20 Great Online Resources for Elementary Teachers
by Karen Schweitzer
(MI, United States)
Elementary teachers who are looking for lesson plans, places to network, and information on education technology need look no further than the web.
The Internet is flush with great online resources for elementary school teachers.
Here are 20 sites to explore today:
*Lesson Plans*
Education World http://www.educationworld.com - Education World offers a lesson planning channel for elementary teachers who need full lesson plans or ideas for use in the classroom. The site also features tips on technology integration, professional development, and common school issues.
TeAchnology http://www.teach-nology.com/ - This online teacher resource provides free access to more than 30,000 lesson plans, worksheets, games, and downloads. TeAchnology also provides information on more than 250,000 reviewed websites.
LessonPlansPage http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ - HotChalk's LessonPlansPage is an excellent resource for elementary teachers who need lesson plans or ideas to engage students in classroom learning. Teachers can search for materials by subject, topic, or season.
Thinkfinity http://www.thinkfinity.org/home.aspx - Thinkfinity is an educational resource from the Verizon Foundation. Some of the things that can be found on this website include free lesson plans, interactive games, curriculum ideas, and classroom activities.
The Educator's Reference Desk http://www.eduref.org/ - This website is
dedicated to providing high-quality resources to educators. Teachers can find more than 2,000 lesson plans as well as more than 3,000 links to
education-related materials.
*Networking and Sharing*
TeachAde http://www.teachade.com/ - Designed specifically for educators, this online social network is a wonderful place for elementary teachers to network and collaborate with colleagues and other teachers around the world.
The Apple http://www.theapple.com/ - The Apple is a place for current and future educators to meet and communicate online. The site offers one of the fastest growing online networks for educators, community boards, educational resources, and career advice.
Applebatch http://applebatch.com/ - Applebatch is a K-12 education community for teachers who are interested in advancing their career or
sharing information over the web. The site offers a job board, professional groups, and a place to manage online contacts.
TeacherLingo http://teacherlingo.com/ - TeacherLingo is an online teacher community that welcomes teachers of all levels. After signing up for a free account, teachers can read blogs, post on message boards, find other educators, and share lesson plans.
We the Teachers http://www.wetheteachers.com/ - Teachers can use WTT to find other teachers around the world. This online community also offers a search engine for lesson plans, activities, and other classroom resources.
*Education Technology*
Classroom 2.0 http://www.classroom20.com/ - Classroom 2.0 is an online community for teachers who are interested in education technology. Members share web 2.0 tools and learn through online events.
Teachers Teaching Teachers http://teachersteachingteachers.org/ - This weekly EdTalk podcast was created by teachers for teachers. The podcast covers a wide range of topics that would be interesting to elementary teachers.
TILT http://tilttv.blogspot.com/ - TILT is a teacher-created vidcast for teachers who want to learn how to improve learning with technology.
iLearn Technology http://ilearntechnology.com/ - iLearn Technology is a fantastic edublog for elementary teachers who want to learn more about
implementing technology in the classroom. Posts feature teaching tools, interactive technologies, and much more.
GO2WEB20 http://www.go2web20.net/ - This site serves as an index for free web 2.0 tools and applications. Elementary teachers can use the site to find tech tools to supplement classroom learning.
*Miscellaneous*
NEA http://www.nea.org/ - The National Education Association provides a number of resources that would be useful to elementary teachers, including information on tools, teaching ideas, grants, events, news, and education issues.
PBS Teachers http://www.pbs.org/teachers/ - PBS Teachers is an excellent place to find educational resources, lesson plans, and activities for the K-12 classroom.
Elementary Education http://k6educators.about.com/ - About.com's
Elementary Education site offers a wide range of free resources for elementary teachers, including a blog, articles, lesson plans, and community forums.
Teachers TV http://www.teachers.tv/ - Teachers TV supports professional development among teachers by providing videos, teaching aides, classroom resources, and an online community.
Teachers Network http://www.teachersnetwork.org/index.htm - This
non-profit education organization provides a helpline, videos, podcasts, online courses, lesson plans, and many other helpful resources for
teachers.
Guest post from Karen Schweitzer, the About.com Guide to Business School. Karen also writes for OnlineCollege.org, a resource for learning about attending college online.
