Best #Blogs
The Best
Education Blogs You Should Follow (teachthought.com)
Below, we’ve updated the list of
the 50 best education blogs to follow in 2021. The list includes teachers,
principals, authors, researchers, journalists, speakers, and thought leaders in
all realms of education. Some of these education blogs cover a broad range of
content while others focus on more specific areas like edtech, project-based
learning, and literacy.
Alfie Kohn might be best known for
his 1993 book: Punished by Rewards. Advocating for intrinsic
motivation over the use of rewards, Kohn has continued to write about pivotal
topics in education today. His most recent essays focus on the progressive
teacher’s role in the classroom, autism, and deconstructing scaffolding.
Answer
Sheet (by Valerie Strauss, Washington Post)
Valerie Strauss is the voice
behind the Washington Post’s education blogs. Strauss shares perspectives on
the link between COVID-19 misinformation and news outlets (and other literacy
lessons), what middle school students learning during the pandemic need now,
and what technology needs to go after being introduced to schools during
COVID-19. She also shares analyses on recent data and trends.
Eric Sheninger is an award-winning
principle, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and coach. His most recent
publication is called Disruptive Thinking In Our Classrooms: Preparing
Learners for Their Future, and his most recent blog posts consider
what it means to be an equitable leader, upgrade a KWL chart, and optimize
feedback for student learning.
The educational, evidence-based
content powerhouse that is ASCD offers over 500 blogs and over 16,000 articles
on instructional strategies, leadership, SEL, school culture, equity,
professional learning, and many more topics.
BetterLesson highlights its
partners with teachers and education leaders in co-creating professional
learning solutions and instructional resources. The last several blog posts
discuss an action plan for closing gaps and accelerating growth, leadership
strategies to boost teacher morale, and ways data can be used to personalize
instruction.
Vicki Davis is behind this
expansive blog, which houses relevant instructional strategies for building
digital portfolios, screen-casting, teaching financial literacy, and more.
Davis also hosts the 10-minute Teacher Podcast, and showcases guests who are innovating
in education in various ways.
Jennifer Gonzalez is the creator
behind this insanely useful and relevant blog. The blog features voices from
many educators and education leaders, and addresses questions like: What do
teachers teaching during a pandemic need? Why should teachers bring podcasts
into their classrooms? How can ELA and SPED collaborate to produce great
student writing?
Ramsey Musallam is a science
teacher, researcher, robotics mentor, camp director, and instructional coach in
California. Musallam is all about promoting curiosity, and writes about topics
like Feynman and delayed direct instruction, the engineering design cycle, and
distance learning science engagement.
Diane Ravitch is an education
historian and research professor of education at New York University. Professor
Ravitch writes often, and her most recent articles have argued in support of
defending public education against privatizers and preventing districts and
schools from banning books. Ravitch frequently comments on current events in
education.
Matt Miller is a teacher,
Google-Certified Innovator, and top edtech influencer who provides practical,
‘use it in class tomorrow’ solutions for teachers. His most recent publications
include: 15 ideas for digital end-of-semester projects, 10 low-prep high-return
activities for class tomorrow, and 25 tips for connecting families with the
classroom.
Dr. Tucker’s curation includes
breakdowns of strategies like the station rotation model, how-to guides for
projects like designing a mini-playlist that allows students to control the
pace of their own learning, and using standards-based rubrics to assess
progress. We love her articles for how they envision 21st century learning and
ways to make learning engaging.
Through their work, EdSurge aims
to bridge information gaps that exist between those who drive change in
education, and those they serve. In addition to blog content, EdSurge offers
news, commentary, analysis, newsletters, weekly podcasts, research and
journalism projects, an index of edtech tools, a jobs board, and an events
calendar for professional opportunities.
Educational
Technology & Mobile Learning
This site prides itself on serving
as a resource of educational web tools and mobile apps for teachers and
educators. Educators can anticipate how-to guides and instructions, as well as
explanations of specific apps like Tract, FlipGrid, Padlet, Brainly, YouGlish,
and more.
This journal’s goal is to provide
a ‘steady course’ through school reform by presenting evidence-based research,
ideas, and arguments focused on American K-12 education. Newest publications
include articles on how schools can best spend COVID aid, the stubborn myth of
‘learning styles,’ and charter school enrollment trends.
Education Week publishes
up-to-date content on educational leadership, education policy, teaching,
learning, and edtech. Contributors explain what culturally relevant teaching
looks like, how teachers can respond to science denial in the classroom, and
how tougher teacher evaluations show no positive impacts on students.
Founded by George Lucas in 1991,
Edutopia is committed to transforming K-12 schools so that students can develop
and apply the intelligence, attitudes, and abilities necessary to advance in
academics, their careers, and their adult relationships. Recent publications
discuss SEL practices that early childhood educators can use, understanding and
supporting students with ADHD, and how school leaders can build realistic
optimism this year.
Faculty Focus is a free newsletter
and website dedicated to helping teachers by providing insight as to what’s
working (and what isn’t working) in in-person and online learning environments.
Users can browse by subjects like academic leadership, blended and flipped
learning, course design, assessment, classroom management, teaching strategies,
and more.
Richard Byrne — high school
computer science teacher from Maine — designed this blog to share free
resources that teachers can use in their classrooms. His blog is consumed by
more than half a million worldwide viewers, and has won several Edublogs Awards
for Best Ed Tech Blog.
Getting Smart features the voices
of many teachers and education leaders on topics like personalized learning,
place-based education, edtech, leadership, and more. Their most popular
articles detail actionable strategies for increasing student motivation and
engagement, 7 real-world issues that can allow students to tackle big
challenges, and 100 questions that help promote mathematical discourse.
Homeroom is the official blog of
the United States Department of Education. Here, teachers can find insights on
school activities, programs, grantees, and more to advance the discussion of
educational innovation and school reform.
This news site is dedicated to
sharing content that touches on critical issues in modern education. This site
is less focused on strategies and curriculum, and more focused on events,
policies, debates, and other problems that plague public education, in generally.
Inside Higher Ed curates
insightful blog content from some of the web’s best online education sites.
Recent posts include musings on what higher education will look like in 15
years, strategies for making space for students to take pride in their writing,
and editorials on why virtual meetings are bad for constructive conflict.
ISTE — the International Society
for Technology in Education — delivers practical guidance, evidence-based
professional development, social networking, and events to their community of
global educators. Readers can search through the following topics: computer
science, digital and media literacy, digital citizenship, educational
leadership, ISTE standards in action, personalized learning, and tools,
devices, and apps.
Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything
Kathy Schrock is an educational
technologist. Her ‘Guide to Everything,’ while not in traditional blog format,
includes hundreds (thousands?) of resources related to assessment, creativity,
devices, information/digital literacy, pedagogy, professional growth, and
workshops
Larry Ferlazzo’s
Websites of the Day
Larry is a high school ELA, Social
Studies, and International Baccalaureate teacher for English Language Learners
in Sacramento, California. He has published 12 books focused on various
educational topics and writes a weekly teacher advice column for Education
Week. New visitors to the site should definitely check out Ferlazzo’s
collections of best resources on topics like parent engagement, student
motivation, teaching English Language Learners, and classroom management.
Formerly known as Teaching
Tolerance, Learning for Justice strives to fulfill the Southern Poverty Law
Center’s mission: “to be a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond,
working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy,
strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all
people.” They support this mission through providing commentary and curriculum
resources on culture and climate, curriculum and instruction, leadership, and
family and community engagement.
MindShift explores the future of
learning and how we, as societies, raise our children. They also report on how
teaching is changing to better meet students’ diverse needs and how parents can
better support their children’s learning. Their most up-to-date content examines
how to fend off ‘educational numbness’ with experiential learning, whether or
not schools should require the COVID vaccine, and how parents and educators can
support healthy teen use of social media.
NCTE — the National Council of
Teachers of English — publishes relevant articles on a regular basis for ELA
teachers. Recent posts seek to disrupt the myth of the 5-paragraph essay,
explore how to seek language plurality among students, and reading, teaching,
and discussing LGBTQ+ family stories with elementary students.
On their blog, the National
Education Association shares the latest on their advocacy, members, and
education trends they’re watching. Current visitors can read featured stories
on why it is so important to pronounce students’ names correctly, 5 ways the
Build Back Better plan supports students and educators, and how to utilize
1-to-1 technology in the classroom.
PBLWorks seeks to engage all
students in high quality project-based learning (PBL) in order to deepen
learning and achieve success in college, career, and life. Their blog is full
of helpful tips and tools, projects in action, and general guidance on
PBL-related topics.
Pearson’s blog explores insights,
trends, and research that impact teaching, learning, and leading in education.
Their latest content offers 5 informal assessment strategies for meaningful
formative insights, includes ways to incorporate diversity into CTE
instructional materials, and explores how to raise retention rates with student
support services.
Peter DeWitt is an author,
speaker, coach, and former elementary school principal who maintains this
column as part of Education Week. Most of his writing is tailored to education
leaders — his most recent pieces aim to help teachers ‘declutter’ their practices,
name elements required for a more impactful school leadership team, and
advocate against banning classroom topics.
Pernille is a teacher, author, and
speaker who is currently working to create passionate literacy environments
within the U.S. education system. ELA teachers in particular may find her
content useful, as she discusses her best ideas for book clubs at the middle
school level, how to use digital reading notebooks, reading conference
templates, and how to use oral storytelling kits with middle schoolers.
Alex Peters and Rohan Mahimker
started Prodigy as an undergraduate project. Their game-based learning Prodigy
Math Game exploded into North American classrooms, and now millions of students
use Prodigy. They believe in access to education as a human right and their
content speaks to the broader educator audience. Their latest posts examine how
to build a personal philosophy of education, fun word games to help students
develop literacy skills, and practical steps to help kids who get bored at
school.
Kasey Bell is a former middle
school teacher turned digital learning coach, speaker, author, blogger, and
podcaster. Shake Up Learning is an excellent resource for practical strategies
for using technology in the classroom. Recent contributions explore how to work
less and become a more effective teacher, how to create a Google Classroom
banner with Canva, and how to engage students with podcasting.
Steve Hargadon is kind of a big
deal. His life’s work is focused on democratized learning and PD. He pioneered
the use of live, virtual education conferences and popularized the concept of
‘unconferences.’ He regularly blogs, speaks, and consults on education and
technology. Some of his most important posts discuss the importance of media
literacy, a student bill of rights, and escaping the education matrix.
Sylvia Duckworth is the
sketch-noting guru! She offers books, worksheets. courses, keynotes, workshops,
and blog resources related to using sketch-notes in the classroom. The cool
distinction of Duckworth’s content is how every blog post is published in the
form of a sketch-note.
Alice Keeler is a teacher,
Google-Certified Innovator, author, developer, and edtech coach. Luckily for
teachers, she also maintains a highly regular blog that offers step-by-step
instructions for specific edtech tasks, like using Google Jamboard, making
forms with Google Sheets, embedding a Google Form in CANVAS LMS, and designing
seating chart slides using Schoolytics. Don’t miss out on this practical
resource!
Teaching Channel strives to be a
trusted partner committed to providing joy of learning, positively impacting
student achievement, and preparing educators for a lifetime of career success.
While their video library should not be missed, they also offer valuable blog
content. Newer articles explore trends in early education, using success
criteria to spark motivation in students, and a practical guide to
trauma-informed teaching.
Shameless self-promotion:
TeachThought is dedicated to growing teachers through thought leadership, PD,
curriculum development, podcasts, and collaboration with educational
organizations around the world. Content focuses on themes like critical
thinking, project-based learning, remote teaching, pedagogy, tools/apps,
assessment and feedback, SEL, and instructional strategies.
The Chronicle of Higher
Education
Admittedly, the Chronicle is more
like a newspaper highlighting current issues in higher education. That being
said, their content is highly useful for educators. It includes data on trends
like undergraduate enrollment, and publishes a monthly issue that shares
perspectives on topics like tenure, college tuition, and online program growth.
Gwyneth Jones is a blogger,
Tweeter, keynote speaker, edtech and librarian speaker, content creator,
Google-Certified Innovator…we’ll just stop there. She’s highly experienced and
great at sharing new hacks for teachers, like how to use Jigsaw Explorer,
creating musical bookcases, and assigning a 10 easy Instagram photo book
challenge.
The Educator Collaborative
describes itself as a think tank and educational consulting organization that
works to innovate how educators learn together. Most of their posts touch on
literacy, teaching language arts, and ensuring for equity and access in
curriculum and instruction.
The Edvocate argues for education
policy shift and offers timely, relevant content devoted to teaching and
learning in the 21st century. Calling for a relatively radical and
comprehensive reorganization of the American publication education system, some
of their newest articles focus on strategies to help students who aren’t
prepared for learning activities, everything you need to know about
perennialism, and ways to teach students how to solve math problems using
columns.
The Hechinger report covers
inequality and innovation in education. For example, one of their recent
articles showcases how prisons are training inmates for the next generation of
in-demand jobs, and makes connections to the school-to-prison pipeline. Another
opinion contribution argues how targeted federal action could reduce broadband
racism faced by Black students.
As a student who was often bored
in the classroom, Lisa Nielsen created this blog as an adult — it’s goal is to
make education more engaging, fun, and relevant by sharing resources in
unschooling, social media in education, personal learning networks, flipped
classroom models, and other strategies.
Powered by the New York Times, the
Learning Network helps people teach and learn with articles, graphs,
editorials, illustrations, podcasts, videos and photographs produced by NY
Times journalists. They are most known for their daily lesson plans, though the
Learning Network also runs contests and offers activities for middle and high
school teachers and students: writing prompts, quizzes, films, webinars, and PD
tools.
The Teacher Toolkit is dedicated
to sharing tools with a wide range of teachers. The content comes in video
format, which is incredibly helpful for those of us who need to see certain
strategies modeled. Users can browse for tools by classroom management, opening
and closing activities, checks for understanding, group practice, reading
strategies, games, and more categories.
Angela Watson is here to share
practical ideas, encouragement, and resources for educators of all grade levels
and content areas. The great thing about Truth for Teachers is that it features
many different teacher voices, therefore capturing a broad range of
perspectives.
WeAreTeachers refers to themselves
as the ‘virtual teacher’s lounge,’ and an online media brand dedicated to
inspiring teachers and helping them be successful in the classroom via
strategies, curriculum resources, advice, humor, and giveaways.
What, in your opinion, are some of
the best education blogs from this list? Are there any that we’ve missed that
you feel should be added to the list?
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