Teacher Resources &
Professional Development
Funding resources
Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers
A total of 50 large grants of up to $10,000 each, along with 20 to 30 mini-grants of up to $2,500 each, will be awarded. Categories include environmental science, integrating literacy and science, and physical science. Deadline: January 18, 2010.
National Education Association Foundation
Now accepting applications for $2,000 and $5,000 grants. Deadlines: October 15, 2009; February 1, 2010; and June 1, 2010.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Several grants are available; deadlines vary with the grant program but several are due November 13. Funds support professional development and content creation among other possibilities. There is also a "tips" link to help with writing proposals.
National Science Foundation
Funding information and a searchable database, as well as guides for submission.
NSTA/Ciba Specialty Chemical: Exemplary Middle and High School Science Teaching Awards
The awards recoginze teachers who have demonstrated exemplary science teaching. The deadline is Nov. 30.
US Department of Education
Grants generally have a short timeline, so keep checking for up-to-date funding information.
Teachers Count
Use the right navigation bar to explore funding opportunities for professional development, the classroom, and more.
Target Field Trip Grants
Grants of up to $800 for trips to art museums, cultural events, civic experiences, or environmental sites. Deadline: November 3, 2009.
Washington Science Teachers Association
Regularly updates a list of funding resources.
Useful websites
AT&T Blue Web'n
A comprehensive resource for both professional development and course content.
Center for Inquiry Science
Committed to to redefining how science is taught in K–12 classrooms, so that students find it interesting and relevant to their world.
Mathematical Association of America
Some areas of this site require membership, but it contains plenty for non-members. Older students will benefit from this site, especially the section for students.
Math on the Web
Useful if you know what you are looking for.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Specifics for professional development.
National Science Teachers Association
A rich site for science resources. Take time to visit the NSTA Learning Center, which focuses on professional development.
PALS
A standards-based resource bank of science performance assessment tasks, indexed via the National Science Education Standards and other frameworks.
PBS
Science and nature websites, with pages for both teachers and students.
ProQuest K–12
Digital teaching and learning solutions for K-12 schoos and libraries.
Science Daily
Information about the latest research. More appropriate for older students who have a broader understanding of science concepts and connections.
SMILE
Contains hundreds of lessons for biology, chemistry, physics, and math.
Teacher Tap
For all ages and a number of disciplines. An invaluable resource using technology in the classroom.
Teachers' Domain
Multimedia resources for classroom and career. Requires free registration.
Teachers@Work
Free, high-quality resources for educators.
TI Education Technology
Lesson plans, activities, professional development, funding, and research.
Teachers' Place
Excellent resources for teaching math at all levels; a site built for and by teachers.
Teaching the Process of Science
Addresses practical teaching questions like "what is the process of science," "why should I teach it," and "how do I teach it." Includes how-to examples and resources for integrating the process of science into teaching at all levels, using different techniques.
Washington Science Teachers Association
Rich in resources with a local emphasis.
Grant writing tips
Grant reviewers may be pressed for time, so give them a "road map" to guide them through your proposal.
Use the headings given in the grant announcement to guide your layout.
For example, if you are asked to provide an abstract, background information, an activity plan, and an evaluation, mark each section with its own heading.
Do not use fancy fonts for headings, because the reviewer may not have that font on her computer.
Instead, mark a standard font (such as Times New Roman or Arial) in boldface.
Teacher Tap has an excellent section on grants and grant writing.