Blog Post 13

ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange), a portal maintained by the Alabama Department of Education, provides lesson plans for teachers in all grade levels for all subjects. Lesson plans can be searched by author, title, or school. Web resources are also available for teachers, administrators and students. Professional Development Opportunities are promoted through links to the Alabama Department of Education Program Websites. Here teachers can find "teaching and learning tools, the latest news, best practices and more."

Information about Alabama’s Thinkfinity Partnership is also made available. According to ALEX, “Thinkfinity through the Verizon Foundation, has continued their support for Alabama educators through several generous grants. These grants support an active, dynamic training program. In addition to funding, Thinkfinity.org shares its 55,000+ resources with Alabama to link directly from the Alabama Courses of Study from Alabama’s partnership web portal, ALEX.” Thinkfinity also functions as a search engine for lesson plans, teacher training, student interactives, and at-home or after school activities.

A Podcast Treasury is also housed in the ALEX web site. Schools from across our state have uploaded podcasts in all subject areas to share with the web community.

I have added this site to my PLN and plan to use it often to seek out opportunities for professional development and grants. The lesson plans and podcasts will be valuable tools for my future classroom, as well.