Here are the questions teachers and schools ask us most, grouped so you can find yours quickly. If yours isn’t here, just ask.
Before you buy
Are we the right fit
Who writes these curricula, and what classroom experience is behind them?
Our resources come from the Ask a Tech Teacher team, working technology teachers with years in K-8 and K-12 classrooms. Some titles are written by other educators whose work fits what teachers need, and we review those before they go on the site. The aim is always material written by people who have taught this for real.
Do I need to be a tech specialist to teach this?
No. The curriculum is built so a regular classroom teacher can pick it up, with step-by-step lessons, samples, and a scope and sequence that tells you what to teach when. If you do have a tech background you’ll move faster, but nothing assumes one. You can also join a co-teaching wiki and check in with an experienced teacher each week, at no extra cost.
Will it work for my grade level, or a mixed-grade class?
Yes. The K-12 curriculum is organized by grade, kindergarten through 12th, so you can use just your grade or the whole span. For mixed-grade or multi-age classes, teachers usually work from the scope and sequence and pull the skills that fit their group. If you’re not sure where your students land, Zeke (zeke.rowe@structuredlearning.net) can point you to the right starting grade.
Will it fit my school
What devices and platforms does it work on?
The lessons are platform-neutral, built around skills and projects rather than one device. They work whether your students are on Macs, PCs, or Chromebooks. A few early skills, like kindergarten mouse work, don’t translate to iPads, but most of the curriculum does. You adapt the steps to whatever your school runs, and the order and integration stay the same.
Is the curriculum aligned to ISTE and Common Core?
Yes. Every lesson in the K-12 curriculum is aligned to ISTE and Common Core, and so is the overarching scope and sequence in each book.
Does it cover online safety and digital citizenship?
Yes, and it’s a big part of the program. Digital citizenship runs through the curriculum every time students go online, with 17 topics across K-5 and a chart to track progress, plus a dedicated K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum if you want to teach it on its own. Students start learning online safety and smart searching in the early grades.
Trying it first
Can I see a sample or try a free lesson before I buy?
Yes. Every book has a free sample on its product page, often a full lesson plan, so you can see the format before you spend anything. We also publish free lesson plans over at Ask a Tech Teacher, and the newsletter sends teaching tips plus 10% off your next order. No purchase needed for any of it.
Why pay for this when there are free tech lessons online?
Free lessons are fine for a one-off. What you’re paying for here is a full year that builds skill on skill, grade to grade, with the planning already done. You get a scope and sequence and assessments that connect to what students learned last year and set up next year. That structure is the slow, hard part to build yourself.
Choosing the right resource
What’s the difference between the curriculum and the lesson plans?
The curriculum is a full course of study that builds year to year and teaches skills alongside class inquiry. The lesson plans are standalone projects, organized by topic, grade, and software, that you drop in when you want them. Pick the curriculum if you want a complete program to teach from. Pick the lesson plan bundles if you want a set of projects for project-based learning.
How do I choose between the Essential Guide and the Ultimate Guide to keyboarding?
Go with the Essential Guide if you want one compact book covering the keyboarding curriculum, taught by a single teacher, in print or digital. Go with the Ultimate Guide if keyboarding is taught across several classes or by teachers new to it. It’s a two-volume set with more detail, images, and assessments, and it pairs with the student workbooks and videos.
Cost, licensing, and schools
How does licensing work?
A standard purchase is a single-user license, and it belongs to the purchaser. If a teacher buys it, the license goes with that teacher. If the school buys it, it stays with the school. We keep a record of every license, which is also how you qualify for a discount when the curriculum updates. If more than one person needs the materials, that’s a multi-user license, covering a room, a school, or a district.
Do you offer school or district pricing?
Yes. Multi-user licenses cover a room, a whole school, or a district, and bring the per-teacher cost down. For larger orders, like one for every teacher in a building, Zeke works out special pricing. Email him (zeke.rowe@structuredlearning.net) with rough numbers and he’ll put something together.
Do you take purchase orders?
Yes, we take purchase orders over $100. If you need us to work with a lower limit, contact Zeke (zeke.rowe@structuredlearning.net) and he’ll see what he can do.
If I bought before, do I get the updated version?
Updates aren’t automatic, but because we keep a record of your purchase, you qualify for a discount when a curriculum is revised. When a new version comes out, email us with your original purchase details and we’ll set you up at the update price.
After you buy
Buying and downloading
How do I purchase?
We use PayPal. You can pay through your PayPal account or as a guest, and if an invoice is easier, we’ll send one you can pay with a click. Most digital items download right after payment.
I paid through PayPal. How do I download?
Most ebooks download automatically, and the link is on your receipt. If you don’t see it, look in the confirmation email for a blue underlined download link a little way down.
My download hasn’t arrived. What do I do?
First check your spam folder, since unfamiliar files sometimes land there. If you got a purchase confirmation, the download link is usually in that email. If it’s still missing, email Zeke at zeke.rowe@structuredlearning.net and he’ll resend it as an attachment.
I’m sure it downloaded, but I can’t find it. Can you help?
It’s almost certainly in your downloads folder. In Chrome, press Ctrl+J to see recent downloads. In Firefox, use the download arrow in the toolbar or Tools > Downloads. If you still can’t track it down, Zeke (zeke.rowe@structuredlearning.net) will resend it.
Why is the website price different from Amazon?
The price here, set by the publisher, and a price you saw elsewhere can drift apart. An expired special, an older edition, or an Amazon sale can all explain it. The current website price is always the live one.
Print books
How are print books delivered?
Print books ship through Amazon, so you get their delivery and tracking. The one exception is our collections, which we handle directly.
What’s your return policy?
For digital items, once you’ve clicked the download link the sale is final, though in some cases we can offer store credit. Print books are sold through Amazon, so returns and refunds are handled by Amazon under their policy. If a print book arrives damaged or wrong, start the return with Amazon and they’ll sort it out.
Why do some educators prefer print over digital?
It comes down to how you like to work. Teachers who choose print want a book on the desk, somewhere to take notes year to year, and something easy to share with a grade-level colleague. Teachers who choose digital want active links, full-color images, the whole set on an iPad, and the ability to print a single page like a rubric. Plenty of teachers keep both.
Using and updating the materials
Does the copyright notice mean I can’t copy anything?
You can copy what you need from a book for your own classes, including multiple copies for your students. What you can’t do is reproduce the whole book or pass it to other teachers. That’s what a multi-user license is for.
How often do you update the curricula?
As often as the tech makes necessary. Education technology moves fast, so we revise every few years to keep lessons and tools current. If you own a license, we’ll let you know when an update is ready and apply your returning-customer discount.
Classes, credit, and tax
Can your professional development count toward credential renewal?
Depending on your state, our Ask a Tech Teacher professional development can count toward renewal. We give you the class hours, a certificate of completion, and your state’s required form where there is one. Check with your district to confirm it applies before you enroll.
What do I show my accountant to claim a class as a professional expense?
We don’t send out tax forms, but our courses can be claimed as a professional expense. Show your accountant your receipt and our EIN, which Zeke (zeke.rowe@structuredlearning.net) can give you on request.
Getting help
Where can I get help?
Real help from real people. Reach Zeke Rowe at zeke.rowe@structuredlearning.net for anything about books, orders, or downloads, and Kali Delamagente, our tech-teacher-in-residence, at admin@structuredlearning.net. We also offer one-on-one mentoring and faculty training, priced to the job, and the Ask a Tech Teacher blog is free to browse anytime.
Ready to start?
Most teachers begin with the K-12 Technology Curriculum, our most popular resource. Take a look and pick the grade or the full span you need.
Browse the K-12 Technology Curriculum
Still deciding? Email Zeke at zeke.rowe@structuredlearning.net and he’ll help you find the right fit.