The first step in creating a classroom focused on eSources is to identify a unit to begin with. From looking at the standards you need to meet with that unit, consider the learning activities students will be involved in. You need to ask the question, "How does a ____________ (scientist, mathematician, journalist, writer, etc.) use this skill in real life?" Not only will looking through that lens help you identify what resources you need, but it also will help you to create a unit that engages students in critical thinking and project based learning. Write the answer to that question on a Post It note, and stick it somewhere you will see constantly while you're preparing the unit. Maybe it's to the side of your monitor or on your desk; it doesn't matter. It will provide you with focus so that you don't start chasing rabbit holes during development.
Keep in mind that this needs to be a true project based experience for students, and I recommend following the 8 Essential Elements of PBL. The Buck Institute announced earlier this year their quest to bring together PBL units for a Gold Standard PBL, which would be vetted by BIE and would provide great examples. Keep your eyes on this.
The next thing you'll do is a Google search. It depends on what grade level you teach, but regardless, there's information out there. Here's a list of sites that I think are beneficial when you're trying to provide students with a list of vetted resources.
Expert Space
BBC Bitesize
Scholastic Storia
PBS
National Geographic (Kids - Elementary) (Secondary)
Time For Kids
I could go on. And on. And on. So instead, here's a link to my eSourcing bookmarks. The content found on these sites will represent the in depth research your students will participate in. In depth research is going to take the place of the teacher delivering information to the students, and instead, students will research and find the information to apply to the concept of the unit of study.
You will have to scaffold the research so the students aren't out there in the wild west. Think about what information they need to bring back after their research. Maybe as a class (or individually), students will brainstorm questions they need answers to that will drive their research. Another good idea is for students to research from the role of a real life profession or responsibility that goes along with the unit of study. For example, if students are researching the water cycle and water conservation, have them research from varying roles of farmers, parks and recreation directors, and water purification engineers.
Next, you'll need a content repository. Think about where you can house the information you're finding. Depending on how scaled the initiative is, you might need anything from a bookmarking site to a purchased curriculum manager. I would recommend iCyte to all, regardless of how large your initiative is. To give you a quick summary, iCyte takes a picture of a website and stores it in your account. No longer will you visit a site today and find it's gone tomorrow if you cyte it.
Now, for an individual unit, you will go back to the planning stage and think again about how professionals use this information in the real world. From there, develop the PBL unit according to the article listed above.
If you are looking at full scale, whole site change with an eSourced curriculum, there are other things to keep in mind.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate. You have to share this information with parents, teachers, administrators, and the community. It's different. Most of us didn't learn this way, therefore, most of us will only know school as it existed for us. Be prepared - moving to a curriculum that focuses on PBL will be different for kids, and some (namely the kids that are good at school) will balk. Remember, school doesn't work for some kids. That's one big reason to use PBL.
- Check your network. Every time you find a resource you want to use, you need to check it on network from both the teacher and student side. If you find information that is blocked by filters and you feel it is important to open it, be sure to follow your district's procedure for doing so. Most network administrators are very open to unblocking sites upon request.
- Be prepared that some resources might need to be purchased. Expert Space, for example (linked above), is a great tool for science and social studies classes. It has a small annual fee and students will have to be given accounts. Gizmos from Explore Learning are also a great tool purchased through subscription.
- As with anything in education, tweak, change, and repeat. Most teachers don't teach the exact same lesson year after year without making adjustments to it. Because with eSources, you're using the most up to date resources available, you'll definitely need to be prepared to follow suit in this area.
The most important thing to remember about eSourcing is that it truly has to occur in a project based environment to make a difference. Often, we change resources, we change tools, but we fail to change the delivery of our instruction. If you are interested in learning how to develop a project based curriculum, check out these online courses that will take you start to finish to develop a unit you can use in your classroom this semester. From there, you can continue to build your curriculum over time.
A quote I love is from Robert Marzano - "Teachers must move beyond 'teaching content,' to teaching students how to learn - that is, find and evaluate content, connect with prior knowledge, and use that knowledge to solve authentic problems." Using eSources with project based learning can help us achieve just that.
