Archives: Resources

RubiStar is a example of the tools available on-line to help teachers create quality rubrics. RubiStar includes a tutorial, numerous examples, and a way of making your rubrics … learn more

Using chocolate chip cookies as an example, this fun video introduces the concept of Rubics for grading. Sorry about the grainy video quality.

The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), founded by the Association of Computing Machinery, provides a constantly updated list of research articles and resources of interest to Technology Planners … learn more

The National Educators’ Association, sometimes at odds with school boards, has elected to offer a variety of resources about technology as well as other topics like “Health, Safety … learn more

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was enacted by Congress in 2000 to address concerns about children’s access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet. CIPA imposes … learn more

The Education and Libraries Networks Coalition (EdLiNC), formed in 1995, seeks to expand the use of educational technologies in schools and libraries by making sure that these entities … learn more

The Electronic Frontier Foundation champions user privacy, free expression, and innovation. Their goals are to ensure that rights and freedoms are enhanced and protected as the use of … learn more

The Huffington Post looks at disaster preparedness and what you can do, with a side of humor. From identifying escape routs to how you will reconnect and what … learn more

FEMA has an extensive information on disaster preparedness for kids, teens, families and educators. You can find information, games, coping resources, curriculum, and preparedness kit ideas.

Safety in the Science Classroom is comprehensive, with input from all the major scientific specialist sites. What would happen if your science lab had a fire? Are you … learn more

While specifically for parents, this video from the University of Missouri will give teachers and other adults tools they can use when helping kids deal with disasters.

Creative Commons defines the spectum of licensing possibilities between full copyright and the public domain.

The Stanford Copyright & Fair Use Center covers this issue in-depth, including fair use, what’s public domain, and resources for librarians.

Copyright (or author’s right) is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works. Works covered by copyright range from … learn more

Bellingham Schools can be used as a model for a Copyright and Web Publishing policy.

The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides acceptable formats for citing online sources. They suggest that it is always a good idea to maintain personal copies of electronic … learn more

Using images found online has become common practice. Photos, graphics, book covers, illustrations, and charts — students (and teachers) constantly use images to enhance their content on websites, … learn more

Tara Miller has created a great video aimed at middle school students. It looks at the history of copyright law, gives examples of fair use and describes “Public … learn more

Brad Templeton explores what could be the 10 biggest excuses for “appropriating” copyright material.

The U.S. Copyright Office has information on copyrights and fair use for the United States.

Some schools are working with outside technology companies to scan social media for threats against them and their students, in hopes of preventing mass shootings and student suicide. … learn more

While there are different expectations for public library Internet access, this Acceptable Use statement from the West Des Moines Public Library looks at topics like… who is responsible … learn more

Rice University’s acceptable use policy covers areas such as… use of resources, interference or impairment to the activities of others, unauthorized access, commercial activities, violation of city, state … learn more

Whether it is called digital citizenship, digital wellness or digital ethics the issues are the same; how should we act when we are online, and what should be … learn more

Webwise promotes the autonomous, effective, and safer use of the internet by young people through a sustained information and awareness strategy targeting parents, teachers, and children themselves with … learn more

This video from Bobbi Jean Gallagher covers her classroom’s Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) rules in an entertaining manner. Issues that should be covered include connecting only to … learn more

Wondering what BYOD means or if your school is ready for it? In this 8-minute Pedagogical Quickie for teachers and administrators, Marc-André Lalande presents some of the many … learn more

The National Science Education Standards (NSES) are guidelines for K-12 science education in United States schools. They were established by the National Research Council in 1996 to provide … learn more

Internet4Classrooms incorporates many links, including tutorials for the most frequent classroom applications, search tools, ed news publications.

The Annenberg Foundation has indexed a wide range of lesson plans targeted by grade levels and discipline . Arts Foreign Language Language Arts Literature Mathematics Science Social Studies … learn more

National Council for Open Education hosts hundreds of lesson plans and resource guides broken out by grade, area, and topic. You can help grow this free resource by … learn more

K–12 Education Resources and Technology Planning Discover how K‒12 technology can enable new teaching methodologies, enrich existing curricula, and help students develop the critical-thinking and technical skills they … learn more

For $40 per year per teacher, edHelper provides plans and materials for a wide variety of subjects in all grade levels, K thru 12. Back to School Lesson … learn more

Professional Development Programs At the Exploratorium, we support educators. Whether inside the museum or on the other side of the planet, in school settings or out in the … learn more

Nancy Clark has created a site to provide high school and middle school science teachers access to the materials and resources that she has collected during 37 years … learn more

The Science Spot, a set of lessons and fun things by one teacher, adds new twists to old experiments. A great place for the middle school science teachers.

Digital Content for the Classroom FCIT offers over 100,000 pieces of free digital content for non-commercial classroom use by students and teachers.

What is Fast ForWord? Fast ForWord is an evidence-based, adaptive reading and language program that delivers 1-2 years gain in 40-60 hours of use for any struggling learner. … learn more

LAT, a project at William & Mary’s College, is a place for educators interested in learning to “operationalize TPACK” (Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge) via curriculum-based learning activity … learn more

BrainBashers is a collection of brain teasers, puzzles, riddles, games and optical illusions.

As teachers quickly realize, there is not a single, one-size-fits-all solution to student engagement and learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles for curriculum … learn more

Dr. Gardner looks at what it takes for students to really assimilate knowledge and explains his Multiple Intelligence theory. Students are good at different things – logical thinking, … learn more

Much of today’s curriculum rests on Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy, a ladder with rungs for knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

The Newseum shows the current front pages from over 500 newspapers in the U.S. and around the world.

Most newspapers, such as The New York Times, are now online. Search your local newspapers for tie ins to current class topics, everything from math (what does 3 … learn more

CBC4Kids is the site for children’s programming by the Canadian Broadcast Network.

CNN emphasizes current events with links to relevant background. An extensive video and audio archive and some interactive activities can be found under CNN’s Multimedia section header. They … learn more

Vintage Space is an example of the hundreds of great topic channels available for the viewing on YouTube. Amy Shira Teitel is a spaceflight historian, author, and all-around … learn more

In addition to channels dedicated to specific topics, YouTube allows you to assemble your own list of videos using the Search feature. Searching for “cheap stage scenery” produced … learn more

Numberphile is self described as “Videos about numbers – it’s that simple.” (I also have a bridge available for sale.) Topics include Problems with Zero, One Minus One … learn more

Next Vista For Learning provides a library of over 2,000 free videos made by and for teachers and students everywhere. They encourage anyone interested to submit short, creative … learn more

FlinnScientific has created a channel on YouTube devoted to explaining complex science topics, walking you through experiments, and anything else related to biology, chemistry, physics and life sciences.

Grant Thompson makes weekly videos dedicated to exploring life though all kinds of life hacks, experiments, and random weekend projects. Topics include everything from Start a Fire With … learn more

Science Friday on NPR stations covers the outer reaches of space to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Science Friday is the source for entertaining and educational stories … learn more

PBS hosts a series of newsletters providing updates on all things PBS.

PBS Kids includes games, videos, apps for your cell phone and more.

WGBH Boston looked at how things clanged in the last century (1900-1999), outlining some of the big changes in the home over 100 years. Can your students come … learn more

DragonflyTV (formerly a part of PBS) features real kids doing their own science inquiries. Topics might include “how rapids affect a river ride”, “how do horses use their … learn more

Unlike other resources indexed here, the NPR Education page indexes interviews, talks, and content from recent NPR programs of interest to teachers and parents. Recent topics have included … learn more

While the current White House web site does not have an area specifically designed for students, many parts of the web site will be of interest. This example … learn more

The Education section at USA.gov provides a range of resources for students and educators, ranging from Child Care and Exchange Students to Financial Aid and Resources for Teachers.

This site is a treasure trove of resources, including access to many searchable databases, legislative, grant and targeted projects (eg. school-home partnering and technology projects), time-sensitive items (monthly … learn more

This is another review of the act, looking at it’s positive effects on afterschool and summer learning programs for K through 12th grade students, including STEM afterschool programs.

This Brookings Institution post looks at the Every Student Succeeds Act and how it requires that states and districts use evidence-based interventions to support school improvement. But educators … learn more

This page highlights PBL resources to help you in your efforts to create great learning opportunities for your students.

The Buck Institute for Education shows teachers how to use Project Based Learning in all grade levels and subject areas. Their goal is to help teachers prepare students … learn more

This introduction to Project Based Learning looks at what it does, what it is, its historical origins and PBL’s roles and procedures.

Well-designed project-based learning (PBL) has been shown to result in deeper learning and more engaged, self-directed learners. This video from Edutopia outlines five core elements of successful PBL… … learn more

Curriculum frameworks provide guidance for implementing the standards adopted by the California State Board of Education. It provides links to downloads of all curriculum frameworks. This page also … learn more

This is the link for the Arizona Department of Education academic standards. You can find similar links for your state and subject by searching Google for “[your state] … learn more

Because of the influence of computers, “computational thinking” capitalizes on the particular computer features, such as data mining,and algorithmic reasoning. The mission of the Center for Computational Thinking … learn more

Some recently developed models of thinking rely upon visualization so students can replicate how experts conceptualize a challenge. Making Learning Visible also stresses collaboration.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, non-profit society of scholars, charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and … learn more

Information for improving student academic achievement of content standards by communicating policy and expectations and supporting districts by providing instructional guidance Your state department of education web site … learn more

The K–12 Mathematics Curriculum Center aims to help teachers and administrators make thoughtful, informed decisions about mathematics curriculum and instructional materials. Their projects explore and analyze how curriculum … learn more

In addition to national level guidelines, many states now post their own standards and available resources on-line. Here’s an example from Kentucky.

The North American Association for Environmental Education hosts a Guidelines for Excellence, providing a wide rage of free, downloadable resources.

The Environmental Protection Agency provides a number of free resources and guidelines for all age ranges from K thru 12.

An interesting article on how we got to where we are today — looking at the options taken and not taken. It concludes with a look at the … learn more

This video, put out by the Council of the Great City Schools, explains why we need Common Core and how results are measured. But viewing the video can … learn more

While most schools in the U.S. boast broadband access these days, and plenty of assignments require the internet, when students head home, many can’t get online to finish … learn more

With the advent of WiFi (wireless Internet), the days of stringing cables to every classroom and every desk to allow access to the Internet or school data servers … learn more

The Unwired Classroom talks about the advantages of using wireless laptop PC’s in the classroom and includes numerous images. An idea used in many schools is to store … learn more

Once you have computers in your school, how do you track them and the students that use them? NetSupport School is an example solution that works with a … learn more

As schools look to implementing 1:1 computing for their students via shared laptop trolleys (or carts), it’s good to consider what’s required and how it can all be … learn more

Think of this video as an introduction to where we’ve been with technology in the classroom and where we’re headed…

Classroom Technology News (a.k.a, Tech & Learning) is a great resource for education technology professionals responsible for implementing and purchasing technology products in K-12 districts and schools. Tech … learn more

Peace Corps’ Educators initiative fosters an understanding of other cultures and global issues by providing online educational resources and linking U.S. learners and current and returned Peace Corps … learn more

The Nature Conservancy hosts excellent information on rain forests ans well as local issues. Check out their photographs and videos.

From city parks to forests of redwoods, from the air we breathe to the water we drink, everyone depends on a vibrant and healthy world. The Sierra Club … learn more

The Bureau of Land Management’s education programs and materials help teachers and students understand resource areas, multiple-use land management, and how citizens can affect land use decisions. If … learn more

EPA partners with more than 40 data contributors from various government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations to compile a key set of indicators related to the causes … learn more

The US Fish and Wildlife Service highlights regional contrasts.

The Environmental Protection Agency hosts resources on a wide variety of topics, from air quality to bed bugs. Information is broken out by state. Select your state to … learn more

This game from the EPA allows students to explore Recycle City to see how its people reduce waste, use less energy, and save money by doing simple things … learn more

GLOBE is dedicated to environmental studies, a core collection of this Internet Resource Center.

ePALS allows you to connect, communicate and collabortae with educators around the world. You can also Explore Experiences – a.k.a., collaborative lesson plans – involving tasks like designing … learn more

Skype can handle up to 25 people on a conference call. It’s free for participants that have Skype. For people who aren’t on Skype, you can include them … learn more

TED Curator Chris Anderson notes that there’s no single formula for a great TED or TEDx talk, but there is a secret ingredient that all the best ones … learn more