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OER Faculty Guide: Finding & Using OER

Language Arts

Programs

Arabic

Chinese

Communication Studies

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

English/Language Arts

Journalism

Literature

Spanish

Language Arts OER adopted by SMCCD Faculty - Please check back soon!

Language Arts OER adopted by SMCCD Faculty: Please Check Back Soon!

Arabic

Colloquial Arabic
  • Arabic for Global Exchange (Carnegie Mellon University) This is a mini-course for individuals with no proficiency or extremely limited knowledge of Arabic language and culture who are about to begin study or work in an Arabic-speaking context. The course introduces learners to basic concepts and information to facilitate entry and engagement in an Arabic-speaking environment.
  • Arabic Teaching Methods (Center for OER and Language Learning/University of Texas at Austin) The Tadriis site is a multimedia online Arabic teacher training intended for Arabic teachers in the U.S. and abroad covering the latest in K-16 Arabic language pedagogy.  Users can access video samples of teacher-student interactions in actual Arabic language classrooms, pedagogical demonstrations and teaching tips, samples of L2 Arabic language production, a glossary of key teaching terms, and suggestions for further reading. The entire site is presented in Arabic.
  • ArabiKey Online Arabic Keyboard: Available to All. The keyboard aims to allow you to write in the Arabic language while viewing the letters you press. Whether you want to write very long texts or simple Google searches, the adjustable writing box adapts to the length of your text. The keyboard is designed to make it easier to type in Arabic and puts all the numbers, diacritics, and other symbols at your disposal. (Thank you to Shams-Deen Desmazon for sharing this resource.)
  • Listening Comprehension Exercises for Arabic  Center for OER and Language Learning/University of Texas at Austin. Aswaat Arabiyya, "Arabic Voices," is a web site designed for learners and teachers of Arabic seeking materials for listening comprehension. It has listening materials and accompanying activities that are intended for the various levels of proficiency from Novice to Superior. These listening materials have been selected from television stations throughout the Arab world and they treat a wide variety of topics and listening genres

Chinese: Course Materials

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

  • Adult Education Open Community of Resources (OER Commons)Materials dedicated to supporting adult ESL teaching and learning including lesson plans and activities.

  • Citizenship Resource Center (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) For learners, educators and organizations. Includes lesson plans and

  • EL CIVICS ESL Literacy Test (OER Commons). This material is for low beginning/literacy ESL students who need life skill instruction. There is a teacher's manual, student book, blackline masters and audio for every lesson. This material was developed through a California Department of Education grant.

  • Project I-DEA (OER Commons). The Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-DEA) program teaches English language skills for learners who face the largest language gaps. Unlike traditional approaches — in which learners are expected to learn English before pursuing college or job-training — I-DEA teaches English in tandem with college and career skills. Students quickly learn skills relevant to their lives and careers.

  • Basic Reading and Writing (Lumen Learning) This course includes modules on success skills, critical reading, the writing process, research and grammar.

  • English Composition I (Lumen Learning) An in-depth version of the Lumen's Basic Reading and Writing Course with a focus on the research and writing process and an extensive grammar section.

  • Writing Commons (Creative Commons) Writing Commons is a peer-reviewed open education resource for faculty and students in college-level courses that require research and writing.  Sections include The Writing Process, Style, Academic Writing, Rhetoric, Information Literacy, Evidence & Documentation, Research Methods & Methodologies, New Media Communication, Professional & Technical Communication, and Creative Writing.

English/Language Arts: Rhetoric, Composition & Writing

Writing Guides

English/Language Arts: Reading

 

English/Language Arts: OER & Public Domain Repositories

Journalism: Textbooks

Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations

Graphic Arts 

Literature: Textbooks

Literature

American Literature

British Literature

World Literature

Mythology

Literature: OER used by Skyline Faculty

Literature OERs
Course Instructor OER/ZTC Course Material
LIT. 231 Erwert British Literature Anthology (UMN, CC BY-SA); World History Encyclopedia (CC BY-NC)
LIT. 232 Erwert Survey  of British Literature II (Skyline, LibreTexts, CC BY-SA)
LIT. 370 Erwert LIT.-370-OLH-Lit Readings of Latino in U.S.-CRN 55592 (Skyline, Canvas Commons, CC BY-SA)

 

Spanish: Textbooks

Textbooks
Spanish Literature
Conversation

Spanish: Course Materials

  • Cartografía Digital: Archivo de Literatura Digital en América Latina País (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) Cartografía de la Literatura Digital Latinoamericana está compuesta por una recopilación de obras literarias creadas para medios digitales, y cuya composición está marcada por el lenguaje de los códigos. Este proyecto surge ante la preocupación por cómo la obsolescencia tecnológica afecta la creación literaria, ante la constatación de que muchas de las obras con las que trabajamos han comenzado a desaparecer de Internet.
  • Cultura Digital Chile (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) El sitio contiene resultados de investigación publicados en artículos, entrevistas realizadas a creadores e investigadores chilenos/en Chile y una recopilación de trabajos creativos que experimentan con lo digital en tres áreas: música, literatura y cine.
  • La Primera Piedra (CC BY-NC) Contemporary readings, news, and entertainment resource.
  • Mi Gusta Volar (CC BY-NC 3.0 ES) Biligual travel website.
  • Europeana: Spanish Cinemathèque (CCø)
  • Acceso (The University of Kansas Collaborative, 2020, CC BY-NC) Digital Spanish Project, Acceso is an open-access, digital learning environment designed to promote the acquisition of Spanish and the development of cultural understanding of the varied groups of people who share Spanish as a common language.
  • Español para hablantes de herencia: Recursos OER by Margarita Casas is an open OER website for the teaching of Spanish as a Heritage Language at the Community College level. It includes several modules and guided activities for instructors to implement in the classroom. 
  • Teleplaza, a program hosted by the Institute for Language Education in Transcultural Context (ILETC) at CUNY,  facilitates telecollaborative connections among heritage Spanish and Latino Studies courses at the college level within the United States.
  • Spanish H5P Library (ASCCC Open Education Resources Initiative (Moon))
  • Introductory Spanish I (Lumen Learning, various licenses). Full course, including faculty resources and ancillary materials.
  • Introductory Spanish II (Lumen Learning, various licenses). Full course, including faculty resources and ancillary materials.
  • Hispanic Culture for the Spanish Classroom (Florida Open Educational Resource Repository). Cultural-themed modules (in English and in Spanish) aimed at the introductory Spanish language classroom (high school and college). Includes reading passages and lesson plans that emphasize Hispanic culture through primary sources (photographs, images, letters, documents, etc.) available for free on the Our Americas Archive Partnership website.
  • Spanish Literature (OpenStax). Modules in English and Spanish including lesson plans, reading passages, and resources that emphasize the Spanish language using cultural and historical material.

Spanish: Videos

  • Destinos (Annenberg Learner) Destinos teaches speaking, listening, and comprehension skills in Spanish. This telenovela, or Spanish soap opera, immerses students in a mysterious and entertaining story while viewing everyday situations with native speakers. It also introduces the cultures, accents, and dialects of Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Puerto Rico.
  • Spanish Grammar in Context (University of Texas Spanish in Texas Project). Detailed grammar explanations of the Spanish language. Unlike traditional reference grammars, each topic is explained using authentic video examples. Practice quizzes are available on an open Canvas course site. 
  • Spanish Proficiency Exercises (University of Texas/OER Commons). A compilation of brief video clips (with site index) in which native speakers of Spanish from various locations throughout Latin America and Spain demonstrate language tasks.  The exercises give students the tools to be able to talk about the same topics in Spanish.

Spanish: OER Repositories

  • ASCCC–OERI Spanish Language Resources (2021, Various CC licenses) The four commonly taught Spanish courses at the California Community Colleges are: Elementary Spanish I, Elementary Spanish II, Intermediate Spanish I, and Intermediate Spanish II. In addition to these core courses, some colleges offer Spanish for Heritage Speakers I and Spanish for Heritage Speakers II; whenever possible, OER for these courses have been included in the following resources:

Spanish: Spanish 160 Resources

Titles available via Open Access (no sign-in required)
Additional Resources (Open Access)
OER Websites that link to journals, articles, and eBooks