Common Curriculum: Common Curriculum is an online curriculum mapping, lesson-planning, and calendaring tool. After creating an account (only a name and email are required), teachers can create a Planbook and customize it by adding subjects, color-coding, sequencing the flow of the day, and choosing a planning template. The help page and user-submitted suggestions -- along with some to-the-point video tutorials -- give new users quick, clear guidance. Teachers can go through all the how-tos or dive right in to calendar setup and planning.
Planboard: Planboard is an organizational tool (website and app) for lesson planning and for tracking standards coverage. Start by creating a free account with Chalk.com. Next, create color-coded subjects -- which can be further organized into sections if the subject is taught to more than one group, or class, of students. Then, add subjects to a schedule using a built-in calendar. Creating and organizing lessons is the final step. Templates are available, and editing tools allow teachers to embed videos/visuals and attach documents (including links to Google documents). A handy spot to list personal reminders and a calendar is an added bonus.
Standards Planner: Standards Planner is a free, active calendar planner that allows teachers to map lessons, standards, and additional resources for weeks or months in advance. The calendar can be shared via hyperlink, social network, and Google Calendar, allowing for distribution of upcoming learning targets and tasks. Teachers can search for resources through Khan Academy, CK-12, Global Oneness Project, and engageNY as well as align standards (including Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, ISTE standards, and all 50 state standards) to daily lessons and resources.
Teachers.io: Teachers.io is a site and app that allows teachers to plan their classes for the week, detail syllabi and materials for each class, and share information with students. After signing up for a free account, teachers can begin to plug in class sections that they teach as well as any other pertinent details. Teachers also can add assignments, tests, quizzes, and even announcements for each of their classes that will automatically upload to the teacher's calendar.
LessonUp: LessonUp is a web-based interactive lesson platform that integrates text, images, videos, websites, maps, game-like quizzes, interactive slides, and open-ended questions. Using the lesson library, created by other teachers and partner organizations, teachers can use existing material or just start from scratch. Teachers can present lessons in class, with or without students participating on their own devices, or assign lessons to students for independent work.
Blendspace: Blendspace is an easy-to-use multimedia lesson creation platform that students can access via website, Chrome app, or iPad app. Using a drag-and-drop gridded interface, teachers can search for and add videos, text, spreadsheets, images, quizzes, and other resources, and then organize them to create lessons for their students to complete independently. To reorder content and improve lesson flow, teachers can simply drag and drop boxes within the grid. Teachers can pull content from just about anywhere: YouTube, Google, Flickr, and other online sources, as well as personal computers or cloud drives. Students access lessons via a join code, or teachers can embed links into their learning management system (LMS).
ClassFlow: ClassFlow is a free lesson delivery platform. With ClassFlow, teachers can create content-rich lessons that feature a mixture of interactive whiteboard presentation and device-based quizzing, polling, and responses. They can then deliver these lessons via an interactive whiteboard or directly to whatever web-enabled devices students might be using. The platform works in a variety of scenarios: remote, blended, 1-to-1, flipped classroom, or in-person.
BetterLesson: BetterLesson is a website with free searchable lesson plans, strategies, activities, and professional learning for educators. The scope of the site is massive: Thousands of lessons covering dozens of topics are organized by grade level and subject area. Add to that the plethora of instructional strategies and professional learning resources, and it's a one-stop shop supporting better classroom instruction.
LearnZillion: LearnZillion is an online database of short video lessons that address learning topics aligned to individual Common Core standards. The lessons cover a wide variety of math and English language arts topics for the K-8 grade span. Experienced teachers create the three- to five-minute videos and lessons, complete with leveled practice problems, anchor texts, and writing prompts. Separate curriculum sets targeting particular topics and grades offer whole lesson plans, teacher hints, background information, and additional guidance, including ready-to-present slide-like presentations that incorporate videos, visuals, and hands-on practice. It's accessible on the web and on iOS and Android tablets.
OER Commons: OER Commons is a free digital library of resources for teachers. OER Commons curates open educational resources (OER) and is part of a worldwide movement for, as the website states, the "human right to access high quality education." Teachers can search for resources or use the Open Author tool to create documents and lessons that can be shared publicly. Districts can purchase access for microsites and private hubs for sharing resources internally, and educators can join special-interest groups for further discussion and collaboration. Those who make their work available on OER Commons do so with few, if any, ownership rights. Usage falls under Creative Commons, which spells out how each resource can be used, shared, or modified.
Gooru: Gooru is a web-based "learning navigator" platform for discovering and exploring online learning content. Teachers can use this "GPS for learning" to create classes, choose content for their students (by selecting from the site's extensive content library or linking out to their own resources stored elsewhere), create assessments, and then monitor students' progress. The site features millions of resources -- including videos, worksheets, activities, and more -- all sourced from more than 500 publishers, including reputable content providers like Khan Academy and PBS Learning Media.
Common Core Standards: Common Core Standards includes a complete list of the Common Core State Standards as well as corresponding documents and appendices, putting all the information available at CoreStandards.org in an easily accessible app. Browse by grade level and strand, and expand specific anchors to read the full description. Math standards are divided into traditional and integrated paths. ELA is divided into Language Arts, History/Social Studies, and Science & Technical Subjects. Each standard also includes the corresponding College and Career Readiness Anchor Standard.
PowerSchool: PowerSchool is a cleverly designed LMS geared toward extending learning beyond the classroom. The system lets teachers embed content from over 40 websites into pages they can custom-design for their classes. In addition to creating and managing their classes, teachers can create rubrics, assessments, and tasks using sophisticated but straightforward built-in creation tools. Keep up a gradebook, attendance rosters, and inter-class communications in this centralized, cloud-based learning hub. The site integrates well with dozens of websites and online tools, and it's especially well integrated with Google Apps for Education; teachers and students can use their Google log-ins to access the service. Features for standards-based grading are also built in.
GeoInquiries: Esri's GeoInquiries are short, inquiry-based activities that complement lessons in American literature, earth science, environmental science, government, human geography, mathematics, U.S. history, world history, and general upper elementary lessons. Each subject has 15 Level 1 activities, and some have five Level 2 activities; these are all generally about 15 minutes each. Each activity/lesson plan is a two-page PDF document aimed at teachers and includes Common Core standards and learning outcomes. Teachers can follow the link within the PDF document to access the interactive map, and then follow the scripted lesson plan with their students. Students and teachers can interact with the map, study its details, and answer questions and discuss what they see. The lesson plans include further options to try within each lesson, along with all references used to create the maps.
FutureSmart: FutureSmart is an interactive course for middle school students. It covers financial values and goal-setting, budgeting, investment options, types of payments, banking and expenses, and planning for the future. Surveys at the beginning and end of the course help students reflect on their relationship with money, while the course itself introduces vocabulary and important concepts about financial health.
eNotes: eNotes is a literary analysis website where students and teachers can access summaries, analyses, lesson plans, and homework help about classic and contemporary literary works. Novels, speeches, essays, plays, and biographies are among the content available, and there's a huge selection of titles from which to choose. While the site steers users toward subscribing through distracting video ads, calls to subscribe and download, and cutting off content, it does offer quite a lot for free. Students can view partial answers to questions, chapter and scene summaries, analyses, quotes, short quizzes, and writing lessons, all of which can be beneficial to getting them started with research and analysis. Teachers can take advantage of available lesson plans as well, although again, subscribers have access to much more content.
MimioConnect: MimioConnect helps teachers create and deliver interactive presentations and assessments for distance or in-person learning. It has premade lesson plans in ELA, math, science, and social studies for kindergarten through high school, which teachers can also edit to meet their own needs. Or, teachers can create their own lessons from scratch. The backbone of the lessons is a basic slideshow presentation, but MimioConnect allows teachers to embed videos, images, audio clips, interactive learning tools, quizzes, polls, and more. Teachers could use the lesson with a smartboard in the classroom -- or lessons also have video or chat tools embedded directly in them to seamlessly present the material for distance learners.
Pilot Light: Pilot Light is a free food education curriculum that integrates food-based lessons with traditional classroom education. It includes both activities aimed at parents to do at home with their children and lesson plans for teachers to implement in the classroom. The teacher resources include thorough lesson plans that connect food with different classroom subjects, such as math, reading, writing, and science. Lessons include Common Core and state standards, vocabulary, activities, readings, anchor texts, and step-by-step instructions for the food experience, some with multiple options. The resources also include a printable placemat, lesson templates, and take-home activities.
Better World Ed: Better World Ed is an interdisciplinary global and cultural awareness curriculum that interweaves SEL concepts with math, literacy, science, and social studies topics. Aimed at teachers, schools, homeschooling families, and self-led learners, the site combines a few types of material to create educational value. Wordless videos feature a day in the life of a person located somewhere in the world. The videos are visual stories, but also included are voices, various life noises, and music.
BoostEDU: BoostEDU offers lesson plan evaluation and suggestions for teachers to improve, or "boost," their lessons with technology. Teachers are encouraged to take an existing lesson or project and look closely at the purpose and pedagogy behind the activities. What are the goals? Now, how can you use technology to improve the learning process? Teachers complete a self-assessment survey/rubric in which they view their lesson from a particular framework: the SAMR model, the 4 C's, ISTE Standards, or TPACK. Then teachers use the results from the self-assessment to boost their lesson plan. The website offers some suggested tools for boosting particular lesson areas, such as reading, writing, presentations, or assessments. Teachers are also encouraged to reach out to the BoostEDU Facebook or Twitter group to crowd-source ideas or seek feedback on their upgraded lesson plan.
BetterLesson: BetterLesson is a website with free searchable lesson plans, strategies, activities, and professional learning for educators. The scope of the site is massive: Thousands of lessons covering dozens of topics are organized by grade level and subject area. Add to that the plethora of instructional strategies and professional learning resources, and it's a one-stop shop supporting better classroom instruction.
Gynzy: Gynzy is a web-based interactive whiteboard site where teachers can modify existing lessons or create from scratch using a vast library of tools and resources. Teachers can search for existing lessons by grade level, subject area, and topic; lessons boast Common Core-aligned content, and teachers are free to save and use them as they are or make them their own by adding additional resources and tools. When teachers find something they like, they can use the built-in folders to organize material for easy access later on. Gynzy allows up to three free accounts per school, but for more than three, a paid plan is required.
Learning for Justice: Established by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Learning for Justice is a social justice and activism program for schools. The site itself, primarily aimed at educators, has materials to promote equity and reduce discrimination in schools. Teachers can use the site's classroom resources, professional development materials, and blog, as well as a host of other resources. The site provides film kits and lesson plans on a range of topics, such as school integration, anti-bullying, social justice, and gender equity.
teachinghistory.org: Teachinghistory.org is a clearinghouse of resources to teach students about U.S. history. The goal of the site is to improve access to education for all learners. There are numerous ways to search the site to find useful materials. Search by Best Practices to find examples of historical thinking, using primary sources, teaching with textbooks, and teaching in action. Search by Digital Classroom to find examples of technology tools to enhance classroom learning. Search by Teaching Materials to find lesson plan reviews and teaching guides. In addition, there are blog articles, information on issues and research, and quick links to grade-level materials and spotlight topics. There is also the "Ask a ..." option, which lets teachers access an expert historian, digital historian, or master teacher and submit a question. Teachers can also explore recommendations for apps, sites, and tools to support their work.
Lifelique: Lifeliqe, pronounced "Lifelike," is a learning and productivity platform using over 1,100 interactive 3D models, incorporating elements of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Using the professional-grade models of the Corinth Classroom, it features subjects including biology, paleontology, physics, geometry, culture, and more. The interface includes 620 total lesson plans that cover the 3D models, deep-zoom images, videos, and animations. Students and teachers can browse by topic or search by keyword for content, tap on a model, and see close-up views of meiosis, prehistoric mammals, flowers, artesian wells, sulfur dioxide, refraction, icosahedrons, and even Stonehenge. The model interfaces can be set to English, Spanish, or both. Each model also includes a detailed introduction with encyclopedic facts, and students can make their own notes on the model. Students can rotate each model in every direction and zoom in and out. Using the AR feature, students can take photos or videos of the models with themselves or their surroundings.