Sources of Instructional Material

The easiest way to incorporate technology is to use existing materials. Locating and selecting instructional materials involves determining your needs, checking a variety of sources, previewing and trying the materials and finally making your selection.

Consider the “Education Websites with Instructional Materials” chart (Figure 8-3 in Chapter 8 of our text) and the websites below:

• 4Teachers
• abcteach
• A to Z Teacher Stuff
• Discovery Education Free Teacher Resources
• Education World
• PBS Teachers
• Scholastic Teacher
• Teachers.net
• teAchnology

Identify a variety of instructional materials that could be used to teach a specific content lesson. Once you have made your selections, evaluate them using the evaluation forms provided within Appendix D of our text. In your discussion post, share the evaluation results and discuss which criteria you think is the most important to consider when selecting instructional materials. Why? Make sure to identify the specific content lesson. 

Locate a website that contains a lesson that is similar to the lesson you are creating for your final project.  Examine how the lesson used instructional materials for teaching and learning. Post the link in the Discussion Forum with the following information: 

• Are there learning activities or ideas that you can integrate into your own lesson?
• What useful websites, tools or resources might you be able to use or modify? How would you rework them to better fit your lesson?

The lesson that I am creating is on the  ecology, habitation, environment of the seals in Alaska