One of the things I love about working in education is the collaboration among teachers. We work together to better serve our students. Below are many of the best English teacher resources (and any other kind of teacher!) I use to develop my teaching skills.
Classroom Management
ClassDojo — Help students evaluate and reflect on their own behavior with this online behavior management application.
Community
A to Z Teacher Stuff — This is a forum with teachers from across the continent sharing their expertise and resources. I highly recommend joining, reading and participating.
Lessons
Teachers Pay Teachers — Tons of lessons plans and units on every subject imaginable from teachers across the the U.S.
Standards
Common Core App for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch — Download the app for your iP hone and you’ll have the standards at your fingertips.
Common Core App for Android — Download the app for your Android-powered smartphone and you’ll have the standards at your fingertips.
CorePlanner — Integrate and track standards in your lesson plans online.
Technology
iGradr — Easily calculate assignment grades right on your Android-powered phone.
Groovy Grader — My favorite grader! Easily calculate assignment grades on your iPhone or iPad.
Online PLNs
As a former online business owner, I spent much of my time networking with colleagues and potential clients via Internet message boards, chatrooms, social networks, webinars, and workshops (including hosting my own two-day online event). As a new teacher, it’s more important than ever that I learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible for the benefit of my students and my school. To that end, I am constantly searching the internet for teaching resources.
Blog Communities
I love reading educator blogs to keep up with current events and learn new pedagogical methods. Here are a few of my favorites (including this one!):
Oklahoma Educators
When the record on public education in Oklahoma needs to be set straight...
I am an activist, blogger, and teacher committed to full and free participation of all people in life, politics, faith, education, and voting ... by Brett Dickerson.
A now retired Oklahoma reading specialist with more than 39 years experience teaching all ages shares her insight into the current political climate of Oklahoma education.
This site is a way to connect with fellow educators and share resources for implementing the best instructional practices. I sometimes contribute to this blog.
Written by a newly minted OBU English Education graduate, this blog is refreshly real and full of great ideas.
Written by Jenks Middle School Principal Rob Miller, this blog provides insight into the current political climate in Oklahoma education.
American Educators
Jill O’Malley Conroy is a former Boston Public School teacher who left the profession after enduring her fill of the Corporate Reform movement. She now dedicates her time to educating those still in the trenches.
Providing resources for all the secondary English Language Arts and Reading teachers who dare to do things a little differently.
This veteran Sacramento, California teacher shares his experiences in teaching low-income students. He has written five books and blogs at Edweek.org.
Ravitch is a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University. She served as an Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education under George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and was a proponent of NCLB until she rea
A grumpy old teacher trying to keep up the good classroom fight in the new age of reformy stuff.
Education musings, technology, and lessons; my life as a teacher by Pernille Ripp.
We endeavor to establish an alternative space to discuss education reform from an entirely progressive perspective. But more importantly, we are all educators, so we know what we’re talking about.
International Educators
Tim Walker is an American teacher in Finland, discovering Finnish education as he teaches in Helsinki.
English Teachers
I love the writing-specific advice and strategies offered on this site. This is a goldmine!
This blog is written by a professor of Children's and YA Literature. She taught middle school and has written numerous articles and columns.
This teacher inspires me. I love reading her technology blogs and her "About Me" page makes me want to go back to school.
Twitter Communities
Twitter has a nifty tool called a hashtag (#) that enables you to follow specific topics. Frequently, these hashtags are followed by a community of people, who post with each other at a specific time. The following Twitter communities are excellent places to find up-to-the-minute educational information and resources.
Oklahoma Educators
Follow this hashtag for information about the annual Oklahoma Vision 2020 conference hosted by our State Department of Education.
Teachers and administrators from across Oklahoma chat about timely and relevant issues at 8 p.m. every Sunday. View members here.
English/Language Arts
network of English teachers connecting with one and another via Twitter to share ideas, resources and inspiration. This conversation happens every Monday at 6 p.m. CST.
A global community of educators and others interested in English/Language Arts. There is no set chat time.
Facebook Communities
Oklahoma Educators
This is for every Oklahoma teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality and refuses to accept assessments, tests, and evaluations imposed by those who have contempt for real teaching and learning.
Educators For Facts, Openness, Responsibility, and Truth - Save Our Schools: This group has been created to gather together educators, parents, political leaders, and community members.
English/Language Arts
#ELAOK is the Oklahoma English Language Arts Education Professional Learning Network. You can be part of the conversation on Facebook or on Twitter.
Social Networks
A place to ask questions and get help. A community dedicated to helping you enjoy your work. A cafe without walls or coffee: just friends.
Recommendations?
Is there an online Professional Learning Network you can’t live without? Did you find an Internet resource you can’t teach without? Tell me about it below!