Open Up Resources (OUR) is a pioneering nonprofit organization developing openly licensed K-12 curriculum materials to promote educational equity. Since its inception in 2013, OUR has established itself as a leader in developing and delivering high-quality, standards-aligned core curricula. What sets Open Up Resources apart is its commitment to digital innovation and accessibility through strategic partnerships that maximize the potential of technology to transform teaching and learning. This article examines OUR‘s groundbreaking work to establish new standards of excellence in digital curriculum design and delivery.
What is Open Up Resources?
Open Up Resources (OUR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and delivering high-quality, standards-aligned core curriculum materials through an open educational resources (OER) model. Founded in 2013, OUR’s mission is to promote educational equity by increasing access to rigorous, top-rated curriculum programs for all students and teachers.
OUR’s Vision for Digital Curriculum
From the beginning, OUR recognized that digital delivery held promise for expanding equitable access to top-tier curriculum resources. Founder and CEO David Steiner explained, “We want to change the market to focus on learners’ needs rather than profits.” To fulfill this vision, OUR prioritized developing curricula with built-in digital support and partnering with innovative tech companies. This strategic approach has positioned OUR at the forefront of the digital curriculum movement.
Benefits of OUR’s Digital Curriculum Approach
Some key benefits of Open Up Resources’s digital curriculum model include:
Accessibility for All Contexts
OUR’s digital curricula are designed to be accessible across diverse technology environments. This includes classrooms with one-to-one devices and those with limited or no access. Printable lesson plans complement digital materials so no setting lacks resources.
Personalized and Self-Paced Learning
Students can learn at their own pace through individualized pathways. Adaptive assessments identify appropriate levels while dynamic lessons adjust automatically. This empowers all learners, from advanced students to those needing remediation. A personalized experience boosts engagement.
Customizable Digital Content
Teachers can annotate lessons, add examples, and differentiate instruction directly within digital materials. The platform allows editing content to suit local needs. Customization makes the curriculum more responsive to diverse learners and learning styles in each classroom.
Streamlined Pedagogical Processes
Lesson delivery, assessment, data collection, and grading are unified within the platform. This saves time spent navigating disparate systems while also informing real-time adjustments. The integrated design supports more efficient, practical teaching.
Collaborative Communities
OUR promotes online spaces where educators learn from each other. Sharing ideas and resources across distances expands opportunities for professional growth. Communities mitigate isolation and encourage innovation in adopting new practices.
OUR’s Early Digital Initiatives
Open Up Resources took initial steps to digitize its core K-5 math and 6-8 math programs. Digital versions featured interactive applets, online assessments, and multimedia scaffolds for English language learners. However, OUR recognized digital delivery requires a unified platform experience. In 2018, OUR selected Kiddom as its digital partner to power a next-generation digital curriculum experience across all programs.
The Kiddom Partnership
The partnership with Kiddom represented a significant milestone in OUR’s digital evolution. Kiddom is an award-winning digital learning platform that transforms how teachers teach, and students learn with digital content. Through the partnership, Kiddom fully digitized OUR’s 6-8 math and K-8 EL Education ELA curricula within its platform. This allowed Open Up Resources to deliver these programs online through an integrated, user-friendly interface.
Teachers praised Kiddom for streamlining digital lesson delivery, assessment, and differentiation. Students benefited from personalized and self-paced instruction. The platform also empowered teachers as content creators by allowing annotation and customization of lessons. Most importantly, the partnership expanded access to OUR’s high-quality curricula for all classroom contexts – from one-to-one devices to non-digital environments.
Continued Innovation
Since partnering with Kiddom, Open Up Resources has continued innovating to maximize the affordances of digital learning. In 2021, OUR launched Humanizing Mathematics, a groundbreaking PreK-5 math program designed from the start for digital delivery. The program leverages dynamic virtual manipulatives, adaptive assessments, and personalized learning pathways.
OUR also remains committed to accessibility. Its digital curricula are optimized for various technology contexts, including low-bandwidth environments. OUR provides print editions and works closely with districts on technology deployments. Additionally, OUR ensures digital curricula are usable across multiple learning management platforms. This flexibility is vital to OUR’s mission of expanding equitable access.
Professional Learning in the Digital Age
OUR understands that a digital curriculum requires new models of professional support. Through regional HIVE conferences and online communities, Open Up Resources provides educators with opportunities to learn, connect, and collaborate around technology-enhanced instructional practices. OUR also offers on-demand digital professional learning and coaches focused on maximizing the instructional potential of various technologies.
Uses in the Classroom
Educators praise OUR’s digital curricula for maximizing the instructional potential of various technologies. Dynamic virtual manipulatives and adaptive assessments personalize learning. Online communities promote collaboration around innovative practices.
Dynamic Virtual Manipulatives
- Allow hands-on exploration of math concepts through virtual representations
- Programs like Humanizing Mathematics feature manipulatives like base-ten blocks, coins, and other models
- Beneficial for visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learners alike
- More accessible for teachers versus physical manipulatives
- Spark conceptual understanding across student profiles
Adaptive Assessments
- Assessments adjust dynamically based on student response patterns
- Accurately pinpoint a learner’s level through personalized pathways
- Inform enrichment or remediation tailored to the individual
- Enhance self-paced learning, empowering all students
Online Professional Learning Communities
- Facilitate collaboration around innovative instructional practices
- Teachers exchange feedback, resources, custom lessons
- Regional HIVE conferences convene members for workshops
- Mitigate isolation through virtual and in-person communities
- Support continuous learning progress and sharing of ideas
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Maximized Potential of Technologies
- Programs leverage tools to transform classrooms
- Encourage vibrant, engaged learning through individualization
- Equip educators with modern solutions that meet varied needs
- Guide all students toward fulfilling academic journeys
Benefits for Students and Teachers Alike
- Personalized, accessible learning for all profiles
- Ease implementation burdens on instructors
- Solutions work across technology contexts/availability
Conclusion
Through innovative partnerships and a learner-centered approach to technology, Open Up Resources has established new standards of excellence in developing and delivering digital curriculum. By prioritizing accessibility, customization, and ongoing innovation, Open Up Resources fulfills its visionary goal of using technology to transform teaching and learning experiences. As digital curriculum adoption accelerates, OUR’s pioneering work is a national model for developing top-quality, technology-enabled curricula that empower all educators and expand equitable access for all students.
