Digital teacher resource getting new life

A digital textbook tool that was expected to be a key resource for Tennessee teachers is seeing new life after being underused in classrooms.

The Tennessee Digital Resources Library will be run by Ingram Content Group-owned Tennessee Book Co. after the expectations for the content sharing resource weren’t fulfilled.

One of the things teachers want is access to quality digital products, said Andrew McGarrity, director of Digital Solutions and founder of Thrivist.

“We think we are solving that problem with this,” he said. “Curating quality content and creating a platform by which districts can find it, tag it and discover it, all in one place.”

The revamped tool provides free online resources and lets teacher upload materials, all with the goal for school districts to use and share educational resources.

All are aligned to Tennessee standards, so it helps teachers as they deliver content in the classrooms, according to Todd Svec, vice president and general manager of Tennessee Book Co.

The first effort was launched in 2016 through a partnership fostered by the Tennessee Schools Board Association.

But the resource tool never fully took flight, partly because the process of accessing the information was clunky, McGarrity said. Under the old site, teachers needed to access the resources through iTunes.

Tennessee Book Co. has a new site, which McGarrity said is easy to use.

“I would absolutely say it has saved teachers time because a lot of resources are in one location,” said Joey Mitchell, Bartlett City Schools technology supervisor. “Teachers can search for a success or subject and all the resources are already there. It’s all built in and is ready for them to use.”

Contact Jason Gonzales at jagonzales@tennessean.com and on Twitter @ByJasonGonzales.