Resources for Distance Learning

Author: Chris S.
Last Updated: March 31st, 2020

The current public health crisis brought on by the spread of COVID-19 has forced both K-12 schools as well as colleges to move their classrooms online. Students and parents have had to radically modify their schedules almost overnight to a completely new structure from their previously brick and mortar classrooms. Teachers have been especially impacted, having had to embark on the task of teaching their classes on an entirely new platform while keeping the students’ learning experiences as uninterrupted as possible. It’s a challenging time for anyone in education but we are not alone! Below is a list of some resources for teachers, students, and parents, that could help ease the transition to distance learning.

Review Game Zone: learn and play with unblocked games for school! Make distance learning fun with addicting review games to help students understand a topic. Turn multiple choice questions into games and quizzes or use one of the many games already created by other teachers.  

Amazon Distance Learning Resources: has many resources available to help bridge the gap within distance learning.  Check out all the resources available. This is an e-commerce site so most products cost money but it may be worth the expense.

Zearn: offers math learning content both online and offline. They have a Distance Learning Center where they provide resources for parents and teachers to aid in the transition to online learning in the form of guides and webinars. They have also received enough community-based donations to make their K-5 math program free of charge.

ArtsEdge: an online education program from the Kennedy Center, with additional funding from the Department of Education. They provide standards-based resources for K-12 arts-centered learning including video lessons and how-to guides for teachers and parents.

Movie Sheets: a way to break up the monotony of distance learning by assigning a movie for students to watch.  A lot of movies can be streamed for free on Amazon, Netflix, Disney Plus, YouTube, etc.  Download a worksheet with questions about the film from MovieSheets and have the students submit their answers to make sure they are staying on track.  Students will love this assignment!  

Zinc Learning Labs: offers online directed reading lessons, materials for reading comprehension and vocabulary with accompanying assessments for middle and high school. They are also offering free licenses to students and teachers affected by COVID-19 through the end of the school year.

edpuzzle: a user-friendly platform for teachers to create their own interactive video lessons that students can move through at their own pace. The software allows you to create the videos and track when the students are watching them as well as their level of comprehension.

MobyMax: a platform that helps teachers address gaps in student comprehension through differentiated learning. They have lessons and content in all core areas as well as benchmark tests to assess student levels. MobyMax also provides training to educators on how to best utilize their content.

Virtual Field Trips: allows students to explore important sites around the world without leaving home. This platform provides a great opportunity to enhance K-8 social studies courses while teaching remotely. The website provides learning videos alongside virtual tours with quizzes that adhere to state and national standards.

Library of Congress: a compilation of teacher resources that serve to help educators access and use their primary sources in their lessons. They also offer remote professional development services to teachers in the form of webinars and workshops.

The New York Times: a resource for teens with articles alongside writing prompts and discussion questions. They also provide lesson plans for teachers that teach writing, critical thinking, civics, current events, and more.

Nasco: hosts free digital learning options with a focus on maintaining hands on learning in a digital classroom. They have lessons and webinars that adhere to common core standards as well as arts education content.

PBS Learning Media: hosts select PBS videos alongside quizzes, lesson plans, and interactive learning options. They provide content for all ages from Pre-K to 12th Grade. PBS always provides its learning content for free.

Sutori: an online classroom presentation tool for teaching remotely. The platform works in conjunction with G-Suite so that educators can have all their information in one place. They provide guidance to teachers in the form of lesson plan ideas and templates and on call help for users. Sutori is offering free subscriptions to teachers and schools closed due to the public health crisis.

Epic: provides ebooks and audiobooks for students age 12 and under. They offer reading materials of all genres in English and Spanish. They also provide additional motivational features like badges and rewards for meeting reading goals. Epic is free for teachers and librarians.

Teacher Created Resources: free database of lesson plans for Pre-K through 8th grade. The website allows a keyword search so that you can find the lesson plan that best matches what you’re looking for. All the lessons are created and sourced by teachers for teachers.