We love… the TES website for current awareness, forums and teaching resources

Have you discovered the TES website yet? It’s well worth a look if you’re a teacher or trainee teacher as you’ll find all sorts to help you out. You’ll find the latest paper edition of TES, as well as recent back copies, in Townhill Library, so you can always keep up to date on the latest Education news on campus, but their website lets you keep abreast of things whilst you’re off campus too. Articles from the current issue and the TES archive are freely available online – just click the TES magazine link from the homepage.

The TES forums are a great way to get connected to teachers across the UK. Whatever the stage, role or subject you’re interested in, there’s sure to be a forum for you. And it’s not just professional chat – there are lots of social forums for teachers to share their views on hobbies, health, and anything else you can think of. TES experts regularly contribute to the forums to offer advice. The forums also offer a network of support from fellow professionals and a chance to air your views. Do check the Welcome page for Terms and Conditions, Code of Conduct and Netiquette before you get going, though!

Finally, the TES website is a great place to find lots of free teaching resources! Simply register on the website to access and download resources on all sorts of topics. Once registered, you’ll also be able to upload your own resources, so if you’ve come up with a classroom game that you’re really proud of, now’s your chance to share it with the world!

If that’s not enough to get you excited, take a look at the video web chat at 11am on Wednesday. Father Christmas himself will be answering questions live on the website!

Step back in time with the National Archives

Are you a history teacher, history student or history buff? If so, you might be interested in the National Archives website, and especially in the Education section. It’s filled to the brim with lessons, topics, podcasts, film clips and resources for video conferences and virtual classroom sessions. There are primary and secondary resources for historical periods from 1066 until the present day and there is lesson material appropriate for key stages 1 to 5. You’re bound to find something useful no matter which age group you’re teaching or what topic you’re covering.

The National Archives website is well worth a look even if you’re not in the business of history education. It’s full of interesting stories and fascinating resources! At the moment, for instance, the Education section is featuring ‘Cats, mice and votes for women’, which uses newspaper reports and other contemporary documents to look at the tactics used by the suffragettes and the police during the suffrage movement.

The National Archives homepage is a gateway to all sorts of information, from family history to newly released documents that shed light on the workings of government and the secret service. Go on, have a look!

Are you missing Teachers TV?

Teachers TV was a government funded service that supplied free, downloadable videos on professional development and classroom resources. The Department of Education decided to discontinue the service and it closed down last month. However, all is not lost, since TES has just announced that all 3,500 programmes in the Teachers TV archive will soon be available from the Resources section of the TES website. Twenty of the most popular programmes are already available to view and download.

The Teachers TV archive will also be available from SchoolsWorld.TV (http://www.schoolsworld.tv/) and Teachers Media (http://www.teachersmedia.co.uk/).