LEARNING THEORY AND MODELS: 100 Best Blogs by Teachers for Teachers

With more and more teachers connecting to the blogosphere, it might be worth taking a look at what all these education professionals have to say. But how to dig through all these blogs and find what you're searching for? Look no further. We have gathered blogs by teachers for teachers and organized them according to 10 different categories. We have even written descriptions for each of the blogs to give you a little introduction to what they're all about. Now, these introductions still do not do each blog justice so take a moment to click on the ones that catch your attention. You may find lesson plans, activities, projects, inspiration, and other good ideas that will make your classroom all the better. Your students will thank you and, if you leave a comment, these bloggers will be gratified to know that they have helped a fellow teacher out.

Primary - Secondary - College - Miscellaneous - Art Education - Science Education - History Education - Math Education - Writing/English Education - Sociology Education

Primary

Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog: A teacher and her students together created this activity-filled blogspot. Not only are there explanations, there are also pictures and videos that will help you engage your first-grade students in the wonderful world of spelling, science, and more!

Peg's Plans: Run out of creative ways to teach a lesson plan to middle school students? A visit to Peg's Plans will get your brain thinking of how to make math, language arts, and science all the more interesting. There are lesson plans, homework assignments, as well as a list of fun activities that you can implement in your classroom.

Elementary Teacher Blog: Like any elementary teacher knows, kids truly say, do and think the darndest things. From asking students what they would do if they were president to what they think the rules are, this teacher captures the humor and insight within young minds.

Adventures with Miss B: Ever teach a single-gender classroom? This teacher has been doing it for some time now and has insights into the advantages and learning styles of such a classroom. The blog is filled with classroom activities, accompanied by many visuals and videos that will keep you entertained.

Beyond the Mount: Learning a new language in elementary school can be challenging for students but it can also be a fun, rewarding experience. A trip to this site will take you into what one rural school teacher is doing in her classroom to teach her students the Japanese language.

Creative Readers, Writers, and Thinkers: Get connected to a sixth grade Argentinian classroom that features home and classroom activities that your students can do, as well as lesson plan ideas that will get your class more engaged in language arts. Exploring this site will give your students an idea of what their peers are learning in a different country.

Regurgitated Alpha Bits: Sometimes a teacher just needs to vent. For elementary school teacher Edna Lee, blogging is the way to do it. This humorous and insightful blog takes you into anecdotal classroom happenings that will make you laugh, cry, and see that you're not alone; it happened to other teachers too!

Get a CLUE: This blog aims to help teachers who are teaching academically advanced students. The site includes project-based strategies to enhance these gifted minds in a group environment, as well as activities that give these students the independence to explore their own abilities and intelligence.

Spot to Read: Sometimes it only takes a cover to get you interested in a new book. With the help of a fellow sixth grade teacher, you can uncover a new shelf of books that may be of interest to your students. Book reviews, recommendations, and exposure to books you may have never seen before are all on this site.

Little Voices, Little Scholars: Stories - written, drawn, and videotaped - fill this site with a peak into the imagination of six-year-old students from New Zealand. Teachers can visit this treasure chest of ideas and borrow some inspired ideas on how to make reading and writing come alive in their classrooms.

Secondary

Dare to Care: Sometimes students just need a medium to write. On this blog, a teacher encourages and creates an environment where students can posts their writings. By opening students up to the blogging world, they are more inclined to make their online space a place for reflection, growth, and wisdom.

The Greatest Middle School Blog in the World: An eighth grade class from Connecticut is taking their classroom on an international scale. All the students in the class have their own blogs, as well as a big classroom blog where they posts their projects, what they're learning, and more on the site. They are also inviting students and teachers from all over the world to participate and contribute in their activities.

Head Outta the Book: Take the book and make it your own is what this blog is all about. Featuring 10th through 12th grade honors english topics, the blog talks about timeless classics as well as how to prepare for the AP literature and language tests.

Let's Each Achieve Daily: Before and after school are the times when students need a little guide on what to do and teachers need a bit of help on how to motivate students to do something other than watch television. Whether it's do homework or engage in a educational activity, this blog offers fun things for middle schoolers and high schoolers such as make a comic book or solve a forensic case.

CRMS Calculus 2010: Need a little boost of some calculus today? With this site, you can indulge in a more refreshing way to teach juniors and seniors all the basics. The blog is organized into different calculus categories so you can explore the topics on your own pace.

High School Bits: English teachers unite in this well-written blog discussing how to spice up literature lessons and get high school students in a college-worthy writing mentality. Whether you need advice on how to better prep students for the AP language tests or want students to leave classes with practical writing advice, this site offers you tips that you can customize and apply in the classroom.

Teaching High School Psychology: Besides having a clock that times down to the AP Psychology test, this blog helps teachers help students learn and study the material. A left-handed bar lists all the categories in psychology that students need to study, as well as insider information to the AP test.

Web 2.0 Blog: The digital generation is here and this blog will let you into the classroom of a computer teacher knowledgeable abut all the latest and useful computer applications out there. The site also offers syllabi, lesson plans, and online resources that you can use on your students.

History and Our Story: Everyday, something happened, is happening and will happen. This blog helps teachers see a glimpse of the very history that our students are living through. Some dates may not mean anything to students, while others may grab their attention, so take a look at different moments in history that will spark an interest in your students.

Math Teacher Mambo: While math does seem to be black and white at times, this blog adds some color to the equation. A high school math teachers gives you a fresh and organized perspective on subjects such as algebra, geometry, and all the math in between.

College

Mr. Alexander's Business Studies Blog: All the way from Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Mr. Alexander brings you into the teaching world of economics and business management. Get a dose of comics, commentary, and cool ways to make your next business lesson one to put in the books.

Tomorrow's Professor Blog: Get a dose of some intellectual conversations about higher education. This blog was created as a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. These institutions hope to increase the breadth and depth of the discussions regarding education.

Maverick Philosopher: A professor of philosophy turned independent philosopher in the Sonoran desert blogs it all out on this site. One visit to this site may open your eyes to a greater world out there beyond teaching and maybe you, too, will take the leap of faith and learn more about life and those around you.

Carpe Diem: Professor of economics and finance Dr. Mark Perry talks business: employers, employees, employment rates, and more. You, as a teacher, can learn a thing or two about tying in current events to your lesson plans. Your students will thank you later for bringing them in the know of all the pressing issues in our nation.

The Chutry Experiment: There may not be many film and media teachers out there, but for the lucky few that do exist, this blog site has got you covered. Chuck Tryon gives you a look at media that have caught his eye. He blogs about all the latest films, television, and other mediums out there and offers you an interesting perspective on all of them.

Financial Literacy and Ignorance: Talking and practicing personal finance may not be your strong point ... for now. Annamaria Lusardi has been teaching economics at Ivy league colleges for years now and she has a lot to say on personal finance, as well as the economic state of the nation, on her blog.

The Cranky Professor: This is a humorous blog all about one professor's perspective on history. It will tests your views and make you think - a true mark of a teacher. So sit back teachers and be a student for but a moment.

The Faculty Lounge: Talk about anything and everything about law, culture, and academia that may be of interest to teachers and professors everywhere. This blog welcomes a group of blogging teachers to collaborate in intellectual discussions, such as foreign degrees or the impact of college rankings. All that and more are on this site.

Knowing and Doing: A computer scientist who enjoys writing? Yes, tis true! A computer scientist talks about academia on this blog. Reflections, instructions, and a whole load of miscellaneous topics are found here.

Critical Mass: The American higher education system may have its share of problems and that's where this blog comes in. Critical Mass aims to comment on the current educational issues in the hope to inspire change all across the nation.

Miscellaneous

A Teacher's Marks: A teacher by day, and a journalist and blogger all the rest of the time, gives some insightful perspectives to the public policies that impact our educational system. Read up on issues that matter: standardized testing, vouchers, high school exit exams, and other key measures that influence what teachers teach.

For the Love of Teaching: Whether you need to learn how to set up a classroom wiki or want to learn about new teaching approaches, this site has it all. The teacher behind the blog hopes to leave fellow teachers with ways to enhance student learning and to apply new technologies that will foster a better classroom environment.

Just a Substitute Teacher: It may not be an easy life but someone has to do it. This may be the mentality of substitute teachers everywhere, but it does not have to be. "Mr. Homework" shares his secrets and reassures substitutes that teaching can really be fun and educational again.

Memoirs of a First Year Teacher: Remember the days when you were not so cynical about the teaching profession? Recall the hopes and dreams you had for your students and for yourself? If that was decades ago or just yesterday, it is always interesting and informative to see what newcomers are going through nowadays as they embark on the journey on education.

Edulicious: This blog should remind you that you, as the teacher, are in charge, not the PowerPoint nor the videos or other technologies in your classroom. See, fellow educator Brett writes about how technologies are only tools that should enhance your teaching and the learning experience.

Bud the Teacher: Talk about writing, books, and a whole load of other things. All on this site are humorous posts, insightful perspectives, and helpful resources all on education.

Just a Thought: Sometimes a teacher just needs a place to write. Here on this blog, you read the reflections as one teacher looks at her life and the teaching profession.

Teacher Tech Blog: Whether you are a digital immigrant or digital native teacher, this blog site has you covered. There are tips on all things computer, from hardware to software and all the many things you may need to know about general computing.

Teach Paperless: The new trend is creating online learning communities where teachers and students can interact. Teach Paperless will help you create and maintain this online environment, and soon enough you will be writing your own blog instead of just reading them.

Chocolate for Teachers: Hilarious stories about ordinary kids that do and say funny things. A taste of some of this Chocolate for Teachers will make you laugh and brighten up your day.

Art Education

Laugh Paint Create: A complete love for art has driven this artist into the wonderful world of teaching. Art projects using a variety of different materials fill up this blog. From learning how to paint like O'Keeffe to creating fabric collages, this art teacher does it all.

Deep Space Sparkle Art Lessons for Kids: Art lessons for kids of all ages are organized on this blog. After each posts, there is also a unique section entitled "You Might Also Like" that links you to other activities on the blog. The advantage of this includes never being out of ideas for things to do in your art classes and having these ideas flow from one to the other.

Art with Mr. E: Wonder what male art teachers do in their classrooms? Well a visit on this blog will give you an idea. Mr. E has a variety of interesting projects and online resources that will get your creative juices flowing.

Artful Artsy Amy: An artist at heart but a teacher by day, Artful Artsy Amy just know what kinds of art activities to keep her students entertained. She offers instructions, pictures, and videos so you can recreate these very projects in your classroom.

Lines, Dots, and Doodles: This art teaching blogger teaches in three different schools in Maryland and even manages to update an art blog filled with projects her students created. The blog is organized according to grades and has a section of art games to keep both teachers and students entertained.

For the Love of Art: Beautiful art grace the pages of this blog. The teacher behind the site teaches elementary and special needs students the enjoyment of art. Her philosophy is: "to encourage students to think critically, explore multiculturalism, and bring their own environmental visual influences into the classroom as inspiration.

The Calvert Canvas: Working with older students allows the teacher to explore more complicated 3D projects and this is what this blogging art teacher does. Making frames, vases, and ceramic glazed bowls are only some of the things that this blog features.

The Teaching Palette: This phrase found on the site sums it up best: "by art educators for art educators." From unique art activities to iPhone apps for art education, this blog provides art teachers everywhere with the resources they need to splash a little bit more life into their art classes.

Paint Cut Paste: An art therapist blogs about project appropriate art activities for children. The emphasis is more on the children's self-expression than on what is crafted.

The Carrot Revolution: Paul Cezanne once said, "The day is coming when a single carrot freshly observed will set off a revolution." This blog covers eight disciplines: animation, art history, digital art, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, and video. All posts are in the effort to inspire art teachers and students to take up the artist within them and let them shine.

Science Education

Science Fix: Experiments fill this site! Middle school science teacher Darren Fix has created a blog filled with lesson plans and web links. Each post even has a video that demonstrates how do the experiments in your own science labs.

Making Science Fun: Science experiments are what students remember most when they leave their classrooms and go into the real world. So why not get a load of new science ideas on Steve Spangler's science blog! You will find easy-to-follow instructions, accompanied by pictures and videos.

My Science Lessons: Need ideas to make your science labs more interesting? This is where this blog comes in. This blog offers many activities and lesson plans to make science more interactive and engaging.

The Science Queen: Sixth through eighth grade science is covered on this site. The blog gives science teachers a number of helpful notes, lab ideas, movies, and assignments.

Science Notebooking: Having your students keep journals for science class will help them remember how projects were done. This will also give them a head start to the practice of writing down everything that happens in an experiment, which they will need to do in high school and college science courses.

Science for All: Pictures, videos, articles, and other web resources on many things science are on this site. The blogger - a biology teacher who once was a molecular biologist - hopes "to facilitate innovative thinking to reform science education and to improve student learning for all in science."

Extreme Biology Blog: Ms. Baker and her students discuss all things biology on this site. It is neatly organized under tabs, such as biology themes, current news, and AP biology. If you are in need of discussion topics for your biology class or interesting facts, this is the blog for you.

Chemistry Blog: Bloggers on this site are professors, postdocs, and scientists who are all interested in educating you further in chemistry. This blog is regularly updated and readers offer constant feedback, making it a forum for discussing chemistry-related issues.

Chemical Engineering World: If chemical engineering is a subject that interests you, this site provides all sorts of information on the field. It even has a forum, online links, job board, books, and magazines on chemical engineering.

Joanne Manaster Loves Everything about Science: A passion for science has inspired Joanne Manaster to learn, teach, and learn even more science. Her humorous and educational posts on all things science are engaging and entertaining.

Reflections of a Science Teacher: Get a glimpse into the mind and happenings of a science teacher. This blogger offers insightful perspectives into the life of a "scientist, educator, and life-long learner."

Math Education

Math Blog: Contributors all with the goal of furthering math education posts on this blog. The site offers lessons in applied math, websites, articles, software, tutorials, problems, suggested readings, and so much more.

Math Be Brave: There are helpful classroom tips as well as math resources on this blog. A math teacher from Brooklyn offers her "notes, inspiration, and resources for teaching the way we love and loving the way we teach."

Hands On Math: Math does not have to be taught the same ol' way. Take a look at one teacher's approach to making math come alive.

Math Mama Writes: All levels of college math are covered on this blog. Browse through the titles and see if any posts are speaking right to you.

Wild About Math: A veteran Stanford computer scientist goes back to his first love: mathematics. With this blog, he hopes to show how math can be enjoyable and rewarding. There are problems, book reviews, and even some iPhone math apps on this site.

Statistics How To: You can find anything about introductory probability and statistics on this blog. Whether you are teaching college students taking statistics for the first time or high school students preparing to take the AP tests, you can find the resources on this site helpful.

Math Concepts Explained: Ever at a loss of how to teach a math concept to your students? On this site, the blogger aims to be your online math tutor who will explain math concepts that have gotten students confused for ages. The tutor looks at how to teach these concepts in a better, more understandable way.

The Math Less Traveled: Whether you want to talk about math seriously or casually, this blog gets you into the math mode. Book recommendations, lesson plans, and more are all on this site.

Kiss My Asymptotes: An Algebra I/II teacher spends time sharing his ideas and ways of teaching to the rest of the world. This is an upbeat, organized blog that is enjoyable to read.

Division by Zero: Want to get more intellectual with math? Well here's the blog to do it with. This blog is about "math, puzzles, teaching and academic technology."

History Education

US History: Want to teach US history in 50 seconds? With a click of a video on this site, you can do just that and more. This blog was written "by high school teachers for those who teach US history." You can find interesting videos, comics, and information all on US history on this site.

American History Now: American History is more alive on this site than ever. Blogger and teacher Jim Cullen uses fictional characters and stories to tell the tales of the past.

US Government: This blog will help you add more current events and visuals into your US government lessons. Teachers, give your students an exposure to some of the most well-known political commentators out there, such as Bill O'Reilly.

Speaking of History: An eighth grade history teacher takes you into thought-provoking discussions on education, technology, and history. There are many mediums of resources on this site, from videos to podcasts.

World History: Online textbooks, AP guides, quizzes/tests, PowerPoints give you the resources to teach your students what they need to know about world history. The regular posts also gives you randomly selected tidbits of information you can share with your students.

The History Teacher's Attic: Whether you are a high-tech, low-tech, or no-tech teacher, there is something for you on this blog site. A history teacher pulls out all the documents, maps, activities and teaching material he has used over the news to teach American history, European history, and other history-related subjects.

Comparative Government and Politics: This subject covers the government systems all over the world and to completely understand and teach it pushes educators in this field to seek all the help they can get. This blog can help initiate discussions and be a place of contributions and helpful advice on the importance of teaching particular issues.

Blog 4 History: Teacher and writer Chris Wehner shares what interests him about history. He helps teachers learn a bit more and then some through helpful articles such as "Top iPAD Apps for Social Studies Teachers."

American Cultures 2.0: Take a trip into the world of a middle school American history teacher who considers this blog his "online professional journal." Snag good ideas and topics and customize them to your classroom.

The History Channel This Is Not...: Upper level history teacher Nate Kogan uses this blog space to talk about teaching, history, and other interesting topics. His "interests presently center on how to integrate technology into the classroom to encourage greater student accountability, self-directedness, and improved critical thinking and research skills." If you share these interests too, read on!

Writing / English Education

Raising Readers and Writers: The blogger of this site believes that children's literature is the key to raising readers and writers into this world. This blog offers ideas and thoughts "about using good children's literature in the teaching of reading and writing.

Some Novel Ideas: Want to surprise your middle schoolers with new books on their reading assignment list? Well, this site provides you with book reviews, discussions, and lesson plans for new and classic books, all researched by an experienced middle school language arts teacher.

Taming the Octopus - The Many Arms of Writing: Teaching students how to write better can be a daunting task. But with helpful blogs about writing, such as Taming the Octopus, you can be one perspective closer to giving your students the instruction they need. This site offers concise, organized, and resourceful posts that links you further into the discussed writing topics.

Writing Workshop: This site is neatly organized to give teachers looking for writing tips a place to explore. Lists of reference books, online resources, and mini lessons all in an effort to enhance student writing are provided in the Writing Workshop.

Writing Frameworks: "Why Write?" The blogger of this writing site asks you this important question early on and if you have an answer, email it to her but if you too are searching for a response to this question, read on. Writing manuals, research guides, book recommendations, contests and more are all within a click away.

Ground Rounds: Want to know what other schools in your district are reading? You're in luck because this blog is a place for educators to discuss what they are learning in their schools. Maybe you'll stumble upon new lesson plans or even reading assignments that will make your teaching career better.

A Year of Reading: Reading is the first step to some good writing. Teachers and students alike need a dose of inspiration and stylistic ideas to get them jotting away. On this blog, you will be exposed to more books out there that you may find interesting for your students.

Read...Write...Talk: Start a book club with this blog site. Read the recommended books and discuss away with this blogger. Or just snag the book challenge idea, writing samples and online resources offered on this site to use in your classroom.

Two Writing Teachers: The tag line reads: "Teaching kids. Catching Minds. 565 miles apart." Get inspirational wisdom on this regularly updated site. There are quotes and posts that will give you, and your students, a reason to write.

Real Reasons to Write: Check out this writing blog from a long time English teacher. She offers "thoughts on teaching, learning, literacy, and, most importantly, students."

Sociology Education

Citings and Sightings: This blog scans journals and various other media for the most interesting, educational, and ground-breaking research findings in social science. Then all this information is gathered and presented in an understandable and engaging way on the blog.

Everyday Sociology Blog: Entertaining sociological commentary on anything and everything are on this site. Issues commented on include: politics, religion, race, pop culture, and more.

The Global Sociology Blog: A sociology and global studies professor updates this blog regularly with interesting tidbits of comics, graphs, videos, and posts about the trends and cultures around us.

Understanding Society: Exactly what is involved in understanding society? Apparently this blog is an experiment to find the answer or, at the very least, something close to it. It will look at the world of academia as well as first- and second-hand observations to get a better idea of what our society is all about.

The Sociology Blog: There are tutorials, presentations, and ideas on this blog that are useful in any sociology classroom. Videos and pictures accompany posts to create visuals as you browse through the site.

A Backstage Sociologist: Soak in the observations of sociology professor Monte Bute's insightful blog. His life experiences, creativity, and excellent writing makes this blog a go-to place for gaining perspective.

Not Your Typical Sociologist: We're always looking for a fresh mind and with this blog, you get just that. A blogging sociologist talks about the many things he notices in the environment around him.

Uncommon Thought Journal: Rowan Wolf - a sociologist, teacher, writer, and activist, writes about important issues in our world today. She will give you an analysis of what is going on from a sociological perspective.

Ways of Thinking: Teaching sociology may not be easy because you have material to use all around you, every single day. With the help of this blog, you will be regularly exposed to topics that you can focus your lesson plans around.

Union Street: According to the blogger, this blog is all about "second-order observations on sociology, education, politics, culture, and whatever else [is interesting]." With that said, it is fitting to see a wide range of topics discussed, from entertainment to politics, in the form of words or videos.

Source: http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/tips-and-tools/best-teacher-blogs#ixzz1NskrbbV5

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Monday, May 30, 2011

100 Best Blogs by Teachers for Teachers