by May Plaige

Created on: February 02, 2009

As the number of internet sites swells with new information constantly being electronically published, teachers may experience mixed feelings about the availability of learning and teaching tools online. As more and more information and learning tools become available to one's fingertips, it can be slightly overwhelming to see just how many websites there are scrambling for your attention. How do you know which sites are the best, and weed out those that are just a waste of time? It may be impossible to list all of the good online resources, but here are a few that every teacher should know about.

Teachers.net and Teachersnetwork.org

First on the list is teachers.net, where you will not only find free lesson plans and learning tools, but you will also be introduced to a large community of teachers from all over the world! There are discussion boards for every type of teacher, including new teachers, and special boards for discussion of classroom management and discipline. A similar network can be found at teachersnetwork.org. There are links on both sites to a number of great, reliable teacher resources, and teachersnetwork.org features a "Help Line" link for new teachers where your question will be answered by an experienced teacher within 72 hours. If you can't find what you need on these sites, simply start a new discussion thread asking for it, and you are sure to get quick replies from many experienced teachers.

Discovery Channel and PBS for Teachers

At http://school.discovery.com and www.pbs.org/teachersource, you will find resources from some of the most reliable educational organizations, and with special areas just for teachers, you will find them tailored to your needs. Ready-to-use lesson plans that can be chosen based on content standards, ready-made or customizable puzzles, and of course the ever-popular instructional videos are available for your immediate use. Use these sites to create an exciting learning environment in your classroom, and get your students to enjoy learning!

EducationWorld.com

For more theory- and study-based practical advice, educationworld.com is the place to go. More than just a network of experienced teachers, this site features education articles based in research and educational studies. A great place to keep up with the "education world," not only will you learn more about what is being discovered about learners today, you will also receive instructions on how to put the new developments to use in your classroom. Having a problem in class? Do a search for related articles, and the latest and greatest of tried-and-true solutions will be pulled up for your perusal.

Teacher.com

Sure, you can just Google search the topic you are teaching or the problem you are having, but you aren't guaranteed the best advice. . .only the most viewed/linked to advice. Teacher.com takes on the task of weeding out the best of the best in teacher links. The site itself isn't the source of resources; rather, it is a place where you will find links to great sites for whatever you are looking for. The best links under one roof, so to speak, exist here.

Use these sites to find even more great online resources, and always remember that somewhere out there, there is probably a teacher who has experienced your problem or taught your topic before, and you can find help if you look in the right places!

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