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Open source, digital textbooks coming to California schools The cash-strapped Golden State has decided that, starting next school year, schools will be able to use open source, digital textbooks for a number of math and science subjects. Ars talked with Brian Bridges, the Director of the California Learning Resources Network, which will be reviewing the texts, to find out more about what the program entails.

The term open educational resources (OER) encapsulates the simple but powerful idea that the world's knowledge is a public good. The internet offers unprecedented opportunities to share, use and reuse knowledge. Sadly, most of the planet is underserved when it comes to post-secondary education.

You can not only take advantage of the great resources open source has, but also become a part of a movement that shares more freedom of ideas. In these lectures, you'll learn more about the open source philosophy and what it can be used for.

The Observatory is an open knowledge-sharing resource for research on the pedagogical integration of ICT. Three search functions are available: Simple Search - which allows you to view indicators from institutions in a single country, Advanced Search - which allows you to compare indicators in different institutions and countries, and Summary Search - which allows you to browse a mapping of ICT in education summaries from the institutions and countries participating in the project.

Tinkering works. Read Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager's book "Invent to Learn" which talks about tinkering and how to use Maker Spaces to promote it to learn more. Great points from Lifehacker: "Research in the science of learning shows that hands-on building projects help young people conceptualize ideas and understand issues in greater depth. In an experiment described in the International Journal of Engineering Education in 2009, for example, one group of eighth-graders was taught about water resources in the traditional way: classroom lectures, handouts and worksheets. Meanwhile, a group of their classmates explored the same subject by designing and constructing a water purification device. The students in the second group learned the material better: they knew more about the importance of clean drinking water and how it is produced, and they engaged in deeper and more complex thinking in response to open-ended questions on water resources and water quality... it involves a loose process of trying things out, seeing what happens, reflecting and evaluating, and trying again."

"The First World OER Congress will be held 20-22 June 2012 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. Organized in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), the Congress aims to influence educational planning worldwide and to encourage governments to support the development and use of open educational resources."

Techie librarians have lots of great resources available to them online, and open courses are some of the best tools for your professional development. This article will take a look at 50 of the best courses for librarians interested in technology.

Open Education Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials freely available online for everyone to use, whether you are an instructor, student, or self-learner. Examples of OER include: full courses, course modules, syllabi, lectures, homework assignments, quizzes, lab and classroom activities, pedagogical materials, games, simulations, and many more resources contained in digital media collections from around the world.

Free and open online education magazine with top teaching tips, resources and ideas.

The use of web based technology is growing by leaps and bounds every day. These online tools are the new set of keys for opening your students' minds. The vast resources on the Internet are making the use traditional methods of teaching and learning obsolete in countless ways.

This question wall is a powerpoint that you can use on your interactive white board. It looks like it took quite some time to set up. This is one you want to download and keep in your resources folder for use when you want to adapt it for your course.

This is a very comprehensive list. One area where Wikipedia excels (if academics will continue to contribute) is in comprehensive lists of open education resources. This list includes whether it is subscription or free and what type of database it is.

The Personalized Learning system now in Beta by Rice University and being piloted around the country that links open resources with students to personalize learning. Here is the information on the portal.

Dr. Bonk's new book is out and it is excellent (yes, I have a preview copy.) It has a delightful overview of what is happening with technology and global collaboration (and includes flat classroom and also a sidebar about how Dr. Bonk and I met at GAETC two years a go - kind of humorous.) Excellent book that I highly recommend, or you may want to take a look at these webcasts, webinars, free resources and podcasts about it as well. Dr. Curtis Bonk is also known a s Travelinedman

These courses offer you a chance to learn about everything from electrical engineering to the basics of computer science.

Good find! Thanks for sharing

All of the incredible links from Curt Bonk's excellent book: The World is Open.