Instru
uction th
hat was structure
s
ed linear
rly, capt
tured in books th
hat
were alla
ewha
at “cream
my” consi
istency, is shift
ting to newer
n
for
rms
of instruction
nal conte
ent that are more
e “chunky
y,” begin
nning as a
scattered land
dscape of
f digital
l pieces that are
e then as
ssembled
toinclusive mo
onoliths with a predeterm
p
mined pro
ogression
n for a
unifor
rm, som support
s
f
full
cour
rses. The
e trend, steady and
a
apparently ine
exorable, is insp
pired by higher education
e
n, driven
n
by fin
nancial pressures
p
s, propel
lled by foundatio
f
ons and the
t
feder
ral
govern
nment, an
nd enable
ed by tec
chnology. Frank Catalano,
C
, How OER
R
is cha
anging th
he textur
re of con
ntent
Why Core Connect? The transition to aa college and career ready cu
urriculum and ttesting program
m requires expanded access to digital content. To help schools fund that transition, a numbeer of open educcation resource ed with the req
quirement that they be madee available freee of charge. Scchools can savee projects haave been funde
money by adopting digitaal resources an
nd reallocate those monies to
o technology integration. But the increased
d use d digital conten
nt, especially O
OER, is not with
hout pitfalls. The phrase, “freee like a puppyy,” applies to any of chunked
effort that replaces publisher cost with
h teacher labor to find, assem
mble and main
ntain content. C
Core Connect d access to reso
ources built forr the CCSS, nott just aligned to
o the CCSS. The provides teeachers with easy, organized
standards guidance clearrly states that n
no program orr textbook thatt existed prior tto the standards is truly align
ned. uld Benefit? Unit U
Developm
ment is an esssential activitty for site‐bassed leadership
p developmen
nt and Who Wou
understand
ding of the sttructure and progression p
off the Common
n Core State Standards. Bu
ut once those initial activities have h
been com
mpleted, teach
hers benefit frrom access to curated conteent, particularly OER conten
nt that gives the sschool the opportunity to savve considerable instructionall resource dollaars. Schools who have investted six months or more in the trransition to thee CCSS would b
benefit most frrom Core Conn
nect. ntent? Schoolss must incorporate technologgy into daily teaching to realize the What is Drriving the Shiftt to Digital Con
benefits. TThe daily use off technology in
n core classes ccorrelates high
hly to the desirrable education success meaasures. Daily tech
hnology use iss a top‐five indicator of better b
discipline, better atttendance and
d increased college c
attendancee. Every aspectt of the CCSS eemphasizes tecchnology integgration. Considerable technological capability is a requirement for PARCC/SSmarter Balancced testing adm
ministration an
nd high qualityy OER resourcees are plentiful. 00 KBPS per sttudent or faste
er, Internal – 1
1,000 KBPS perr student Network SSpecifications: External ‐ 10
How it Wo
orks: The same u
user name and
d password can
n be used by evveryone in thee Diocese, making access as simple as possible. A series of f drop down menus helps thee teacher quickkly access the ttype of resourcce they are loo
oking for. The results link the teacherr directly to th
he Connect is a d
dynamic reesources desccribed. Core C
co
ommunity, an
nd additional resources arre co
ontinuously aadded. Commo
on Core Ch
hannel Every weeek new tools, resources an
nd informatio
on become avvailable for schools transitiioning to the Common Core State Sttandards. Keeeping up with what is out tthere can feel overwhelmiing. The Common Core Chan
nnel is a subscription‐baseed service thaat helps you stay up to date, save time aand get accesss to the best aavailable reso
ources for a sm
mooth transittion. The Comm
mon Core Chaannel featurees include: •
•
•
•
•
Sh
hort, focused
d professionall developmen
nt modules th
hat may be co
ompleted in 30 minutes or less. Th
he practical d
design of thesse professionaal developmeent segments make them iideal for use iin a faaculty meetin
ng, during com
mmon teacheer planning tim
me as well as independentt study. Exxpert tips devveloped by au
uthors of the CCSS. Breaking newss, featuring arrticles and infformation jusst recently released. Assessment up
pdates and exxamples for P
PARCC and Sm
marter Balancced consortium states. Video example
es of CCSS insstructional shifts in action. The Comm
mon Core Chaannel is a web
b‐based service that is upd
dated continu
ually. The reso
ources may b
be download
ded and retain
ned even afteer the subscriiption period is over. This is job‐embedded professio
onal developm
ment and corresponding instructional reesource suppo
ort with a laser‐like focus on the needss of the teacher transitioning to the colllege and careeer readiness expectationss of the Comm
mon Core Statte Standardss.