As this new year gets rolling, there are so many of us that have high hopes, and possibly expectations, for a fresh start; to say adios to 2020 and never look back.  That being said, there are lessons learned from last year that shouldn’t be forgotten.

As a homeschool parent by choice not necessity, I realized that some of our routine procedures and resources could be a huge benefit to those that are new to the game.  After talking to a few desperate, and exhausted, parents, my suspicions were confirmed.

When schools closed in March, many were totally unprepared for what would come next.  Schools did their best to come up with online solutions so that some education could continue.  But it was difficult.  Teachers struggled to prepare and present lessons and engaging work, students struggled following assignments and with isolation, and parents struggled to balance household responsibilities, families, work, AND students.  Not an ideal situation for anyone.  Supplemental learning became a necessity.

Even as schools try to reopen for in-person learning, the fear of again going remote looms large in the shadows.  After homeschooling for 15 years, I have been through more web sites and YouTube channels looking for educational resources than I care to admit.  My time and frustration is now your benefit!  I’ve compiled a list, complete with short description and personal thoughts, for all of our favorite sites.  All kid approved, all for free. 😉  Enjoy!

Web Sites

• Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/)

Most likely not a new one for most people, but too important to leave out.  There are TONS (in my family we would say a crap-TON) of lessons and information on this site; everything from AP College Physics to Life Skills.  And don’t forget about the test prep section.  As a provider of college bound information this one is of particular importance.  They also provide guides on how to use the site as a parent or teacher.

 

• Google Earth (https://www.google.com/earth)

While this site can be fun and engaging on a base level, there can be so much more to it.  Zooming around the globe looking at your neighborhood and house, and those of everyone you know, can be fun, but so are exploring famous cities and taking virtual tours of historical sites (they are also educational!).  You can explore the virtual globe with satellite imagery, maps, terrain data, and even 3D buildings. And when you download the desktop version…. things get real. There is a plethora of GIS data available that takes exploring to a whole new level all while learning useful skills.

 

• ck-12 (https://www.ck12.org/teacher/)

Another great site that covers all the major subjects, for grades K-12 and a few beginning college level courses.  There are both teacher and student accounts and, like Khan Academy, everything is free.  The program includes lesson explanations, adaptive practice, simulations, games, videos, study guides, and more.

 

• The Exploratorium (https://www.exploratorium.edu/)

The Exploratorium is an interactive “museum” in San Francisco, CA.  On their web site, it is defined as “a public learning laboratory exploring the world through science, art, and human perception”.  In short, it’s a building of pure awesomeness!  If it isn’t right down the street for you, it’s not for me, you can still utilize their site for learning fun.  It provides access to apps, web projects, videos, activities, resources, and tools for teaching and learning.  One of my favorite tools is this cell size and scale simulation in the Cell Biology Teaching Box https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cells/scale/.

 

• NASA (https://www.nasa.gov/stem)

“I mean, you-you’re NASA for cryin’ out loud, you put a man on the moon, you’re geniuses! You-you’re the guys that think this shit up! I’m sure you got a team of men sitting around somewhere right now just thinking shit up….” (Anyone? We’re big movie quoters in my house. 😉)

It’s NASA.  What more do I really need to say?  Their STEM site has K-12 resources for students and educators.

 

• Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/)

A library of over 60,000 free ebooks. It’s free. Check it out.

 

• Code.org (https://code.org/)

A great site for anyone wanting to learn to code.  Along with basic coding instructions, students can also learn how to create games and apps.

 

• Academic Earth (https://academicearth.org/)

A number of free, online college courses provided from several universities.  Most are self-guided and self-paced.

YouTube Channels

• Crash Course (https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse/featured)

A plethora of informational videos on numerous subjects:

• Study Hall
• History
• Social Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• Life Sciences
• Math/Logic
• Media Studies:  Literature, Film, Theater, and Games
• Business

The videos are fun and engaging while presenting the information in a relatable manner. My daughter loves this guy; thinks he’s hilarious.

 

• TED Ed (https://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation/featured)

I don’t think there’s anyone left that hasn’t at least heard of Ted Talks.  This channel is a library of animated, educational videos covering just about every topic imaginable.  I didn’t even try to count how many videos are available, the list just kept scrolling and scrolling and scrolling!

 

• Minute Physics (https://www.youtube.com/user/minutephysics/featured)

“Simply put: cool physics and other sweet science.”  Their words, not mine.  But still true.  Numerous videos and most under five minutes.  Their “explained in ten seconds” videos are excellent.

 

• Big Think (https://www.youtube.com/c/bigthink/featured)

Literally thousands of educational videos presented by a wide range of experts.

 

• Mark Rober (https://www.youtube.com/c/MarkRober/featured)

This one is probably no surprise to many of you.  Ever heard of the Porch Pirate Glitter Bomb?  Or the Squirrel Ninja Obstacle Course?  This is the guy.  And all of his other “experiments” are equally as entertaining and educational (an unbeatable combination in my book!), not to mention most are every kid’s dream science project. 

 

• Smarter Every Day (https://www.youtube.com/c/smartereveryday/featured)

I can’t say enough good things about Destin and his videos.  I love them.  My whole family loves them.  He investigates some of the coolest scientific topics.  I don’t think I’ve seen one that wasn’t amazing.  The Backwards Brain Bicycle is one of my favorites.

 

• Half as Interesting (https://www.youtube.com/c/halfasinteresting/featured)

These videos are short, all under ten minutes, explanations of some of the most obscure topics.  I find them enthralling.  So many things I would never have learned in one place.  And my daughter loves them, too.

 

• No Dumb Questions (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVnIvJuTZqM5nnwGFpA57_Q/featured)

This channel is a collaboration between two guys, and one of them is Destin from Smarter Every Day (I told you I love his work!).  It is, “A podcast where a science guy from the deep south and a humanities guy from the wild west explore a seemingly trivial question in tremendous detail.”  The segments are long, 1-2 hours, but well worth it.

 

• Veritasium (https://www.youtube.com/c/veritasium/featured)

More cool science…. really cool science.

 

• How Ridiculous (https://www.youtube.com/c/veritasium/featured)

“We drop stuff, we bounce stuff, we throw stuff, we catch stuff.” And that’s exactly what happens. The channel is run, and stars, three guys from Australia. The videos are what every kid wants to see (and do!). The guys are energetic, fun, and very likable. They don’t necessarily discuss the science behind what they are doing, and sometimes they question it, but the videos are a great starting point for teachable topics.

 

• Biology! with the Amoeba Sisters (https://www.youtube.com/user/AmoebaSisters)

A great resource for biology.  The channel was created by two actual sisters; one does the videos and the other the cartoons.  The videos are relatively short, under 10 minutes, and use humor to explain a variety of topics.  They also have handouts on their web site, https://www.amoebasisters.com/handouts.html, that go with many of the videos.  About half-way down the page, there is an alphabetized list of topics that are covered.  Clicking on the topic shows a link to the video, a free .pdf for the handout, if available, and link to the handout answer sheet for purchase on their Teachers Pay Teachers site.  These videos were originally suggested by Sophia’s college (dual enrollment) biology professor.  She liked them so much she has continued using them.