14 FREE PEER-RECOMMENDED RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS OF ALL SUBJECT AREAS & GRADE LEVELS
With the 2019 school year approaching, we wanted to take some time to share resources recommended by our teaching candidates. Candidates enrolled in the Rutgers Alternate Route program regularly have opportunities to build their capacity for leadership and collaboration, while sharing resources to grow their content knowledge.
As new teachers with common needs, candidates quickly form a community and become a great source of support and knowledge for one another. They frequently trade advice and recommend resources for their peers to explore. Below are some of the resources recommended by our most recent cohort of candidates. They include a wealth of helpful websites for instructional content, enrichment and deeper learning, assessment and grading, and industry news.
Below is our Summer 2019 resource round-up of some of the recommended resources from alternate route candidates.
Math Resources
Desmos Classroom Activities – Desmos offers a collection of engaging digital activities to help every student learn math and love learning math.
Prodigy Game – Prodigy Game Is a curriculum-aligned math platform for 1st to 8th grade students for self-paced math practice in and out of school.
SplashMath – Splash Math allows Kindergarten to 5th grade students a way to practice their math skills through interactive games and rewards that motivate them to learn and improve their scores.
[On SplashMath] “One site I use as a resource is SplashMath. This website has math games directly aligned with the Common Core Standards. My students enjoy playing a math game and earning coins. This gives them added practice. They look forward to the last 5-10 minutes of math due to this website. They are playing and learning at the same time.” - Betsy D
GFletchy - GFletchy is the website of a math teacher, Graham Fletcher. He shares his experience, math progression videos, and innovate ways to engage students.
Science Resources
HHMI Biointeractive – HHMI BioInteractive uses the power of real science stories, case studies, high-quality videos, and interactive media to help high school students connect to big ideas in science.
Mystery Science - Mystery Science offers lessons on a variety of topics. Each lesson begins with a mystery to hook students.
Teach Engineering – Teaching Engineering is a digital library of engineering curricula for K-12 educators to make applied science and math come alive through engineer design.
General Resources
Better Lessons – Better Lessons shares authentic instructional resources, comprehensive lesson and effective strategies prepared by high-performing teachers across the country.
Flocabulary - Flocabulary is a library of music videos related to academic content and current events.
Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching – Vanderbilt University’s Center for Teaching has prepared guides on a variety of topics related to teaching, including the first day of class, increasing inclusivity to the classroom, and writing good multiple choice test questions.
National Education Association – The NEA provides tools and ideas for classroom teachers, including lesson plans, classroom management, and advice from veteran teachers.
News ELA – News ELA provides content to support instruction, like primary sources, reference texts, and fiction.
Signing Savy – Signing Savy is a sign language resource, including a dictionary containing video of American Sign Languages (ASL) signed, fingerspelled words, and other tools like flashcards and quizzes.
[On Signing Savy] “This is my go-to dictionary for signs most of the time, and it helps with understanding the possible meanings of a sign within different contexts. It is a video dictionary, which is superior to dictionaries that use still images to convey a sign.” - Christine C
Wrightslaw – Writslaw provides information on special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.
Read also:
How NJ Alternate Route Teachers Demonstrate Leadership and Collaboration
60+ PEER-RECOMMENDED & NJPTS ALIGNED DIGITAL RESOURCES [DIRECTORY]
64 FREE PEER-RECOMMENDED NJPTS-ALIGNED TEACHER RESOURCES
Guest Blogger - Danielle Sylvester
Danielle Sylvester is the Project Coordinator at the Rutgers School of Social Work's Cetner for Prevention Science. For inquiries, contact Danielle at dsylvester@ssw.rutgers.edu.
Teacher candidates and alumni have a wealth of experience and serve as educators in schools across the state. Teachers not only play a classroom leadership role in advancing student learning; they also collaborate with colleagues and other education stakeholders to ensure learner growth and to advance the profession. Candidates enrolled in the Rutgers Alternate Route program regularly have opportunities to build capacity in these areas and disseminate worthwhile information and resources.
