Despite what you may see on social media, there is a bright side to the current COVID-19 situation. This pandemic has created opportunities for companies to show their devotion to their clientele. One specific example is the educational publishers that have quickly responded to the coronavirus. They realized the sudden hardships educational institutions began to face as they moved traditional courses to online, and the publishers acted quickly.
Let’s recognize ten educational publishers that have taken extra steps to make the unpredictable shift to digital classrooms much easier for everyone.
Pearson
Pearson is the hub for nearly every end-user. It offers tips, articles, and podcasts for higher ed instructors and students, K-12 teachers and students, and the general workforce now working from home. It offers a toolkit for those moving lessons online, as well as a “hotline” email for K-12 instructors.
Macmillan Learning
Macmillan Learning, part of the Macmillan Publishers family, is providing free access to its digital tools, which include FlipIt, iClicker, Sapling, and Launchpad. In addition, Macmillan has combined forces with VitalSource and RedShelf to offer free access to non-trade academic e-Books.
McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill has subject-specific how-tos for higher ed instructors when setting up online courses. It also provides an online community or K-12 teachers to share ideas and connect with other home-bound educators.
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press’s response to the COVID-19 emergency includes making its Coronavirus resources free to scientists, healthcare professionals, and those creating policy, so they can stay informed. It also offers courses based on pedagogy to help educators create effective online classes.
Townsend Press
Townsend Press is offering free access to its digital products, including textbooks and online materials, to educators and students through June 19, 2020. This is a boon for those who have limited budgets because of reduced work.
Cambridge University
Cambridge University Press has created a downloadable Online Teaching Quick Start Guide to direct instructors as they move teaching online. CUP also has a dedicated blog, updated often, that highlights new ideas and tools for new and seasoned online instructors.
Wiley
Wiley has a free micro-course for K-12 instructors to learn how to quickly transition to virtual classrooms. It also offers a multitude of webinars for all educators moving to the digital world. In addition, Wiley is providing research articles on COVID-19 to multiple publicly-funded archives.
Cengage
Cengage provides U.S. higher-ed students free access to over 14,000 eBooks and digital platforms. It also has resources for higher ed instructors and institutions, including free professional development ebooks through Gale and National Geographic Learning.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has free materials and resources for K-12 students, parents, and instructors. These include lessons and videos. It also offers an article on how to talk to kids about the Coronavirus.
Lerner Books
Lerner Books’s preK-12 books are free for those learning at home. These include non-fiction, fiction, graphic novels, and picture books. Lerner has over 4,000 free titles available, and they can be read offline.
These ten publishers are only a representation of what the educational publishing industry is doing to accommodate frustrated teachers, students, and parents. Educational publishers around the globe are inventing new ways to reach communities during the coronavirus pandemic.
