1 Integrating OER

OER can be used to support the vision for teacher education that you articulated in Week 1. You do not have to change the whole curriculum or the system in which you work. As an individual, you can initiate change and use OER in your own practice as you have done in previous weeks.

However, simply using OER yourself is only the first step towards integrating OER into programmes. Integration involves embedding the principles behind participatory, activity pedagogy into programmes, as well as the systematic use of the approaches that have been introduced in this MOOC. You will need to work with colleagues to achieve this level of integration and overcome any perceived barriers to change. You will now analyse your context and identify opportunities, threats and challenges in bringing about change.

Activity 6.1: Learning opportunities

Timing: Allow approximately 1 hour
  1. Look at the PowerPoint file ‘Use of TESS-India OER [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] ’, which examines how OER might be integrated into teacher education programmes.
  2. Next read the case studies written by teacher educators about how they have integrated TESS-India OER into their programmes. These are in the document ‘Using TESS-India Teacher Development units in teacher education programmes’.
  3. Now think about the teacher education that you are involved with. If you are involved in pre-service or in-service courses do Part A; if you involved in supporting teachers in your school as a headteacher do Part B.

    Part A

    Think about how and where you could use TESS-India OER in the programme or modules you work on. Consider:

    • Which TESS-India OER might you use? (Don’t forget the videos and Key Resources.)
    • How will teachers access the TESS-India OER?
    • What support will pre-service teachers need to use the TESS-India OER?
    • Will you assess teachers’ engagement with the TESS-India OER and their developing practice? If so, how?

    Part B

    There are a number of OER to support school leaders develop their practice and to help them lead learning in their school. A good starting point is the OER ‘Transforming teaching-learning process: Leading improvements in teaching and learning in the secondary or elementary school’:

    There are two different OER depending on whether you are leading an elementary or a secondary school. 

    • Find the version of this school leadership OER that is appropriate to your situation. Either download the OER or print it. 
    • Try Activity 1, ‘How student-centred are your classrooms?’ and then look at the cycle to enable more student-centred learning. 
    • Do Activity 3 next and choose your focus. We suggest you also read Case study 1. 
    • Then start to plan what you will do to improve teaching and learning in your school by doing Activity 4. Case study 2 might give you some ideas here. It’s helpful to discuss your plan with a colleague – perhaps another headteacher or a friend in the community. You might also find it helpful to explore some of the other school leadership OER. 
  1. Now consider the challenges to integration. What do you think stands in the way? How might you, as an individual, help others to address those challenges? Note your ideas in your study notebook.
  2. Finally, discuss one of your ideas for use of the OER with a colleague. Explain how the teachers will access the OER, how you will support them in using the OER and any problems or challenges that you anticipate. How did your colleague respond – did they have other ideas that you could use? If so, add these to your notes. These notes will form the basis of the plan that you will develop in Activity 6.3.

Introduction

2 Working with colleagues