We've launched a new feature that offers recommendations for similar resources based on the resources you're viewing. You'll notice a "Similar Files" widget in the right column of any file resource you're viewing.
Let us know what you think of this feature and if you're finding additional helpful resources from the "Similar Files" recommendations!
Do you write your lesson plans in Microsoft Word, Excel, or other kind of file template? If so, you can now embed that file into the "Lesson Plan" area of the lesson page. It will end up looking like this:
From the Lesson Edit page, upload any files that are a part of the lesson, including the lesson plan file.
Once your files are uploaded, click on the link "Choose a file for the lesson plan."
Select the appropriate file:
Enjoy! Please send us any feedback you have on this new feature.
Now you can tag your lessons on BetterLesson by Common Core Standards. From any lesson page, just click "Edit" and scroll down to "Add Common Core Standard."
The Common Core Standard will display on the right side of the lesson page.
We're excited to make this possible. Soon, teachers will be able to browse/search for lessons according to the new Common Core Standards, which have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. Please let us know what you think: send your feedback to feedback@betterlesson.org.
Starting today, you can filter your BetterLesson home page view by featured resources in a specific subject and grade level. For example, if you teach Middle School Math, click on "math" under the "Middle School" banner.
Now you can browse through all the Middle School Math featured resources:
Let us know what you think!
Last month, we updated our home page in order to feature the most highly-rated and popular resources on the site. Each day, you'll see new resources appearing across the four major content areas (English/Language Arts, math, social studies and science) and the three grade levels (elementary, middle and high school). In addition to visiting the site for updated resources, you can also follow any of our four new content-area Twitter feeds. They are:
We'll post updates by grade-level to these Twitter accounts each weekday. Let us know what you think!
The new home page on BetterLesson now features some of the best instructional resources in each grade level and subject that have been shared by teachers on the site.
Our new home page design is aimed toward getting great curriculum in front of you each and every day. We're selecting one new instructional resource within each subject/grade-level combination per day. Each resource is either a stand-alone great resource or one stellar piece of a larger, more contextualized curriculum. By clicking into a particular resource, you'll be able to see the what other resources are used together with the given featured resource to make a complete lesson, unit, or entire course.
You'll notice your grade level now appears at the top level row of your home page. Please let us know what you think of the new home page.
Update: You can now preview a file by hovering your cursor over the magnifying glass next to the file name.
In the past, you had to click on each file individually in a search result in order to see a preview. Now, you can just hover your cursor over any File icon within a search result to get a preview.
Your Documents now have a more easily visible and accessible location on the Unit page. Back in Februrary, we introduced a similar feature on the Lesson page. In short, so many of you asked for better document placement. Since the feedback in response to that feature was so positive, we introduced the same feature on the Unit page. Before this most recent update, you'd see the title of the Unit, a description, and a roster of lessons:
With the update, documents associated with the Unit, which used to be located on the bottom right-hand side of the page, are now visible directly below the Unit's title:
Assigning documents to lessons is still just as easy, accomplished through a quick drag-and-drop or by clicking the "Add to a Lesson" button. We hope this update is as helpful as when we rolled it out for Lessons. Let us know what you think below in the Comments section, via Twitter, Facebook, or by clicking the in-site Feedback tab.
Need to find a lesson plan? Search by "Resource." Need to find a teacher? Search by "Educator." Now, if you need to find a network of schools, teachers or curriculum organizations, you can search for those too.
On the BetterLesson home page, where searching by "Resources" and "Educators" has been a staple of our search engine for some time, we've added "Networks" to the mix:
You'll see that I'm an administrator of the "Science Open Textbook Exchange" network and I'm a member of "Middle School Science Teachers." Since I'm not yet a member of the NSTA -- the National Science Teachers Association -- network, I think I'll join it now. I'm looking forward to receiving periodic updates on my home page and exploring this new networks' current members and resources.
So go ahead and search for (and join) some networks. They're a great way to find new and diverse communities of educators and resources.
We've recently released a "My Documents" section to complement "My Curriculum." You can now easily upload your instructional documents (40 documents per upload), organize them at any level (by Course, Unit, Lesson or free-standing) and quickly edit them without leaving the page.
The new format also enables you to quickly share public documents via Facebook, Twitter or email.
Please send us your feedback on "My Documents" by commenting on this blog post or sending an email to feedback@betterlesson.org. Thank you.
