My Favorite Online Resources for Credit Recovery (Alternative Education and Summer School)
As a former Alt-Ed teacher, I've done a lot of research looking for engaging and meaningful online curriculum and resources. I'll share some of my favorites along with a brief explanation of why these resources are my favorites.
Many teachers I know have used at least one TED Talk as part of a lesson or unit. If you have never used TED Talks in your classroom, I strongly encourage you to do so! My high school students LOVE them. There are hundreds (probably thousands) of TED Talks to choose from. In fact, there are so many, finding the right one for your classroom might seem a little overwhelming.
In my years as an Alternative Education teacher, I've spent many hours reviewing hundreds of talks looking for ones I think would appeal to my students. Once I found talks that met my criteria (relevant, meaningful, clear, concise, sometimes humorous, always powerful), I developed lesson plans to use with the videos.
Over time, I started acuumulating quite a few lessons on the following topics-- communication, mental health, history, etc. I gradually started compiling similar themed TED lessons into units (which I used to create student workbooks). My TED Talk workbooks became a staple in both my summer school credit recovery program and my Alternative Education program (the workbooks worked wonderfully with my independent study students.)
If you are interested in checking out my TED Talk units, please click here.
Every year Khan Academy gets better and better. I have been using Khan Academy for years. In the beginning, I used Khan Academy almost exclusively for its math content. In recent years, Khan Academy has grown to include content in every core subject area and more! Recently, they've added Careers and Growth Mindset curriculum, perfect for both summer school credit recovery and/or Alternative Education programming!
If you are unfamiliar with Khan Academy, this is how it works-- each subject is divided into modules. Modules are divided into mini-lessons. Students learn content from short video tutorials and brief written summaries. As students progress through a course (by watching video tutorials, practicing skills, and completing quizzes, they earn “mastery points” and badges. Teacher “coaches” are able to monitor student progress by synching student accounts with their own account. Teacher coaches are able to monitor how much time students spend watching tutorials, answering questions, etc. More importantly, teacher coaches are able to monitor which skills students have mastered and which skills students are struggling with and therefore need more practice.
CRASH COURSE
If you are in need of United States History and World History content, Crash Course videos are where it’s at! Students love these videos! They are jam-packed with great content, are funny, and visually appealing. The only complaint I’ve received from students regarding Crash Course videos is that John Green talks too fast. (There are Crash Course videos in other content areas such as Science, Government, and Literature with narrators who don’t speak as fast as John.) To resolve the "John Green talks too fast" issue, I simply slow down the speed in the video settings! Super easy!
Crash Course is more than a just YouTube channel. They also have their own website with lots of free curriculum. You can also find a lot of freebies online if you need a video guide for a specific episode. (I’ve created a few video guides for Crash Course videos that I offer for free in my TpT Store!)
iCIVICS
If you need Civics curriculum, iCivics has you covered. Founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2009 to promote civic literacy and engagement, it has grown in popularity among teachers nationwide. All you need to do is register and you have access to dozens of engaging lessons and resources your students will find both meaningful and fun! My students love “Argument Wars," a game focusing on landmark Supreme Court cases.
NPR
I use public radio with independent students a lot. I’ve found some great programs focusing on themes that are meaningful and useful to the students I serve. Some of the best content I use with my Life Skills course comes from NPR. For example, two summers ago I put together a "Healthy Parenting" unit and a “Teen Mental Health and Wellness Workbook” unit centered around NPR programs. I also put together a Civic Literacy and Engagement unit using both NPR programs and TED Talks for my CIvics students. I’ve used all of these units with independent study students during the school year as well. My only suggestion when using NPR programs in the classroom is to check for dead links a day or two before the lesson.
TED-ED is another resource I use often in my Social Studies Credit Recovery classes. TED-ED is jam-packed with short, engaging videos and mini-lessons including comprehension “Think Questions,” discussion topics, and supplemental resources. TED-ED videos also make great “exit tickets,” supplemental lessons, and extra credit for students as well!
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