The Key to the Digital Transformation of K-12: Providing Teachers with Deeply-Digital Curricula
Abstract: From the introduction of the first personal computers in the 80s into K-12 (e.g., Apple IIs, TRS 80s), the burden of integrating computers into the K-12 classroom has fallen onto the backs of the classroom teacher. Teachers were exhorted to “figure out how to integrate” those computers into their existing curricula. Fast forward to 2017-2019, teachers are now being exhorted to “figure out how to integrate” OER – Open Education Resources – into their existing curricula. How’s that integration going? According to a recent Project Tomorrow survey, approximately 75% of K-12 teachers, say they are uncomfortable using technology in their classrooms! In our presentation, we will describe the “OER 2.0 Initiative,” a collaborative effort with the Michigan Department of Education to more effectively support K-12 classroom teachers in adopting (e.g., localizing, individualizing), deeply-digital curricula using the Collabrify Roadmap Platform. We will argue that the OER 2.0 Initiative is an example of the significant changes that K-12 is undergoing during its Digital Transformation.