The Georgia Independent School Association (GISA), an association of private, independent and parochial schools, has partnered with Net Texts to launch a Digital Learning Initiative. Through this initiative, GISA member schools will be able to access a cloud-based environment where teachers statewide can collaborate to develop their own customized multimedia courses to supplement or replace textbooks.
Net Texts is a web-based system that gives teachers access to a library of open educational resources (OER), which they can then combine with their own resources to create and publish lessons directly to students' iPads, Android tablets or computers.
Using Net Texts, teachers will be able to collaborate on the development of courses that can be used statewide in grades 6-12. The courses can be used as is, or modified to meet each teacher’s needs.
“In many independent schools, teachers may use bits and pieces of textbooks, but then write their own curriculum to fill in areas the textbooks don’t address. The Digital Learning Initiative will give teachers the opportunity to work together to create and share courses that meet their specific needs,” said Katherine Quinn-Shea, Director of Marketing from Net Texts. “With Net Texts, teachers can also make classroom learning more current and exciting with up-to-date multimedia materials and interactive learning experiences. Plus, by reducing or eliminating the use of textbooks, we can save schools and parents money, and students will no longer have to lug around backpacks full of heavy books.”
Several GISA member schools already use Net Texts, including St. John the Evangelist Catholic Schoolin Hapeville, Ga.“Net Texts changed the way our teachers teach, and it engages students in the learning process more than anything I have seen since I have been in education,” said Principal Karen P. Vogtner. “We have seen improvements in our ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) scores and Net Texts is a big part of that. Net Texts allows teachers to be very creative in their teaching and students are highly engaged. It makes teaching and learning exciting.”
