Open content is content that the five R’s of OER fall into. What Is describes this as content which can be used by others freely without having to worry about copyright issues. This makes it easier for teachers to find content they can use in their classroom. According to Open Source, “open education is a philosophy about the way people should produce, share, and build on knowledge.” Believers of open education vouch for education being accessible to everyone despite their economic status. The movement for open education will allow children who cannot access a traditional classroom receive the same education as someone that can be with the exception of not receiving the same instruction an “in-school” student would. Open Source also states that open software is software “that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.” The reason why this differs from other softwares is because other people can access this software and alter it to match other teacher’s needs.

Open Educational Resources are resources available to teachers for them to use at no cost and with no limitations in order to best suit their teaching methods. Open content, open education and open software all fall under Open Educational Resources. Within open content, lie the R’s of OER which include reusing, remixing (combining), revising (adapting), redistributing (sharing)  and retaining (copying). According to Education Week, OERs can be as simple as videos or as complex as lesson plans. Education Week defines OERs, its uses and how it is different from other online materials. On this website, you can find links to OER examples and news articles on OER and how it is spreading nationwide.

Check out my comments on Bailey's and Chaquoya's Blog Post #3!