10 Free Resources for Learning and Technology Professionals

There are many free resources online designed to help learning and technology practitioners design curriculum, plan lessons, advance their career, and engage students in the learning experience. This article by Karen Schweitzer offers a list of 10 free resources to explore:

TED – This non-profit organization is dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Each year, TED hosts an annual conference that is attended by many of the world’s leading academics, learning technologists, and business leaders. TED’s blog and video podcasts are great for learning and technology professionals who want to stay-up-to date on tech news and innovations.

Tech & Learning – Tech & Learning is aimed as the K-12 educational community. It also provides a wide range of resources for practitioners who support learning and performance in the corporate or professional world too. Resources include blogs, tech forums, webinars, hot topics, articles, and tips.

Enterprise 2.0 Blog – The Enterprise 2.0 Blog is an Enterprise 2.0 Conference affiliate. The blogs offer a wide range of news and information about social learning and technologies in various environments.

Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day – Jane Hart is a social media and learning consultant. She posts new eLearning items of interest on her blog every day. She also offers a social media in learning blog and a directory of eLearning resources.

eLearningPost – This eLearning blog explores news and stories from around the web that are related to corporate learning and instructional design. The blog also frequently links to articles on knowledge management and learning communities.

The Bamboo Project – The Bamboo Project is a useful blog from education consultant Michele Martin. The blog seeks to educate individuals and learning professionals about lifelong learning and career development systems. Some of the things Michele likes to write about include learning, training, knowledge sharing, and professional development.

Dice – Dice is a good place for learning and technology professionals to search for jobs online. The site also offers career news and a forum to ask questions, chat, and network with other education and technology professionals.

Employment Engagement Network – This social network is dedicated to employee engagement. The network has more than 1,400 members and provides a place to chat, blog, and network online. The Employee Engagement Network also offers many free resources, including e-books and slide shows.

Blended Learning in the Workplace – This free, eight-page report provides a detailed survey of blended learning trends in U.S. workplaces. More than 118 corporate training and e-learning practitioners were surveyed for the report.

TeachAde – TeachAde is a social networking site for educators. The site is an excellent place to find additional resources and network with other teachers and education professionals.

This is a guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes for OnlineCollege.org, an online college resource. You’ll find her previous guest post, Twenty Professional Development Resources for Teachers, an informative and helpful read.  

Photo Credits: Per Ola Wiberg and Karen Schweitzer

Stock Up on Classroom Supplies at Dollar Tree!

Got a PTA group that wants to support you, but they’re on a budget? Need to replace some basics and score a few craft supplies? Look no further than your nearest Dollar Tree. Read on.

While I agree that for many items one dollar store is as good as another, there are a few areas where Dollar Tree stores really rise above. Here are a few I’ve found of particular interest on the classroom front.

• Flash cards.
• Large and small craft sticks.
• Paint brushes.
• Colored pencils.
• Pens and pencils in general.
• Pompoms.
• Colored foam sheets.
• Pipe cleaners.
• Glue.

These are just a few of the highlights. As you can see, many items here are very suitable for the classroom, art cabinet or home schooling supply box. Unexpected bonus? They offer free shipping on bulk case orders if you have the shipment delivered to your local Dollar Tree for pick up. So if you need to restock some art supplies on the cheap, and are looking for a possible one stop shopping experience to boot, check out your nearest Dollar Tree. I think you’ll be glad you did!

Photo Credit:  Scui3astevio

Project Hack: Some Thoughts on Glue Sticks

Tired of cleaning out individual glue caps with the closest available paper clip? I hear you. Here’s why glue sticks are one of my favorite classroom supplies . . . and why they always went on my new student “back to school” buy list during my classroom days.

No leaks.

Not on the desk areas, not in their backpacks, not in a box of your math manipulatives . . . nowhere. Sure, if you leave them out in the hot sun you may get some melting, but in general, these are not a messy project tool.

No clogs.

Ah, the freedom of starting a whole group art project without losing an entire free class period ahead of time cleaning out glue bottle nozzles. Just give the directions, distribute the materials and let them go for it.

Streamlined product dispensing.

Release yourself from over pouring, over squeezing, messy residue and more. Glue sticks are much easier for me to use as an adult, so I can only imagine how much easier they are for a young child still working on fine motor skills.

So take the plunge, free yourself from unnecessary glue bottle aggravation and set your students up for success.Go for the glue sticks, and imagine the power of streamlined student projects.

Photo Credit: Oskay

Movie Review: The Great Debaters

Starring Denzel Washington and introducing several new talents, this movie is for more than coaches of debate teams.

Set in the south during the era of segregation, this film tells the story of an inspirational teacher, some motivated, capable students, and the changing consciousness of a nation. Sometime towards the middle of the movie, Denzel delivers a line that I dare say has been on the wish list of teachers for generations.

When questioned repeatedly by a student he was trying to instruct, he responds forcefully “Hell is where you’re headed if you question me again!” In my humble opinion, one of the most hilarious teacher lines in the entire flick, tied equally with “Resolved!” But I’ll let you decide. Personal verdict? Great for African American History Month, debate team activity night or a simple feel-good flick for teachers and families. Definitely worth checking out.

Photo Credit: Amazon

May Round Up

Well, loads of articles have made it into our corner of the blogosphere this past couple of months. In case you’ve fallen behind on your reading, or haven’t had the chance to sign up for our R.S.S. feed, here are a few of the highlights.

· What’s in YOUR Bomb Bag -An extreme teaching article with suggestions on managing your personal classroom evacuation program.

· Fantastic Ideas for File Folders – How can you make the most of this affordable classroom consumable? This article spells it out.

· Portable Puppet Theater -This shoestring teaching tip is perfect for traveling teachers, or those extremely limited on classroom space.

· Newspapers in the Classroom -Need some strategies for working miracles in thin air? Here’s an article with several “no brainer” ideas for these instructional freebies.

· High School Fundraisers – Ideas to start raising cash for older grades that are definitely “beyond bake sales”.

· DIY White Boards – Still want one, but on a major budget? This tells you how to DIY it on the cheap and easy.

· Teach to Travel -Want to know how to break into international teaching? This post spells out all the details you need to get started.

Got a request? Let us know below. We’ll do our best to work in the topic on a future article. Got a favorite? An article in the archives you found particularly fab? We’d love to know about that too. So please, sound off!

Photo Credit: Per Ola Wiberg

Free ESL News Resource for Educators!

With all of the not so great freebies out there you need to wade through in order to find the good stuff, it’s always nice to find a consistently updated resource available for instant use in the classroom. If you love to cover current events and have a wide range of ages in your student base, this resource just might be for you. Read on for details.

Breaking News English is a free resource for classroom teachers of ESL students. Need some grown up content for learners with lower English skills? Check this out.

Breaking current news stories are provided in summarized form, along with simple classroom lesson ideas. They also have an archive of previous stories for further exploration or those last minute, need to pull a lesson out of thin air for the adult class situations. Definitely worth checking out for adult ESL ideas on the cheap and easy.

Photo Credit: Prufrock 27

Dollar Deals at Scholastic.Com for the Month of May!

Think there aren’t any screaming deals left out there for teachers on a budget? Guess again. From now until the end of May, Scholastic is offering tons of great classroom supplies . . . all for a buck!

This seems almost too good to be true, folks. But I checked their site, and yes indeed, dollar deals truly abound. Some of the items I saw and consider to be of note?

• Classroom calendars.
• Reinforcement charts.
• Desk tags.
• Multicultural decorative banners.
• Accents, cut-outs and calendar pieces.
• Stickers.

Lots more items there, and the sale is only until the end of the month. This would be a great time to stock up, or get things in order ahead of time if you are switching grade levels. Here’s the link.

Photo Credit: The Blue Dino

Teacher Strike Looming in England and Wales

In an article posted today on BBC World News, over two thousand schools are predicted to close to some extent. Projected date? This Thursday. What threatens such an expansive occurrence of empty classrooms?

Teacher pay. Big surprise.

Since I graduated from college in 1990, education salaries have continued to range from ridiculous to pathetic. The only place I was able to find even partial relief was in the overseas, tax-free job market. While my experience is based on the U.S. state of affairs, things are apparently equally tough in England.

What’s even more depressing? I doubt many of the teachers wanted things to get this far. Let’s face it. None of us do this for the super-large salaries. We have simply chosen to spend our careers in service and asked for nothing more than a living wage in the process.

Have a comment or story about teacher salaries in your area? Sound off!

Flickr Photo Credit: Editor B.