Q: Can I use TpT (Teachers Paid Teachers) materials?

A: It is ok to use any online sources for their assignments as long as we give appropriate attribution (citation) to the content creators. That would mean if we use an image, they need to cite it, if we use a portion of a TpT activity, we need to cite it.

 

In our class, we should be creating original (new) work. That means it is ok to assemble others' work to help develop our new work, but you should not exclusively submit others' work. So when we are developing a lesson, it would be great to use a portion of an activity found on TpT, but combine that with an original activity that they create, a YouTube video that someone else created, etc. Part of the "newness" can be original creations but also the bringing together of different resources (e.g. the TpT activity and YouTube video) in new ways. Then of course cite everything that you didn't create.

 

We also need to be cautious that online materials from TpT, ReadWriteThink, ShareMyLesson, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. are not vetted in the way content from a traditional textbook or established curriculum is – they have whole editorial teams who develop and review the content. So we should be very careful to look closely at the material to be sure it is useful in relation to your learning objectives (and not just cute) and especially that it will not be harmful to students (does it hold subtle racist assumptions, for example?).

 

For the purposes of learning, it is important for us to learn the framework and foundation of instructional design and educational technologies. Instructional design is more than what we use or what we have (content). It is about "how well" (design) put them. By obtaining the knowledge and skills in technology integration would prepare your future technology teaching, more than just for our course. The knowledge and skills of technology integration become more critical for all classroom teachers since the pandemic started. We can envision that teachers will integrate more technologies to enhance their teaching. 

 

These knowledge and skills can help you to evaluate and to select the instructions that you found on TpT. Not all instructions on TpT are effective. It still requires us the knowledge and skills to evaluate, select, and design.