“I Am What I Learn” Video Contest for Students

Jane Park, October 2nd, 2009

Students over 13, including all struggling college students, have a chance to win $1,000 from the U.S. Department of Education in their “I Am What I Learn” video contest. eSchool News reports that “to get students invested in their education, President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have announced a new video contest, asking students to “inspire” them with their stories.”

“I Am What I Learn” asks you to answer the question, “Why is your education important to fulfilling your dreams?” in two minutes or less, and submit it to them by the Nov 2nd deadline. Be sure to visit the site for more details and to check out Secretary Arne Duncan’s own video.

ccLearn encourages you to use CC licensed content for your videos, whether you need a neat soundtrack or image, and to release your own video under one of the Creative Commons licenses.

Open educational resources and implementation of the U.S. Recovery Act

Jane Park, April 29th, 2009

The U.S. Department of Education’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Using ARRA Funds to Drive School Reform and Improvement (warning: Microsoft Word .doc) mentions Open Educational Resources (emphasis added):

Use technology to improve teaching and learning. Purchase and train teachers to use instructional software, technology-enabled white boards, and other interactive technologies that have been shown to be effective aids for instruction, particularly for English language learners, students with disabilities, and both struggling and advanced learners. Use open education resources or purchase high-quality online courseware in core high school content areas.

This may seem like a very weak mention, but in context is a very important step forward for the legitimacy of the OER movement.