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The resource that I looked at was PebbleGo Next.  I really like this resource as it offers science and social studies topics integrated with ELA.  I would use this site to show how to differentiate the process by using some of the resources within a 3-group or 4-group rotation.  You can also use the resources in a face-to-face or virtual environment which I think is so important these days.  There are also games included for each lesson and I think that these resources could be used individually or whole-group as a review.    I think bringing PebbleGo Next into a larger training on resources available to help with differentiation or the RTI process would be a good idea as this would give educators a practical and doable way to integrate PebbleGO Next into something they should be doing anyway.  PebbleGo Next is a great resource and can be for multiple grade bands, which I think is also important as some teachers teach across grade bands and need resources that span multiple grades.

I checked out Storia, which provides books or stories for grades 3-6. This information could be helpful to provide high quality texts to students based upon students learning targets and success criteria set by the teacher. 

I thought this would be powerful because first teachers could assign texts based on similar topics that are covered in class. This would follow the curriculum plan that teacher has to help students meet learning goals. Next I found that buildings could benefit from this as teachers could assign texts based on Lexile level. This would help teachers meet diverse learners needs in the classroom along with the grade level texts they use. 

I looked at Storia. Having access to digital books is important but often difficult to ensure that multiple students can access the same resource at the same time, due to licensing costs.  Because of InfOhio's efforts, teachers can utilize Storia content either as a whole class or based on individual / small group needs and abilities. I do wish the content was more accessible in the sense that students cannot adjust the font or size of the text.  The book I explored did not have any text-to-speech or in-line dictionary access, which was disappointing.

It is important to know that Scholastic is retiring Storia at the end of August. INFOhio will offer Literacy Pro to Ohio's students in grades 3-6 starting this summer. This resource includes all the eBooks from Storia and more. There are more interactive features with the same greate content! We will keep you posted as we learn more!

I reviewed the World Book Early Learning and World Book Kids. I must say these are two wonderful resources that are easy to access, very informative and student friendly. I enjoyed the content and layout - it has everything organized into general topics to help students easily navigate the resource. One way I envisioned this to be used was for any type of research project or "genius hour" work. Students can easily access pictures, videos and lots of information about varied topics of interest. 

Buildings and/or districts can benefit from this as it is a free and easily accessible resource. If these resources are implemented at the elementary level all the way through the high school level - students would become familiar with how to use the resources and all of the valuable infomation it holds. 

Nicole,

I love the idea of using the WB products for vertical alignment! There really is great content in these resources.

I reviewed The World Almanac for Kids Elementary.  

Students can choose age-appropriate online resources for information, search to find relevant information about a topic, recognize the importance of giving credit to the source of information, use different types of media, and futher develop cognitive skils while navigating the site.

Kid-friendly home page

Interesting topics, fun games, and challenging interactives

Wealth of Content--30+ topic centers, biographies, facts, videos, interactive resources, printables, flags, maps

Lesson and Project Ideas

I reviewed the Highlights Library. It has almost 3000 fiction and non-fiction leveled readers that can be used in all content areas for grade levels K-5. In addition to the great level readers, there are several short videos that can extend learning in many areas like STEM, science, social studies, and SEL. If you get a chance explore the Who Am I videos or Make It videos. These videos would be a good alternative to using unvetted materials from YouTube.

The resource I reviewed was The World Almanac for Elementary Kids. The resource features topics like Habitats, Weather & Climate, Scientists & Inventors, Countries Around the World, Reptiles & Amphibians, Language Arts. and Character Building. I specifically looked more at the social studies and science topics. Elementary teachers are always looking for good resources for social studies and science. There were lessons, projects, videos, and games. This can be a supplimental resource for teachers who are looking for high-quality resource. Many times students need more exposure to some of the social studies and science topics than what teachers have with the curriculum that is being used in the school district.

Lisa - I agree! Be sure to take a look at PebbleGo Next and Capstone Interactive for some great supplemental content for SS and Science.

I'm not sure if I chose correctly. Instead of going to a particular resource site, I reviewed EQuIP. At first, I was underwhelmed since it doesn't actually have resources (at least what I was thinking). However, upon further investigation, I prefer it to the other repositories and resource sites. The others are great, don't get me wrong. They provide resources and materials that have been reviewed. What I like about EQuIP is that it provides you a rubric so that you can review materials yourself. This is great for TBTs, textbook committees, or even in individual classrooms when creating assignments, modifying assignments, or searching online. Now any resource can be reviewed.

With the research showing that all teachers search for materials online, what is going to give districts the biggest bang for their buck? Specific programs and materials? Or the understanding of why materials are high-quality? I guess this is a similar question to "Do we want students to simply memorize facts or understand the how and why behind the math first?" I think the conversations that could occur around materials with the EQuIP rubric could very positively impact resources in all classrooms moving forward. Instead of someone telling a teacher that TPT resources are not wonderful, this rubric would show them. Since all textbooks say they are vetted and align with standards, this rubric could help compare and drive discussions to help select the best book for the district. Again, it may lead back to using some of the reviewed materials and resources, but at least teachers and admin would understand why they are high quailty.

Hi Gretchen - we used the EQuIP rubric to guide us in the creation of the RemotEDx Rubric. We liked it for some of the same reasons you list above.

I reviewed The World Almanac for Elementary Kids. I think the site perfectly describes what it provides as a resource. Which is: 

The World Almanac® for Kids Elementary includes exclusive, online-only material as well as content from award-winning Chelsea House and Facts On File sets and series—sources students, educators, and librarians can trust. It also features helpful teacher resources, including worksheets, graphic organizers, and classroom management forms educators can use with any lesson, plus science diagrams and projects to help reinforce lessons in a fun and engaging way.

I love the games portion of the site. Now that we are nearing the end of the year, this is a remarkable and safe resource for teachers to put into the hands of the students. I will be sure to mention this site to teachers in my upcoming PD. 

EdReports is a materials resource that I am familiar with as our curriculum team helps districts with curriculum resource adoption.  It seems to be a "default" resource for many districts.  I appreciate their approach to creating individualized rubrics or assessment criteria.  However, I have found this to be a barrier for some groups.  Some groups want an evaluate tool to, at least, get them started.

Holistically thinking, the materials resources could be invaluable if utilized properly.  We see a lot of educators utilizing TPT for everything.  Although I wish I would have invented the idea for TPT, I do not endorse it.  This is especially true given the learning modules that were presented to us on the efficacy of TPT related to standards implementation.

I reviewed the Today's Science materials.  I like the fact that they offer articles that have informative snippets of information. There were several current articles for this month and last month and the resources seem to be updated with some frequency.  I also liked the conversations with scientists.   I could use this information as I share resources with teachers, specifically science teachers.  Districts could definitely benefit from the information.