Useful Websites for Teachers, Students, and Parents... Woohoo! :)

Sometimes a person will never know what lies in their own “digital backyard” until they are prompted by others to investigate. As a younger person, more comfortable with the digital age, I have grown quite comfortable with the Internet and the wide variety of information that can be retrieved at the click of a button. As a teacher, I know there are virtually millions of resources out there that could be found at the touch of a button. There was only one problem, how was I supposed to get to (or even through) this information to find quality resources for my classroom.

A recent assignment given to me prompted me to look in places I had not thought to look before. Places that are literally in my “digital backyard.” I am so used to looking all over the Internet for information, I just had not thought to look at the county and state websites for valuable teaching resources. I really thought those sites were just for applications, standards, and basic school information. After some investigation, I found that there is some pretty useful information in what I like to call my “digital backyard.”

First, I looked at my local school districts website: Seminole County Public Schools, Available: www.scps.k12.fl.us. Now, I have wandered around this website many times before, always able to find the information I needed at the time. Along with informational pages on each school in the district, and links to the school web pages, here is a list of what I found:

Teacher Resources:

· A list of links to websites of various organizations national, state, and county

· A link to the state curriculum

· Other information teachers would need as employees.

Student Resources:

· A link to Blackboard (a website for online classes)

· A link to FCAT Explorer (a website designed to prepare students for the state standardized tests)

· A link to Instructional Technology, where students could look at work other students and teachers have done including assignments podcasts

· A link to “Lets Read Seminole,” a summer reading program for Seminole County, FL, where students can view book lists, write stories, listen to stories, and create bookmarks

· Library links

· SAT prep links

· Scholarship information

· Calendar information

Parent Resources:

· School and district information

· Calendars

· Policies and Procedures of the county

· PTA information and links

· Crossing guard information

· Contact information for SEPTA (Special Education Parent Teacher Association)

I found the student resources on the Seminole County Public Schools website the most useful section of the website. The county website had some useful information. It did not blow me away by any means, but there was more information there than I had expected.

The next “digital backyard” website I visited was the Florida Department of Education website, available: www.fldoe.org. Now there was an overwhelming amount of information on this website related to state procedures, regulations, standards, teacher certification, etc. It was here that I believe I found a tiny jewel just for teachers. The site is titled, "Sunshine Connections: Resources for Teachers…Developed by Teachers," available: www.sunshineconnections.org/Pages/default.aspx. Here is an overview of what I consider the most useful information that can be found here:

· Curriculum information for all subjects in the form of downloadable files

· A section titled “Strategies” including the following:

o Templates for teachers to reduce the amount of paperwork done and time spent on creating templates of their own

o Links to sites explaining best practices

o Links to useful resources and tools for teachers for core subjects such as math and reading.

o Links to sites about classroom management

o Information and links on differentiated instruction

o Tips/Links related to parental involvement

· Support for teachers – all links for the following

o Guidance counselors

o Media specialists

o Instructional materials

o Supplemental education services

o Family and resource centers

o Inter-agency information

The site map for this website is extremely well organized and makes navigation a snap.

Of all of the websites I explored over the past few days, I found 3 that I loved and found to be extremely useful.

The first site I found is titled “Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids, Available: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/. This site is great for kids, parents, and teachers. Here are some of its great elements:

· Useful for students in grades K-12

· Colorful and enticing for students, parents, and teachers

· Easy and safe for kids to navigate

· Printable and interactive learning games

· Lots of great (and accurate of course!) information about the U.S. government (i.e., the Branches of Government, how laws are made, the election process), its history, important documents, communities, citizenship, and more.

The site described directly above this statement meets standard 3, “Research and Information Fluency,” in the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) NETS for Students (2007), because it allows, “Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.” It also allows students to practice “Digital Citizenship,“ standard 5 in the ISTE NETS for Students (2007).

Note: The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) NETS for Students (2007) can be found at http://ww.iste.org.

The next site I found is titled “Free – Teaching Resources and Lesson Plans from the Federal Government,” available: www.free.ed.gov. This website is a fabulous collection of resources that can be used by teachers, students, and parents. Here are some of its best parts:

· Links to information for virtually every subject taught in public schools

· Links to facts and websites for further exploration

· Discussion questions related to facts found on the website

· Video clips

· Lesson plans

· National standards

· Information sorted by grade level

· Very easy to navigate – well organized

The site described directly above this statement allows teachers to meet standards 1, “Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity,” 2, “Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments,” and 5, “Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership,” in the,” in the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) NETS for Students (2007). It gives teachers the tools necessary to create technology related learning experiences, to use technology to make learning fun and creative, and to find resources and websites to support their teaching skills, knowledge, and resources that can be shared with peers and coworkers.

The third, and last for now, website that I found is titled, “Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators,” available: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/. This website is a collection of very useful links for teachers, students, and parents. Here is a brief look at some of the information that can be found on the site:

· Links for virtually every subject taught in schools

· Links for great teacher tools, including:

o Books

o Presentations

o Slide shows

o Blogs

o Podcasts

o WebQuest Information

o Fry’s Readability Graph

o Bulletin board ideas

o Great gadgets

· Links to quality search engines

Lastly, the site described directly above this statement allows teachers to meet standards 1, “Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity,” 2, “Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments,” and 5, “Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership,” in the,” in the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) NETS for Students (2007). It is a great tool for teachers not only for their teaching according to curriculum, but also for enrichment of curriculum and classrooms.

This website allows students to meet standard 3, “Research and Information Fluency,” and standard 5, “Digital Citizenship,” in the ISTE NETS for Students (2007). It gives students links to websites they can skillfully and responsibly navigate and use to find information related to many subjects taught in school.

The websites I found throughout this little project of mine have proved to be very useful. I cannot wait to use them when I finally begin teaching for the first time. :)