Instructional Technology Resource Guide
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Open Education and Free Digital Textbook Resources
The following is a list of current sites with OER and digital textbook resources. They are listed in no particular order. Links are current as of August 12, 2013.
California Learning Resource Network (CLRN)
http://www.clrn.org/browse/index.cfm/web-info-links/?type=Free%20Textbooks~943
The current compilation of open educational resources (OERs) on CLRN stands at 6,063. If you're teaching
high school-level math, science, history or social science, what you want to pay attention to is the free
textbook links of which there are 30. The site counts up standards met for many of the textbooks; but since
they're being compared to California education standards, that metric may or may not be of use to you,
depending on what state you're teaching in. The site also includes an ample number of non-textbook OER
resources for grades K-12 that meet Common Core standards. You can filter results by subject, grade level,
and type of resource. CK-12 Foundation
http://www.ck12.org/student/
This pioneer in the field of OER has a simple student interface. On the home page, pick a topic, and choose a
"FlexBook" from what's listed. FlexBooks can be downloaded in three forms: PDF (for most computing
devices), mobi (for Kindle), and ePub (for iPad and Android devices). You may want to view an overview video
at http://www.ck12.org/about/ck12-intro-video/. Also be sure to browse the materials under the Learning
Center tab that includes study guides and SAT test prep resources.
Users have to sign in for access to the textbooks but you can use your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account
for that. Once you've provided that, you'll receive a confirmation email that will guide you back to the site for
your downloads. The earth sciences textbook, for example, written by science writer Dana Desonie, runs
1,208 pages in PDF format.
If you’d like to use only some chapters/units, you can request a modified FlexBook by letting them know what
combination of material you want. This is an eFlex and instructions on how to do this can be found at
http://www.ck12.org/eflex/about.
Books available from Apple for IOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch)
All the CK-12 books are available for iPads free through Apple’s App Store.
10 Common Core Essentials: Nonfiction
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id633762417?mt=11
A sampler of many popular nonfiction books to help you decide which are right for your students. By
Harper Academic Diane Ravitch Rachel L. Swarns Richard Wright William Kamkwamba Kenneth C.
Davis Gayle Tzemach Lemmon Loung Ung Cokie Roberts Harold Holzer Conor Grennan
12 Common Core Essentials: Literature
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id633762903?mt=11
By Harper Academic Paulo Coelho Neil Gaiman Agatha Christie Barbara Kingsolver Richard Wright
Thomas C. Foster Richmond Lattimore Ray Bradbury Zora Neale Hurston Betty Smith
Physics Unit 1. The Rooster Revision Guide
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/physics-unit-1.-rooster-revision/id502176255?mt=11
The complete revision guide for AQA Physics A Unit 1, AS level. Written by students, Verified by
teachers. This guide is condensed, and sweetened. Textbooks just waffle on and other revision guides
are often confusing. We just give you the info, in a clear easy to read way. Plus it’s free! Who are
Rooster Guides? We're a bunch of students, who noticed that there aren’t any good revision guides,
so decided to write some. In addition to this one, they also have Physics Formulae, Physics Unit 5 and
Physics Unit 5d.
These are just a few of the resources available. For additional assistance in this area, contact NEWESD 101’s Technology & Design
Services at [email protected], call 509.323.2727, or visit www.esd101.net/technology.
OpenStax
http://openstaxcollege.org/books
Technically intended for college, this organization offers books on topics that younger students care about too.
Current books cover biology, chemistry, statistics, United States history, physics, and other subjects. There are
also a number of resources that say coming soon, so watch the site for more.
The digital textbooks are intended to be customized by the instructors who use them in class. Sections can be
rearranged, modified, and enhanced with examples. The offerings are available in PDF and ePub format, or
they can simply be read online in a browser, which, because each section is given its own page, can call for a
bit of tedious clicking. Best, OpenStax also provides links to other resources that the teacher might want to
use for specific assignments. For example, teachers can download a set of PowerPoint slides to use with the
biology book; they're unavailable to students.
Connexions
http://cnx.org/
Connexions is a dynamic digital educational ecosystem consisting of an educational content repository and a
content management system optimized for the delivery of educational content. Connexions is one of the most
popular open education sites in the world. Its more than 17,000 learning objects or modules in its repository
and over 1000 collections (textbooks, journal articles, etc.) are used by over 2 million people per month. Its
content services the educational needs of learners of all ages, in nearly every discipline, from math and
science to history and English to psychology and sociology. Connexions delivers content for free over the
Internet for schools, educators, students, and parents to access 24/7/365. Materials are easily downloadable
to almost any mobile device for use anywhere, anytime.
OER Commons
http://www.oercommons.org/
This site allows you to search by grade level, subject area, material type or media format. They have also
created an intuitive new tool that enables teachers to create their own units and lessons. With Open
Author (http://www.oercommons.org/contribute/) you can create, openly license, and share open educational
resources (OER) with other educators. Open Author also allows you to discover great lessons created by other
teachers and to remix and adapt them to suit your students' needs.
Curriki
http://www.curriki.org/
Curriki originated from the idea that technology can play a crucial role in breaking down the barriers of the
Education Divide—the gap between those who have access to high-quality education and those who do not.
Curriki helps bridge this divide by providing free and open resources to everyone.
With a community of 8.8 million global users, Curriki encourages collaboration of diverse experiences from
around the world to develop “best of breed” learning resources (peer-reviewed and classroom tested) and to
create a culture of continuous improvement. Curriki is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.
Activate Instruction
http://www.activateinstruction.org/
Activate Instruction is a free online tool that gives K-12 students an enriched, personalized learning experience
through playlists created and shared by teachers nationwide.
HippoCampus
http://www.hippocampus.org/
HippoCampus.org is a free, core academic web site that delivers rich multimedia content--videos, animations,
and simulations--on general education subjects to middle-school and high-school teachers and college
professors, and their students, free of charge. Teachers project HippoCampus content during classroom
learning and assign it for computer labs and homework. Students use the site in the evenings for study and
exam prep. Users do not need to register or log in to use the site.
Other resources
Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/
MIT Open Courseware - http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Open Learning Initiative (higher ed) - https://oli.cmu.edu/
OSPI OER Initiative with list of reviewed online materials - http://digitallearning.k12.wa.us/oer/library/