Take a look inside 6 images
KQED Teach
Pros: Free courses and lesson plans for all grade levels and all content.
Cons: No way to search by learning standard.
Bottom Line: Stay on top of the trends and take the fear out of media-making in the classroom.
Use KQED Teach for professional learning in media literacy. Courses include skill-based topics like blogging, digital portfolios, and photography, as well as pedagogical courses like learner-centered design and managing/assessing media projects. There are also courses on student privacy and safety, and understanding fair use and copyright. You'll also find lesson plans to use in the classroom on similar topics -- all centered on media. Consider using the site to brush up on topics of interest, or go further and earn micro-credentials to become a PBS Certified Media Literacy Educator.
KQED Teach is a website that offers professional development (PD) for teachers in media creation and media literacy. It has a simple design with easy navigation options: Dashboard, Courses, Lesson Plans, In the Classroom, Certification, and Help. Course topics include presentations, infographics, memes, digital annotations, podcasting, timelines, and more. Teachers can create a free account to manage their coursework, keep up with their certifications, and save lesson plans on the dashboard. Lessons are ready-to-go plans for grades pre-K to 12 that teachers can use in the classroom. In the Classroom is a teacher-generated blog of ideas, tips, and resources. Teachers can create portfolios to work toward a PBS Certified Media Literacy Educator, too.
Disclosure: KQED Teach has featured some of Common Sense Education's content.
KQED's reputation as an education-focused media affiliate of NPR and PBS is stellar. KQED Teach makes finding resources for the classroom easier and gives teachers reliable professional learning related to media in the classroom. The lesson plans are project-based, making them engaging for students and versatile for teachers. Just think of how many ways you can use memes in the classroom once you and your students understand all the ins and outs of creating them!
Learning Rating
Community Rating
Amazing site with a wide variety of digital literacy self placed classes that offer immediate connection to classroom curriculum. Current and relevant topics that relate to all subject areas. Supportive environment of fellow educators.
KQED Teach is an invaluable teaching tool because it offers relevant course content in a supportive environment. Each course I've taken truly has been an interactive experience with support from the KQED staff as well as other educators taking the course online. It is refreshing to be able to have the opportunity to learn and exchange ideas in such a supportive and caring platform. In turn, I've been able to create curriculum that uses the digital literacy skills that have been that focus of the courses to teach my students not only 21st century skills but also how to respectfully interact online like a community that KQED modeled for me through their courses. I would encourage any educator to take a course on KQED not only for professional enrichment but because through my experiences with KQED Teach I've been able to create a better classroom community. My students are more and more able to use independent choice and express their own thoughts and ideas through digital media. Their truths that I see reflected in these projects is one of my passions for teaching and I cannot thank KQED Teach enough!
Explore Our Favorite Tools
