Florida's 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Best Practice Resources - Technical Assistance & Training Unit
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TAT is dedicated to helping programs locate resources to continually improve their programs. Below are numerous resources we have found to support 21st CCLC services. Please share other worthwhile resources with your TAT representative.
All resources are free unless otherwise noted.
Overview of after school programs/concept: Comprehensive resource sites-
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/afterschool/index.html - Concept to Classroom - this is an outstanding comprehensive resource specifically designed for after school programs. Includes information on creating and sustaining effective after school programs. Highly recommended.
http://www.cisnet.org/working_together/after-school.asp - After School Program Toolkit from Communities in Schools. Highlights include the following: After-school programs found to be effective; Core elements that contribute to the success of these programs; a body of resources to sustain quality after-school programs
http://www.edutopia.org/ - Information and Inspiration for Innovative teaching for K-12.
http://www.education-world.com/ - Complete online resource for educators to find lesson plans and research materials and to help integrate the Internet into the classroom.
http://www.learningpt.org/page.php?pageID=4 - Beyond the Bell – Toolkit for After School Programming. Cost is $79, but includes the following: toolkit designed around key decision points, including management, collaboration and community building, communication, evaluation, funding, linkages with the traditional school day, and more. CD-ROM includes these tools in both PDF and Word format so that they can easily be revised and printed to meet your program's specific needs. The Staff Workbook provides staff with tips, tools, and examples for program design and delivery. Also, check out examples of high quality activities and programming they have Learning Point has collected - http://www.learningpt.org/afterschool/hqactivities/.
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/ - The After School Alliance provides free online program resources such as improving sustainability and working with the media (they even have downloadable press releases and radio spots that you can tailor for your program).
Curriculum Resources:
Multiple- (math, science, reading, art, enrichment, character ed, social studies, etc.)
http://www.teachercreated.com/lessons/ - Weekly lesson plans created by teachers for teachers and parents. Includes a variety of subjects and topics. You can search for curriculums by grade level and subject area. (note: For each lesson click on the “Download Activity” button to access worksheets).
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/ - Lesson plans from Education World. In addition to academics, includes lessons plans on character education topics such as tolerance, bullying, and bullying.
http://www.ilovethatteachingidea.com/ - Practical, teacher-created ideas and resources that you can use in your classroom immediately.
http://www.uen.org/k12educator/ - Utah Education Network: lesson plans, education links and instructional TV. You can search for curriculums by grade level and subject area.
http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/welcome.html - The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning helps state education agencies and local practitioners develop high-quality, balanced programs that provide a safe and fun environment for academic enrichment as well as youth development activities
www.enchantedlearning.com - Although there is a fee for this site [between $25 (classroom only) and $75 year (school with unlimited computer stations)] you may want to check out this resource option. The site also does provide a number of free lesson plans (scroll down on the main page.
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/ - Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators is a categorized list of sites useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth.
http://www.learningpt.org/promisingpractices/index.html - Programs share their Enrichment Activities for literacy, math and science. Includes staff development tool as well.
Technology/Media literacy-
http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article661.html - Provides easy to follow K-12 curriculum and handouts, and provides easy-to-understand introduction for teachers on the Five Core Concepts and Five Key Questions of media literacy. Available in English and Spanish.
http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/all-the-presidents-men.html - lesson plans based on movies. There are several free curriculum examples online, but the annual fee is only $11.99 for unlimited access to Learning Guides and Lesson Plans based on 280 movies covering all aspects of the K -12 curriculum.
www.storyofmovies.org - An interdisciplinary curriculum introducing students to classic cinema and the cultural, historical and artistic significance of film.
www.whyville.net and www.imbee.com - Both of these sites are designed to help children develop online skills.
http://www.medialit.org/ - Center for Media Literacy
http://www.nmmlp.org/ - New Mexico Media Literacy Project. The site contains some free resources, but it also worthwhile to explore their for-sale curriculums on media literacy.
Math/Reading
www.coolmath4kids.com - an amusement park of math and more -- especially designed for kids
www.scholastic.com - reading and learning resources
Art-
www.kinderart.com - KinderArt is the largest collection of free art lessons on the Internet. Includes lesson plans, ideas and resources. (http://www.kinderart.com/multic/ - the multicultural link is particularly good)
Character Education-
http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=startsomething - The Tiger Wood foundation created The Start Something Program to help kids from ages eight to 17 find and achieve their dreams. The curriculum gives young people the tools to lead, inspire and succeed. Also, once a child has finished the program, he/she is eligible to apply for a grant (up to $5,000) to pursue a personal goal/dream.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/bully.shtml - Lessons plans that focus on bullying. From Education World
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson294.shtml - Lessons plans that focus on tolerance. From Education World.
http://saxakali.com/COLOR_ASP/index.htm - Cultural Online Learning Organization & Resource (COLOR) Afterschool Program (CAP)
Nutrition/Health-
http://www.kidsacookin.ksu.edu/ - Lots of very good recipes for cooking with children – easy and medium skill levels for children of different ages. Developed by Kansas State University.
http://cops.uwf.edu/copsweb/hles/after/ - Dr. Stu Ryan’s (University of West Florida) website for after school fitness and integrated activities.
www.dole5aday.com - Free nutritional resource website. Includes sections for teachers, students and families, as well as Spanish content. Also has some online games about nutrition.
www.sparkpe.org - sports, play and active recreation for kids
www.commit2Bfit.org - A children’s health initiative to encourage better nutrition and increased physical activity.
Science-
www.nationalgeographic.com - The website has educational activities and resources. Specialized links for children and educators.
www.madscience.org - hands on science enrichment (note: this is a cost program).
www.homesofourown.org/ - A FREE interactive teaching tool for the middle and high school classrooms. The simulation presents a macro view of the entire home building process from site selection to final sale. Students collect information, solve problems and make choices as they build a 3-D home against a budget, then review credit applications and sell to the buyer of their choice.
Project Butterfly Wings WINGS, Winning Investigative Network for Great Science, is a partnership between 4-H youth and professional scientists. Participating 4-H youth are “citizen scientists” who collect data on butterflies to help professional scientists.
www.edheads.org - Edheads helps students learn through educational games and activities – (for example, virtual knee surgery)
Parent Resources – Check out these sites to help create a parent workshop
http://nrc.uchsc.edu/ and http://nrc.uchsc.edu/parents.htm (this is linked within the first site) - National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education.
http://www.education-world.com/a_special/parent_involvement.shtml - Education World has compiled a variety of ideas to build Parent involvement.
http://www.ripin.org/100tips.pdf - 100 tips for parents
Evaluation/Assessment
http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin/admin496.shtml - Mapping Instruction
With Interim Assessments (from Education World)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/sites/sites066.shtml - Web-based tools for testing students online, for printing tests that you format online, and for preparing students to take standardized print and online tests. For review, remediation, or assessment. (From Education World).
http://www.tascorp.org/section/what_we_do/public_policy/partners/nysan1 - The After-School Corporation. Download their Program Quality Self-Assessment tool.
http://www.wtgrantfoundation.org/usr_doc/Improving_After-School_Program_Quality.pdf - “Improving After School Program Quality” – Academic paper from the William T. Grant Foundation.
http://www.forumfyi.org/Files//Measuring_Youth_Program_Quality.pdf - “Measuring Youth Program Quality: A guide to Assessment Tools”. By the Forum for Youth Investment.
http://www.kinderart.com/artbook/- create an art book for Art Assessment
Resources for Methods in Evaluation and Social Research
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/symposium/event.html - Online archive from the HRFP After School Evaluation Symposium.
http://www.learningpt.org/promisingpractices/index.html - Evaluating Enrichment Activities
Sustainability/Community
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/media_main.cfm - The After School Alliance provides tips on how to work with the media to highlight your program.
http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/funding_main.cfm - Funding and sustainability resources from the After School Alliance
http://www.emt.org/userfiles/StartMentWeb.pdf- Starting a Mentoring program
http://www.mentoring.org/_DownloadFiles/Mentor%20Tool%20Kit_full.pdf - How to build a successful mentoring program Using the Elements of Effective practice. A step-by-step toolkit for program managers.
Contact your regional TAT consultant for additional information.