BetterLesson

Lesson plan and curriculum resource site created by teachers to share best practices

Overview

SUMMARY

BetterLesson is a website that offers teachers Common Core-aligned math, science, ELA, and blended learning lessons. Teachers can like lessons, provide feedback, download resources, and read Master Teachers’ commentary to aid implementation. BetterLesson is free; teachers must create an account for unlimited browsing.

GOALS

BetterLesson is a website that offers teachers Common Core-aligned math, science, ELA, and blended learning lessons. It was created to support teachers at all levels of their practice so that all students have access to the highest quality curriculum.

APPROACH

Each of the 130 Master Teachers on the site has shared best practices for a year-long course, beginning with the first day of school. Teachers can browse over 10,000 lessons by standard, grade, or subject. Each lesson lists a one-sentence “Big Idea” and the corresponding Common Core Standards. Teachers can like lessons, provide feedback, download resources, and read Master Teachers’ commentary to aid implementation.

Master Teachers have an average of twelve years of experience. They write innovative curriculum that leverages technology in the classroom, and they write thoughtful reflections upon execution. The Master Teacher profiles provide the MT’s school, hometown, student environment, and links to similar Master Teachers. In addition, Master Teachers can reply to teachers’ feedback, allowing for cyber-collaboration. Teachers can also contribute their own curriculum on the Community section of the site, which lists a lesson’s number of views, downloads, and favorites.

BetterLesson also has a link to TeachCycle. TeachCycle provides a coach who works remotely with Professional Learning Communities to implement and reflect on new classroom strategies. TeachCycle has the PLC focus on a three-step cycle of experimentation: Teach, Measure, Learn.

IMPLEMENTATION

BetterLesson requires internet access and is available through a modern browser on any desktop, laptop, or tablet that can download both Word and pdf documents.

PRICING

BetterLesson is free; teachers must create an account for unlimited browsing.

WHO IS USING IT?

As of late 2013, BetterLesson had 340,000 registered teachers and the company’s paid Master Teachers.