Lesson Planning Doesn't Have to be Hard … Here's Help
Whether you are a new teacher beginning to build your lesson plan portfolio, an established teacher learning the ropes for a new class, or a seasoned vet refining and adding to your lesson plan collection, nobody needs to lesson plan alone. This month, App Ed Review is kicking off the new school season with four hand-picked resources to support your development of lesson plans. Whether the resources result in the creation of blended learning lessons or are a compilation of more generalized literacy strategies, the resources offered in this Round Up are sure to appeal to a wide swatch of teachers!
Also, remember, each resource we offer has been assessed using one of our two research-based evaluation rubrics, offers multiple ideas for use in the classroom, and an original description that describes what teachers and students will experience while using the app. As always, if you want to learn more about any of the resources mentioned in this Round Up or want to locate more resources for your classroom, please visit the free App Ed Review resource database.
- TES Teach with BlendSpace has an entire library of lesson plans, as well as resources to inspire teachers to create new lesson plans. After registering, teachers can select either the “Planbook†icon to create their own lesson plan or select the “Home†icon to browse other teachers’ lesson plan creations. When browsing the lesson plan library, teachers can select a subject area, touch a lesson that interests them, view it, and then tap the “Upload†button to share the lesson plan. When selecting the “Planbook†option, teachers first categorize the subject of the material they are creating a lesson plan around. TES Teach will then search through all of its resources for the most appropriate images, links, YouTube videos, etc. Teachers can select their own web links from a web browser, create quizzes within TES Teach, or upload documents from Google Drive and Dropbox for more personalized touches. Teachers then select resources which interest them and drag the resources into the tile dashboard to save and sequence them. Tiles can be rearranged at any time. When completed, teachers can hit the “Upload†button to share their lessons with students. Scoring a 9 in Design and a 9.2 in Efficiency, TES Teach with Blendspace will make lesson planning a breeze in the new year!
- The gamification of education is growing and the Tiny Tap app (available for both the iOS and Droid platforms) provides teachers with a huge database of ready-made activities that can be used in the classroom. Inside TinyTap’s database, teachers will find hundreds of lessons that develop students’ reading, thinking, and identification skills, and all the lessons are categorized by subject area, which takes a lot of pain out of locating the lessons. In addition, if teachers are unable to find just the right lesson plan, TinyTap provides a feature that lets them create their own ones, and, for savvy teachers, they can flip it and create assignments where students actually make the learning activities. With so much content and the abilities to peruse and engage ready-made lessons along with being able to create their own, TinyTap is sure to be a hit in the classroom. Find out more by clicking here.
- Teachers Pay Teachers is a great resource for adding a different perspective to lesson planning, or getting another teacher’s plans for course material you’ve never taught before. When navigating the app, teachers sign in, hit “Browse†button, and then search by grade, subject, type of resource, or price. Unit plans, lesson plans, and other classroom ideas, ranging in price from free to $10, are available for download. Teachers can either download/buy the lesson plan by selecting the “Purchase†option, or save the lesson plan and think about downloading it on a later date by adding it to their “Wishlist.†If a certain teacher’s materials are especially intriguing, teachers can follow that teachers’ accounts, ask the lesson plan supplying teacher questions, and rate that teacher’s lesson plan materials. Scoring a 7 out of 10 on our comprehensive rubric, Teachers Pay Teachers will save you time and energy!
- Reading Rockets’ Classroom Strategies is a go-to resource for teachers who are working to develop their students’ reading and writing abilities. With this handy-dandy list, teachers can view several dozen strategies that are classified as Before, During, and After Reading, which teachers can use to guide their thinking about when to use the strategy. In addition, teachers can click on any of the strategies’ names. By doing so, teachers are able to access additional information that includes its research base and examples. Reading Rockets’ comprehensive lists of strategies is ideal for brainstorming different ways to teach text, and its high scores for Efficiency and Design are sure to make it useful in the classroom. Learn more about Reading Rockets by clicking here.
That’s all for this month’s Roundup. If you would like more information about any of the resources mentioned here or that are on the App Ed Review website, please contact us at info@appedreview.com. And remember … lesson planning is not an isolated activity, support and help are just a few clicks away!
[…] Lesson Planning Doesn’t Have to be Hard … Here’s Help Whether you are a new teacher beginning to build your lesson plan portfolio, an established teacher learning the ropes for a new class, or a seasoned vet refining and adding… […]