Resources for Virtual Instruction and Online Learning from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a curated collection designed to support teachers who are working in online or blended learning environments. Rather than being a single tool or platform, it is an organized hub of materials and ideas to help educators teach effectively in digital spaces.
The page brings together a wide range of resources, including professional books published by NCTE on writing instruction and virtual teaching practices, blog posts with practical classroom suggestions, articles from educational journals about integrating digital tools into literacy instruction, and ready-to-use activities from platforms such as ReadWriteThink. These materials aim to strengthen reading and writing instruction in online settings while offering thoughtful guidance grounded in research and professional experience.
The content is organized so that teachers can easily find what they need, whether they are looking for strategies for different grade levels, practical lesson ideas, or broader pedagogical approaches to remote learning. It also includes contributions from partner educational organizations, expanding the range of perspectives and tools available to support virtual instruction.
Freerice.com is a free online website where you can learn and help others at the same time. It works like a simple quiz: you answer questions in different subjects, such as English vocabulary, math, geography, science, languages and more, and for every correct answer, the site donates grains of rice through the World Food Programme to help fight global hunger. This means that as you practice your skills and challenge your brain, your correct answers turn into real-world help for people who need food.
The idea behind Freerice is both educational and charitable. The questions become easier or harder depending on how well you’re doing, so the game adapts to your level and keeps you engaged. You don’t need to sign up or pay anything, simply start answering questions and earning rice. The rice that is “donated” online isn’t literal rice being shipped from your device, but the value of your correct answers is funded by sponsors, so the World Food Programme can provide actual food assistance to communities around the world.
Freerice is especially great for classrooms and learners of all ages because it turns learning into a purpose-driven activity.
The OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills is an international survey that identifies and assesses the conditions and practices that foster or hinder the development of social and emotional skills for 10- and 15-year-old students.
This survey can be important for educators for several key reasons.
First, it recognises that academic achievement alone does not fully capture student success. Research consistently shows that skills like resilience, curiosity, teamwork and emotional stability strongly influence academic performance, wellbeing, and future employability. By measuring these competences systematically, SSES broadens the understanding of what it means to provide quality education.
Second, the survey provides reliable, comparable international data. Education systems often focus on cognitive outcomes (e.g., literacy or mathematics), but SSES gives policymakers and schools evidence about students’ socio-emotional development. This helps identify strengths and gaps across different contexts, socio-economic backgrounds, and genders, enabling more equitable and targeted interventions.
Third, SSES supports whole-child education. Schools increasingly recognise that emotional wellbeing, sense of belonging and positive relationships are essential for learning. By highlighting these dimensions, the survey encourages educational policies and school practices that promote safe environments, mental health awareness, and inclusive classroom cultures.
Fourth, it informs teaching practices. Understanding students’ social and emotional profiles can guide teachers in designing activities that foster collaboration, self-regulation and motivation. It also supports the integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into curricula rather than treating it as an optional add-on.
Finally, SSES contributes to long-term social outcomes. Social and emotional skills are linked not only to academic success, but also to civic engagement, healthy relationships and labour market participation. By investing in these skills early, education systems help prepare students for life beyond school.
The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published by Transparency International, is a valuable resource that can be effectively used in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. The CPI ranks 182 countries and territories according to the perceived level of corruption in their public sector, using a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Beyond rankings, the website provides country comparisons, global trends, methodological explanations, and contextual analysis, all presented in accessible yet formal English.
From a didactic perspective, this resource offers authentic materials that help students engage with real-world content. Because the CPI includes reports, press releases, data visualizations, and explanatory texts, it allows learners to practice reading comprehension using genuine international sources. Students can expand their academic vocabulary related to governance, politics, ethics, and global issues while also learning how to interpret graphs, rankings, and statistical information in English.
The CPI is also particularly useful for promoting speaking skills and critical thinking. Teachers can design discussions around questions such as what corruption means, how it affects societies, and why some countries might score higher or lower than others. These topics encourage students to express opinions, justify arguments, and participate in structured debates, which are key competences in communicative language teaching.
The Infographics Show is a popular YouTube channel that turns facts and ideas into fun, easy-to-watch animated videos. Instead of dry lectures or complicated text, it uses colourful motion graphics and narration to explain topics from science and history to surprising “what if” scenarios and everyday curiosities.
Since its launch in 2011, the channel has grown to over 15 million subscribers and more than 6.6 billion views, making it one of the biggest educational channels on the platform.
You’ll find videos exploring everything from how the body works and global events to comparisons, survival stories, and explanations of strange or fascinating phenomena, all designed to be informative, entertaining and visually engaging.
Women in the History of Science explores how women around the world have helped create scientific knowledge throughout history. The book brings together original sources such as texts, images, and objects, each explained with clear background information, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading to help you learn more.
Organised by time period (from 1200 BCE to today) and across 12 broad themes, the book covers science, technology, mathematics, medicine, and culture. It is designed to support both students and teachers in discovering the many ways women have contributed to these fields.
Women are often left out of traditional science history, but this book puts their voices and experiences at the centre. It also encourages readers to rethink what science is, where it happens, and who gets to be called a scientist. By doing so, it helps make learning more inclusive and shows that science has always been shaped by people from many different backgrounds.
