Overview

K-12 teachers are always looking for fresh learning resources to complement their lesson plans. This online professional development course helps K-12 teachers choose the best learning resources that are tailored to their individual teaching scenarios.

The Challenge

Finding a resource that fits each learning scenario is no small task. For a time, instructors would just select professionally evaluated resources from the ERAC website. However, even though a resource is evaluated doesn't mean that it would be appropriate for every classroom. Also, there may be resources a teacher wants to use that are not yet evaluated.

In order to find the best fit, teachers need to consider their specific learning situation - for example:

• Does the resource fit with curriculum?
• Does the resource contain appropriate content?
• Does the resource take into account necessary social considerations? (e.g. Indigenous / multi-cultural perspectives, gender identity and sexual orientation, use of violence or language, socio-economic representation, and a teachers' own biases)
• Does the resource's design work for the intended outcome?

How could a busy teacher choose?

The Approach

The team distilled the framework and best practices for resource selection into a graphic that outlines a step-by-step process. Using this method created a journey-like experience for users - making it easy to navigate between topics and review main points. Overall, the course was designed to evoke thought and personal application using techniques such as job aids, illustrative case studies, short self-assessments/quizzes, reflective exercises and videos.

The Outcome

A 45-minute online course for teachers that helps them confidently answer the question, which learning resources should I choose for my classroom?

• The Learning Resource Selection for K-12 Teachers