Discovering CK-12

After discovering and learning about various open educational resources (OER’s) this past week in EC&I 831 class, I decided to dive deeper into learning more about one of the most popular platforms, CK-12.

Right away, what stood out to me was how visually appealing and easy to navigate it is. You are able to search by grade, subject, or even specific concepts, and everything is organized in a way that feels easy enough to use, even if you are just browsing for ideas. This platform is full of free digital textbooks, interactive lessons, study guides and even short videos.

CK-12 is a non-profit platform that is generously funded by the Amar Foundation, and by Vinod and Neeru Khosla, who have a profound belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn.

The Good Stuff: What CK-12 Does Well

Even though it’s mostly American-based, CK-12 still has a ton of useful content that we as Canadian teachers can borrow from or use in our classrooms. The fact that you can edit, rewrite, or remix lessons means that it’s flexible enough to match any curriculum.

Expanding what some of my classmates and I noted when we discovered it together include:

• It’s up to date and can easily be modified to include local examples
• Perfect for supplementary resources, homeschooling, or substitute plans in a pinch
• Great for independent or split-class learning (you can assign lessons, track progress, etc.)
• The built-in “Ask Flexi” AI tutor is a neat feature (it can answer questions, explain tricky topics, and help students)
• It can be used as an interactive textbook (where students can read, watch and respond)

For my own Grade 6/7 classroom, I can definitely see myself trying to use and implement CK-12 for independent learning opportunities or even as a quick resource when needed.

The Not-So-Perfect Parts

When taking another good look at CK-12, I noticed that some of the language and reading levels were a bit too high for Grade 6 students, and a few of the interactive features glitched.

I’m also curious as to how reliable the content is? I would like to dive deeper and learn more about where they pull and get their information and content from.

At the end of the day, CK-12 is still somewhat similar to any given textbook, just in digital form, however it is customizable and free, which already puts it still further ahead of many other options.

Final Thoughts

Even with a couple of small minor flaws, CK-12 has a huge potential for teachers, especially those who like having flexible, ready-to-go resources that can be tweaked to fit individual student needs.

I do plan to test it out in my Grade 6/7 classroom soon, probably during my split science or math classes, and see how it works for differentiation and self-guided learning. I can see myself using it for reviewing or reinforcing concepts, extra practice or else extension work for early finishers. For any teachers looking for reliable, ready to use free resources, CK-12 is definitely a great option.

Exploring CK-12 reminded me how exciting (and overwhelming) digital learning can be. Free resources such as this gives teachers new ways to connect, create and customize learning. Even if it doesn’t align with our Saskatchewan curriculum perfectly, it is still a great option overall. Who knows, maybe we will even have a Canadian CK-12 in the coming years!