Teaching Websites

Below is an ongoing list of websites for teachers from my days as an elementary education major. I have been starting to try to categorize the websites (as you can currently see near the bottom of this list) and that has the issue that some sites fit under multiple categories and are only listed under one category. The websites are subject to change.

Categories

Agriculture – Reading – Museums and Periodicals and Foundations – Teacher Education – Current Events – Middle Grades – Strategies – Testing – Lesson Plans – Music and Theater – Classroom Management – Math – Science – Foreign Language/Spanish – Exceptional Learners (covers a spectrum  ranging from physical disabilities to autism to gifted children) – Supplies and Workbooks and Technology – Physical Education – General and Miscellaneous

1. Teacher Information Network http://www.teacher.com
2. Access ERIC http://www.eric.edu.gov
3. Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning http://www.mcrel.org
4. Educator’s Reference Desk http://www.eduref.org
5. Skewl Sites Online – http://www.skewlsites.com
6. Ed Helper http://www.edhelper.com
7. Education Place http://www.eduplace.com
8. Sites for Teachers http://www.sitesforteachers.com
9. Chaminade College Preparatory School: http://www.chaminade.org/inspire/learnstl.htm
10. Rockwood (Missouri) School District: http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/curriculum/staffdev/diff/
11. Teacher Talk Forum: http://www.education.indiana.edu/cas/tt/ttarticles.html
12. Pathways for School Improvement web site: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/te0cont.htm
13. SchoolGrants for instructional purposes: schoolgrants.org
14. ResearchChannel: researchchannel.org
15. Little Planet Literacy Project: http://www.sunburst.com/littleplanet/
16. The Jason Project: http://www.jasonproject.com
17. READ180: teacher.scholastic.com/read180/
18. SimCalc: http://www.simcalc.umassd.edu
19. ThinkerTools: thinkertools.berkeley.edu:7019
20. Thinkquest: http://www.thinkquest.org
21. 700 Great Sites: http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/amazing.html – for preschool to age 14
22. Bigchalk: http://www.bigchalk.com
23. Houghton Mifflin’s Eduplace: http://www.eduplace.com
24. The Jigsaw Classroom: http://www.jigsaw.org
25. Ted Panitz’s Homepage: http://home.capecode.net/~panitz/
26. George Jacobs Website: http://www.georgejacobs.net
27. Richard Felder’s Homepage: http://ncsu.edu/felder-public/
28. http://www.mhhe.com/springae12e – American Education (12th edition, Joel Spring, Queens College) textbook student resources McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Agriculture

• Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (SM) – agintheclassroom.org – for teachers can actually send a guest speaker/schedule a classroom visit, provide teaching materials to teach children about the state’s largest industry, agriculture, many of the lesson plans they offer teacher agriculture and another subject such as agriculture and math. Offer for $4.00 (as of 2007) a “Agriculture is Everday” overview of agriculture that highlights urban topics such as hydroponics, greenhouses, transportation and Farmers’ Markets. Shows students how agriculture is around them every day from food to clothing to research and development to manufacturing.
• Illinois Farm Bureau (R) – ilfb.org – have a “Chosen Fields” (as of 2007) media package that features careers in agriculture such as engineering, animal behavior and nutrition and landscape design, ages 10 to 16, includes lesson plans
• Illinois Farm Bureau & Affiliated Companies Youth Education Program – youthed.org
• IAA Foundation – iaafoundation.org – funds Agriculture in the Classroom, scholarships, research and charitable activities to benefit Illinois agriculture
• The Farming Game – The Weekend Farmer 800-222-GAME farmgame.com $31.95
• Great American Soybean Promotion Kit
• Wool Fiber in the Making Chart – pendleton-usa.com under ‘Order Educational Materials’ may be free for teachers as of 2007
• Wet & Set Magic Noodles & CornStruction Paper – Kid Tech Tools, Inc 877-938-6738 magicnuudle.com For bulk cornstarch noodles try uline.com
• Zipper-seal Plastic Bags – consider veripack.com
• Crystal Soil to make Beanie Babies – gardening center: look for “soil moist” or “watering crystals” Flinn Scientific 800-452-1261 catalog numbers FB0381-FB0384
• Wool Spinning Kit – wool for 200-250 bracelets, 30 hooks and instructions order from Utah AITC http://extension.usu.edu/aitc $10 each
• National Agricultural Library: http://www.nalusda.gov/fnic/

Reading

• Starfall.com – have some great free downloads for teaching reading in the lower elementary grades
• post-it.com/kids – word builder note cards, education products for kids

Museums and Periodicals and Foundations

• Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov
• Louvre Museum: http://www.louvre.fr/louvrea.htm
• The Smithsonian Museum: http://www.museumspot.com/features/smithsonian.htm
• Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies: educate.si.edu
• Benton Foundation: http://www.benton.org research, networking, grantmaking and more
• The Children’s Partnership: http://www.childrenspartnership.org focuses on needs of children
• Milken Family Foundation: http://www.mff.org/edtech/ – research and progress assessment tools
• Annenberg/CPB Project: http://www.learner.org/about/aboutus.html
• CNNfyi: http://www.Cnnfyi.com
• Federal Resources for Educational Excellence: http://www.ed.gov/free
• NOVA Online: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova NOVA documentary TV series
• Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning http://www.mcrel.org/
• New York Times Learning Network http://www.nytimes.com/learning/
• Discovery School Channel http://school.discovery.com possibly discoveryeducation.com now – has lesson plans
• McLean County Museum of History: McHistory.org, Institute for Museum and Library Services
• The Rural School and Community Trust: ruraledu.org
• The Teaching Professor – newsletter for teachers
• Peabody Essex Museum (PEM): pem.org

Teacher Education

• Livetext – livetext.com – online cloud or electronic portfolio for teachers, it did crash and lose the work of all the users when I was at ISU from 2004 to 2008, CrashPlan and many backup sources and Google Cloud were not big or even existent during those years
• Hope College – hope.edu
• Illinois State University – ilstu.edu
• Clinical Experiences and Certification Processes – http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/cecp/
• Illinois Certification Testing System(ICTS)/NES – http://www.icts.nesinc.com/ – test registration dates and late and emergency registration periods
• Instructional Technology Passport System – http://www.itps.ilstu.edu
• State University of New York at Oswego: http://www.oswego.edu/candl/plsi/index.html
• Blackboard: http://www.blackboard.com
• Teacher Education: The Next Step: http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/teachereduc/ – Austrailian site for student teachers
• Adventure of the American Mind (AAM) teacher training: aamprogram.org

Current Events

• Educators for Social Responsibility: http://www.esrnational.org lesson plans on current events and some for Academic Controversy lessons
• Education Week http://www.edweek.org) newspaper with focus on educational policy and reform

Middle Grades

• middleweb.com
• nmsa.org
• nelms.org
• turningpoints.org
• clms.net
• http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-1/middle.htm
• http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/10/s038.html
• http://www.youthwork-practice.com/index.html – activities foster team communication and problem solving skills, exploratory and advisory type activities
• Odyssey of the Mind [http://www.odysseyofthemind.com] – activities foster team communication and problem solving skills, exploratory and advisory type activities
• Destination Imagination http://www.idodi.org – activities foster team communication and problem solving skills, exploratory and advisory type activities
• kidsgrowth.com
• trans-video.net/~striebe
• indiana.edu/~cafs
• advocatesforyouth.org

Strategies

• QUILT (Questioning and Understanding to Improve Learning and Thinking) http://www.ael.org/rel/quilt/questng.htm
• A Questioning Toolkit http://www.fno.org/nov97/toolkit.html – Educational Technology Journal
• Teaching Ideas That Worked: Questioning Techniques: http://www.teach-nology.com/ideas/questions/
• Whole Class Activities: tomsnyder.com, The Jasper Woodbury Problem Solving Series
• Teacher’s Corner: Comprehension Bloom’s Taxonomy http://www.ops.org/reading/blooms_taxonomy.html
• Learning Style Surveys: http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/miinventory.php
• FunBrain: http://wwwfunbrain.com helps teachers integrate games and quizzes in daily lesson plans

Testing

• Central New York Regional Information Center: http://www.nysed.gov has articles on authentic assessment
• Buros Institute of Mental Measurements: http://www.unl.edu/buros info commercially published tests and approaches used for developing standards and assessments
• Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSO), http://www.ccsso.org – standards for beginning teacher licensing and development
• Online Evaluation Resource Library: oerl.sri.com/instruments
• Illinois Certification Testing System, Basic Skills Test Study Guide (C) 2004 Illinois State Board of Education, National Evaluation Systems, Inc.
• ITPS
• cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/ – age appropriate standards California
• firn.edu/doe/curric/prek12.frame2.htm – Florida age appropriate standards
• No Child Left Behind (P L 107-110) signed into law January 2002, http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf

Lesson Plans

• New York Times – nytimes.com – has lesson plans
• Teacher’s Edition Online: http://www.teachnet.com – includes lesson plans and more
• Yahoo!’s Directory of K-12 Lesson Plans: http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/Standards_and_Testing
• Yahoo’s Directory of K-12 Lesson Plans http://dir.yahoo.com/Education/K_12/Teaching/Lesson_Plans/
• Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC): http://www.eric.ed.gov lesson plans, students resources many subjects
• Teacher’s Net, Lesson Bank http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/posts.html
• teach-nology.com

Music and Theater

• Illinois State University Extending University Youth Guide Camps, Activities and Services (music, sports, reading etc.): IllinoisState.edu/home/outreach/
• Bands of America Music Camps: bands.org
• Chicago Waldorf School: chicagowaldorf.org

Classroom Management

• Adprima (Toward the Best): http://www.adprima.com/managing.htm effective praise to classroom arrangement suggestions
• CanTeach: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/classman.htm classroom management suggestions such as rewards for elementary kids
• Education World: http://educationworld.com/a_curr/archives/classmanagement.shtml
• Learning Network: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/lesson-plans/lesson-5776.html
• Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory: http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html School Improvement Series covers classroom management
• The Really Best List of Classroom Management Resources: http://drwilliampmartin.tripod.com/reallybest.htm some of the links are bad as it has not been updated in a while but still has some good links
• The Teacher’s Guide: http://www.theteachersguide.com/ClassManagement.htm
• Teachers Helping Teachers: http://www.pacificnet.net/~mandel/index.html basic tips to new teachers and a special education section
• Teachnet: http://www.teachnet.com/index.html
• Adprima (Toward the Best): http://www.adprima.com suggestions on classroom arrangement to guidelines for effective praise
• CanTeach: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/classman.html includes classroom management suggestions
• Learning Network: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/lesson-plans/lesson-5776.html topics include “Bully-Proof Your Classroom”
• Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory: http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/sirs/5/cu9.html classroom management resources
• ProTeacher (TM): proteacher.com tips on classroom arrangement and routines and more
• The Really Best List of Classroom Managment Resources: http://drwilliampmartin.tripod.com/reallybest.htm
• The Really Big List of Classroom Management Resources: http://drwilliampmartin.tripod.com/classm.html
• Teacher Talk: What Is Your Classroom Management Profile? http://education.indiana.edu/cas/tt/vli2/what.html
• http://www.TurnItIn.com – allows teachers to submit student work to check if it is plagiarized
• The Teacher’s Guide: theteachersguide.com includes classroom management articles
• Teachers Helping Teachers: pacificnet.net/~mandel/index.html
• Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc. http://www.EffectiveTeaching.com
• nasponline.org – National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) – looks like need to be a certified member to log in and access resources as of January 2016

Math

• Knowledge Forum: http://www.knowedgeforum.com
• The Math Forum: mathforum.org
• Perseus Project: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu
• PUMP Algebra Tutor: http://www.carnegielearning.com

Science

• The GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program http://www.globe.gov – for science education, allows students to submit findings used in larger projects
• Science Teachers’ Resource Center: http://chem.lapeer.org
• Down the Drain: http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/drainproj
• Biology Guided Inquiry Learning Environments (BGuILE): http://www.letus.org/bguile
• The Jasper Series: http://www.thinklinklearning.com
• BioKids: http://www.biokids.umich.edu
• Global Schoolhouse Project: http://www.gsn.org
• NationalGeographic.com
• Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE): wise.berkeley.edu
• SkyMaps.com – sales support production of the free distribution of The Evening Sky Map
• Physics Matters textbook homepage – http://www.wiley.com/college/trefil
• http://www.phy.ilstu.edu/~zich/phy102/syllabus.html – do not know how much longer this will be available on the Internet, but it is a syllabus for a physics class I took years ago at Illinois State Univeristy (ISU), it is some good resources such as:
  • University of Guelph (http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/tutorials/tutorials.html)
  • DC Physics Help Pages (http://www.dctech.com/physics/)
  • Online Physics Textbooks (URL now dead)
  • Physics 2000 (http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/index.pl)
  • Kenny Felder’s Math and Physics Help (http://www.felderbooks.com/papers/) – moved to the new domain name that is in parenthesis

Foreign Language/Spanish

• myngle.com – online lessons, cost varies per instructor
• faculty.marianopolis.edu/spanish/SpanishII/span2c6et3t4.html – good practice exercises for adults learning Spanish – Marianopolis College Library – Spanish II: Describer en el pasado
• http://www.oxfordseminars.com/tesol-tesl-tefl-course/citydates.php?city=Chicago – Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) – Oxford Seminars
• http://www.internationalteflacademy.com/chicago-tefl-certification-chicago-tesol-classes/ – TESOL
• saludfamilia.com – bilingual information for improving the quality of your children’s lives
• artepublicopress.com – bilingual children’s books by Piñata Books
• The Internet TESL (Teachers of English as a Second Language) Journal: http://iteslj.org
• websiteplanet.com/blog/learn-english-free-books/ – free books for children or people learning English

Exceptional Learners (covers a spectrum ranging from physical disabilities to autism to gifted children)

• Questioning Techniques for Gifted Students http://www.nexus.edu.au/teachstud/gat/painter.htm
• Closing the Gap assistive technology: closingthegap.com
• Talking word processors: donjohnston.com/catalog   intellitools.com   cast.org/products
• Assistive Technology Training Online Project: http://atto.buffalo.edu/
• Articles on Differentiation:    http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed443572.html    http://www.middleweb.com/MWLISTCONT/MSLamyandrick.html
• Differentiated lessons, units etc. sites: http://www.hotlinx.org    http://www.manteno.k12.il.us/curriculumdiff/differentiationstrategies.htm
• Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools: http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/enriched/giftedprograms/principles.shtm
• I am very excited about the helpful articles below for supporting special needs children as they were  given to me via email from a visitor to this blog and as of writing this (October 2015) I do not receive a lot of non-spam emails from visitors. They are from a mom of a special needs child at publichealthcorps.org.
  • Home Safety for Kids!
  • 5 Important Reasons Why Your Child Needs Routine to Succeed
  • PBS Parents: Communication Strategies for Children with Learning Disabilities
  • Create Your Own Anti-Anxiety Kit for Children
  • 5 Ways for Teachers to Help Students with Special Needs
  • Adapting the Childcare Environment for Children with Special Needs
  • Disability Remodeling for the Home
  • Financial Assistance for Accessibility Home Repairs and Modifications
  • A Guide for Disabled Homebuyers
  • What is Autism?
  • After the Autism Diagnosis: Staying Connected as a Couple
  • The Guide to Securing Life-long Accommodations for Adult Children with Special Needs
  • When an Autism Diagnosis Comes in Adulthood
  • Creating a Sensory-Friendly Home for Your Autistic Child
  • The Guide to Buying Used Accessible Vehicles
  • Supporting Individuals on the Autism Spectrum Coping with Grief and Loss through Death or Divorce
• Below are some additional resources for parents of kids with ASD from a blog visitor from Caring 4 Our Kids as of December 2016:
  • Autism Resources for Families
  • Sesame Street Autism Resources for Parents
  • Reduce the Noise: Help Loved Ones with Sensory Overload Enjoy Shopping
  • Creating a Home Where Your Child Can Thrive with a Disability
  • CDC Autism Links and Resources
  • Estate Planning for Parents of Special Needs Kids
  • Operation Autism for Military Families
  • Moving with Special Needs Kids
  • Temple Grandin’s Teaching Tips
• Autism Resources (these sites are mainly from my days as a secretary at a non-profit in the maternal child health department, probably from around 2010)
  • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
  • Illinois Chapter of the AAP (ICAAP) http://www.illinoisaap.net
  • The Autism Program – http://www.theautismprogram.com
  • early intervention helps, first visit free, even used for immigrant children to help with language learning,
  • Child and Family Connections (CFC) – initial evaluation is free
  • consider child psychologist, pediatric neurologist, child psychiatrist, developmental and behavioral pediatrician
  • Department of Healthcare and Family Services http://www.dpaillinois.com
  • Parental Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) http://www.pedstest.com
  • Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) http://www.pbrookes.com/store/books/bricker-asq/ (detection and referral, developmental screening or standardized parent report tool)
  • Child Development Review – http://www.childdevrev.com
  • CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) (screening tool, social worker often administers)
  • Modified CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT)
  • Quick and Quantitative CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers (Q-CHAT)
  • http://www.edopc.net/
  • http://yourbabybooty.com/interviews/what-is-homeopathy-is-homeopathy-really-medicine-does-it-work/
  • Autism Society of McLean County http://www.autism-mclean.org
• Sleep Guides For Persons With Disabilities
  • a guide for helping people with disabilities sleep more comfortably (from blog visitor Nicole at SleepCupid.com as of January 2017)
  • https://www.bestmattressreviews.com/mattress-and-bedding-guide-disabilities (from blog visitor Jenny at BestMattressReviews.com as of April 2017)
• Articles for special needs families from blog visitor Caroline at Open Educators (OpenEducators.org)
  • http://www.r-word.org/
  • 20 Tips for Keeping Your Child with Special Needs Safe in Your Home
  • Disability Accommodation Cost Guides
  • 6 Tax Tips for Parents of Children with Special Needs
  • Wheelchair and Handicap Ramp Cost Guide
  • Behavior Management Techniques for Teachers: Inclusive Classrooms
  • The Guide to Buying Used Accessible Vehicles
  • The Best Activities for Special Needs
  • Autism in the Teen Years: What to Expect, How to Help
  • The Guide to Securing Life-long Accommodations for Adult Children with Special Needs
• Modifying Your Backyard for Special Needs Children (guide) https://bbqwork.com/backyard-modification/
• bestbuddies.com – “….work to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
• cast.org – Center for Applied Special Technology – “…CAST is a nonprofit education research and development organization that created the Universal Design for Learning framework and UDL Guidelines, now used the world over to make learning more inclusive.”
• https://www.loc.gov/nls/ – The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
• Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic^® (RFB&D^®)
  • a text reader can read digital text on a screen using speech synthesis
  • learningally.com

Supplies and Workbooks and Technology

• Learning Horizons http://www.learninghorizons.com
• Leap Frog Learning Game System Leap Pad Leapster
• School Zone http://www.schoolzone.com – also have games and vidoes and more
• Math Manipulatives for Teachers on a projector
• Barron’s Educational Series, Inc study aids, The Easy Way Series, http://www.barronseduc.com
• Encarta: encarta.msn.com
• Grolier’s: auth.grolier.com/cgi-bin/authV2
• barebooks.com – for mainly teaching reading, has blank boardgames that can be used for any subject
• Sunburst Software: http://www.sunburst.com/
• The George Lucas Educational Foundation – glef.org – focus on use of technology
• Project Integration and Visualization Tool (PIViT) umich.edu~pbsgroup/psnet/
• Inspiration Software: inspiration.com
• Levels of Technology Implementation Scale (LoTI): http://www.lotilounge.com/lotidemo/
• The Alliance for Technology Access: http://www.ataccess.org/default.html
• Teacher Prep STaR Chart: http://www.ceoforum.org – assessment tool in use of technology
• Filamentality (online activity templates): filamentality.com
• Online activity formats examples: http://ozline.com/learning/theory.html
• District level technology planning sites: iste.org (International Society for Technology) Milken Family Foundation (www.mff.org/edtech)  CEO Forum (ceoforum.org)
• Center for Applied Special Technology http://cast.org/ncac/index.cfm?i=2876
• Multipurpose Transparency Film: 3M.com allows you to print from a computer for overhead projector transparency films
• Carson-Dellosa supplies and materials: carsondellosa.com
• openoffice.org – great for students that cannot afford Microsoft Office
• fppt.com – free power point templates
• DollarTree.com – do have teaching supplies, free downloadable craft and project sheets, and may offer more than what is in the store online, also have email subscription with exclusive offers and a Facebook and Twitter account, site also has reviews
• PartyCity.com – birthday items, small party favor toys such as colorful pencils that can be given as rewards to children
• CriticalThinking.com – workbooks, flashcards, software in reading, writing, math, science, history and test prep
• YoungExplorers.com – really a site for buying children’s toys and not a teaching website, like their school play set as it has stickers, report cards, hall pass, hand bell, dry erase board, pointer, and more (looks like a map with US capitals, a calendar, crayons etc.)
• Plato: http://www.plato.com
• Riverdeep: http://www.riverdeep.net
• Tom Snyder Productions: http://www.tomsnyder.com

Physical Education

• Hunter Textbooks Inc.: huntertextbooks.com
• Kid’s Running Information: kidsrunning.com
• High School Running Information: http://www.highschoolrunner.com
• National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity: americanheart.org/ncppa
• National Health Information Center: nhic-nt.health.org
• Physical Activity and Children: http://www.ncemch.org/RefDes/PhysActivity
• American Alliance For Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) http://www.aahperd.org/
• Shape Up America! http://www.shapeup.org

General and Miscellaneous

• homeschool.com
• familyeducation.com
• familyfirst.com
• InternetAdvisor.com – Student’s Internet Research Guide – https://www.internetadvisor.com/student-college-research-guide (from a blog visitor)
• CableCompare.com – The Top 15 Educational TV Shows For Kids of All Ages – https://www.cablecompare.com/blog/the-top-15-educational-tv-shows-for-kids-of-all-ages (from a blog visitor) 

End Proctoring–

End Proctoring–

End Proctoring–

End Proctoring–

End Proctoring–