Lets face it, as teachers we are busy!!! We want to do so much for our students and for our own studies but then we run ourselves to the ground. If only there were things out there to help us...
OH WAIT! THERE IS!
I have been pretty lucky in my studies as I have been given to opportunity to collect many resources for my future teaching career. I have a huge binder full of activities and lists of books, but it makes me a little nervous that my binder is already so big and I haven't even started teaching yet. I can't even imagine what it will be like five or ten years from now. BUT *this is where things get exciting* I have been learning about so many amazing online resource sites that save the resources you are interested in on your own file. This not only reduces what you have to carry around but you are also saving a couple trees at the same time. So what are these magical sites you ask? Well there are a bunch but I will only talk about a few.
First, my go to for quick ideas: Pinterest. I know this is not explicitly a teaching resource site like some of the other ones but it is one of my favourites. There are tons of things you can find with a quick search. In fact, my class uses a pinterest board to share our resources about 21st Century Learning. You could potentially make your own class pinterest board and have your students post on a specific topic that you are looking at in class. Pinterest is great for a lot of things and sharing is definitely one of them. It is also great for finding little things for different holidays for your classroom. It may not show you exactly how an activity connects to the curriculum but it is definitely good when you are stuck and need something small, easy, and quick.
Second, my new favourite just because the resources show their connections to the curriculum and there are so many resources: Cube for Teachers. This is something I just discovered last week. Cube for teachers is a by the teachers, for the teachers website. Any teacher can create an account (and they ask for a boards email to make sure you are a teacher) and you then have access to so many resources. You are also able to upload any resource that you have found particularly useful within your own work. Not only can you save the resources you like for yourself but you can also send them to a group you've created. This site is even more useful because you can specify your search right down to the specific expectations of the Ontario K-12 curriculum you are looking for within your subject and grade level. You can also search across multiple subject areas. Pinterest is great for the small stuff, but this is great for the bigger ideas.
I am very excited about all of the resource sites that are out there. Of course, I will be coming up with my own activities and such when I am a teacher, but sometimes even just a starting point can help you find the perfect lesson for your class. So I am curious; what types of resource sites do you use and how do you find them useful? What helps you stay a little less busy but still give 110%?
I really love the way in which you incorporated these resources and compiled them into a single area! I think these new research data bases are particularly interesting as, like was discussed in class, previously teachers had exchanged binders. This however, allows for teachers to gather the same content in an more quick and eco-friendly way. I personally rely a lot more on memory of past activities than any online resource, but things like Cube for Teachers could very well change that not only for me, but for other prospective teachers. While there is nothing wrong with relying on memory, I believe these new databases and resources will help to ensure a break in any monotony in the classroom environment, heightening teacher and student engagement with the material and revolutionizing learning as a whole.
ReplyDeleteYou both might consider Live Binders. I did not use it this year but this is a way to collect things virtually AND you can share it with select others or keep private. livebinders.com. And thanks Michelle for curating Pinterest and keeping us enthusiastic about 21st Century curating. It was very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI really did enjoy the presentation we had on Cube for Teachers. One of the main benefits is that the resources are specific to Ontario teachers, making them highly relevant. When I am planning lessons for Physical Education, I will often browse the Ontario Physical and Health Education (OPHEA) website (ophea.net) for resources, as they offer great lesson resources categorized by grade and movement form. Now that so many teachers are posting student work and tracking the progress of various projects online, I also find it helpful simply to look at teacher blogs to find out what teachers are trying in their classrooms. Obviously, they may not post all of the necessary resources, but sometimes a good idea is just as valuable. It is important to note that when gathering resources, teachers must ensure that lessons ideas/resources are modified to meet the individual needs of their students. A great resource is not a substitution for good instructional planning, delivery and assessment, including reflecting on the instructional process as a whole. Additionally, even if teachers accrue a wide range of quality resources, I would hope that they would not be afraid to try new and unfamiliar lesson/project ideas. The world of education is constantly evolving and the resources that teachers use (like the teachers themselves) must adapt and constantly be updated to ensure they are relevant to student’s lives and their learning.
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