If teachers do one thing well, it’s share: content, curriculum, success (and failure) stories, and empathetic anecdotes.
The future of education is already being explored and created at this very moment by teachers and education leaders who dare to disrupt rigid, outdated practices and attitudes and replace them with innovative tools, pedagogies, and ideas. Teachers from all ranges of experiences can benefit from tuning in to education blogs that publish relevant content on a regular basis.
Below, we’ve updated the list of the 50 best education blogs to follow in 2021. The list includes teachers, principals, authors, researchers, journalists, speakers, and thought leaders in all realms of education. Some of these education blogs cover a broad range of content while others focus on more specific areas like edtech, project-based learning, and literacy.
Alfie Kohn
Alfie Kohn might be best known for his 1993 book: Punished by Rewards. Advocating for intrinsic motivation over the use of rewards, Kohn has continued to write about pivotal topics in education today. His most recent essays focus on the progressive teacher’s role in the classroom, autism, and deconstructing scaffolding.
Answer Sheet (by Valerie Strauss, Washington Post)
Valerie Strauss is the voice behind the Washington Post’s education blogs. Strauss shares perspectives on the link between COVID-19 misinformation and news outlets (and other literacy lessons), what middle school students learning during the pandemic need now, and what technology needs to go after being introduced to schools during COVID-19. She also shares analyses on recent data and trends.
A Principal’s Reflections
Eric Sheninger is an award-winning principle, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and coach. His most recent publication is called Disruptive Thinking In Our Classrooms: Preparing Learners for Their Future, and his most recent blog posts consider what it means to be an equitable leader, upgrade a KWL chart, and optimize feedback for student learning.
ASCD
The educational, evidence-based content powerhouse that is ASCD offers over 500 blogs and over 16,000 articles on instructional strategies, leadership, SEL, school culture, equity, professional learning, and many more topics.
BetterLesson
BetterLesson highlights its partners with teachers and education leaders in co-creating professional learning solutions and instructional resources. The last several blog posts discuss an action plan for closing gaps and accelerating growth, leadership strategies to boost teacher morale, and ways data can be used to personalize instruction.
Cool Cat Teacher
Vicki Davis is behind this expansive blog, which houses relevant instructional strategies for building digital portfolios, screen-casting, teaching financial literacy, and more. Davis also hosts the 10-minute Teacher Podcast, and showcases guests who are innovating in education in various ways.
Cult of Pedagogy
Jennifer Gonzalez is the creator behind this insanely useful and relevant blog. The blog features voices from many educators and education leaders, and addresses questions like: What do teachers teaching during a pandemic need? Why should teachers bring podcasts into their classrooms? How can ELA and SPED collaborate to produce great student writing?
Cycles of Learning
Ramsey Musallam is a science teacher, researcher, robotics mentor, camp director, and instructional coach in California. Musallam is all about promoting curiosity, and writes about topics like Feynman and delayed direct instruction, the engineering design cycle, and distance learning science engagement.
Diane Ravitch
Diane Ravitch is an education historian and research professor of education at New York University. Professor Ravitch writes often, and her most recent articles have argued in support of defending public education against privatizers and preventing districts and schools from banning books. Ravitch frequently comments on current events in education.
Ditch That Textbook
Matt Miller is a teacher, Google-Certified Innovator, and top edtech influencer who provides practical, ‘use it in class tomorrow’ solutions for teachers. His most recent publications include: 15 ideas for digital end-of-semester projects, 10 low-prep high-return activities for class tomorrow, and 25 tips for connecting families with the classroom.
Dr. Catlin Tucker
Dr. Tucker’s curation includes breakdowns of strategies like the station rotation model, how-to guides for projects like designing a mini-playlist that allows students to control the pace of their own learning, and using standards-based rubrics to assess progress. We love her articles for how they envision 21st century learning and ways to make learning engaging.
EdSurge
Through their work, EdSurge aims to bridge information gaps that exist between those who drive change in education, and those they serve. In addition to blog content, EdSurge offers news, commentary, analysis, newsletters, weekly podcasts, research and journalism projects, an index of edtech tools, a jobs board, and an events calendar for professional opportunities.
Educational Technology & Mobile Learning
This site prides itself on serving as a resource of educational web tools and mobile apps for teachers and educators. Educators can anticipate how-to guides and instructions, as well as explanations of specific apps like Tract, FlipGrid, Padlet, Brainly, YouGlish, and more.
Education Next
This journal’s goal is to provide a ‘steady course’ through school reform by presenting evidence-based research, ideas, and arguments focused on American K-12 education. Newest publications include articles on how schools can best spend COVID aid, the stubborn myth of ‘learning styles,’ and charter school enrollment trends.
Education Week
Education Week publishes up-to-date content on educational leadership, education policy, teaching, learning, and edtech. Contributors explain what culturally relevant teaching looks like, how teachers can respond to science denial in the classroom, and how tougher teacher evaluations show no positive impacts on students.
Edutopia
Founded by George Lucas in 1991, Edutopia is committed to transforming K-12 schools so that students can develop and apply the intelligence, attitudes, and abilities necessary to advance in academics, their careers, and their adult relationships. Recent publications discuss SEL practices that early childhood educators can use, understanding and supporting students with ADHD, and how school leaders can build realistic optimism this year.
Faculty Focus
Faculty Focus is a free newsletter and website dedicated to helping teachers by providing insight as to what’s working (and what isn’t working) in in-person and online learning environments. Users can browse by subjects like academic leadership, blended and flipped learning, course design, assessment, classroom management, teaching strategies, and more.
Free Technology for Teachers
Richard Byrne — high school computer science teacher from Maine — designed this blog to share free resources that teachers can use in their classrooms. His blog is consumed by more than half a million worldwide viewers, and has won several Edublogs Awards for Best Ed Tech Blog.
Getting Smart
Getting Smart features the voices of many teachers and education leaders on topics like personalized learning, place-based education, edtech, leadership, and more. Their most popular articles detail actionable strategies for increasing student motivation and engagement, 7 real-world issues that can allow students to tackle big challenges, and 100 questions that help promote mathematical discourse.
Homeroom
Homeroom is the official blog of the United States Department of Education. Here, teachers can find insights on school activities, programs, grantees, and more to advance the discussion of educational innovation and school reform.
Huff Post Education
This news site is dedicated to sharing content that touches on critical issues in modern education. This site is less focused on strategies and curriculum, and more focused on events, policies, debates, and other problems that plague public education, in generally.
Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed curates insightful blog content from some of the web’s best online education sites. Recent posts include musings on what higher education will look like in 15 years, strategies for making space for students to take pride in their writing, and editorials on why virtual meetings are bad for constructive conflict.
ISTE
ISTE — the International Society for Technology in Education — delivers practical guidance, evidence-based professional development, social networking, and events to their community of global educators. Readers can search through the following topics: computer science, digital and media literacy, digital citizenship, educational leadership, ISTE standards in action, personalized learning, and tools, devices, and apps.
Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything
Kathy Schrock is an educational technologist. Her ‘Guide to Everything,’ while not in traditional blog format, includes hundreds (thousands?) of resources related to assessment, creativity, devices, information/digital literacy, pedagogy, professional growth, and workshops
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day
Larry is a high school ELA, Social Studies, and International Baccalaureate teacher for English Language Learners in Sacramento, California. He has published 12 books focused on various educational topics and writes a weekly teacher advice column for Education Week. New visitors to the site should definitely check out Ferlazzo’s collections of best resources on topics like parent engagement, student motivation, teaching English Language Learners, and classroom management.
Learning for Justice
Formerly known as Teaching Tolerance, Learning for Justice strives to fulfill the Southern Poverty Law Center’s mission: “to be a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance the human rights of all people.” They support this mission through providing commentary and curriculum resources on culture and climate, curriculum and instruction, leadership, and family and community engagement.
MindShift KQED
MindShift explores the future of learning and how we, as societies, raise our children. They also report on how teaching is changing to better meet students’ diverse needs and how parents can better support their children’s learning. Their most up-to-date content examines how to fend off ‘educational numbness’ with experiential learning, whether or not schools should require the COVID vaccine, and how parents and educators can support healthy teen use of social media.
NCTE
NCTE — the National Council of Teachers of English — publishes relevant articles on a regular basis for ELA teachers. Recent posts seek to disrupt the myth of the 5-paragraph essay, explore how to seek language plurality among students, and reading, teaching, and discussing LGBTQ+ family stories with elementary students.
NEA Today
On their blog, the National Education Association shares the latest on their advocacy, members, and education trends they’re watching. Current visitors can read featured stories on why it is so important to pronounce students’ names correctly, 5 ways the Build Back Better plan supports students and educators, and how to utilize 1-to-1 technology in the classroom.
PBLWorks
PBLWorks seeks to engage all students in high quality project-based learning (PBL) in order to deepen learning and achieve success in college, career, and life. Their blog is full of helpful tips and tools, projects in action, and general guidance on PBL-related topics.
Pearson
Pearson’s blog explores insights, trends, and research that impact teaching, learning, and leading in education. Their latest content offers 5 informal assessment strategies for meaningful formative insights, includes ways to incorporate diversity into CTE instructional materials, and explores how to raise retention rates with student support services.
Finding Common Ground
Peter DeWitt is an author, speaker, coach, and former elementary school principal who maintains this column as part of Education Week. Most of his writing is tailored to education leaders — his most recent pieces aim to help teachers ‘declutter’ their practices, name elements required for a more impactful school leadership team, and advocate against banning classroom topics.
Pernille Ripp
Pernille is a teacher, author, and speaker who is currently working to create passionate literacy environments within the U.S. education system. ELA teachers in particular may find her content useful, as she discusses her best ideas for book clubs at the middle school level, how to use digital reading notebooks, reading conference templates, and how to use oral storytelling kits with middle schoolers.
Prodigy
Alex Peters and Rohan Mahimker started Prodigy as an undergraduate project. Their game-based learning Prodigy Math Game exploded into North American classrooms, and now millions of students use Prodigy. They believe in access to education as a human right and their content speaks to the broader educator audience. Their latest posts examine how to build a personal philosophy of education, fun word games to help students develop literacy skills, and practical steps to help kids who get bored at school.
Shake Up Learning
Kasey Bell is a former middle school teacher turned digital learning coach, speaker, author, blogger, and podcaster. Shake Up Learning is an excellent resource for practical strategies for using technology in the classroom. Recent contributions explore how to work less and become a more effective teacher, how to create a Google Classroom banner with Canva, and how to engage students with podcasting.
Steve Hargadon
Steve Hargadon is kind of a big deal. His life’s work is focused on democratized learning and PD. He pioneered the use of live, virtual education conferences and popularized the concept of ‘unconferences.’ He regularly blogs, speaks, and consults on education and technology. Some of his most important posts discuss the importance of media literacy, a student bill of rights, and escaping the education matrix.
Sylvia Duckworth
Sylvia Duckworth is the sketch-noting guru! She offers books, worksheets. courses, keynotes, workshops, and blog resources related to using sketch-notes in the classroom. The cool distinction of Duckworth’s content is how every blog post is published in the form of a sketch-note.
Teacher Tech
Alice Keeler is a teacher, Google-Certified Innovator, author, developer, and edtech coach. Luckily for teachers, she also maintains a highly regular blog that offers step-by-step instructions for specific edtech tasks, like using Google Jamboard, making forms with Google Sheets, embedding a Google Form in CANVAS LMS, and designing seating chart slides using Schoolytics. Don’t miss out on this practical resource!
Teaching Channel
Teaching Channel strives to be a trusted partner committed to providing joy of learning, positively impacting student achievement, and preparing educators for a lifetime of career success. While their video library should not be missed, they also offer valuable blog content. Newer articles explore trends in early education, using success criteria to spark motivation in students, and a practical guide to trauma-informed teaching.
TeachThought
Shameless self-promotion: TeachThought is dedicated to growing teachers through thought leadership, PD, curriculum development, podcasts, and collaboration with educational organizations around the world. Content focuses on themes like critical thinking, project-based learning, remote teaching, pedagogy, tools/apps, assessment and feedback, SEL, and instructional strategies.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Admittedly, the Chronicle is more like a newspaper highlighting current issues in higher education. That being said, their content is highly useful for educators. It includes data on trends like undergraduate enrollment, and publishes a monthly issue that shares perspectives on topics like tenure, college tuition, and online program growth.
The Daring Librarian
Gwyneth Jones is a blogger, Tweeter, keynote speaker, edtech and librarian speaker, content creator, Google-Certified Innovator…we’ll just stop there. She’s highly experienced and great at sharing new hacks for teachers, like how to use Jigsaw Explorer, creating musical bookcases, and assigning a 10 easy Instagram photo book challenge.
The Educator Collaborative
The Educator Collaborative describes itself as a think tank and educational consulting organization that works to innovate how educators learn together. Most of their posts touch on literacy, teaching language arts, and ensuring for equity and access in curriculum and instruction.
The Edvocate
The Edvocate argues for education policy shift and offers timely, relevant content devoted to teaching and learning in the 21st century. Calling for a relatively radical and comprehensive reorganization of the American publication education system, some of their newest articles focus on strategies to help students who aren’t prepared for learning activities, everything you need to know about perennialism, and ways to teach students how to solve math problems using columns.
The Hechinger Report
The Hechinger report covers inequality and innovation in education. For example, one of their recent articles showcases how prisons are training inmates for the next generation of in-demand jobs, and makes connections to the school-to-prison pipeline. Another opinion contribution argues how targeted federal action could reduce broadband racism faced by Black students.
The Innovative Educator
As a student who was often bored in the classroom, Lisa Nielsen created this blog as an adult — it’s goal is to make education more engaging, fun, and relevant by sharing resources in unschooling, social media in education, personal learning networks, flipped classroom models, and other strategies.
The Learning Network
Powered by the New York Times, the Learning Network helps people teach and learn with articles, graphs, editorials, illustrations, podcasts, videos and photographs produced by NY Times journalists. They are most known for their daily lesson plans, though the Learning Network also runs contests and offers activities for middle and high school teachers and students: writing prompts, quizzes, films, webinars, and PD tools.
The Teacher Toolkit
The Teacher Toolkit is dedicated to sharing tools with a wide range of teachers. The content comes in video format, which is incredibly helpful for those of us who need to see certain strategies modeled. Users can browse for tools by classroom management, opening and closing activities, checks for understanding, group practice, reading strategies, games, and more categories.
Truth for Teachers
Angela Watson is here to share practical ideas, encouragement, and resources for educators of all grade levels and content areas. The great thing about Truth for Teachers is that it features many different teacher voices, therefore capturing a broad range of perspectives.
WeAreTeachers
WeAreTeachers refers to themselves as the ‘virtual teacher’s lounge,’ and an online media brand dedicated to inspiring teachers and helping them be successful in the classroom via strategies, curriculum resources, advice, humor, and giveaways.
What, in your opinion, are some of the best education blogs from this list? Are there any that we’ve missed that you feel should be added to the list?
[“source=teachthought”]
