National Wildlife Resources

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has some great resources for educators on their web site. There is a news section, wildlife animal information and resources, environment and global climate change resources, and much more.

They have wildlife cameras that you can view, such as the Eagle Cam, an incredible Wildlife Library with information about different species, and Wild Places where you can virtually visit and explore some great wild parts of America.

There are outdoor activity guides and things to do outside, Wildlife news reports, and Global Climate Change resources.

This is a great resource for teachers and students to use when studying wildlife, nature, and the environment. I'm getting ready to start a unit under the motto "The World Around Us", so it sounds "perfect stuff" to me ;)

Source: Educational Technology Guy

Online Teaching Jobs: Options For Educators

For educators who want to move beyond traditional teaching methods, online teaching jobs, with instruction delivered via the internet, can be an exciting new direction to explore. Teaching jobs centred on classroom instruction demand a particular set of communication skills. Online teaching jobs allow teachers to explore other means of delivering knowledge to learners. This can be stimulating and exciting for educators in online teaching jobs and online learners alike.

Delivering Knowledge and Instruction Via the Internet

Online Education

The internet offers diverse opportunities for educators to teach online. Online teaching jobs come in many shapes and forms, and use different strategies to engage and instruct learners. Some parallel traditional classroom instruction, but there are also other opportunities for educators to use interactive technologies to deliver knowledge in new and innovative ways.

1. Online teaching in virtual classrooms and webinars. It is perfectly possible to use the internet much like a conventional classroom, with instructor-led teaching delivered by video link in real time. With the right software (WebEx is one example) it is possible to conduct lectures, workshops and other meetings almost as if all participants are gathered in the same room. Attendees can ask questions and discussions can take place. This is an especially good option for adult learners who do not require additional supervision.

2. Blended learning. Studies have shown that learners whose course content is delivered both in conventional classroom contexts and via the web tend to achieve more highly than in courses that depend on one or other of these options. Some educators may be well placed to deliver the web-based component of blended learning courses (or both).

3. Distance learning - one-to-one. Video calling, screen sharing and interactive whiteboards make it possible for teachers to instruct individual learners, almost as if in a private tuition situation.

4. Online tutoring jobs. In the array of online teaching jobs, online tutoring is a popular option. Rather than delivering the primary instruction, tutors provide additional coaching, supplementary to lessons. Varieties include catch-up tutoring, remedial lessons, test prep and homework supervision.

5. Materials development for online learning. For educators seeking online teaching jobs that do not necessarily involve direct instruction, there is often a call for devising teaching materials designed especially for delivery over the web. That material can be delivered with or without active input from a tutor. For teachers interested in the new ways of learning that the internet offers, this can be a rewarding career path.

6. Online learning communities and peer-to-peer learning. Teachers seeking new ways of offering learning support may wish to experiment with web-based learning communities, where learners with common interests and problems can interact (either via message boards and chat rooms or by webcam), preferably in a moderated environment where expert help is available. The collaborative learning environment that the internet facilitates is one area of online education with enormous but as yet under-explored potential.

Online Teaching Jobs: Options For Educators

Early Childhood Education ? Educators Must Participate In Outreach Programs

Early childhood education is all about teaching kids in a very interesting way. Teachers will stay inside the classroom in order to help kids have fun while learning. The good thing is numerous facilities now hire childcare experts and educators to help teach kids at this young age.

But aside from teaching kids inside the class, educators would also need to do various things for the facilities. Among these things include outreach program participation.

Outreach programs are held on a regular basis by many facilities. This is their way of extending early childhood education on different places. Some areas, due to the lack of funding or experts, don’t have early childhood care facilities. With the aim of pushing the popularity of child education today, facilities would take part in outreach programs to help reach out to these kids.

Since educators are also a part of these facilities, they also need to be a part of these programs especially if it’s an actual project of the center.

Help coming from these experts will definitely be a great help for the facility in dealing with kids who need to learn different things at this age.

Being an early childhood education expert, they will also do the usual things done inside the class. They will teach kids’ about different subjects and help them learn. Topics may not be as difficult as those in elementary schools but they’re considered to be good preparatory classes for these kids. The good thing about these classes is children from these areas greatly appreciate them as well as the teachers’ effort in teaching. Since it will only be done for a short period of time, the outreach program would focus on specific things to discuss and to maximize their learning.

In addition, early childhood education experts would also do other procedures like assisting kids when it comes to feeding during their breaks. Outreach programs usually have feeding programs to tie-up with the classes. They may do this on specific locations or for groups of children. The good thing about this feeding program is they would provide nutritious meals to ensure every parent that their kids are taken care of during these activities. This will result to more parents to trust this type of care centers. They’ll know that their kids are not being far from home when it comes to the care they receive in these schools.

These outreach programs would need the help of early childhood education experts from the planning stage up to the actual day of the outreach program. They would take part in preparation and in setting everything they need to have an organized outreach program for the sake of kids far from this type of education.

In conclusion, educators and childcare experts will not only take care of children but also in being active on these outreach program. Once you become of these experts, keep in mind that you also have to take part in these programs to make it more organized and meet its objectives.