In this era of the Internet, you can find a lot of information and resources for students just on the internet. The only problem that occurred is that we could find information and resources that we mistake them as official sources or teacher recommendations.
Home Schooling Resources During COVID-19
- Amazing Educational Resources: A spreadsheet of 300+ education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings. Additional helpful resources can be found in this article by Forbes.
- Resources for Educators During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Common Sense Media has created a collection of remote teaching resources, family education materials, and research-backed strategies to ease stress and encourage learning at home. On this other page, you can find Online Learning Resources to Supplement Homeschooling, Free Educational Apps, Games, and Websites, and more.
- Zoom’s Free Videoconferencing Tools: During the COVID-19 crisis, Zoom is providing K-12 institutions free access to their videoconferencing tools needed to run online courses. Get details here. Also here are tips on how to look your best on a webcam.
- Free Zoom Artistic Backgrounds: If you would like to customize your Zoom background, you can find free art from Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli (the makers of Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, etc.) You can also get free art from world class museums. Instructions for customizing the background can be found here.
- Engineering Challenges for Children During Lockdown: Designers from the James Dyson Foundation “have come up with a series of challenges to help kids learn at home during isolation. Comprised of 22 science tasks and 22 engineering activities, the Challenge Cards can be completed by children using common household items such as eggs, string and balloons.” There’s a related set of videos on YouTube.
- Free Online Resources for Schools Shifting Online During Coronavirus Pandemic: A collection of resources curated by SchoolChoiceWeek.com. It covers communication platform resources, math and science resources, social studies resources and more.
- Ideas to Steal: A New Zealand organization provides free activities you can do with your kids, using basic materials at home.
- Khan Academy: Khan Academy has created guides designed to help parents and teachers get through the COVID-19 crisis.
- Google Teach From Home: A central hub of information, tips, training and tools from across Google for Education to help teachers keep teaching, even when they aren’t in the classroom.
- Google Learn at Home: Google has partnered with Khan Academy and other learning creators to bring parents & families resources and activities to make the coming days as educational and fun as possible. These resources won’t replace any homework assigned by teachers — but they can complement that work.
- How Schools Can Start Teaching Online in a Short Period of Time: Free Tutorials from the Stanford Online High School.
- National Emergency Library: In the wake of our crisis, the Internet Archive has made available online 1.5 million books. They’re ready to be checked out.
- Netflix Educational Documentaries: During this period, Netflix has made some of its educational documentaries free to stream online. The list notably includes David Attenborough’s nature series Our Planet and Abstract, which looks at the art of design.
- New York Public Library COVID-19 Resources: Need some good book recommendations? Read aloud suggestions? NYPL has your at-home reading needs covered for kids of all ages. See sections on Pre-K to 2nd Grade, 3rd to 5th Grade, Middle School and High School.
- Scholastic Learn at Home: Day-to-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking and learning. Goes from PreK to 9th grade.
- Free Online Drawing Lessons for Kids, Led by Favorite Artists & Illustrators: During the COVID-19 crisis, some well known illustrators (Mo Willems, Wendy McNaughton, Wendy, etc.) are offering free drawing lessons for kids.
- The National Constitution Center: This organization is offering daily live constitutional conversations for middle school, high school, and college students, available through Zoom, and accessible on home computer, laptop, or phone
Free Audio Books, eBooks, and Textbooks
- Free Audio Books: Our collection of 450 free audio books includes many children’s classics. The Wizard of Oz, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Mark Twain, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, The Swiss Family Robinson, Gulliver’s Travels, Anne of Green Gables, Aesop’s Fables, The Wizard of Oz series, and much more. You can download audio files straight to your computer or mobile device.
- Free eBooks: This collection includes many children’s classics in ebook format. You generally have the option to download these texts to your Kindle, iPad, Nook or computer. Video tutorials are included on the page. You may also want to visit our resource: Download 20 Popular High School Books Available as Free eBooks & Audio Books.
- Audible Stories: During the COVID-19 outbreak, Audible is providing free stories to kids and teens.
- Bartleby.com: Gives you access to free online classics of reference, literature, and nonfiction, including Strunk & White’s Elements of Style, The World Factbook, The Oxford Shakespeare, and The King James Bible.
- Calibre: Download free e-book software that will manage your electronic library, convert e-books from one format to another, and give you online access to free e-books. We have more on it here.
- CK-12: This non-profit provides “open textbooks” for K-12 students all over the world. It offers free high-quality, standards-aligned, open content in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
- Historic Children’s Books: The University of Florida’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature has digitized 6,000 books. They’re free to read online from cover to cover. You can find other collections by The Library of Congress and UCLA.
- International Children’s Digital Library: Provides free access to high-quality children’s books from around the world in different languages, including Arabic, Afrikaans, Danish, English, Farsi and beyond. Hosts books for kids 3-5, 6-9, and 10-13. Start browsing the library here.
- Librivox: A favorite of ours, Librivox provides free audio books from the public domain. You will find 5000+ books in their catalogue.
- OER Commons: Free, adaptable, openly licensed textbooks and supplemental resources.
- Project Gutenberg: The mother of all ebook sites hosts 40000 free ebooks, and makes them accessible for Kindle, Android, iPad, and iPhone.
- The Harvard Classics: Harvard’s influential president, Charles W. Eliot, said that if you spent just 15 minutes a day reading the right books, you could give yourself a proper liberal education. He published a 51-volume series, now known as The Harvard Classics, and they’re available free online. Ideal for the older student.
- Free Textbook Collection: Our site provides a meta collection of free textbooks available on the web. It covers everything from Art History to Biology, Math, Physics, and Psychology.
- Physics Comic Books – PhysicsCentral, a web site run by The American Physical Society (an organization representing 48,000 physicists), has created a series of comic books designed to get kids excited about physics. Among other comics, you can can read Nikola Tesla and the Electric Fair for free online.
- RadioLab for Kids: Kid-friendly stories curated by Radiolab. All in one bingeable spot.
- Watch Stars Read Classic Children’s Books: Betty White, James Earl Jones, Rita Moreno & Many More: Storyline Online streams imaginatively produced videos featuring celebrated actors including Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Chris Pine, Wanda Sykes, Justin Theroux, and Betty White reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.
General websites for students
LifeHacker aims to help its users out with life in the modern world. Popular tags include ‘Productivity’, ‘Money’ and ‘DIY’.
Although essentially one of many time-wasting student websites, MentalFloss is good for learning interesting facts from around the world, covering topics such as food, culture, and science. Admittedly, its main function may be as a procrastination aid, but you should still learn something.
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Join one of our upcoming events to find out. Meet universities and business schools from around the world.
This student resource offers an alternative to TV (and, unfortunately, studying), hosting randomized videos on interesting scientific topics.
4. Sleepyti. me
This site tells you the best times to go to bed if you have to be up at a certain hour – a very useful tool within student life. Taking into account regular sleep cycles, Sleepyti. I can help if you suffer from grogginess in the mornings.
If you struggle to stay away from social media when you’re meant to be studying, use KeepMeOut to block certain distracting websites.
Educational websites for students
6. EdX.org
Edx is one of the world’s leading MOOC platforms. MOOCs (massive open online courses) are offered for free to anyone wishing to learn. Other major MOOC providers include Udacity.com, AcademicEarth.org, and…
7. Coursera.org
Coursera covers a wide range of academic learning, allowing you to supplement your studies with some additional knowledge.
Cooking websites for students
8. StudentRecipes.com
Exactly what it says on the tin, StudentRecipes.com has recipes for 4,000 quick and easy student meals.
RecipePuppy allows you to search for recipes based on the ingredients you already have at home. Lazy students, rejoice.
This is one of the most useful online student resources if you like making and fixing things yourself. You can learn anything from how to make spaghetti ice cream to how to fix a broken shelf.
Health websites for students
11. The Ultimate Health Food Guide
This guide will be a lifesaver throughout student life for times when you’re feeling wrung out, stressed, or ill. Whatever your ailments, visit this resource to find out what foods to eat to build your immunity and vitality back up.
12. WebMD.com
WebMD allows you to check your current health status using its symptom checker. Although this resource is great for hypochondriacs, it doesn’t replace the knowledge of a real doctor – go offline and visit your university’s health center if you’re concerned.
13. NHS.uk
The website of the UK’s National Health Service provides information on all kinds of illnesses, conditions, diseases, and treatments. The site also gives comprehensive information on sexual health.
DontPassItOn provides free chlamydia and gonorrhea testing kits by post to UK citizens aged 16-24.
Sexual health advice and resources for those based in the US.
Shopping & selling websites for students
16. Ebay.com
Well-established consumer-to-consumer site eBay allows you to buy, sell or auction off almost anything, including clothing, electronic devices, and antiques. It could come in handy if your student budget needs a boost, or if you want to find some bargains.
17. TheBookPond.com
The Book Pond allows you to sell your old academic textbooks or buy the ones you need from other students who are ready to pass them on.
18. Amazon.com
Amazon sells everything under the sun, including books, e-books, and textbooks you may need for your program. However, its critics say it’s damaging to independent bookstores, so you may want to consider using your local store instead of always shopping online.
19. Gumtree.com
Gumtree advertises jobs, second-hand goods, properties, and services for people around the UK. If you’re a student in the UK, it can be a good place to search for part-time job opportunities, look for accommodation, sell things you don’t need anymore, or even swap goods or skills.
20. Craigslist.com
The global version of Gumtree, Craigslist is big in the US and has many city/area divisions, so you can find listings close to you.
21. Freecycle.org
This online platform allows you to give away your unwanted things or get your hands on what other people are giving away. Handy for furniture and general bric-a-brac.
Money-saving websites for students
22. Groupon.com
Groupon offers daily deals on things such as spa days, fancy restaurants, and city breaks. It’s not exactly the place to go-to for the essentials of student life, but it’s a good way to treat yourself at the end of a stressful exam period, perhaps.
MoneySavingExpert has advice on everything from cheap flights to the best bank interest rates, helping your student budget stretch further.
24. Mint.com
Free to use, Mint can help you organize your finances and track your spending.
MyVoucherCodes offers vouchers and discounts for a huge number of retail stores and restaurants within the UK. If you’re in the US, RetailMeNot is the place to go.
26. UniDays.com
Just one of many student websites offering discounts, UniDays lists thousands of student discounts and offers around the globe. It’s free to join and also available as an app.
27. WiseBread.com
WiseBread is dedicated to living well on a tight budget – whether you’re a student or just trying to get more for your money. It offers advice on everything from debt management to growing your fruit and vegetables.
Other useful resources for students
An offshoot of Rap Genius, Lit Genius is a place where scholars have formed a community to annotate poetry and literature, both classic and recent. It’s an extremely helpful resource for English literature students in particular.
29. TED.com
TED hosts thought-provoking talks given at events all over the world on the core topics of technology, entertainment, and design – but covering pretty much every aspect of human experience. The TED site is where you can find all the videos of these talks. They’re another good procrastination device, but you may also find some inspiration for your next essay.
30. Wikipedia.org
Although your tutors will tell you never to reference Wikipedia in assignments, the collaboratively edited encyclopedia project can be a very useful tool for early-stage research into your assignment or project.
31. Bartleby.com
Bartleby publishes classic literature, poetry, non-fiction, and reference texts free of charge.
32. Gutenberg.org
Similarly, Project Gutenberg provides free online access to texts whose copyright has expired; so far, it’s digitized more than 56,000 texts.
20 Online Learning Resources to Get You through Coronavirus School Closures
The current wave of school closures across the United States is leading parents and teachers to search for quality educational activities and online resources for children and students of all ages to continue learning at home.
Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or a school district leader, the recent spike in COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases in the US, along with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) designation of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, has certainly affected your daily routines at home and work. Education Week’s map for coronavirus-related school closures reports “at least 57,000 schools are closed, is scheduled to close, or were closed and later reopened, affecting at least 25.8 million students.”
With so many school closures across the country, online learning or distance learning is becoming a key alternative in ensuring that students and teachers have access to online lessons and activities. Here are 20 online learning and educational websites that teachers and parents can offer as activities for students during the COVID-19 school closures.
1. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a great online learning website for students of all ages. The site offers short video lessons on thousands of topics, and their programs are personalized to allow children to learn at their own pace. To top it off, all videos and resources are free for all users. Check out their daily schedules for students ages 4-18.
2. Code
Learn to code online! Code.org provides free K-12 computer science lessons and games to help students learn how to code at an earlier age. Code.org is supported by tech company donors, including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and many more.
3. Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids
The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids features fun games, riddles, and puzzles, to supplement any online learning for young children.
4. Sesame Street
Who doesn’t love Sesame Street? Students have access to hundreds of video clips and games that help them with phonics, rhymes, colors, and more.
5. PBS Kids
PBS Kids is a great online learning option for K-12 students who love interactive content, including sing-along videos, TV series, games, virtual lessons, and more. You can also download their PBS Kids Video app for live-tv streaming.
6. CoolMath
CoolMath.com offers online math games that help students ages 3+ with basic math lessons, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, money, and more. CoolMath4Kids.com is appropriate for ages 3 through 12 and CoolMath-Games.com includes math games for pre-K students.
7. National Geographic Kids
What could be cooler than learning about animals? On National Geographic Kids, students of all ages can enjoy science experiments, animal watch cameras, and a ton of activities to keep them busy for hours.
8. Starfall
Starfall.com is a great online resource that helps pre-K to 3rd-grade students with language arts and math lessons. It also offers a parent-teacher resource center for free, downloadable worksheets, and more.
9. The KIDZ Page
TheKidzPage.com is the perfect online resource for parents and teachers who are looking for word games, coloring activities, and puzzles to try with their students. Check out their printable section for offline activity sheets as well.
10. How Stuff Works
How Stuff Works is a comprehensive articles-based site that introduces and informs on a variety of topics like culture, science, money, technology, and more. Games, quizzes, and videos are also available to supplement the articles.
11. Scholastic
You can play games, create your comics, and more. Most importantly, Scholastic features an online discussion board for your students to connect with friends online.
12. Fun Brain
Fun Brain is designed for pre-K to 8th-grade students to explore topics in math and reading through fun videos and games.
13. Exploratorium
Exploratorium (yes, the same one as the museum in San Francisco) has a website that teaches students about science and art. Help your students go far into the galaxy or deep down to the bottom of the ocean on this site.
14. BBC History for Kids
Students can walk through ancient history, or choose specific countries for more deep learning. BBC History for Kids is an adventure through time.
15. Nick Jr.
Beyond the television network, Nick Jr. offers many educational printables, games, and other activities (yes, it includes Peppa Pig) for students to love.
16. Learning Games for Kids
Learning Games for Kids is all about games that can teach students about a variety of topics and subjects. Game lovers will be thrilled.
17. TIME for Kids
TIMEforKids.com offers interesting articles, photos, and videos on topics like politics, the environment, entertainment, sports, and health.
18. Disney Jr.
Mickey Mouse and friends will keep your students busy for hours with games, coloring pages, videos, and more.
19. Duolingo
Looking for a language learning site with fun games and creative lesson plans? Duolingo offers a rewarding, personalized learning experience in more than 20 languages, including Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and more.
20. Highlights Kids
Highlights Kids offers online ways to play, read and craft with animated stories and more. According to their website, they are on a mission to “help children become their best selves by publishing content and creating experiences that engage, delight, and foster joyful learning.”
Conclusion
There are many online resources for students, but not every single resource is the best one. That’s why I’ve gathered my personal favorite education websites and put them in this article.