A dizzying number of new educational websites are launching regularly on the internet. And for many teachers, it’s often hard to keep up with the flow. But it’s important to follow online educational trends because technology is quickly changing how educators teach and students learn.
Here are a dozen good websites teachers should know about. They offer a broad overview of the kinds of free and low-cost resources that are available for classroom use.
Resources for new teachers
TeachHub offers K-12 lessons, teaching tools and shared resources from educators across the country.
A to Z Teacher Stuff. Everything a new teacher needs to set up a classroom. Think downloadable lesson plans, thematic units, planning themes, e-books, worksheets and more. There are also teacher chat forums. K-6. Free; registration needed for chat forums. Visit the website.
Clowning Around. Don’t be upstaged by the class clown. This webpage takes a look at why some kids misbehave or make goofy and inappropriate comments in class. Get practical advice on how to respond in a positive and effective way. Middle school. Free. Visit the webpage.
Survival Guide for New Teachers. A downloadable handbook from the U.S. Department of Education offers practical advice for educators setting up their first classroom and working with students, parents and colleagues. Visit the website.
Teachers Network. Newbie tips on classroom management, adding comments to report cards, dealing with parents, school administrators and other teachers. Lots of downloadable lesson plans, too. Elementary and middle school. Free. Visit the website.
Lesson plans and teaching tools
K6edu.com. A treasure trove of lesson plans for K-6 classrooms covering reading, math, language, social studies and art. Cool downloadable teacher resources include a book report template for students, graphic organizers and classroom newsletter templates. Free. Visit the website.
Teach Hub. An excellent collection of K-12 lessons, teaching tools and shared resources from educators across the country. Also includes professional development tips, teacher blogs and online discussion forums. Free; registration required. Visit the website.
50 States. Quick access to everything kids need to know about the states, including capital cities, flags, trivia, history and geography. Includes printable maps, state biographies and interactive quizzes. K-6. Free. Visit the website.
Interactive and multimedia
ReadWriteThink. Classroom lesson plans, interactive materials, calendar activities and videos focusing on language arts education. Lesson plans are created by teachers for grades K-12 and align with most state educational standards. K-12. Free. Visit the website.
YouTube EDU. The popular online video site has a special channel for educational videos aimed at K-12 students. Topics include travel, science, medicine, language arts and mathematics. Scroll to the “Primary & Secondary” area and click to view the full list. Free. Visit the website.
Science and technology
MIT OpenCourseWare. As part of its “Highlights for High School” program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers dozens of downloadable lesson plans for teachers. Topics cover science, engineering, medicine, humanities and social sciences. Middle school and high school. Free. Visit the website.
Smithsonian Education. Teachers can find hundreds of classroom resources from downloadable lesson plans and activity sheets to primary source study materials developed from art, science, history and language arts materials at the Smithsonian Institution. K-12. Free. Visit the website.
The Math Forum. The “Teachers’ Place” page on this website offers dozens of downloadable resources, lessons and exercises for teaching math at all grade levels. Many of the materials are developed by teachers and can be used in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. Middle school and high school. Free. Visit the website.
Teachers should set aside a specific time each week to log on to the internet and search and sample educational websites. There’s always something new to see and learn about.