Gone are the days of children sneaking comics past diligent parents and teachers watching out for sub-par literature. The comics of today not only have plenty to offer, they are gaining well-deserved recognition and awards. Take advantage of the natural affinity children have for comics and use them as a powerful teaching tool in your classroom. The following tips, tools, and resources will get you started.

Understanding Benefits and Usage in the Classroom

Understand how comics are beneficial in schools and ways they can be used.

1. Eek! Comics in the Classroom!. This article describes many of the benefits of using comics and graphic novels in education and also includes resources for places to find appropriate materials for class.
2. Comic Books in the Classroom. This news story outlines why comic books may be a great way to promote reading in reluctant readers as well as help teach writing, emotions, and more.
3. Comics in the Classroom. Take an in depth look at the recent trend of using comics in the classroom, whether it is appropriate for the classroom, and resources for teaching with comics and graphic novels.
4. Using Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom. Understand how using comics and graphic novels can help teach complex reading skills, punctuation, outlining, paragraphing, and literary terms.
5. Comic Book Science in the Classroom. Listen to this NPR report about teaching with comics, including both benefits and concerns as seen by educators.
6. Maryland Comic Book Initiative. Read about this initiative in Maryland elementary schools, then read the research behind it, get sample lessons, and watch videos of students in action.
7. MSP#101: Comics in the Classroom. The last half of this podcast features Dr. Peter Coogan, Director of the institute for Comic Studies as he discusses comics in the classroom.
8. Thoughts About Comics #2 My Comics Classroom. This teacher describes the value of comics in his fourth grade classroom.
9. Comics in the Classroom. This informative article examines some of the reasons why comics and graphic novels are fast growing in school libraries, but a bit slower to reach the classrooms.
10. Comic Books in the Classroom. The New York Times takes a look at the value of using comics in education and the success of The Comic Book Project.
11. Gurney Journey: Comics in the Classroom. Illustrator James Gurney describes a tour of a class using comic books as inspiration. Be sure to read the comments section to hear from the teacher of the class.
12. Hamlet too hard? Try a comic book. This article describes some of the benefits of using graphic novels in class to help struggling readers and to boost interest in subjects.

Resources for Using Comics in the Classroom

These resources are all valuable sources of information, tools, community, and more to help you use comics in your classroom.

13. Comics in the Classroom. This site is all about promoting the use of comics in the classroom and includes news and reviews, lesson plans, forums, a blog, and much more.
14. Teachingcomics.org. This organization helps promote quality teaching through comics and offers such resources as lesson plans, study guides, handouts, connections with other teachers, and featured schools using comics in the classroom.
15. Comics in Education. This website is the final project for a teacher working on his Master’s degree and includes many resources for using comics in school.
16. Drawing Cartoons Theme Page. This site offers tons of links to resources ranging from creating cartoons to learning about the profession of cartoonist to teacher resources.
17. Toon Books. Keep abreast of the latest comic and graphic novels for emerging readers and also find lesson plans here.
18. Educational Comic Books for the Classroom. This helpful article includes a list of comic books for elementary aged children, tips for using comics in the classroom, and resources for teachers.
19. Comic Books as Curriculum. This interview with Richard Jenkins, co-author of Comics in Your Curriculum, offers a peek at the book written to help teachers learn how to incorporate comics into their lessons.

Suggested Comics for the Classroom

If you need a little help knowing what comics are both high-quality and age-appropriate, then check out these lists.

20. Graphic Novels for (Really) Young Readers. Written by an elementary school librarian, this article offers excellent suggestions for beginning readers through more accomplished elementary readers–and a reminder of the powerful effects of using graphic novels in education.
21. The Best Comics for Your Classroom: A List for All Grade Levels. This resource features lists of highly recommended and recommended comics categorized by age group.
22. Comics in the Classroom. This PDF lists several comics and includes age ranges, including a "mature teen" rating, and publication information.
23. Top 20 Children’s Comics. This listing offers descriptions, awards won, and any potentially objectionable material that might be in any of them.
24. The Twelve Best Comic Books for the Classroom. This list includes five books for grades 2-6 and seven books for grades 7-12.
25. Comics in the Classroom. This article, despite the numerous grammatical mistakes, does offer a wealth of information as to specific comics and the grade levels at which they may be used.
26. Comics in the Classroom – The Course in Computer Games. Sent on a mission to discover which comics students could read that might make a good computer game like Second Life, this writer investigates and reports her findings.
27. Reading, Writing, and Inquiry in the Science Classroom, Grades 6-12. This excerpt from the book includes a brief history of comics, a look at why comics are appealing to children, and a listing of comics and graphic novels that can be useful in teaching science.
28. Top 10 Superhero Comic Books Your Kids Should Be Reading. This list is from a parent and only focuses on superhero comics, but browse through the comments for more recommendations, including many outside the superhero realm.

Tools

Whether you or your students will be making comics in the class, check out these tools to help you get creative.

29. Comic Creator. Supply the information you want in this tool that provides people, animals, thought and speech bubbles, props, and backdrops.
30. How to Use Comic Life in the Classroom. This article describes how to use Comic Life, an inexpensive comic generator, to create a book report for class.
31. Tech Module: Using Comic Life in the Classroom. Another article about using Comic Life in the classroom, this one also includes several lesson plans utilizing this program.
32. Howtoons. These comics from Instructables are specifically for teaching children how to do lots of things. These comics make a great supplement to a hands-on lesson.
33. Make Beliefs Comix. This tool allows students to create comic strips and provides plenty of options for customizing their strips. There is also a section for teacher resources here.
34. Pixton. Students can create their comic strip here or you can select Pixton for Schools for an education-oriented experience that brings the entire class together on projects.
35. Bitstrip. Students can browse through other people’s comics and create their own at this site.
36. ToonDoo. This comic strip generator allows students to create their own comics. Teachers should check the site for appropriate content as it is not specifically an education site.
37. ArtisanCam. Among the many art projects available here, students can also create comics with this tool.
38. PikiKids. After uploading images, students can choose their layout, add speech bubbles, and more to create fun comics.
39. BeFunky. Turn digital photos into digital comics and more with this free tool.
40. Comiqs. Use templates or design your own images with this cartoon generator that provides results in a slide show that can even be put on a class blog or website.

Creative Ways to Use Comics in the Classroom

These resources offer great ways to use comics in the classroom.

41. The Chess Comic. A sister site to Comics in the Classroom, this site teaches the game of chess through comics.
42. Comics and the Smithsonian: A Beautiful Union of Science Curriculum. Learn about this resource through the Smithsonian’s website that incorporates comics into science lessons.
43. Bringing Comics into the Classroom. This article is written by a college instructor who describes his class on Comic Books as Literature and, while aimed at older students, offers insight into how literature can be taught through comics.
44. The comic book assignment was a hit!. This teacher shares her experience of using a comic book assignment as a final evaluation for high school students. She shares both the positive aspects and her learning points.
45. Checking Out Comic Life. This veteran teacher describes how she plans to use Comic Life with her kindergartners.
46. In the Classroom: Alice in Comic Land. This teacher describes how she used comics while teaching Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She also includes links for teaching Shaun Tan’s The Arrival.

Lesson Plans for Elementary

Elementary teachers will enjoy these great lesson plans designed specifically for early learners.

47. Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Genre Study. Perfect for 3rd-5th graders, this lesson helps students understand the genre of comics through examining and creating comics.
48. Comic-Strip Challenge. Teach sequencing by using comic strips in this lesson appropriate for grades 2-5.
49. Creative Writing Using Comics. Teach creative writing to 4th through 8th graders with this lesson that also expands to include vocabulary and a group activity.
50. Learning Storytelling Elements the Fun Way!-A Visual Storytelling Lesson Using Comics. Second and third graders can practice storytelling and sequencing with this lesson.
51. Buzz! Whiz! Bang! Using Comic Books to Teach Onomatopoeia. Great for grades 3-5, this four-part lesson lets students create their own comic strip while exploring onomatopoeia.
52. Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Narrative Structure. Sequencing, story-telling, and plotting are all part of this lesson appropriate for 3rd-5th graders.
53. Creating Comic Strips. Students in 4th through 6th grade can learn about sequencing, drawing, and humor with this lesson.
54. Make Family Comic Strips. Appropriate for grades 2-5, this lesson guides students through creating a comic strip depicting a funny event from their family.
55. Story Switch Comics. For learners in 1st-3rd, this lesson allows students to change the problem in a familiar story and draw it in a cartoon.
56. Book Report Alternative: Examining Story Elements Using Story Map Comic Strips. Students will independently and as a group read a text, identify elements of the story, then create a comic strip to report what they learned.
57. Gabbing About Garfield: Conversing About Texts With Comic Creator. Students play an online sequencing game using Garfield comics, discuss the elements of comic strips, and create their own.
58. To, Too, or Two: Developing an Understanding of Homophones. After studying homophones, students will create a skit acting out the homophones, then convert their skit to a comic strip.

Lesson Plans for Middle School

Middle school teachers will find plenty of great ideas for teaching with comics among these lesson plans.

59. Comic Book Characters. 5th through 7th graders can study gender representations in media through an examination of comics with this lesson.
60. Greek and Latin Roots Lesson Plan: Superhero Comic Strip. Let students show their knowledge of Greek and Latin root words by creating a superhero comic strip in this lesson plan.
61. Comic Book Project – Grades 5-8. This writing lesson emphasizes such concepts as creating conflict and resolution, sequential writing, action verbs, descriptive language, and onomatopoeia.
62. Comic Strip (Lesson Plan). Students create their own comic strip in this lesson that is easily adjusted for any age.
63. Fair Housing Lesson Plan. This lesson uses a bilingual comic book as the text and teaches 7th and 8th graders about the Fair Housing Act.
64. Cartoon Project. 7th through 12th graders can reinforce math concepts of ratio and proportion in this lesson.
65. Change Happens. Study the development and change of tools and systems through creating comic strips.
66. Make a Statement. Students take a position on the politics during the American Revolutionary War and convey their stance through several different mediums, including comics.
67. A Directed Listening-Thinking Activity for the Tell-Tale Heart. Students listen to a reading of Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart and write a response in comic strip form.
68. Book Report Alternative: Comic Strips and Cartoon Squares. A great alternative to traditional book reports, this lesson has students explore comic books and graphic novels in order to create a report of a traditional book.

Lesson Plans for High School

These lesson plans supply creative, engaging, and educational ways to incorporate comics.

69. Lesson Plan: Maus. This high school lesson uses Art Spiegelman’s comic book, Maus (the first comic to win the Pulitzer Prize), to teach students about the Holocaust and World War II. Read through the information about comic book programs, then find this lesson plan at the end of the report.
70. The Comic Book Show and Tell. Students will draft a comic book script based on a prompt, create a layout, revise their drafts, and share revisions with others.
71. Comic Book Show and Tell. Related to the above lesson, this group activity allows students to create and draw their own story through the medium of comics.
72. Comic Makeovers: Examining Race, Class, Ethnicity, and Gender in the Media. Students will learn to recognize stereotypes as presented by the media in this two-week lesson that culminates in a "comic character makeover."
73. Man in the Iron Mask Teachers’ Guide. This detailed lesson plan for the Marvel Illustrated version of Man in the Iron Mask includes vocabulary, cross-curricular applications, literacy standards, and detailed instructions for lessons.
74. Last of the Mohicans Teachers’ Guide. The second from Marvel Illustrated, use this lesson plan and graphic novel to supplement your class’ reading of the novel.
75. Treasure Island Teachers’ Guide. The third in the series, be sure to use this lesson plan when studying Treasure Island in class.
76. American Born Chinese Lesson Plans. This guide offers suggestions for teaching culture and history using graphic novels.
77. Examining Transcendentalism Through Popular Culture. Students learn about Emerson, Thoreau, and aspects of transcendentalism through popular culture–including comics.

Lesson Plans for All Ages

These lesson plans are adaptable for a wide range of student.

78. Comic Strip Lesson Plan. This lesson plan is actually for an ESL class, but can easily be used in any class and is adjustable to the age and/or reading level of the students.
79. Superhero Comic Strip. This lesson plan can be adjusted from 3rd grade up to 12th grade and focuses on the difference between a hero and a superhero as well as creating a comic strip.
80. Character and Plot Development Through Comics. Character, plot development, point of view, and tone are learned through this lesson plan that is specifically aligned to the Florida testing standards.
81. Comic Strip. This lesson can be adjusted for any age and reinforces listening skills and comprehension.
82. Art Lesson Inspired by Japanese Manga. Adaptable to any age, this art lesson uses Manga as inspiration for learning to draw.
83. Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked!. This study guide from the History Channel offers suggestions for teaching this lesson to middle and high school students and also includes a link to the video.
84. Comic Concepts. For students in 4th to 12th grade, this lesson allows students to create and draw their own comic narrative based on one of three styles.
85. Autobiographical Comics. This project steps teachers through guiding middle and high school students through creating comics to detail autobiographical stories.

Manga and Anime

Manga (the written comics) and Anime (the motion cartoons) are not only super popular in Japan, but have gained a huge following around the world as well. Both Manga and Anime provide important lessons not only about Japanese culture, but about education and life lessons as well.

86. Using Manga Comics in Education. This article details the use of Manga in classrooms outside Japan.
87. Wanna Learn About Statistics? Read a Comic. This article describes a Manga comic that teaches statistics and previews others coming up that will cover calculus and more.
88. Manga Another Comic Format Worthy of Classroom Consideration. This blog post offers a detailed look at Manga, why it can be an important teaching tool, and the age-appropriate levels for Manga.
89. Anime and Manga: It’s Not All Make-Believe. This professor examines both the benefits and drawbacks of teaching these forms in the classroom and also offers some excellent recommendations for classroom use.
90. Manga Start! Resource Library. The lessons here are specifically for K-12 teachers who want to teach their students to draw Manga.
91. Anime (and Manga) for Parents (and Other Grownups). This site is an excellent starting place for parents and teachers to learn about Anime and Manga, and it also provides recommendations for both.

Free Comics for Educators

Now that you are ready to start working with comics in your classroom, find out how you can get started with these free comics.

92. Classical Comics. Teachers and students can download these comics based on Shakespeare’s works such as Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest.
93. Free Comic Book Day is This Saturday. While it’s too late for this year, put the first Saturday of May on your calendar to receive free comic books.
94. Career Comic Book. Get free samples of this comic book that details the work veterinarians do.
95. AMU Reprints. Teachers can receive seven reprints a year from this service that archives most of the popular comics found in print.
96. verb lesson – grammar comics. Download this free comic that teaches about verbs from the ebook, Grammar Comics!.
97. The KidsKnowIt Network Funny Pages. These original comics are free for educators to download and change weekly.
98. Nature Special Comic Book Offer. The PBS show, Nature, is offering free comic books targeted at pre-teens and teens to educators and cover stories related to three Nature episodes.
99. Cindi in Space Comic Book. Download this free comic book that is specifically for grades 6-9, but appropriate for students outside that range.
100. Free Comics from TeachKind. This organization offers four free comics for teachers that are targeted at students from 7-13 years old.

Cheat sheets have a bad rap as a way for students to succeed on tests without actually knowing the information, but now it’s time for them to have a more positive place in education. Cheat sheets can offer a succinct way for students to study their lessons and provide an excellent boost to what you are already teaching them in class. Cheat sheets can provide helpful information for teachers too. Browse through this selection to find cheat sheets for a variety of subjects.

Language Arts

From grammar to literature, these cheat sheets offer plenty of help.

1. The Teacher’s Cheat Sheet: Getting Students to Write Good Research Papers in Any Subject. Guide students through learning to write an effective research paper with this 23-day cheat sheet.
2. Beloved timeline (teacher copy-cheat sheet!). For teachers using the novel, Beloved, in class, this timeline is a helpful resource that also includes a few teaching ideas.
3. QRI Cheat Sheet. If you use the Qualitative Reading Inventory, then you will want to use this cheat sheet developed by a teacher.
4. Franklin’s Grammar Cheat Sheet. This cheat sheet not only lists common grammar mistakes, but explains proper usage.
5. Grammar Cheat Sheet. Another grammar sheet, this one is smaller, but also includes a few commonly misspelled words.
6. Literary Terms and Poetry Glossary. From "allegory" to "tone," find the meaning of important literary terms here.
7. Confusing Words and Phrases Cheat Sheet. Never use the wrong word again when you use this page for reference on those words that are commonly confused with similar words, such as "affect" and "effect."
8. English Grammar Glossary. Learn terms found in English class, including adverbial clause, dangling modifiers, and prepositional phrase.
9. Grammar, Usage & Style Cheat Sheet. This sheet offers tons of tips on parts of speech, verb usage, writing good sentences, punctuation, and much more.
10. Shakespeare Glossary. Some of the phrases in Shakespeare’s works can be difficult to understand, so use this cheat sheet to understand many of them.
11. Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers. Use this cheat sheet to help improve your students’ creative writing when describing people’s reactions to situations.
12. Map of Treasure Island. If you enjoy teaching Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, then be sure to include this map for your students.

Humanities

Learn about philosophers, Greek and Roman deities, and more with these cheat sheets.

13. Greek Mythology Cheat Sheet. Keep track of all the important Greek gods with this cheat sheet.
14. About Greek Mythology: The Olympian Gods. Get a simple description of the Olympian gods and goddesses with this cheat sheet.
15. Those Whacky Greek and Roman Gods: A Quick Cheat Sheet. Learn about the major gods and goddesses and get both Greek and Latin names where they overlap.
16. Titans and the Elder Deities That Existed Before The Roman Olympic Gods. This cheat sheet offers a diagram of the family trees of the earliest gods and goddesses.
17. Olympian Gods in Greek Mythology. Print out this diagram to easily see the family connections between the Greek deities.
18. Latin Words and Phrases for Philosophy. Print this list for a handy reference to Latin words used in the study of Philosophy.
19. Philosophy Timeline. Click on each of these sections, including Greek, Roman, and Enlightenment, to receive a timeline of philosophy for each.
20. “Cheat Sheet” Key Points of Philosophers, Political Thinkers, and Leaders: Key Documents in the Evolution of Democracy. From Plato to Karl Marx, learn the basic beliefs of these important philosophers.
21. Trojan War: A Quick Cheat Sheet. This one-page cheat sheet offers a great description of the history and happenings behind the Trojan war.
22. Common Latin Abbreviations Used in Research. Find both common and less common abbreviations that can help students understand what they are reading.

History, Government, and Social Studies

These cheat sheets will help students remember history, government, and social studies lessons more easily.

23. Teacher "Cheat" Sheet Numbering the Bones. If you are teaching the book, Numbering the Bones, use this sheet for a listing of the characters, historically, significant points in the book, and a short glossary of terms.
24. Teacher’s Cheat Sheet for Timeline Projects. This sheet gives a basic overview of the major time lines from prehistoric times to present day.
25. Historical Coinage "Cheat Sheet". Learn the history of coinage, including from what material the coins were made, from as far back as 600 BCE.
26. U.S. Presidents Cheat Sheet. This listing includes all the presidents, including when they served, their party affiliation, and their vice president.
27. American Government Cheat Sheet: Protections in the Bill of Rights. Learn the rights provided by the first ten amendments of the Constitution here.
28. American Government Glossary. This helpful listing provides brief explanations for terms related to American government such as "bicameral" and "deregulation."
29. Civil War Cheat Sheet. Get a time line of important events surrounding the American Civil War on this page.
30. Exploring the Film: A Lesson from Viva la Causa. Use this photo cheat sheet to teach about the film, Viva la Causa, or to have your own lesson about the power of grassroots efforts.

Math

From math terms to basic math to algebra, trig, and calculus, these cheat sheets are sure to help your students.

31. How To Cheat Sheet for Positive and Negative Numbers. This will help you explain the effects of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing with positive and negative numbers.
32. Math Cheat Sheet: 4-8: Probability, Exponents, Statistics and Graphs. Refresh yourself and get pointers on how to teach these concepts.
33. Order of Operations Basic Worksheets. Get printable PDF worksheets to help teach the Order of Operations.
34. Algebra Cheat Sheet: Scientific Notations. Get all the rules for using scientific notations here.
35. Algebra Cheat Sheet. Get the basic properties and facts of algebra on these pages.
36. Algebra I Cheat Sheet. Find algebra broken down to the basics with this cheat sheet.
37. Trig Cheat Sheet. This cheat sheet covers the basics of trig.
38. Calculus Cheat Sheet. Find limit definitions, properties, evaluation techniques, and more on this cheat sheet.
39. Common Derivatives and Integrals. Use this information from a Calculus II class.
40. Abstract Algebra Cheat Sheet. This cheat sheet is from an actual class, but may be useful in understanding some of the principles of abstract algebra.
41. Basic Math & Pre-Algebra Cheat Sheet. From Cliffs Notes, this page offers helpful definitions and more.
42. Math Cheat Sheet (6th – 8th Grade). Fractions, graphing, and basic algebra are covered here.
43. Math Cheat Sheet (Kindergarten – 5th Grade). Estimation, shapes, inequalities, and more are found in this cheat sheet for lower grades.
44. Geometry Cheat Sheet. Get symbols, abbreviations, variables, and formulas on this cheat sheet.
45. Statistics Glossary. Find definitions for terms used in statistics classes here.
46. Math Word Problems Glossary. This listing includes definitions for most of the common mathematical terms.

Science

From minerals to anatomy and everywhere in between, these cheat sheets will give students a boost in your science classes.

47. Olympic Minerals: Teacher Cheat Sheet. Teach about the mineral composition of many sport tools used in the Olympics to help supplement your science class.
48. Teacher Cheat Sheet: Who Makes an Epidemic?. Use this cheat sheet to step students through the calculations that help scientists predict the spread of an epidemic.
49. Journey Through Earth Teacher Cheat Sheet (640 meter walk). This cheat sheet helps you physically show the distance to the core of the Earth and also includes information about each layer.
50. Anatomy & Physiology Glossary. Learn definitions for terms from biology, physics, and more that relate to anatomy and physiology.
51. Biology Cheat Sheet. Find charts and diagrams describing basic biological terms with this cheat sheet.
52. Chemistry Cheat Sheet. This cheat sheet covers many of the basic principles of chemistry.
53. Dynamic Periodic Table of the Elements. This dynamic periodic table provides all the information you need.
54. Earth Science Glossary. This extensive listing provides brief definitions for many common Earth science terms.
55. Geology Glossary. Get basic definitions for geology terms here.
56. Physics Cheat Sheet. Find important principles and laws as well as some formulas and values.

Technology

These cheat sheets aren’t just for students. Find help with Moodle, Google, and more.

57. Technology Integration Cheat Sheet. Get tons of tips on how and what to include when teaching and integrating technology in the classroom.
58. Google Guide Quick Reference. This sheet offers great suggestions for enhancing Google searches so you find exactly what you want.
59. Mozilla Firefox Cheat Sheet. If you or your class uses Firefox, this cheat sheet will help you remember all the shortcuts and a few tips and tricks as well.
60. Moodle cheat sheet. For those using Moodle, this cheat sheet will be helpful when getting started.
61. Lingo Bingo and Cheat Sheet. Download these two pages to learn online acronyms students commonly use as well as definitions for several cybersafety-oriented terms.
62. Microsoft Outlook Cheat Sheet: Tips and Shortcuts. If you use Outlook for your email, then this cheat sheet will come in handy.
63. Cheat Sheet #3 Search Engine Not-Web-Search Services. From online maps to reference materials to places to go for news, this cheat sheet will point you in the right direction.
64. What is emoticon?. Learn many of the basic emoticons with this handy listing.
65. Gmail Shortcuts. Gmail users can print out this cheat sheet to keep track of all the shortcuts available.
66. 10 ways to use your edublog to teach. Teachers using Edublog will appreciate this cheat sheet.

Foreign Language

Find help with Japanese, German, French, Spanish, ASL, and Latin below.

67. Learn Japanese Cheat Sheet. Find basic phrases, numbers, and much more here.
68. Japanese Particles Cheat Sheet. Japanese teachers will enjoy using this cheat sheet for teaching Japanese particles.
69. A (relatively) easy guide to Japanese pronunciation. This cheat sheet breaks down Japanese pronunciation on one page.
70. German Grammar Reference. This comprehensive reference sheet covers nouns, verbs, prepositions, and more to help get a handle on learning German.
71. Cheat Sheet 1 for Writing Simple Sentences. Listen to this podcast to get a cheat sheet for learning how to write simple sentences in German.
72. French Cheat Sheet. Find indirect and direct pronouns as well as important phrases on this cheat sheet.
73. Common Expressions. This helpful cheat sheet provides French pronunciation tips and a few common expressions.
74. Spanish Cheat Sheet. Get helpful usage rules and charts as well as some basic definitions here.
75. Spanish Grammar Reference. Remember all the basics with the information found here.
76. ASL Fingerspell Alphabet. Print this page for a graphic representation for the fingerspelling of the American Sign Language alphabet.
77. Cheat Sheet for Sign Actions. Get a listing accompanied by verbal descriptions as well as drawings showing how to sign actions such as bathing, eat, more, and help.
78. The Periodic Table of Latin Declensions. Latin students will find this sheet of declension rules handy.

ESL

If your students are learning English as a second language, then check out these cheat sheets.

79. Worksheet – or Cheat Sheet – for English Teachers to Observe Conversations and Lead Class Discussions. Designed for older students, this cheat sheet will guide teachers in listening to students speak and helping the students learn proper pronunciation.
80. Golden rules for English articles. Use these tips to help English language learners how to use a, an, and the.
81. Can you ask questions correctly?. Help students formulate questions correctly with these tips.
82. Count and Noncount Nouns. Students can learn which nouns can be counted and which cannot with this handout.
83. American Idioms. Get a listing of common American idioms that can sometimes confuse English language learners.
84. Verb List. This listing includes both regular and irregular verbs as well as pronunciation help.
85. Saying Street Numbers. Learn how American’s say street numbers and see how the numbers are written.
86. Saying Phone Numbers. Find out how to say a phone number in America as well as get other special tips for using phone numbers.
87. Using Personal Titles #1: Generic (General) Titles for Women. Help students learn the proper way to address women with this cheat sheet.
88. Using Personal Titles #2: Generic (General) Titles for Men. This cheat sheet is just like the one for women, except offers help in addressing men.
89. Using Personal Titles #5: Titles Used in Schools. It’s important for students to understand how to properly address those in the school, so print this handout to help them learn.
90. Simple (Yes / No) Questions (#1). Students can learn the basics for forming and answering yes/no questions with this cheat sheet.

Miscellaneous

From bully prevention to Pirate vocabulary, these cheat sheets cover a wide range of topics.

91. Victims: Preventing Students from Becoming ‘Bully-Targets’. This handout helps teachers understand how they can empower students to become bully-proof.
92. IEP Cheat Sheet. If you are in charge of running a meeting for a student’s IEP, this cheat sheet will step you through all that you should do–based on this Delaware school district’s plan.
93. Special Education IEP Cheat Sheet. This version of an IEP cheat sheet is just for parents. Teachers can share this with their special ed students’ families.
94. Grade Point Average (GPA) Cheat Sheet. Learn all about GPAs and how they are figured with this cheat sheet from this Georgia high school.
95. My Mac Cheat Sheet. Download this cheat sheet, then complete it with all the information about your Mac so you will always have it handy, if necessary.
96. Pirate Vocabulary List Cheat Sheet. Teachers can have plenty of fun introducing pirate vocabulary with this cheat sheet.
97. NCLB: Act II: The House Cheat Sheet, Part 1. This article covers the basics of the reauthorization of NCLB in 2007. If you need to understand it all, this is a great way to get up to speed quickly.
98. Interview Cheat Sheet. Designed just for students, teachers working on helping students with interview skills will appreciate the information here.
99. The College Savings Cheat Sheet. Teachers can share this information with middle and high school students looking at college in their future.
100. Your Mass Notification Cheat Sheet. Learn about the pros and cons of various ways to notify your entire school when emergencies arise with this cheat sheet.

Promoting Education

These great ideas are all about teaching students in dynamic ways. 

1. See Me, Hear Me: Skype in the Classroom. Read how these students had the opportunity to chat with an author of the book they studied via Skype.
2. Videoconferencing in the Classroom with Skype. This teacher used the movie "Hoop Dreams" to help teach about social inequality, then was able to get the executive producer of the movie, Gordon Quinn, to participate in a Skype session with her class.
3. The Many Roles of Skype in the Classroom. These amazing 7th graders used Skype as a part of their history project that resulted in their collaboration with the curator of the National Museum in Canada.
4. Field trips. If students aren’t able to participate in a field trip due to factors such as budgetary or distance constraints, use Skype to bring the field trip into the classroom.
5. Using Skype in the languages classroom. Find out how this teacher uses Skype to help her students study foreign languages from native speakers.
6. Skyping in Mike Artell- Illustrator & Author. This inspirational lesson has an illustrator working directly with 6th graders to work on the art of illustrating and story creation.
7. After school help. Use Skype as a tool to provide after school help to students needing extra attention. Tutors, teachers, or librarians can be available at set times in the afternoons for student access.
8. "Not education as usual," with Skype and author Cory Doctorow. This class was practicing how to convince the school board to allow a controversial book to be taught in their school and had the opportunity to Skype with the author of the book to help promote their case.
9. Interviews. Whether you have students conducting interviews or your class is interviewed, Skype facilitates the interview process. Individual students can interview other teachers or school staff, sending the Skype feed to the classroom for all to watch.
10. Guest lecturers. Have guest lecturers come to your classroom via Skype.

Promoting Community

Using Skype in the classroom can promote communities within a school or globally. 

11. Inclusion — helping a classmate join the classroom from home. This blog post explains how a 4th grade class used Skype to help a classmate with leukemia become a part of the classroom from her home.
12. Connect special needs students. Students who may have to be out of the classroom due to special needs or IEP requirements don’t have to miss any special events in the classroom with Skype.
13. Blue tongue lizard, vegemite and cricket. What the…????. This Australian teacher describes her class’ experience connecting with a Korean class via Skype.
14. Foreign culture lessons. Skype allows students to see first hand what people’s homes, schools, clothing, weather, and more looks like. If a festival takes place, Skype can bring it to your classroom too.
15. Connect with families from around the world. Form friendships that can easily bridge distance gaps with Skype.
16. Skype Calls for e-Twinning in L2. Find out how this teacher brought two classes together that had been Twittering all semester when they finally got to meet "face-to-face" with Skype.
17. Best Day Ever!. This teacher describes three Skype calls her class had in one day–the most exciting being with a class in a different time zone with whom her students had been collaborating on a project through Google docs. With Skype, the students got to work at the same time and actually see each other, too.
18. Present a performance. Whether your class puts on a play, demonstrates a science experiment, or presents the results of a class project, share the fruits of their works with other classes, parents, or other interested people.
19. Share field trips with others. If your class goes out for a field trip, see about connecting with parents or other classes to share your classes’ experience.
20. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ inspiration uses Skype to help kids in India learn. Find out how Skype is connecting grannies in the UK with children in India for both a cultural connection and an educational benefit.

Skype Ideas for Teachers and Parents 

Teachers and parents can benefit from Skype in the classroom, too. 

21. Professional development. Teachers can use Skype to access professional development opportunities, such as watching conference presentations.
22. Share students’ work with parents. Let parents get a first-hand look at what their children are doing with Skype.
23. Conference with parents. Whether a parent has to miss a regular conference or a concern comes up that requires speaking with a parent, Skype can provide an opportunity to connect with a parent that may not otherwise be available for a conference.
24. Innovative teacher uses Skype and Wikis to involve parents. See how this teacher helped share information with parents using Skype and the PBS program, Growing Up Online.
25. Collaborate with other teachers. Who says Skype has to be fun just for the kids? With Skype, teachers can collaborate on ideas, projects, and more.
26. Share travel experiences. If you will be traveling during the school year, arrange for your substitute to connect with you via Skype and you can share the experience with your class.
27. Receive teaching feedback. Have an experienced or mentor teacher watch you teach via Skype and receive valuable feedback.
28. Be available to students. If your school is suddenly closed for a while or if you want to set up conference hours for students, use Skype to allow students to contact you.
29. Tutor former students. If a student has moved away or you want to offer accredited online degrees  or just moved up from your class, you can be available for tutoring (for free or for a fee) via Skype.
30. Bring busy parents into the classroom. A busy parent who has knowledge to share with the classroom may be more likely to be able to make the time for a presentation if she or he can do so with Skype rather than having to leave work and come to the school.

Resources for Getting Started and Using Skype 

Find out how you can take advantage of Skype with the advice below. 

31. Using Skype in the Classroom (or just learning how to use it!). This teacher provides the basics to get Skype set up with your class.
32. Skype in the Classroom. This article offers help on ways to set up Skype, tips for finding other teachers on Skype, technical obstacles, and more.
33. Skype Tutorials for Teachers, Authors, Librarians. Find a handful of video and text tutorials here to get you going with Skype.
34. Classroom Collaboration with Skype. This primer offers help with using Skype, connecting with others, and ideas for using it in the classroom.
35. eduwikius – SKYPE. This wiki contains plenty of information about using Skype in the classroom and also provides links to additional resources.
36. A Skype from the classroom. Find information on videoconferencing in general, the pros and cons of using Skype, school project ideas, and more here.
37. Using skype in the classroom. Learn from this teacher’s experience as she describes using Skype and how to best prepare your class and yourself for a great educational opportunity.
38. Skype is a Valuable Educational Tool. This podcast explains why teachers should use Skype and puts some nasty rumors about Skype to rest.
39. Using Skype in schools – some tips. Read these helpful tips, including suggestions on using Skype usernames at school and home.
40. Skype: Talk to Anyone, Anywhere for Free. Watch this "techtorial" or print the text version to learn the basics of Skype.

Finding Others Using Skype 

Here are a few ways to connect with others using Skype in classrooms and to promote education. 

41. ePALS. Sign up for a free account here, then find other teachers and classes around the globe using Skype.
42. Skype an Author Into Your Library or Classroom. This site will connect schools with authors through Skype. Short sessions are free, while longer sessions are subject to a fee set by each author.
43. Skype in Schools. List yourself or find others in this directory just for educators seeking Skype collaboration.
44. Skype in the Classroom – The EduSkypers Phonebook. Scroll through these comments to find other teachers from around the world looking to connect through Skype. The most recent are at the very end of the list.
45. Global SchoolNet. This organization works to connect teachers and students around the world through forensic science programs. Browse to find something of interest or start your own project.
46. TakingITGlobal. Another project-based organization, this one focuses on youth looking to make positive global changes.
47. Around the World with 80 Schools. This teacher is hoping to connect schools around the world through short Skype sessions.
48. Skype in the Classroom. Join this community to find other teachers seeking Skype connections.
49. Going Global – School Skype Author Visits. Linda Lowery and Richard Keep, children’s book authors and illustrators, are available for Skype interviews for a fee.
50. Mixxer. This group helps connect language learners seeking partners to practice their language skills via Skype.

Some educators have expressed an appreciation for the irony of experienced instructors who have had to learn about social media later in their careers teaching it to younger students who have grown up in an Internet environment. Despite what may seem to be somewhat of a disadvantage, the experienced teacher brings life lessons and the ability to guide students in a positive direction no matter the topic being taught. The following tips, tools, and resources can assist any teacher with the basics about social media and ways to share that information with students.

Tips and Resources for Educators

From tips on combating fear of social media to tools and articles to help guide you, these resources will get you off to a good start.

1. Social Media Classroom. This free, open-source resource allows teachers to teach social media through using it. This is a great tool for those teaching social media.
2. Teaching with Social Media. Elizabeth Losh, a writing director at UC Berkeley, has put together this page of notes about teaching social media that includes statistics, examples, and principles.
3. Teaching Social Media. This blog is about teaching social media to marketing students, but offers great information on the world of social media that all teachers may find helpful.
4. Teaching Social Media by addressing Fear. This article outlines several common fears those unfamiliar with social media encounter and ways to combat this fear.
5. Opencast Project Open House at UC Berkeley. This 1 hour video presentation discusses using audio and visual media as a tool for learning.
6. Introduction to Copyright Law. Study with this open courseware class from MIT to learn the basics of copyright law–with a heavy emphasis on Internet-related topics.
7. Copyright for Educators. Specifically for teachers, this blog post includes an hour-long presentation on copyright issues.
8. A Fair(y) Use Tale. This video introduces copyright and fair use policy.
9. Moodle. Moodle is a free, popular tool among educators who want to create a space for their class to have access to forums, wikis, databases, and much more.
10. Learning and Working in the Collaborative Age: A New Model for the Workplace. Watch this video to learn what Pixar University’s Randy Nelson believes schools must do to better prepare students for careers in new media.

Networking

Help students learn about networking with these tips and resources.

11. Networking. This list of links will help students learn what they should and shouldn’t do when networking online.
12. ‘Online Social Networking on Campus’. This article offers a Q and A that describes how online social networking is used by students and what direction it is likely to take in the future.
13. Students Turn to Social Networking Sites for Info. This article offers a real-life example of the value of social networking as a news vehicle.
14. How Social Networking Affects the Student Life Cycle — From Applicant to Graduate. Read what these professionals from US colleges have to say about social networking and college students.
15. Networking Timetable for College Students. Students can use this outline to prepare for a successful networking experience.
16. Participate. For social networking to be effective, you have to participate. Be sure you set up a profile and join in the community.
17. Get to know each other. Social networking provides a unique way of getting to know people in a deeper way through ambient awareness.
18. Stay in contact. Social networking allows students to make contacts and friends early in their lives that they can maintain into adulthood. These contacts may become important when it comes to establishing a career.
19. Get to know your instructors. Establishing professional working relationships with instructors not only provides students with a better educational experiences, but also establishes references after graduation.
20. Network through discussion groups. Joining discussion groups revolving around topics being studied in school or particular career aspirations is an excellent way to practice social and professional networking skills.

Creating a Positive Web Presence

Students should learn from the very beginning that everything they do online says something about them–and will always be a part of their web presence. Help guide them with these resources.

21. Keep Your E-Image Clean. Students can learn why it is important to keep their Internet image clean and how to do so here.
22. Personal Branding 101: How to Discover and Create Your Brand. Help students discover how to establish a personal web presence with this article.
23. Your On-Line Life is Your Reputation: Dos, Don’ts and Tips. Have students follow these tips for managing their online reputation.
24. Managing Your Online Reputation: A College Student’s Perspective. Here’s the perspective of a college student discussing online reputation.
25. Protecting Your Online Reputation. This article offers common-sense tips and reminders about online reputation.
26. Not Just Your Space – the FREE ebook by Naymz. Written to help college students learn how to keep their online image looking great, this book is free to download.
27. What You Say Online Could Haunt You. This article chronicles several real-life situations where students suffered the consequences of what they posted on social networking sites.
28. Brand-Yourself.com. This site offers help establishing websites, online resumes, and more and is run for college students by college students.
29. Student Brand Makeover. Show students this video to learn how to present yourself in the most favorable light when finding a job, internship, or other similar situation.
30. Reputation Defender Blog. Follow this blog for advice on keeping online reputations clean as well as keeping up with social networking trends.
31. How to Manage Your Reputation Online. This article offers ways to promote your reputation online while also monitoring anything new that shows up about you online.

Blogging

Learn how to set up a classroom blog, safety rules for students, laws everyone should be aware of, and more.

32. Blogging in the Classroom. Watch this video to learn about the benefits of blogging and learn how to set up a classroom blog.
33. Managing Comments and Posts On Student Blogs Using Google Reader. Learn an easy way to keep up with student posts as well as a helpful tutorial on how to set it up with Google Reader.
34. Reflections on Student Blogging. With a focus on student in middle and high school, these tips and suggestions are from a teacher who has already been teaching student blogging.
35. Responsible blogging. Based on a collaborative effort between a teacher and his 10th grade students, this is a list of rules they developed for safe blogging and are sharing with others.
36. Online Media Law: The Basics for Bloggers and Other Online Publishers. This free class teaches bloggers and other online writers about defamation, privacy, and copyright as it pertains to online publishing.
37. Blog Basics. Just as the title says, this article goes over the basics of what a blog is and also discusses how blogging can be used in the classroom.
38. Blogs as Class Content. Get ideas on ways to incorporate blogs in your classes here.

Social Networking Sites

While some of these popular social networking sites are for students only, others are for anyone.

39. Student.com. Students can connect with each other as well as get information about colleges and financial aid, find top online schools, and more.
40. learnhub. This social networking site helps students find assistance with their class assignments.
41. Campusbug. Connected with other students while also getting access to tools and resources for studying, homework, and projects.
42. The Quad. Students can collaborate on school projects or organize face-to-face social events on this social network.
43. RateMyProfessors.com. In addition to a social community, this site offers student-submitted information about professors by school or by professor’s name.
44. IdeaWhip. Undergrads, grad students, and recent alumni entrepreneurs can connect through this social network.
45. MySpace. One of the largest social networking sites, MySpace offers video and music sharing as well as socializing online.
46. Ning. Create your own social network or search for existing social networks here.
47. Facebook. One of the most popular social networking sites, Facebook was originally meant only for college students, but is now open to anyone.
48. Loomagoo. Besides just connecting with others, students can purchase and sell text books, share notes, study guides, and more.
49. Fast Pitch. This social network gives you a chance to network with professionals in preparation for your career after graduation.

Twitter

One of the hottest social media trends right now, Twitter is a great way for student to connect with each other, keep updated on the news, and more. These tips and tools will help them know how.

50. Twhirl. This desktop client helps manage Twitter through such helpful features as URL shortening, new message notifications, image posting, and much more.
51. TwitPic. This popular tool lets you share photos on Twitter.
52. bit.ly. Shorten URLs so that you use fewer characters when sharing web links on Twitter.
53. QuoteURL. This tool puts different Tweets together on one page and is a great tool for summarizing a project done with Twitter.
54. Tweetree. Put Tweets in context with this tool that groups entire conversations together.
55. TweetDeck. This tool allows you to create groups of Tweets to help manage the information you receive through Twitter.
56. Get to know classmates. A class Twitter group will help facilitate teachers and students getting to know each other.
57. Collaborate on projects. Use a tool like Tweetworks to set up a group so students can work together on projects.
58. Brainstorm. Brainstorm on assignments and class projects on Twitter where students can share ideas any time outside of class.
59. Direct Tweet. Instructors and students can contact each other through direct Tweets without having to share cell phone numbers.
60. Follow news stories. Students can follow news that relates to what they are studying with one of the many news feeds available on Twitter.
61. Make announcements. Teachers can send out reminders about upcoming tests, project due dates, or any other news via Twitter.
62. Take a poll. Take student polls on Twitter with tools such as PollDaddy.
63. Share interesting websites. Both professors and students can post interesting websites that are relevant to their subject matter.

Getting Ready for College

From helping students prepare for online education to social networks that lend money for education, these resources offer help to students getting ready to head off to college.

64. eLearners Advisor. This tool will help students determine if an online education is the right path to follow for their personality and situation.
65. Six Tips for Students’ Online Success. Students can find advice for adjusting to an online learning environment after leaving a traditional classroom setting.
66. How Students Develop Online Learning Skills. This resource offers information about how online students can enhance their learning experience.
67. GreenNote. This social lending site is a popular alternative to student loans and connects members willing to finance loans to students at low interest rates.
68. Lending Club. Another social lending site, this one allows borrowers to get low rates and lenders to fund borrowers they choose.
69. Zopa. This social finance network connects members who are seeking loans with credit unions that offer low-interest rates.
70. CommunityLend. Members can learn about each other, hear their stories, and discover their financial experience through their social connections here, then borrow and lend money.
71. 23 Warning Signs of Scholarship Scams. Help students learn if they are applying for legitimate scholarships with the help of this article.
72. How to Get off the College Wait List. This article offers suggestions to help students get off the wait list and get accepted into the college of their choice.
73. Rejection tweeting. See how some students react to their college application rejections through their Tweets.

Job Hunting

Job hunting through social media is the new way to find employment. Help prepare your students by teaching them how to utilize their social media skills to find a job.

74. A Student’s Guide to Job Hunting on the Internet. This tutorial provides sound information on how to find a job via the Internet.
75. Using Your Blog as a Job Search Tool. Teach students how to use their blog to get noticed and find a job.
76. HOW TO: Build the Ultimate Social Media Resume. Students can use this tool to help build a powerful online resume.
77. Alumwire. College students and recent grads can use the free services at this site to find a job.
78. Glassdoor.com. Investigate companies, salaries, and more at this site when researching where you want to work. Students receive a free one-year membership.
79. JobWeb. New grads can get help finding a job, opportunities to research employers, and informative articles at this site.
80. CollegeRecruiter.com. Students and recent grads can find internship opportunities as well as jobs with this resource.
81. MyWorkster. This site, specifically for students and new grads, links college networks with employers and also offers job listings.
82. LinkedIn. This social networking site is an excellent place to create an online presence for students seeking to start their professional career.
83. Ecademy. Another social networking site, this is a good place for students to network and make new connections with business professionals.
84. Plaxo. Connect several social networking sites together through Plaxo.
85. HOW TO: Find a Job on Twitter. Learn how students can find a job on Twitter, including several feeds they can follow.
86. twitterjobcast. Search for jobs posted on Twitter with this tool.
87. TweetMyJobs. This tool allows job seekers and employers to find each other through Twitter.
88. Follow @jobhunting. This Twitter feed offers tons of information for those hunting for jobs.
89. 50 People on Twitter Job Seekers Should Follow. Learn what Twitter feeds to follow if you are looking for a job, and read the follow-up post for even more.

Open Courseware Classes

These open courseware classes offer opportunities for both the teacher and students to learn about social media. Whether you want to take these free classes yourself or incorporate them into your lessons, they are a valuable resource.

90. Blogs, Wikis, New Media for Learning. Utah State University offers this class about web 2.0 technology and covers such topics as blogs, RSS feeds, wikis, bookmarking tools, and podcasts.
91. Introduction to Media Studies. Get to know the basics about new media in this class from MIT which covers topics including blogging, intellectual property, and game modification.
92. New Media Literacies. Explore online social networking, videogames, collective intelligence, and other related subjects of media literacy in this class from MIT.
93. Learn and Apply HTML. Learn the basics of HTML and how to use it with this class.
94. Interactive Multimedia Production. Build a project learning to use Flash 9 with Utah State University’s online class.
95. Technologies for Creative Learning. Using the Lego Programmable Brick and Computer Clubhouse, student explore ways new technologies can help stimulate learning and creativity.
96. Five Steps to Multimedia Storytelling. Learn about audio, video, and graphics with a focus on Internet content in this class at the News University.
97. Writing and Experience: Culture Shock! Writing, Editing, and Publishing in Cyberspace. Practice writing for an online audience through an exploration of American pop culture in this class from MIT.
98. Communication Skills for Academics. This class teaches how to craft well-written academic papers and other academic communications.
99. Understanding Online Interaction. Examine the ways people communicate online and learn how to design environments on the web that are conducive to learning.
100. Becoming Digital: Writing About Media Change. This class explores the shift to digital media, especially looking at the shift in such areas as business, communication, and entertainment.

You’ve been preparing for teaching for years, and now you finally get your chance to have a class of your own. With so much to learn as you get started, it can be overwhelming keeping it all straight. The following websites are loaded with helpful information that new teachers will appreciate.

Sites Just for New Teachers

These sites offer help specifically for teachers in their first or second years.

1. New Teacher Survival Central. Discovery Education supplies tons of resources that new teachers will find helpful at this site.
2. MiddleWeb’s The First Days of Middle School. New middle school teachers can find help getting started with their first teaching job with the information located here and updated annually.
3. Learn NC. From the UNC School of Education, this site offers everything from classroom management techniques to projects and collections. While much of the information is specific to North Carolina, there is still plenty here for teachers in other states.
4. New Teacher Hotline. These podcasts feature both new teachers’ questions as well as interviews and information that teachers may find helpful.
5. Survival Guide for New Teachers. This online handbook is published by the US Department of Education and offers tons of information to make that first year a bit easier.
6. The New Teacher Center. This organization works to mentor teachers in ways to boost their chances of success in the long term and offer articles, a newsletter, and online resources.
7. Reading Rockets First Year Teacher Program. This site is dedicated to helping teachers teach reading effectively.
8. What to Expect Your First Year of Teaching. Find tips, strategies, advice from veteran teachers, and more here.
9. Ideas for New Teachers and Education Students. Browse through the listing here and click on several articles addressing issues important to a new teacher.
10. NewTeacher.com. Articles, papers, and online books are posted here specifically for new teachers.
11. Teachers First: Resources for New Teachers. Find links to several different resources for beginning teachers.

Sites for All Teachers

The sites here are packed with helpful information that teachers of all experience levels can use.

12. Inspiring Teachers. This site offers tons of inspiration for teachers and offers one section specifically for new teachers.
13. The Top 101 Websites for Teachers. This blog is a great resource for quality places to go on the Internet.
14. Sites for Teachers. This site provides a list of hundreds of teacher websites ranked by popularity and updated every hour.
15. Teaching Today. Read articles and teachers’ blogs, get tips, find lesson plans, and more from this site sponsored by McGraw-Hill.
16. The Teacher’s Corner. Get free printables and other classroom materials, chat on the teacher forum, and more here.
17. PBS Teachers. Find resources, activity packs, professional development opportunities, and connect with other teachers at this site.
18. Education World. Teachers can find help with lesson plans, articles on professional development, and read about other education topics.
19. Discipline Help: You Can Handle Them All. Click through this site to learn about specific student behaviors, what happens as a result of these behaviors, motivation behind them, and how you can manage them.
20. Teacher Planet. This site is loaded with resources, freebies, and much more.
21. Kim’s Korner for Teacher Talk. This veteran middle school teacher offers resources with an emphasis on language arts as well as suggestions on a variety of topics.
22. Teachers Network. This site is full of information from grants to videos and podcasts to helplines and even offers a whole section specifically for new teachers.

Inspirational Sites

These sites offer inspiration for creating dynamic learning experiences.

23. Smithsonian Education. This site offers resources tailored to your geographic location, grade level, or subject and provides lesson plans, field trips, professional development, and much more.
24. Creative Teaching. Reaching students through the "information tsunami" that barrages them each day is the focus of this site that offers plenty of ideas you can implement in the classroom.
25. Adventures of CyberBee. Find plenty of ideas here from treasure hunts to web projects.
26. TEAMS Educational Resources. This site offers many projects to inspire teachers.
27. Scholastic Teachers. Get teaching resources, activities for students, and find information on books and authors.
28. Discovery Education. Find tons of classroom resources and resources for home at Discovery Education’s site.
29. National Geographic Education. This site offers a wealth of educator resources and programs as well as resources for students.
30. Edutopia. With articles, blogs, videos, and more, this resource is packed with inspiration for teachers and students alike.
31. Google for Educators. Check here often for tools, opportunities, news, and more to help promote quality education through teacher support.

Technology in the Classroom

Learn what you can do to help bring technology into your classroom with these sites.

32. Thirteen Ed Online. Teachers, parents, and students can all find helpful information, videos, and activities at this site created by public television to help teachers learn to integrate technology into the classroom.
33. The Power of Educational Technology. Site is a blog that focuses on real-world applications of technology in the classroom and not only offers helpful advice as well as insight.
34. iLearn Technology. Another technology blog, this one examines ways to integrate technology in the classroom.
35. Tech & Learning. Read all the latest news about technology as it pertains to education in this online magazine.
36. Teacher Training Videos. This site offers videos to help educators learn how to use technology in the classroom.
37. Technology in Education. Find links to several resources as well as thought-provoking questions and suggestions for promoting technology in education.
38. EduHound. This site brings together helpful information for teachers to bring technology into the classroom including tools, templates, schools, and classrooms on the Internet.
39. T.H.E. Journal. An online magazine focusing on issues related to technology in education, this site offers plenty of articles and news updates.
40. 4Teachers. Offering tools, information, and even a social community, this site is devoted to bringing technology into the classroom.

Blogging in the Classroom

Blogging can be a great tool for learning, and these resources will help you learn how to do so effectively.

41. Class Blogmeister. Created as a blogging platform specifically for educators, this free service will help get you and your class blogging easily.
42. Edublogs. This is another blogging platform made just for educators and is based on WordPress, so comes with all the features of WordPress.
43. A Vision for Classroom Blogging. This experienced teacher and blogger shares reasons to blog in your classroom as well as advice about how do so.
44. Keeping students cybersafe!. Written by an educator, find suggestions on how you can protect your students while enjoying student blogs here.
45. A Teacher’s Guide to Fair Use and Copyright. This helpful guide explains fair use and copyright as it pertains to teachers.
46. Blogger’s Contract. This contract between the teacher and student is a great way to remind the student of the safety and responsibility required when blogging.
47. Consent for Your Child to Participate in Online Collaborations. Click on the link at the beginning of this letter for an actual consent form you can use to inform and obtain permission from parents.
48. Blogging Rules. Use this list of rules compiled by a teacher for his classroom as a starting point for your class.
49. Smilebox. Create scrapbooks, slide shows, postcards, and more to post on your blog here.
50. VoiceThread. As an option to the traditional blog, create an online presentation with audio and text and include PowerPoint, Flickr, Word, PDF, and more.

Using Twitter in the Classroom

Another great tool for learning, Twitter provides social connection and collaboration. Find out how you can use it in the classroom with these resources.

51. Twitter for Teachers. This site helps teachers learn how to use Twitter through discussions, photos, videos, and more.
52. Advice for Teachers New to Twitter. Get advice from other teachers about how to start and use Twitter in the classroom.
53. Twitter Freaks. This Diigo community offers a great selection of resources, many of which have an educational perspective, for using Twitter.
54. 100 Totally Free Twitter Power Strategies. Find tips and connect with other Twitter users at this site.
55. Atlas. Explore the world by exploring Tweets that are shown on a map corresponding with their geographic location.
56. Outwit Me. Bring Twitter into the classroom with this engaging site that offers "intelligent Twitter games."
57. Tweetizen. Find groups on Twitter that share your same interests or start your own group if you don’t find one you like.
58. Plinky. Post text, photos, maps, or whatever you find relevant in order to answer a question or challenge each day.
59. Twapps. Apps make using Twitter easier, and this site helps you find all the latest Twitter apps available.
60. Edmodo. This is a completely separate tool from Twitter, but is a private microblog similar to Twitter made especially for teachers and students.

Educators Who Blog

This is just a sampling of the many teachers who share their experience and insight through their personal blogs.

61. Cool Cat Teacher Blog. Education and technology go hand in hand on this popular blog.
62. Free Technology for Teachers. Stay on top of the latest resources available for educators with the posts here.
63. 2¢ Worth. This veteran educator shares his insights and opinions here.
64. Kate Says. Kate shares her experiences teaching, going to grad school, and includes an emphasis on autism spectrum disorders.
65. Think Like a Teacher. Education, technology, and teaching all share the spotlight on this blog.
66. Bud the Teacher. Posts that examine various aspects of education are sprinkled among thought-provoking photo writing prompts.

Social Networks and Forums

Meet other teachers and share your experiences or seek advice through these social networking opportunities.

67. Classroom 2.0. This active social networking site focuses on web 2.0 and collaborative technology.
68. TeachAde. Connect with other teachers and find resources for professional development at this social networking site.
69. Edutagger. This social bookmarking site allows you to save interesting articles pertaining to education and share with other educators.
70. Teachnology Teacher Forums New Teachers/Student Teachers. This active forum lets new teachers ask and answer questions of each other on a wide variety of topics.
71. Teachers.net Beginning Teachers Chatroom. This busy message board offers support, resources, and answers for new teachers.
72. A to Z Teacher Stuff New Teachers. New teachers connect on this forum.
73. ProTeacher New Teachers. This forum is specifically for first and second year teachers.
74. NEA Discussion Forums. Select from these different forums to participate in conversations regarding classroom tips, NCLB, general discussions, and more.
75. The Schools United. This social networking site brings schools around the globe together for sharing and connection through communication, videos, and more.
76. NextGen Teachers. A global group, this site supports teachers making positive changes in education through technology.
77. Education Leadership. Add your voice to the mix in this group discussing what makes effective leaders in education.
78. Passionate Teachers. These teachers feel passionately about their work and share ideas, strategies, and more to promote quality teaching.

Video Sites

Video can be a powerful tool to supplement your lessons. Use these video sites for inspiration for yourself or to use in the classroom.

79. TeacherTube. Watch videos made just for educators at this site.
80. Teacher’s Domain. Get videos and audio segments from PBS programming all in one place.
81. TEACH. This documentary follows four first-year teachers working in some of the toughest schools.
82. Nova Teachers Watch Video Online. Select short videos (under 15 minutes) from NOVA’s magazine-style series or longer videos (1-3 hours) from their programs.
83. iMovie in Teacher Education. Watch four movies that incorporate digital video in classroom instruction.
84. Teachers TV Videos. Watch videos on education from this site out of the UK.
85. Learner.org. The mission of this site is to promote quality teaching, and they offer videos to help teachers, videos for use in the classroom, and videos for use at home. Most of these videos are available free of charge.
86. TED. These videos feature inspirational talks by fascinating people in under 20 minutes.
87. YouTube EDU. This branch of YouTube focuses specifically on videos related to education.

Freebies

Take advantage of these free things you can use for your classroom.

88. Audio Stories 4 Kids. Download MP3 files of audio books for children, including titles such as Alice in Wonderland, The House at Pooh Corner, and Madeline.
89. Songs for Teaching. Sign up for the newsletter here, and you receive a free song download with every issue.
90. Free Printables. Find tons of printables to use in your classroom here where they are organized by category.
91. Worksheets4Teachers. Create your own worksheets or download one made by someone else.
92. Busy Teacher’s Cafe. Free worksheets, file folder games, graphic organizers and more are available at this site.
93. SparkleBox. Find certificates, signs, labels, bingo games, welcome packs, and more just for teachers.
94. TimesaversforTeachers.com. Get tons of free forms such as tracking sheets, incident report forms, math symbol charts, and more.
95. Supercharged Science. Get a free activity book, newsletters, videos, and more for your science classes simply by signing up here.
96. Nvu. Download this free, easy-to-use software to help you create an impressive website for your class.
97. NONAGS Educational Software. Find software at this site for your older students including typing, solar system creation, and scientific calculators.
98. Teacherfreebies.com. Sign up with your email address to receive plenty of free items such as books, DVDs, and classroom posters.
99. Periodic Table of the Elements. Download this PDF file of a full-color periodic table, then laminate it for a free teaching tool to use in your science class.
100. iLoveSchools.com. Create a wish list of what you want in your classroom and let this service do the rest for you as they match donors with teachers.

The education world has blown up online and teachers and students are both finding an abundance of resources online. I’ve set out to find a vast number of resources for teachers and students alike to learn from and educate themselves easier in this digital age. If you’re aspiring to be a teacher you’re going to be pleased to know that you can obtain your teaching degree online. The first part of this article is dedicated to listing the best online colleges with great teaching degree programs in place. The online education arena has changed vastly, even just over the past 3 years. Most online colleges provide live, real time access to not just the teacher, but to other students who are taking the same course online.

If you’re looking to obtain your teaching degree online, it is best to do a little research on all the schools offering this course to get the best solution that matches you. The beauty of getting your degree online is that you can work around your busy schedule, and if you can dedicate 20-25 hours a week you’ll be able to graduate in a reasonable time frame. Another benefit to this is you won’t get caught up attending frat parties and spending your rent money on booze filled nights of debauchery.

Online Universities Offering Teaching Degrees:

Early Childhood Education:

One of the most important steps in a young child’s education is what it learns at an early age. You can’t dive right into Algebra with these youngsters, but instead nourish their minds with art, music and of course social growth. There are a plethora of great degree’s you can obtain online and I’m going to recommend a few of the top online schools.

Certificates:

Early Childhood Special Education Certificate from National University (www.na.edu) - http://www.nu.edu/OurPrograms/SchoolOfEducation/SpecialEducation/Programs/EarlyChildhood.html

Child Development Associate (CDA) Certificate from Penn Foster (www.pennfoster.edu) – http://www.pennfoster.edu/child-development-cert/index.html

Bachelor Degrees:

B.S. in Child Development from Walden University (www.walden.edu) – http://www.waldenu.edu/c/Schools/Schools_13549.htm

Bachelor of Arts Early Childhood Education from National University (www.nu.edu) – http://www.nu.edu/OurPrograms/SchoolOfEducation/TeacherEducation/Programs/EarlyChildhoodDevelopment.html

Master’s Degree:

Early Childhood Education Specialization from Capella University (www.capella.edu) – http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/education/masters/early-childhood-education.aspx?ct=1&

Master of Arts in Education/Early Childhood Education from Phoenix University (www.phoenix.edu) – http://education.phoenix.edu/online_and_campus_programs/degree_programs_description.aspx?progversion=16&location=-1&zipcode=

Elementary Teaching Degrees:

Some of my most exciting years were actually spent in school during elementary, and teaching to this crowd can be a rewarding and fun experience. The pay is decent and you can virtually work anywhere in the country with a degree in elementary education. You can have the option of teaching in public and private schools, and expect your pay to be anywhere from $31,000 a year to $80,000!

Associate Degree:

Associate of Arts in Elementary Education from The University of Phoenix (www.phoenix.edu) – http://education.phoenix.edu/online_and_campus_programs/degree_programs_description.aspx?progversion=1720&location=-1&zipcode=

Bachelor Degree:

Bachelor of Science in Education from Drexel University (www.drexel.com) - http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/education-degrees/bs-ed/index.aspx

Bachelor of Arts Interdisciplinary Studies from Western Governors University (www.wgu.edu) – http://www.wgu.edu/education/teacher_certification_elementary_bachelor_degree.asp

Master’s Degree:

Master of Science (MS) in Education from Capella University (www.capella.edu) – http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/education/masters/k-12_studies.aspx

Master of Science in Education from Walden University (www.waldenu.edu) – http://www.waldenu.edu/c/Schools/Schools_6901.htm

Secondary Teaching Degree:

Teaching high school is a very rewarding pursuit and brings forth many challenges as you learn to teach students at an interesting age. This is where student minds are developing at a rapid rate, and present a unique challenge in keeping their attention and progressing their education for the next level. Here you can specialize in the science’s, math or physical education.

Bachelor Degree:

Bachelor of Arts & Mathematics from Western Governors University (www.wgu.edu) – http://www.wgu.edu/education/teacher_certification_mathematics_bachelor_degree.asp

Bachelor of Arts Social Science from Western Governors University (www.wgu.edu) – http://www.wgu.edu/education/teacher_certification_social_science_bachelor_degree.asp

Master’s Degree:

Master’s Degree in Secondary Education with Certification from Saint Joseph’s University (www.sju-online.com) – http://www.sju-online.com/programs/secondary-education-masters.asp

Master of Science in Education and K–12 Studies in Education Specialization from Capella University (www.capella.edu) – http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/education/masters/k-12_studies.aspx

Higher Education Degree:

If you’re looking to teach in a college or university then you’re in luck because there are many options for you to pursue. Teaching in a College or University is challenging and rewarding career path and will always keep your interest. Students are here to interact at a deeper level with their peers and teachers, so be ready to always be learned as well.

Certificates:

Bay Path College: Higher Education Administration Certificate from Bay Path College (www.baypath.edu) – http://www.baypath.edu/GraduateProgram/BayPathOnline/OnlinePrograms/HigherEducationAdministration.aspx

Master’s Degree:

Bay Path College: MS Higher Education Administration from Bay Path College (www.baypath.edu) – http://www.baypath.edu/GraduateProgram/BayPathOnline/OnlinePrograms/MSHigherEducationAdministration.aspx

Master of Science in Higher Education from Kaplan University (www.kaplanuniversity.edu) – http://online.kaplanuniversity.edu/education/Pages/Higher_Education_MS.aspx

These are just a small handful of the colleges and universities offering degree’s online, so like I said before, make sure you research everything so you can make the best decision for your future. For a full and complete list of online colleges and universities in North American you can check out Teaching Degree dot org.

Finding Teaching Jobs Online:

The web is providing a whole host of job markets for people to seek employment within the education field. With the growing demand of teachers you should have too much of a problem finding jobs to apply to. If you’re able to move to a new location for a job then the world is at your fingertips! I’ve compiled a good suite of online websites dedicated to just education jobs.

Education Jobs in Canada – http://www.educationcanada.com/
Academic360 – http://www.academic360.com/
Inside Highered – http://www.insidehighered.com/career/seekers
Highered Jobs – http://www.higheredjobs.com/
Higher Education Jobs – http://www.tedjob.com/
eTeach – http://www.eteach.com/
Teacher Jobs – http://www.teacherjobs.com/
Jobs In Education – http://www.jobsineducation.com/
Scour all of Craigslist for teacher jobs – http://www.craigshelper.com/

Lectures & Online Education Videos:

Youtube and the vast array of other social video platforms on the web have allowed for schools all over the world to put out endless amounts of free content. You can now watch lectures, tutorials and science experiments from some of the world’s greatest teachers. I’m going to list some of the best places to find video lectures online that both you and your students can enjoy, as well as learn from. There is also a good chance that if you visit any college or university website and you’ll find that they have lectures online.

University of California Berkeley Youtube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/ucberkeley

University of Southern California’s Youtube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/usc

National Programme On Technology Enhanced Learnings Youtube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/nptelhrd

MIT’s Youtube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/mit

European Graduate School Youtube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/user/egsvideo

Vanderbilt University Youtube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/vanderbilt

Duke University Youtube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=DukeUniversityNews

Purdue University Youtube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/purdue

Princeton University Lecture Archive – http://www.princeton.edu/WebMedia/lectures/

Berkeley Video Web Courses – http://webcast.berkeley.edu/courses.php

Teacher Podcasts:

Podcasting has become a integral part of education online and provides teachers, students and industry to educate and inform the masses. There are a handful of excellent podcasts already deep into their episodes, and they’re all run by teachers for teachers. If you have yet to dive into the world of podcasting and are wondering how you can get into subscribing, downloading and listening to podcasts then you’re in luck. Chances are you already have iTunes, Windows Media Player, Banshee or one of the other popular media players. They all have the ability to subscribe to the podcast feed where you can download to your computer or portable device, and listen on the go or at home.

Podcast For Teachers: This is one of the better known podcast’s out there that has been going strong for a long time. The two hosts, Dr. Kathy King and Mark Gura has been going strong since summer of 2005 have just released episode 102! Although this podcast focuses mainly on education in American, it includes great advice and dozens of must listen interviews.

Teachers Connecting Podcast:  Only a few episodes make up the Teachers Connecting Podcast but each episode is packed with great information. Teacher’s can learn how to keep up with the evolving web and make use of free web tools to advance your teaching skills.

Education Podcast Network:  The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century. Here you can find hundreds of educational podcasts broken down by subject so you’ll never run out of quality information.

Teacher 2.0 Podcast: A sort but sweet podcast for teachers that is already 179 episodes in. In this podcast you’ll find tips and advice on teaching in this day and age. A lot of the podcast’s focus is on emerging 2.0 technologies and how they can help teachers in the classroom.

Teacher Blogs:

Teachers have taken over the Blogosphere and you can find hundreds of teachers blogging about everything under the educational sun. This is a great way to get some insight into the minds of teachers across the country, and the world! These blogs are also a great way to connect and network within the industry. I’ve listed a handful of the top teacher blogs as well other places to find an unlimited amount of blogs for teachers, by teachers.

Teacher Lingo: is a social network for blogging teachers that gives you a whole host of tools to get blogging and get noticed all for free.  This site is great if you’re looking for a place to get a blog for free, and a community that can bring in the traffic to your articles. The front page is like any other social news site except it only promotes content that was written on the site.

Classroom Blogging: A great blog that is run by Lorna Costantini who is an Educator, School Board Trustee and Parent Advocate. She writes heavily on interesting topics to teach on, how to use emerging technology within the educational field and a lot of general entertainment you’ll find very enjoyable.

Teacher Vision: This is an all in one social site with dozens of professional teachers blogging about education and the industry. Teacher Vision also has what seems like endless amounts of free teaching materials such as lesson plans, tests and practice tests, grading help and so much more.

Kim Caise: Kim has been blogging for years now and is an educator and technology specialist for the past 20 years. Her blog is great if you’re teaching to a younger crowd because it covers a lot of educational technology for that age group. I highly recommend Kim’s blog because it covers a lot of the latest social media and applications you’d easily miss.

Math Teacher Mambo: This is a great read to get your mind off the marking and onto the politics and humor within the teaching world. This blog is written by a math teacher named Ms. Cookie who resides in Texas. Her posts are always a good read and full of funny stories from within her classroom.

Math Notes:  This is a blog run by a High School math teacher and is usually more on the entertainment side than the learning. I’ve been recommending a few blogs by teachers like this because it’s great to unwind and read stories from other people’s classrooms.

Cool Cat Teacher: An amazing blog written by the well known Vicki Davis who is a teacher, edublogger and conference speaker. If you’ve been following teacher blogs before then chances are you’re well aware of The Cool Cat Teacher. This blog is worth the RSS add and is full of great content on teaching, life and video.

Computer Science Teacher:  Alfred Thompson’s blog about teaching computer science at the K-12 level. Alfred was a high school computer science teacher for 8 years. He has also taught grades K-8 as a computer specialist. He has written several textbooks and project books for teaching Visual Basic in high school and middle school. Alfred is the K-12 Computer Science Academic Relations Manager for Microsoft and is trying to be the Microsoft Education Blogger.

A History Teacher and More: Finally a little history right? Follow the blog ramblings of a history teacher as he discusses the classroom, technology and education, and a little bit of humor is dashed in there. A great read for teachers and even students!

Teaching in NYC: This is one of my favorite teacher blogs out there because of the brilliant writing about the every day life as a teacher in NYC. There are a lot of great stories about how the students reacted and responded to certain scenarious, and could be a big help in your teaching career.

This Teacher’s Life: A blog by Stephen who is a science teacher from North Ireland and brings a unique feel to his blog. I really like to read outside of North America to see how other parts of the world are learning, and this blog fills that gap.

Best Of The Web Teacher Blog List:  Best of The Web is a well know web directory that has been around since 1994. They have added a blog directory which has an amazing list of teacher’s blog’s from all over the globe. The list there should be enough reading material to keep you busy all year long!

Social Networks For Teachers:

Classroom 2.0:  This is perhaps the largest social network for teachers on the web. With thousands of members you’ll be able to interact with teachers from all over the world on a daily basis, and start your own blog rich with media. Since this site uses the Ning platform you’ll be able to do it all, blog, upload photo’s and video’s, and create your own profile. I also like their free online workshops and live shows which include talks from teachers on all sorts of educational topics.

Teach Ade:   The first social networking website designed specifically for educators. Because of the ability to harness the online community, Teach Ade has become one of the most helpful teacher sites on the Internet. You’ll find all the goods here including blogs, workshops, group chat and forums.

Next Gen Teachers: A social network of a few hundred teachers that are all focused on the latest in technology and how it can be applied in the classroom. There is a lot of activity here and you’ll find a bunch of friendly people ready to answer your questions. This site is also based on the Ning platform so you’ll be able to blog, share media and get access to all the private features.

Teachers on Diigo: For some reason teachers have flocked to the Diigo social bookmarking website and there are a plethora of links for you to poke your head around. You’ll find a lot of links to other teacher blogs and a lot of lectures, apps and media.

Teachers Recess: Here’s a relatively newish social network for teachers that has been gaining some ground over the past year. The site has a brilliant design and layout which makes it easy to traverse. Sign up is free and you can create a media rich profile which is great if you’re networking or promoting your own teacher website.

Schools In Middle East: Here’s one of the few resources for teachers in the Middle East and provides access to a ton of teachers. Unlike some of the other teacher social networks, this one features not just teachers but students and parents as well.

The Learning Landscape For Schools: LL4Schools is a safe social network designed for schools using the award winning Elgg platform. It includes a range of Web2.0 tools such as blogs, forums, wikis, file storage, RSS, social bookmarks, and more. You also have the ability to create communities of users and, of course, have friends.

Apprendre 2.0: This is a social network for French speaking students and teachers, and there are more than 700 members! This site is also based on the Ning platform which allows everyone to blog, comment, share media and create your own user profile.

College 2.0: Yet another Ning based social network for teachers and students within the College and University realm. With around 500 members you’ll be able to interact and keep up to date with what’s going on in the post secondary education industry. You’ll find a lot of great blog posts from members talking about the latest uses in educational technology and how to apply it in the classroom.

For a complete and *very* large list of all the teacher and education social networks on the web you can check out this list – http://socialnetworksined.wikispaces.com/

Math Contest’s & Leagues:

The Math League: The Math League is dedicated to bringing challenging mathematics materials to students. League specialties include math contests, books, and computer software designed to stimulate interest and confidence in mathematics for students from the 4th grade through high school.

Columbus State University Math Contest:  Columbus State University’s College of Education is now the home of the Problem of the Week math contest, which was started in 1996 by David Rock and Doug Brumbaugh. The math educators also supply problems and answers that are part of the current White House Math Challenge, a presidential effort to boost interest in math and foster problem-solving skills.

Mathematical Association of America:  If you’re into Math and want to compete yourself, or help a student take part of the MAA then this is the site for you. This is almost like the Math Olympics and each season there is a handful of Math events to take on.

Homeschoolers Math Contest’s: If you are looking for a way to get your homeschooled children loving math, contests may be the way to go. Math contests make math fun, like a game. A contest not only motivates a person, but also helps him learn. Competitions offer review, new approaches, and speed improvement, not to mention increased standardized test scores.

Spelling B’s:

Spelling B Rules:  Here are a set of rules you can assume or go by if you’re setting up your own Spelling B. I’d have no idea where to start and I found this website extremely helpful.

Scholarship Programs:

Gates Millennium Scholars Program: The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential. The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, established in 1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

United Negro College Fund: UNCF plays a critical role in enabling more than 60,000 students each year to attend college and get the education they want and deserve. To close the educational attainment gap between African Americans and the majority population, UNCF helps promising students attend college and graduate!

International Education Financial Aid: IEFA is the premier resource for financial aid, college scholarship and grant information for US and international students wishing to study abroad. At this site, you will find the most comprehensive college scholarship search and grant listings plus international student loan programs and other information to promote study abroad.

American Indian College Fund: The American Indian College Fund provides scholarships and other support for the American Indian students. Tribal colleges, the vast majority of which are located on or near reservations, provide opportunity and access to post-secondary education where once there was none. The Fund disburses approximately 5,000 scholarships annually for American Indian students seeking to better their lives through continued education. As part of its support of the tribal colleges, the Fund also provides support for other needs at the schools ranging from  in capital support to cultural preservation activities.

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation: The Foundation does not receive any government funds, but rather relies on its volunteers to raise funds primarily with a series of special events across the country. One-year scholarships ranging from $1,000 -$12,500, are awarded annually and are limited to undergraduate studies at accredited educational or technical institutions.

Online Libraries:

Questia: If you’re wanting to do research for yourself, or for your students then you should definitely check out Questia. This online library is your go to source for research because there are over 70,000 full text books and over 2 million newspaper, magazine and journal articles.

Online Books Page:  This is a free project hosted and started by the University of Pennsylvania which is home to over 35,000 free books for your reading pleasure. This resource is updated heavily and it is worth checking back every week or so for tons of new updates. This is a great resource for students and teachers because it is 100% FREE!

Literature.org: Get access to 10,000 books or so online of classic literature at no cost whatsoever. Since most of these books are in the public domain they are old….and I mean old. Most of these books are 90 years and older which is neat! There are a handful of newer books as well, as long as they are in the public domain it’s all good.

Internet Public Library: The Internet Public Library is a public service organization and a learning and teaching environment founded at the University of Michigan School of Information and hosted by Drexel University’s College of Information Science & Technology.

The Free Library: This is my favorite site for free reading material online. Thanks to the power of technology you can access over 5 million books, magazine, news and journal articles. If you’re wanting to submit your articles, papers or scientific research then they allow you to submit your content for inclusion.

Places To Buy Text Books:

Big Words: This is a one stop shop site for comparing textbook prices from all the major online resources. This can save you a lot of time and money which is great if your school is on a budget, or a student needs a cheap replacement. The platform is easy to use and you’ll be buying your textbook within minutes thanks to this simple search application.

Book Byte: Another great textbook resource that allows students and teachers to find cheap used textbooks, or sell yours online once you’re done. This site is run by a family of educators that started things of in 1999 and has grown this resource into what it is today.

eCampus: This is another popular website for buying and selling textbooks both new and used. There are a lot of students on here for other products as well which makes it full of active users and I’ve had a lot of luck selling my stuff on here.

Alibris:  I like this site because they allow you to search for multiple ISBN numbers at the same time. This can save you a lot of time and you can also compare new and used prices on the textbooks which makes like a whole lot easier. The selection on this site is huge and there are over 8,000 textbooks online covering all the major courses and subjects.

Valore Books: Last but not least is the well know(in North America anyway)Valore Books which is one of the busiest hubs for buying and selling textbooks online. You may have seen them on your campus because they’re usually spreading the world virally and mouth to mouth. Their marketplace is humongous and contains pretty much every mainstream textbook and every subject you could think of.

Classroom Contests:

If you’re looking to get your students involved with some really cool contests from around the world then there are a few good options you can take a look at. You can usually find a contest for most of the main subjects, but a large portion of these contests are geared towards the younger crowds. If you don’t find one that matches your class then think about starting your own within your school, province or state. Classroom contests are a great way to get your students involved which helps them educate themselves, learn to compete and provides a healthy after class distraction.

2009 Classroom Reading Contest: This contest is open to all Washoe County School District elementary students, so sadly it isn’t open to the entire country. The contest is in its fifth year running and an average of 116 classrooms have participated and read nearly a million minutes in one week!

My Stories And Poems Contest: Poetry is often overlooked in the classroom, or gone over way too briefly. If you have an interested class in writing and poetry then this contest would be great to get your students writing. These contests are run by MyStoriesandPoems.com and do have a small entry fee, but it is a cheap way to do it because everything is handled online.

Teaching With Contests: This is the go to site for finding contests that your classroom or students can participate in. Again, this site has a lot of contests for the younger crowd so you’ll mostly find elementary level contests. If you are wanting to start your own this is also a great place to help get the word out to other schools from across the world.

Exploravision Contest:
Now in its 17th year, ExploraVision encourages K-12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. All inventions and innovations result from creative thinking and problem solving. This is a great contest because it is open for K-12 levels of education and is a fun and educational learning experience for everyone involved, even the teachers and parents.

Siemens Foundation Competition: The Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology recognizes remarkable talent early on, fostering individual growth for high school students who are willing to challenge themselves through science research. Through this competition, students have an opportunity to achieve national recognition for science research projects that they complete in high school. It is administered by The College Board and funded by the Siemens Foundation.

Practice Test Websites:

Practice tests are a great way for your students to study and practice before the real deal, and it also gives you insight on how you can structure your testing for future students. Some of these sites are completely free and others can cost a fee, especially in the college/university levels of education. There are hundreds of practice test sites covering a plethora of topics including science, SATs, MCSE, CISSP, GED, LSAT,  math and more. Giving these resources to your students will help them get a better grip on what to expect, and lets them practice at home or after class weeks before their test.

Test Prep Review: This site should be in every students bookmarks because they are one of the largest providers of free test preparations and exams. To top it all off, they also offer a giant selection of free flashcards and study guides that will make you as prepared as one can be.

That Quiz: If you need help with math then That Quiz is a great free resource that is comprised of a multitude of visual math problems for a varying type of equations. The tests are fun and provide statistics and solutions to the problems if you get them wrong. A lot of the tests are for K-8 math students and That Quiz also offers this service free in German, Spanish and French.

ACT Test Prep: The ACT test homepage provides the only test preparation program designed exclusively by ACT test development professionals. Although these tests are not free, you can gain access to them for a yearly price of only $19.99 USD which isn’t too bad. They do offer a few freebies such as their prep guide, practice questions and test tips.

4Tests: Another huge player in the free test arena which offers hundreds of free practice tests, students notes, elearning center and a very active forum. The forum is great because you can interact with other students who are taking the same tests, and if you have any questions you’ll usually receive an answer within 24 or so. There are also a few dozen learning games that will help you prepare your mind for the tests.

Exam English: If you’re a student of language and are learning English this site will help you learn along the way. It isn’t easy learning another language and most of us here in North America never even bother to learn another language. These visual and audio practice tests and study notes will help make the job easier.

GEDPractice.com: This is a free GED practice test graciously put together by Stech-Vaugn and covers most of the test topics. The test itself is not bad but the overall feeling of the site is to push the user to the paid GED practice products. I know students and teachers budgets are not the biggest so cover all the free tests before thinking about paying for more.r

SAT Preparation Center: Every college and university teacher should be aware of CollegeBoard.com because of its value to the education world. They have a whole bunch of SAT preparation products both free and paid. The general information within the SAT Preparation Center should get your students in the mindset as well as know what to expect from the test.

MCSE Practice Tests: More and more Computer Science and Information Technology classes include a MCSE and luckily there are an abundance of free practice tests online. This website has a giant list of all the different websites that offer free practice tests and study guides.

Teacher Conferences:

Almost every industry will have a conference once or twice a year and the education industry is no different. These conferences are a great way to meet other teachers and take in speeches that help you learn more. I always find that conferences also keep you motivated and focused, and leave you empowered to go back into the classroom and teach my little heart out.

Staff Development for Educators: This website is in my (humble) opinion the best out there in regards to teacher conferences and workshops within the USA and Canada. You’ll be able to find monthly events within your state or province that will offer a unique learning experience, and if you’re a principal you attend free! I’d also like to add that they’ve recently included online training programs in case you can’t travel.

Computer Using Educators: Computer-Using Educators, Inc. is a nonprofit California corporation founded in 1978. CUE’s goal is to advance student achievement through technology in all disciplines from preschool through college. With an active current membership of thousands of educational professionals, CUE supports many regional affiliates and Special Interest Groups. CUE Conferences are California’s premier educational technology events. CUE is the largest organization of its type in the west and one of the largest in the United States.

Educators Technology Conference: If you’re in the four state area of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas then you can attend this great conference….even out of staters fly into this one. This conference is will explain how to integrate different technologies across the curriculum while being exposed to the latest hardware, software and successful strategies on student technology use.

Teacher Forums:

If you’re in need of access to fellow teachers from across the world then you might want to take a look at one of these excellent teacher forums and bulletin boards. These forums are a great place to interact, ask questions or just goof off after a long day in class. You’ll be pleased to know that a lot of these forums have well over 20,000 members are you’ll be able to find a good conversation at anytime of the day or night.

A To Z Teacher Forums: A great forum hosted on one of the web’s most popular websites for teachers which is active on a daily basis. With 25,000 members, you can chat with other teacher’s with all education levels and even some curious students.

Teacher’s Corner Forums: The Teacher’s Corner has been a useful resource to the online teacher community and their 10,000 member strong forum is active daily. The board has a larger focus on the younger student ages but that shouldn’t discourage you from discovering  the rest of this place.

Teacher’s Talk UK:  If you’re in the UK and looking to connect with other local teacher’s then this is the forum for you. Although there are less than 1500 members, it is a relatively new forum that could use more dedicated users. Even though there are not that many users, it is still decently active and has a lot of good chatter going on from day to day.

Teach-Nology Forums: Here is a forum that takes the emerging technology inside the classroom and faces it head on. If you’re incorporating a lot of new technology into your classroom this is a great place to chat with like minded teacher’s and pick up a few new tips. This forum is pretty active and it has nearly reached the 10 thousand member mark!

Teacher Focus Forum: Another fairly popular teacher forum with over 6000 members strong and a very active group I might add. This forum has all the usual topics covered and you’ll find teachers ranging from K-12 and beyond so join up and get chatting!

Websites For Teachers:

I know I’m covering a lot of topics in this article but I wanted to get in a good list of general teacher websites that are either educational or fun. If you have a really good site worth recommending feel free to drop a note in the comments and I’ll make sure I add it to the list.

Teacher Help: If you’re a Christian teacher working in a Christian school then you know more than most that there are a few differences. This site has a huge database of free and low cost in class activities that provide a valuable learning experience.

Teacher’s Corner: I’ve already mentioned their forums so I wanted to make sure you folks check out the rest of this great online resource. There are always prize give-aways going on and there are weekly activities you can bring back to the classroom.  To top it all off there are a few hundred printable worksheets you can pick through and have your students try out.

Teachers.net: This is perhaps one of the largest resource sites for teacher’s on the web and features just about everything you’d want to see in a site like this. There is a chatboard which is almost more like a guestbook than a forum, but it has a lot of teacher’s taking part. You’ll be able to find all sorts of free resources such as printable worksheets, tests and advice.

EPA(Environmental Protection Agency) Teaching Center: With all the focus lately on the environment it’s good to see the EPA offering a whole host of resources for teacher’s to take advantage of. They offer lesson plans and activities from EPA and many other sources which are grouped by topic. You can also order free materials that you can use in your classroom to learn more about environmental care.

Teacher’s First: TeachersFirst is a rich collection of lessons, units, and web resources designed to save teachers time by delivering just what they need in a practical, user-friendly, and ad-free format. They offer professional and classroom-ready content along with thousands of reviewed web resources, including practical ideas for classroom use.

Sites For Teachers: You better get out a cup of coffee for this site because it is the master resource list with over 600 sites listed. Each site is a unique and different resource made for teachers which includes lesson plans, practice tests. math contests and so much more. If you have your own teacher site I highly recommend adding it to this very popular directory.

Substitute Teacher Resources:

Being a substitute teacher is no easy job but can be very rewarding as long as you can keep the class under control. I’m sure all of you can remember when a sub would come into class and it had you thinking, “this is going to be an easy day”. Well if you gain control of that class within the first 10 minutes you’re going to walk away a winner and those kids will welcome you back the next time. I’ve compiled a list of a few great resources that will help you have fun and make those students learn something during your short stay.

Teacher Vision Substitute Resources: The massive teacher resource website Teacher Vision has this really informative section for substitute teachers. You can find a whole whack of lesson plans, survival plans and feedback from other substitute teachers that have been in the industry for many years.

Substitute Teacher Survival Site: This is a quick and dirty list of resources to substitute teacher links and resources such as lessons and fun stuff. This site is worth the bookmark and although it has been around a long time, most of the links are still working fine.

Teacher World Resources: I thought I would include this link because it is a great start for anyone looking to get their substitute career moving. You’ll find a wealth of information here on what degree’s you’ll need and what to expect on your path to the classroom. As well, you can find links to each state’s certification program if you’re planning on teaching in a certain state.

Teacher/Teaching Videos:

I could have possibly covered this topic under social media and social networks but I found a few solid resources for teacher’s video. There are a lot of active teacher’s on Youtube and other social video websites and these links should get you started.

Teachers.tv: Teachers TV is a free-to-air channel available on digital satellite and digital cable television 24 hours a day, seven days a week and on Freeview from 4-6pm daily. You can access their archives and watch hundreds of hours of free quality programming. You can browse by subject and a variation of other filters to get content related to your subject.

100 Best Youtube Videos For Teachers: I stumbled across this great post from SmartTeaching.org which is a fantastic blog by the way. There’s a lot of content to sift through here so be prepared to spend some time going through it all.

TeacherTube.com: I almost didn’t even have to hit up Google to know know that TeacherTube would be an active site already. The site sounds just like it is and contains thousands of teacher related videos for you to enjoy. You can also participate and start your own channel either by yourself or get your class involved.

Teaching Books Worth Reading:

There are a handful of great books on the market that are worth reading despite the vast amounts of free information available freely on the web. This site takes no profit from recommending these books and I picked them based on reputation and their social rating from sites like Amazon.

Becoming A Teacher: Current and comprehensive, Becoming a Teacher, Eighth Edition, takes a straightforward look at what it means to be a professional teacher in today’s climate of accountability, high-stakes testing, and new government legislation by covering key issues in a personal, interactive, and no-nonsense style. Building upon a strong mentoring message that has long been the tradition of Becoming a Teacher.

Road to Teaching: A Guide to Teacher Training, Student Teaching, and Finding a Job: Maximize your teacher training, excel at student teaching, and find your ideal teaching job. This book addresses these unique stages of becoming an educator by providing 50 valuable strategies and insightful advice, allowing for a smooth transition from student teacher to exemplary teacher. Learn how to differentiate yourself through your coursework, create a positive relationship with your cooperating (master) teacher, establish effective classroom management, perform well in your interview, and much more.

The Essential Career Guide to Becoming a Middle and High School Teacher: This guide brings together essential information, state-by-state resources, and thought-provoking discussions about the field of secondary teaching in one volume. In clear, practical terms, it offers a step-by-step guide to preparation, certification, and employment as a teacher in the United States. It addresses specific issues; choosing a college and university program or going through an alternative route to certification; understanding teacher tests, succeeding as a student teacher; and developing the resume, portfolio, and interview skills needed to get a first job in the field.

How To Become A Teacher – A Complete Guide: This second edition of RNT’s award-winning handbook, used by more than 300,000 people nationwide, has the most up-to-date information for people who want to launch a career in teaching. This comprehensive, up-to-date guide provides a wealth of useful resources-financial aid listings, online job banks, profiles of teachers, inforamtion about teacher preparation programs, licensure, and more.

Thanks for checking out this massive resource and like I said a few times in the article, you can submit resources in the comments or via email. I will add new resources over time and if anyone also has a category I missed please let me know by the same contact means.