Resources for Teachers

This resource collection provides practical tips and resources for educators to support online learning through remote instructional practices and techniques while students learn from home. The resources below are grouped and organized by content including, Literacy, Writing and Math Resources, Online Instruction Resources, English Language Learner Resources, and Strategies for Remote Learning.

Literacy, Writing and Math 

This resource collection provides practical tips for educators as they facilitate instruction remotely for ELA, Writing and Math subjects.

  • Teaching Math to Young Children for Families and Caregivers. This web-based resource from REL Central, REL Appalachia, and REL Northwest provides quick tips, evidence-based activities and games, and videos that families and caregivers can use at home to support math learning for children ages 2-8. The new resource complements and extends the What Works Clearinghouse practice guide Teaching Math to Young Children by providing resources and activities to help families and caregivers support children as they practice math skills at home. More…
  • Where Can Teachers, Caregivers, And Parents Find Free Digital Resources To Support Early Math Learning? This resource from REL West addresses frequently asked questions about where teachers, caregivers, and parents can find digital resources to support early math learning. More…
  • Facilitating Online Math Sessions – COVID-19 School Response Webinar. This resource from the IDRA Equity Assistance Center-South compares different virtual learning platforms, including Zoom Whiteboard, Explain Everything, and Google Classrooms and Training. The webinar discusses how to use different platforms and strategies to support students in shared spaces and virtual learning environments. More…
  • Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home. This set of interactive resources from the REL Southeast can be used by teachers to share with parents and caregivers of kindergarten through third grade children. Resources include Family Activities parents can do at home to support their child to develop language, link sounds to letters, blend letters and word parts to read and write words, and read for understanding. More…
  • Journal Writing About the Present for the Future – ELAR Webinar Part 1. In part one of a three-part webinar series hosted by the South-Central Equity Assistance Center outlines literacy lessons adaptable for all grades to help students use journal writing to record their responses to a pandemic that has upended their school year.
  • From Journaling to Personal Narratives – ELAR Webinar Part 2. In part two of a three-part webinar series, the IDRA Equity Assistance Center-South (Region II) trainers demonstrate a process where students select one of their journal entries to expand it into a fully developed personal narrative, reflecting the significance of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • From Journaling and Personal Narratives to Letter Writing – ELAR Webinar Part 3. The final installment in the three-part webinar series from the South-Central Equity Assistance Center presents steps for students to select from their journal entries one issue important to them. Students will expand their writing into a letter to someone in authority suggesting how the issue and its outcome could have been improved upon.
  • Interactive Readalouds: Learning from Books Together. These intentionally designed Interactive Readalouds by Regional Educational Laboratory West for teachers, families, and caregivers can provide far more than just a pleasant experience. They can foster literacy development by building language and comprehension skills.

Equitable Practices in Online Instruction

This resource collection provides educators with practical tips and best practices for addressing a spectrum of students’ online learning needs in a variety of educational settings.

  • Accessing Online Supplemental Textbook Material. This Program Highlight from the National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth (NDTAC) explores the use of educational technology in juvenile secure-care facilities in three facilities in Indiana and their efforts to provide access to online supplemental textbook materials to teachers and students.
  • Best Practices for Online Learning in the Wake of COVID-19. This webinar from the IDRA Equity Assistance Center-South (EAC Region II) is part of a free webinar series and reviews a curated list of best practices and resources for online learning.
  • A Conversation with Teachers. The COVID-19 crisis has forced teachers to implement distance learning plans overnight. In this webinar, the Center for Education Equity (Equity Assistance Center Region I) heard from practitioners about how the global pandemic has impacted their practice. We learned: what resources are available for all students, how teachers are bridging the digital divide, and how might it inform their future practice.
  • Creating a PBIS Behavior Teaching Matrix for Remote Instruction. This practice brief from the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) shares tips for maintaining continuity of learning through defining classroom expectations for remote (i.e., distance) instruction and online learning environments. With a few adaptations, teachers can use a PBIS framework to make remote learning safe, predictable, and positive.
  • Accessible PEEP. A product of the DIAGRAM Center and WGBH, this accessible resource includes videos with captions and descriptions and games that are keyboard navigable for students with different learning needs. All videos are captioned in Spanish.
  • Equitable Practices for Online Learning Webinar SeriesI DRA EAC South (EAC Region II) is developing webinars and digital workshops for educators to continue student learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This library of webinars is growing, and currently includes the following topics:
    • Equitable Practices for Teaching Online (March 20, 2020). This webinar helps teachers rethink their lesson plans for an online platform, including resources like teacher-created YouTube channels and explainer videos, tools for sharing resources with your peers, and ways of working with your district to ensure students have access.
    • Digital Divide: Connectivity, Infrastructure and Devices (March 24, 2020). Get practical solutions to addressing the digital divide for your students. This webinar explores immediate and sustainable long-term strategies that preserve the integrity of district fiscal policies.
    •  Tools & Tips to Alleviate the Homework Gap (March 31, 2020). The homework gap is not a new problem. But with the move to system-wide distance learning, it’s not just a homework gap any longer. This webinar presents ways to support students who do not have internet access or computer.
    • Facilitating Online Math Sessions (April 7, 2020). Get tips you can use right away! Compare ways of supporting students in Google Classroom in shared spaces versus virtual learning environments. And see how to use Zoom Whiteboard, Explain Everything, and Google Classrooms and Training. The webinar discusses how to use different platforms and strategies to support students in shared spaces and virtual learning environments.
    • PBL at Home & Across the Curriculum (April 14, 2020). Project-based learning (PBL) is a powerful approach for educators to use with distance learning because it creates quality home learning experiences. Through hands-on experiences, students can explore, create, engage and connect what they are learning to the real-world. Join us as we explain PBL components of this interdisciplinary and inquiry-based learning approach with an equity lens and discuss applications of PBL across the curriculum.
    • Journal Writing About the Present for the Future – ELAR Webinar Part 1 (April 22, 2020). Lead your students as they create a primary source for future historians. In Part 1 of this three-part webinar series, Abydos trainers will outline literacy lessons adaptable for all grades as students use journal writing to record their responses to a pandemic that has upended their school year.
    • From Journaling to Personal Narratives – ELAR Webinar Part 2 (April 29, 2020). In the second of this three-part webinar series, Abydos trainers will demonstrate a process where students select one of their journal entries to expand it into a fully developed personal narrative, reflecting the significance of the COVID-19 event.
    • From Journaling and Personal Narratives to Letter Writing – ELAR Webinar Part 3 (April 30, 2020). In the final installment of this three-part webinar series, Abydos trainers will present steps for students to select from their journal entries one issue important to them. Students will expand their writing into a letter to someone in authority suggesting how the issue and its outcome could have been improved upon.
    • Chief Science Officer Students Determined to Promote STEM Despite School Closures (April 30, 2020). IDRA’s Texas Chief Science Officer students have an inspirational message to share about how they have been coping with COVID-19 challenges and distance learning. These youth STEM ambassadors have not stopped their work to enrich a STEM culture despite their school and community closures. Instead, they have insightful perspectives on how they have been navigating these challenges, how they have stayed connected, and how they keep innovating and creating during this time. Watch as we elevate student voices and share their student success stories.
    • Teaching Science in Virtual Learning Environment (May 12, 2020). Explore how to leverage online platforms to make high-quality science learning interactive and hands-on from home. Dr. Stephanie Garcia and Michelle Vega will showcase four online platforms for teaching science concepts virtually: Educreations, Explain Everything, Quizlet and Padlet. They’ll show how to use these tools through an online learning module template focused on Newton’s Laws of Motion, a middle school science concept.
    • How a School District Tackled the Digital Divide (May 19, 2020). Hear how San Antonio ISD faced the digital divide to ensure learning continued for their students during COVID-19. Eva Mendoza, executive director of information technology, will describe the work that San Antonio ISD performed to bridge the digital divide in her district.  She will discuss the challenges, successes and what’s next.
    • Teacher, Parent and Student Perspectives on Using Google Classroom Effectively (May 26, 2020). Most people know that Google Classroom is a free online classroom management system, developed by Google for schools. But being a powerful and popular tool, doesn’t necessarily keep teachers from experiencing bumps along the way in. In this webinar, get tips on how to use Google Classroom more effectively from the perspectives of a teacher, parent and student.
  • Using Technology to Support Postsecondary Student Learning. This recording features expert panelists’ strategies for applying the evidence-based recommendations from the What Works Clearinghouse’s Using Technology to Support Postsecondary Student Learning Practice Guide.
  • Promising Practices and Approaches to Support Remote Learning. This infographic by the Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic for teachers and school leaders provide promising remote learning strategies and activities to consider when there are no classroom alternatives.
  • Youth Tech Mentors Bridge Schools and Families – Creative Community Responses to COVID-19 This recorded webinar from IDRA EAC-South highlights how teens and college students have been helping families and their children navigate technology for school. Panelists share their ideas for how schools and communities can engage youth while also providing much-needed tech support in their family engagement work this year.

Supporting English Learners

This resource collection provides educational resources that can assist families with English Learner needs while learning from home.

  • What Are Some Specific Practices Used To Support English Learner (EL) Students And Their Families? This resource from Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast addresses frequently asked questions on some specific practices used to support English Learner (EL) students and their families.
  • Educator Toolkit | Using Educational Technology — 21st Century Supports for English Learners. This educator toolkit from the Office of Education Technology (OET) includes useful information for educators on facilitating online learning, resources to share, and distance learning plans.
  • Talking Points: A Free App Teachers and Families Can Use to Translate their Text Messages Back and Forth. The Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center provides a video presentation on an app parents can use called “Talking Points”. It helps to ensure two-way communication between families and schools is extremely important in times where teachers are providing remote instruction.
  • Integrating Language While Teaching STEM. The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition has released a teaching practice brief on effective instructional practices, examples, and practice shifts for science and engineering teachers. More…
  • Engaging English Learners and Families through Distance Learning. Family and community engagement are an essential part of student success. With COVID-19 related school closures and the transition to distance learning, many schools are working to sustain engagement with EL families and communities, and to ensure two-way communication to build school and community capacity. In this webinar hosted by the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), panelists share best practices and examples for continuous EL family and community engagement in the current remote environment. ..
  • Guidance for navigating remote learning for English learner students. This blog from the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest focuses on supporting the unique needs of English learner students as schools shift to remote learning. The article discusses strategies for how best to adapt remote instruction to meet the unique backgrounds and needs of English learner students. More…
  • Partner Resource: COVID-19! How can I protect myself and others? This free guide from The Smithsonian helps youth and their families to learn about the underlying science and social science of COVID-19 at home to help students take actions to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe. The guide is made up 7 tasks that each take about 1.5 hours to complete at home. The tasks are driven to help students answer typical questions about COVID-19 (what is it, why does it spread, why do I have to physically distance, why are people wearing a mask, what is contact tracing?) Students who have this knowledge will be less frightened by any changes they are currently experiencing and may confront when they return to school. The guide is available in 20+ languages. More…

Strategies for Remote Learning

This resource collection provides research-based considerations and strategies to support remote learning needs.

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Last Modified: 12/17/2020

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