Strategies
When implementing digital instructional materials, it is also imperative to provide professional learning opportunities in navigating the digital content, programs and applications, as well as ongoing, sustained onsite support for teachers. With effective professional learning strategies, educators can choose the digital instructional materials and technology tools most appropriate for their instructional practices that best meet the needs of students. To ensure successful implementation of instructional materials, develop a strategy that includes:
- Initial resource training for educators
- Peer coaching
- Sustained professional learning
- Resources to help families support students with their learning
Quality instructional materials are only one component of student success — highly-qualified teachers and personalized learning opportunities play an important role.
Key Questions
- How do you provide educator support/professional development to promote successful implementation?
- What professional learning will be required to teach how to effectively locate, evaluate, and implement instructional materials, including open resources?
- What technology training will be required to implement digital instructional materials?
- Create a community of practice that shares implementation resources and best practices.
- For OER, what supports are in place to provide clarity on licensing types, understanding levels of permission for remixing open resources, and providing proper attribution?
- Consider the creation of OER User Groups to support teachers implementing a specific resource.
- How does teacher instruction change as a result of implementing DIM?
- How do students interact with the DIM?
- How do teachers and students learn to be curators?