Learning resources are among the most important teaching tools. That’s why Kinteract makes such a big deal about them. We know it’s vital that teachers are able to compile, curate, and share limitless libraries of multimedia resources as easily as possible.
But those resources have to come from somewhere. Where can you source these vital materials in the first place?
Here are our top five favourite online resources to get you started:
Tes is as comprehensive as it gets. Although loosely linked to the Times Educational Supplement it’s put together by teachers, for teachers.
At first glance Tes can look a bit overwhelming. There are hundreds of thousands of resources, for every class, subject, educational need, and learning level. However, when you dive in it’s actually pretty easy to navigate.
Tes resources are well organised. You can segment your searches down to a very granular level. If you need inspiration for a subject, head to one of Tes’ many subject collections. If you’re looking for resources in a certain style, Tes has you covered. If you’ve got something really specific in mind, Tes will bring up exactly what you need nine times out of ten.
As well as resources, Tes offers many other educational services. They can help you to recruit, find a job, to train, and more. Above all, they are a community. They exist to help teachers share resources and expertise all over the world.
Some of Tes’ resources are behind a paywall, but there’s plenty of great free stuff. Alternatively, their prices are very reasonable and discounts for educational institutions are generous.
Anyone who’s been through the UK school system since the 80s will have fond memories of Scholastic. Remember ‘book fairs’? Those big metal crates on wheels which opened up to reveal shiny new books? Those were courtesy of Scholastic. Great times.
Scholastic are still doing their thing in 2021, and they’ve expanded onto the internet. As well as their great primary and EYFS books, they also have a resource library. It’s as user-friendly and coherent as you’d expect from Scholastic. Kids will love their bright, encouraging approach to learning.
You do need a membership to access much of Scholastic’s content. Again, however, institution memberships are very reasonably priced. If you don’t want to fork out then there’s still plenty of content available for free. Dive in and explore!
Teachwire isn’t just a resource bank. It’s also a community.
Teachwire provides news, products, commentary, and forums in addition to their many resources. It’s a great place for teachers to share their experiences and find support. Their articles cover some of the most pressing issues in modern teaching, and they are always on top of the very latest research.
As for resources - their resource bank is extensive. They mainly cover primary and secondary education, but Early Years and post-GCSE level teachers can also find useful materials. They’re great at providing templates, activity sheets, lesson plans, activity ideas, and more. Best of all, the majority of their content is free (although a premium subscription will bring you more of the good stuff).
The big advantage of BBC Teach is that parents know all about it. BBC Teach experienced massive amounts of traffic during Lockdown as homeschooling parents logged on in droves.
Luckily, the BBC is up to a challenge, and worked hard to bring the best educational content to the nation. Teachers and parents can find a wealth of resources on BBC Teach - everything from curriculum guidelines to live lessons.
BBC Teach is easy and free for anyone to access. This makes it great for collaborating with the wider learning community. Adding a BBC Teach link or resource to assignments means that everyone can get involved. It’s a brilliant resource for bringing parents and guardians into the educational mix.
Kinteract’s partner Britannica have been bringing knowledge to the world for 250 years. So it’s safe to say they know what they're doing by now.
Britannica’s online resources are of very high quality. They’ve moved beyond those red encyclopaedias everyone remembers (although they still do those too!), and now make the absolute most of everything the digital format has to offer. Their resources are updated daily with new information, high-res images, relevant video content and more.
Britannica works closely with hundreds of teachers and a very thorough team of editors, so you can be sure that everything you get from them will be the best of the best.
Online tools are great - but to get the best out of them you need to organise them in a toolbox. You need them to be right there, easy to grab when you need them.
Kinteract is your content toolbox.
Through content libraries, hashtags, dedicated resource-sharing tools and more, Kinteract makes it easier than ever to compile and curate resources.
Be it lesson plans, activity sheets, ebooks, site links, or any other kind of resource, Kinteract enables you to store, sort, and share with ease.
Book a demo with Kinteract today to find out more.
