of these resources are available online right now. In terms of digital textbooks, DPS could make the move from traditional books to eBooks through e-readers. Providing teachers and students access to information, and support and training on free educational resources online would also help increase use of these resources. I've seen wonderful things done in CTE in terms of teachers using Quia and Moodle websites as educational tools both with their students and to help improve their ability to collaborate through statewide PLCs. Access to such resources has to be verified and approved by the IT department, software needs to be downloaded and teachers need training. **

//** As of Friday morning, I sent an email to the department chairs at my school, DSA, requesting them to ask their departments how they use digital teaching and learning resources as well as how they foresee the use of such items in their departments. I requested they respond by this Wednesday so I can compose a more broad answer to each of the above questions. I know how I am using such items in my CTE classes, but would love to hear from other departments and get a broader perspective on their department's uses/needs as well. With DSA being a mixed group of both middle and high school, I think our teachers can give a unique and varying perspective on these questions allowing us to get a more general sense of what is currently used as well needed for technology in DPS. **//

DEPOT one stop place for digital resources.
 * // As of today (10/12), I am still waiting to hear from other departments at DSA. However, I am answering some of the questions above and will come back to edit them further based on feedback as I receive it. //**