10 Great Free Resources from Discovery Education
Discovery Educationis an excellent resource for teachers. Many teachers know aboutDiscovery Streaming, theDiscovery Channel, or evenDiscovery Middle School Science. All of these are fee based services, but Discovery Education also has some great free resources for any teacher. Here are my top 10 (out of the 25 or so they have that are free).
1. Web 20.10-http://web2010.discoveryeducation.com/- Access great content on Internet Safety, Media Literacy and links to Web 2.0 Tool. The site is rich with little flash videos detailing the explanation and use of Web 2.0 Tools in the classroom. This is a great resource for new teachers and veterans to learn about Web 2.0 tools.
2. New Teacher Survival Central-http://discoveryeducation.com/survival/ - Includes Tech Tools for teachers and students, New teacher blogs, classroom tools, and curriculum resources, Tips/tricks on: Classroom Environment, Classroom Management, Parent Communication, Cool tips on Green Screens and more!
3. Science Fair Central-http://school.discoveryeducation.com/sciencefaircentral/?campaign=SFC- Great ideas how to create, launch and facilitate a Science Fair, including tips and ideas for student projects.
4. Discovery Education Lesson Plans-http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/ - lesson plans for all different subjects, sorted by K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
5. SiemensSTEM Academy-http://stem.discoveryeducation.com/- Premier online community designed to foster student achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math through the collaboration of STEM educators and sharing of best practices. Great resources, ideas, and more.
6. Kathy Schrock's guide for Educators-http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/ - Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators is a categorized list of sites useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth. It is updated often to include the best sites for teaching and learning.
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7. Science of Everyday Life-http://scienceofeverydaylife.discoveryeducation.com/- Everywhere you look, there are wonders both big and small just waiting to be explored. Your school, your home, and your community are all boundless laboratories full of mystery, excitement and surprise. Join us as we uncover the magic all around us and tap the innovator within us…in the Science of Everyday Life. What a great way to connect science to students' lives and experiences by connecting science to everyday things.
8. Worksheets to Go-http://school.discoveryeducation.com/teachingtools/worksheetgenerator/wtg/index.html - great worksheets and activities for teachers to use. Sorted by subject and topic.
9. Puzzlemaker-http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/- create your own puzzles. Create and print customized word search, criss-cross, math puzzles, and more—using your own word lists.
10. NASA at 50-http://discoveryeducation.com/NASAat50/ - NASA at 50 highlights key innovations and milestones in chemistry, physics, engineering, and space exploration from NASA's fifty-year history. Each clip serves as a gateway for further learning in science and history and promotes critical thinking and inquiry as essential components of scientific literacy.
Students can enjoy NASA at 50 in video or audio formats that are compatible with common portable media players. In addition, teacher's guides are provided for each clip to facilitate integration of this exciting and engaging content into lesson plans.
Training resources for using Discovery Education resources:
Discovery Education Training Resources on Educational Technology Guy.
http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/03/list-of-discovery-education-training.html
Discovery Educator Network Blog-http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/
Lots of resources, articles, how-to’s, links, and more.
Cross posted atEducational Technology Guy and viaTwitter.
David Andrade is a Physics Teacher and Educational Technology Specialist in Connecticut. He is the author of theEducational Technology Guy blog, where he reviews free educational technology resources for teachers, discusses ways to use technology to improve teaching and learning, and discusses other issues in education.
He is also a professional development trainer and presenter at conferences, helping educators learn new and innovative ways to educate students. He is also a Discovery Education STAR Educator and member of the CT DEN Leadership Council.
Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of his employer
David Andrade, MS Ed, a former educator, edtech specialist and school district CIO, is the Business Development Manager, Google Services, at CDW•G, a leading provider of integrated information technology solutions. He works with schools and internal teams on services and solutions around their Google environment.