Site URL: http://www.ck12.org/student/
Content: The nonprofit CK-12 Foundation creates and aggregates high-quality STEM content. After setting up an account, educators and students can access more than 15,000 free resources in the form of text, video, audio, images, quizzes and interactive materials. Topics cover everything from algebra to life science to engineering and much more.
Choose an academic subject, a set of standards (Common Core, where applicable, or a particular state’s standards) and a grade level to access open-source FlexBook® textbooks. These interactive e-texts can be edited by teachers and offer integrated homework help and progress monitoring.
Thanks to CK-12’s partnership with Microsoft, the platform’s resources also are available (via app) on any Windows device.
Design: The site’s design is minimalist and easy to navigate, displaying little more than a list of topics and some search tools. CK-12 also offers blog posts aimed at both teachers and students. A simple overview video helps introduce users to the site’s features.
Review: What school isn’t on the hunt for free, quality teaching resources? Many districts are even switching from traditional textbooks to open educational resources (OER). And with CK-12 boasting partners such as Wikimedia Foundation and Stanford University, users can rest assured that this is quality content.
Bottom Line: CK-12 frees schools from traditional textbooks and offers a variety of no-cost STEM resources that are sure to enhance student learning.