Adobe Education Exchange is a great resource for educators, with resources, lesson ideas, lesson plans, and a place to collaborate with other educators.


They are sponsoring a contest for educators - The 2011 Educator's Choice Awards. Any educator can enter. You submit your innovative teaching and learning materials and you could win some really nice prizes. Submit  your projects, lesson plans, curricula, tutorials, and more. Educators will rate the work submitted. There are four categories: Primary/Secondary Cross-Curricular, Primary/Secondary Digital Arts and Media, Higher Education Cross-Curricular, Higher Education Digital Arts and Media.

Complete rules and prizes are available on the contest site. Submission period ends October 14th.

You can even go to the site and check out other lessons for ideas for your submission, or just get ideas to use in your classroom. Check it out. You will share your great idea with other educators and have a chance to win a great prize.

You can also follow information about the contest using this hashtag on Twitter: #AdobeEduAwards

There are some great projects already submitted. Take some time to look around the site, vote on your favorite projects, get some ideas for your own classroom, and even enter the contest yourself.

Here are some examples of projects:

A Photo's Worth A Thousand Lesson Plans - Science & Technology presentation on incorporating the digital camera as a child-centered tool in the classroom. Please mind the quality and some cuts in the audio as it was recorded live

Fossils - This animated presentation shows how organisms become fossilized and describes the different kinds of fossils

The Salem Witchcraft Site - The Salem Witchcraft Site provides an interactive exploration of the Salem witchcraft outbreak of 1692.

Titration of Acids and Bases - Molecular Theory Game - Have you ever wondered what a titration actually looks like at the molecular level? In this game, you will shoot titrant molecules at the sample molecules to see how molecular changes affect the titration curve.



There are some really great lesson ideas and projects on here. Check them out and vote for the best!

LearnBoost is an online grade book and lesson planner that is available for free to educators. It has a grade book, lesson planner, attendance, reporting and calendar. It is easy to use, visually appealing, and you can share information with students and parents. The lesson planner is integrated with state standards and you integrate the whole system with Google Apps.


The grade book has easy inputs, real-time stats, grading scales and weighted assignments. 






The lesson planner makes it easy to create new lesson plans, align them with state standards and keep all your materials in one place. You can attach files and pictures, create assessments, and comment in the reflection section so you remember what you want to change for next time.




You can easily take attendance using a visual seating chart or list and quickly check student attendance history and records.




It allows you to easily create reports on classroom and student data so you can make decisions based on student data. 




Parents and students can have read access to view their progress.




The seating charts are visual and dynamic so you can try out different arrangements. 





You can also use it for scheduling and creating calendars and integrate it with Google Apps for Education. 


  


They also have a blog where they discuss education technology, ed reform, policy, strategies and best practices, product releases, technology and tips for using LearnBoost. 


This is a great tool for teachers to use and it's free! It is full featured and easy to use.

PhET is an awesome resource from the University of Colorado at Boulder. The site has interactive simulations for physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and math that teachers and students can use.

The simulations can be run on the site or downloaded. The simulations are accurate and real and can help students learn concepts in more depth. They are easy and fun to use, and really do demonstrate the concepts well. In the physics ones I use, a big benefit is that students can quickly and easily change variables and conditions and then see what happens. This is very hard and time consuming in many hands on labs.

The simulations are also a great alternative to live labs if you don't have the resources available. Some of the simulations are better than any hands on lab because the students can truly see and understand what is happening.

You can search by topic, grade level, or just see the newest ones added. There are teacher resources for many of the simulations. Teachers who use the simulations post lesson plans and resources to the site for others to use also.

I use the Physics simulations in my classroom and they work great. This is one of those sites that every science and math teacher needs to check out.

Here's a list of some of the new simulations they have:

• Your best resource as a new teacher is yourself. Use what you learned in school. Seek out more information from colleagues and the Internet. Use your creativity. Remember what it was like to be a student yourself.

• Ask for help. Don't be afraid to ask other teachers for help. Do not isolate yourself in your classroom. Make connections with other teachers, whether it is in person, by email, Facebook, Ning, Twitter, web sites, or blogs. Create a Personal Learning Network of people and resources that can help you.

• Don't reinvent the wheel. Use the resources that are available to you. Most textbooks now come with instructor resource CD-ROMs and companion web sites. Use the resources that they have and then modify them as needed. Search the Internet for lesson plan ideas, activities, classroom management tips, and other tips and tricks. Check out Discovery Education's free resources. 

• Stay organized. You need to stay organized. Make sure you have a lesson plan guide and calendar of some sort. You can use a paper based planner and lesson planner or use an electronic or web-based system. Smartphones are great for staying organized. You can also use online resources like Google, Evernote and others to keep your files, calendar, tasks, and lesson plans organized.

• Write things down and make sure you have your classroom materials organized and labeled.

• Take advantage of professional development opportunities. Your district and school will run professional development sessions, but don't limit yourself to those. Look for free online sessions, webcasts, conferences, and sessions run by your local educational resource agency. Create your own, on-demand professional development using Twitter. 

• Join a professional society in your area. As a physics teacher, I have joined the National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). Find out what organizations are in your area and join them. You will find resources and contacts through these organizations.

• Read journals. Subscribe to and read educational journals. Most are free, so you don't have to worry about the money. There are journals on general education, educational technology, pedagogy, assessment, and just about every other area of education. Here is a great, free journal: Tech and Learning Magazine - great magazine with educational and technology information and resources. Free subscription for teachers.

• Be creative with your lessons. Think outside the box. Come up with new, fun ways to teach the students. Use projects and project-based-learning as a way to engage and teach your students. You can find a huge number of resources and ideas for projects on the web.

• Read some books on education. My personal favorites to start with are "First Days of School", by Harry Wong, and "Your First Year as a High School Teacher", by Lynne Rominger, et al.

• Don't pay for things if you can get them for free. There are tons of free resources, from software to web sites, that can help you in your classroom. Here are some tips for finding free resources.

• Make connections with the secretaries and custodians in your building. They will be some of your best resources for supplies, ideas, and help.

• Make connections with local businesses, especially those that are related to your subject area. They can be a huge resource for guests, supplies and equipment, and funding. Many local businesses, such as Staples, have Teacher Appreciation Days with discounts and free gifts. Find out about these. Remind businesses that instead of throwing out things, they can donate usable items to your school as a tax write-off.

• Get to know the publisher's representative for your class's textbook. They can get you a lot of resources.

• Be flexible. Remember Murphy's law. Have plans for when your lessons run short or long, to deal with interruptions and fire drills, assemblies, and days when much of your class is absent because of a field trip. 

• Have back up plans for everything and especially have backup plans in case of technology issues.

• Know your local and State curriculum. Know what is expected of you. Know what is expected of the students.

• Track your personal expenses and save receipts. There is a tax deduction for educators.

• Copyright issues - be careful and make sure you know about Educational Copyright issues

• Keep up on your certification requirements.

• Spend this summer relaxing and getting ready for your new career. Once you get hired by a school, get a copy of the curriculum and review it over the summer. Think about the kind of teacher you want to be. Get yourself organized. 

• If you are still looking for a job, don't worry. Teachers retire, move to different school systems. There will be openings. If you can't find a job by August, keep trying. Sign up to be a substitute teacher in the towns nearby. That is a foot-in-the-door for a permanent job when one opens. Don't despair, you will find a job. 

• Ask for help, and look for help. Again, don't be afraid to ask for help.

With all that's happened in the world lately, between blizzards, floods, earthquakes, and tsunami's, there should be a renewed focus on emergency preparedness. The East Coast just had an earthquake and Hurricane Irene is heading for the East coast as well.

Most people do not have any emergency supplies or plans ready. Each household, business, and school should have an emergency plan, emergency kits and people trained in emergency preparedness and response.

I started my training in emergency preparedness while on my trail to Eagle Scout. Emergency Preparedness is a required merit badge and the Boy Scouts emphasize emergency preparedness among the scouts. I am also a paramedic, special operations paramedic and FEMA trained in Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Management. Here are some of my favorite resources for learning about Emergency Preparedness.




Ready Classroom is a free resource from Discovery Education that has lesson resources for teaching emergency preparedness for teachers, students and families. It has teacher and administrator tools, lesson plans, family resources, dealing with pets in emergencies, and much more. There are checklists, planning resources, lesson plans, information about different emergencies and disasters, videos, links, and more. It's a great way to teach emergency preparedness.



Ready.gov is the US Government's web site for information and resources on emergency preparedness and response. There are resources for making a plan, an emergency kit, and how to stay informed. Information is included for individuals and businesses.


The Boy Scouts of America, who train all their Scouts and Adults in Emergency Preparedness, has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to provide resources for the public on getting prepared. The site has planning resources, how to make an emergency kit, and other resources.



The American Red Cross website also has information for creating an emergency plan and how to prepare for different emergencies. They also sell emergency kits (they are very good and a decent price). You can always make your own using their lists though. There is a full section on preparing schools and students. The Preparedness Fast Facts page is an excellent, one stop resource.



FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Emergency Management Insitute
The FEMA EMI offers free, online courses for anyone to take. The courses are well done and there are plenty of downloadable materials to help you. If you pass the test at the end, you even get a certificate.

Here are a list of the courses that I think all educators should take: (I've taken these, and more)

IS-7   A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance
IS-22 Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
IS-55 Household Hazardous Materials - A Guide for Citizens
IS-100.Sca Introduction to the Incident Command System for Schools
IS-362 Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools


Education Administrators should also be involved in community emergency planning because schools are on the top of the list as emergency shelters and field hospitals and the building administrators know their buildings.

You can even join your local Community Emergency Response Team. These are teams of citizens that are specially trained to help out in major emergencies, sort of like the reserves. Find out more here. Here is a list of CERT's by State: http://www.citizencorps.gov/cc/CertIndex.do?submitByState


Emergency Preparedness is everyone's responsibility. The Japanese know this and that is one reason why the disaster over there is not worse that it is. Share these resources with your students, colleagues, and family.

School is almost here (for some people, it's already started). Here is a collection of some great articles and resources for new teachers, students, and teachers looking for some great resources and ideas:

Advice to New Graduates Entering the Education Profession

Sources of Funding and Free Resources for Teachers

Backup Plans - Tips for Teachers

Technology I use on a Daily Basis as a teacher

Top 10 Free Google Resources for Educators

Top 10 Free Web Resources for Educators

Top 10 Free Resources from Discovery Education

Free alternatives to paid software and services

Top 5 Apps for Administrators to learn and use

Summary of Great Web Resources for Students
Top 10 Free Web Resources for Students

More resources to come too!

Adobe Education Exchange is a great resource for educators, with resources, lesson ideas, lesson plans, and a place to collaborate with other educators.


They are sponsoring a contest for educators - The 2011 Educator's Choice Awards. Any educator can enter. You submit your innovative teaching and learning materials and you could win some really nice prizes. Submit  your projects, lesson plans, curricula, tutorials, and more. Educators will rate the work submitted. There are four categories: Primary/Secondary Cross-Curricular, Primary/Secondary Digital Arts and Media, Higher Education Cross-Curricular, Higher Education Digital Arts and Media.

Prizes include laptop (Macbook Pro) and tablet computers, digital cameras, and Adobe software with prizes in each category.

The contest begins August 1, 2011 and ends on October 31, 2011. All entries must be received by Adobe no later than 11:59pm Pacific time on October 14. 2011. Complete rules are available on the contest site.

You can even go to the site and check out other lessons for ideas for your submission, or just get ideas to use in your classroom. Check it out. You will share your great idea with other educators and have a chance to win a great prize.

You can also follow information about the contest using this hashtag on Twitter: #AdobeEduAwards