100 All-Time Best Productivity Tips for Working & Learning from Home

By Nicole White

If you’re working or studying at home, you know that the dream of having a home office can quickly turn into a nightmare of distraction and an unhealthy work-life balance if you don’t keep your productivity under control. By following some of these simple tips, you can help ensure that your home office is a productive one. Read on, and you’ll learn 100 of the best tips for getting things done at home, whether you’re working or learning.

Office space

Keep these tips in mind when settling into your office or learning space at home.

1. Set aside a space: Create a designated space, preferably a room to be your workspace.
2. Physically separate yourself: Train your mind to set yourself apart from your home life when working: close your door, and separate yourself from the rest of the house.
3. Invest in a good chair: Get a mesh backed or leather chair to support your back.
4. Pick a quiet spot: It’s obvious, but important. Set your home office up in an area that will be away from the distractions of home.
5. Highlight your accomplishments: Surround yourself with the things you’ve done — diplomas, important photographs, and other reminders of your success.
6. Create a bright and cheerful environment: Make your home office cheerful to avoid stress and stay happy throughout the day.
7. Use a laptop: With a laptop, you have the freedom to work anywhere you’d like to.
8. Have a separate computer: Use a separate computer for work and leisure.
9. Get out: Go to a coffee shop, the beach, anywhere you can get good work done for a change of pace.
10. Put plants in your office: Soak up stagnant air by keeping plants in your office.
11. Use caller ID: See who is calling and avoid answering for telemarketers or others who will waste your time.
12. Keep a dry erase board: Use a dry erase board to keep your tasks and reminders in easy view.
13. Keep things clean: A tidy desk will help control stress and keep you more productive.
14. Consider a standing desk: With a standing desk, you can stay more alert and active in your work day.
15. Stay away from your couch: Sit at a desk rather than working from your couch or bed.
16. Set boundaries: Make sure that those in your home know when you’re working and that you’re not to be bothered.
17. Clear your desk of nonessentials: Put away everything you don’t really need.
18. Get a great coffee maker: Many people love using coffee to boost productivity, so invest in a high quality coffee maker.
19. Use noise canceling headphones: Keep noise and distraction out by using headphones that keep things quiet.
20. Use a separate phone: With a separate phone line, you can keep personal calls to a minimum during your working hours.

Habits

Practice these good habits to stay productive and happy in your home office.

21. Get dressed: Every day, bathe and make yourself presentable enough for a surprise visitor or trip out of your home so you’ll be ready for anything.
22. Stay logged out: Avoid logging into IM, social media sites, and other distractions.
23. Carefully separate work and personal life: Don’t get sucked into working around the clock when you’re at home.
24. Create rituals: Give yourself a daily signal that it’s time to start working.
25. Eat first: Don’t fall victim to low blood sugar — eat before you start working.
26. Get ready for the day: Practice good grooming — change out of your pajamas, have a shower, and breakfast before you get down to work.
27. Commit to tasks: Don’t let yourself slack off if you’re having a rough day, or you may find that you just can’t get anything done.
28. Give yourself a weekly review: Every week, take time to think about what you’ve gotten done.
29. Use distraction reducing tools: Make use of tools that will clear your digital desktop of everything that’s not important.
30. Turn your phone off: Turn off your phone when you need to minimize distractions.
31. Simplify everything: Focus only on what really matters.

Time management

Use these tips to stay on top of deadlines and coursework.

32. Set time boundaries for online use: Limit your online use by setting specific times when you’ll be available to chat and check websites.
33. Keep regular hours: Carefully schedule which hours you’ll work, and which hours are personal time.
34. Work when you’re most productive: If you’re most productive around 1AM, schedule your most important work for that time.
35. Give yourself limits: Always have a finish line for when you have to stop working.
36. Do important tasks early: Take care of important tasks before you get hit by the lunchtime slump.
37. Take sprints: When your timer is ticking, focus and work in a sprinting mode.
38. Schedule fun time: Take time to do the things you enjoy on a set schedule.
39. Unplug and work on battery power: Create a sense of urgency to get things done by working on battery power, where time is limited.
40. Use timers: Give yourself short times to do a frenzy of work by setting a timer.
41. Group your errands: Keep your out-of-office time to a minimum by doing as many errands as you can at one time.
42. Keep emails short and sweet: Master the art of the five-sentence email.
43. Just do it: Practice willpower and keep yourself on track to just getting things done.
44. Be a good boss to yourself: Don’t let yourself become a slacker, but don’t make yourself a slave to work either.
45. Give yourself deadlines: Make yourself accountable by setting hard deadlines for getting things done.
46. Check email on a schedule: Check email just twice a day to keep it from taking over your online life.
47. Get up early: If you start working at noon, you’ll feel cheated and sluggish when 5:00 comes around and you want to stop working.
48. Use short bursts of productivity: Give yourself just a small time of focused work activity to get things done.
49. Ignore distractions: Stay away from your inbox, Twitter, TV, and other things that demand your time.
50. Track your time: Use a time tracking tool to stay on top of what you’re getting done and when you’re doing it.
51. Take breaks: Don’t let yourself get sucked into work. Remember to refresh yourself with breaks every hour or so.

Organization

Follow these tips to help your organization breed productivity.

52. Keep lists: Keep lists that detail daily tasks, hopeful tasks, and anytime tasks.
53. Write things down: Write everything down right as you think of it.
54. Keep a calendar: Stay on top of what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it.
55. Get your to-do list out of your email: Stay organized by keeping all of your tasks in one place.
56. Create a tickler system: Use a tickler system to make sure you stay on top of important tasks and events coming up.
57. Designate days for tasks: Do certain things on specific days to stay on track.
58. Carefully process tasks and information: Have a place for items in your notes and inboxes.
59. Keep notes handy: You never know when inspiration will strike, so keep a notepad at the ready.
60. Keep files: Minimize clutter by creating simple files you’ll actually use.

Happiness

A happy work environment is a productive one, so follow these tips to make sure you’re happy with your work at home.

61. Go out for lunch every once in a while: Even if you mostly eat at home for lunch, it’s good to get out and visit with a friend or colleague occasionally.
62. Remember what it’s like to work in an office: Be grateful that you get to work at home!
63. Listen to music: Keep your creativity flowing with upbeat music throughout the day.
64. Stop working: When your work is done, leave it and don’t come back until the next day. Make notes for yourself if you need to remember something.
65. Work in a group: Study or work with a group of people to support each other.
66. Just say no: If you don’t have the time or resources to do a task, just don’t do it.
67. Get out and enjoy the weather: Take advantage of your flexible schedule and carve out some time to enjoy the weather or special events that you otherwise wouldn’t get if you were working in an office.
68. Do what you love: Do what you love, and you won’t mind working.
69. Reward yourself: When you’ve finished an important task, reward yourself with something quick but enjoyable, like a walk around the block or a check on social media sites.
70. Watch TV: Take advantage of the fact that you can work when you choose, and do what you like at certain times during the day.
71. Develop relationships: Nurture connections and network.
72. Make time for others: Respond to emails, and keep in touch with people.
73. Remember to be grateful: Say thank you to your clients, coworkers, employers, and other people you may work with regularly.

Workflow

Follow these workflow tips to keep everything running smoothly.

74. Outsource: Whenever possible, get someone else to do work for you, like a bookkeeper or delivery service.
75. Stop multitasking: Multitasking is inefficient — focus on one thing at a time.
76. Do your hardest work first: Tackle the work that you’d most like to put off early on, so you won’t be dreading it all day.
77. Set priorities: Keep in mind the tasks that are most important in order to prioritize your day.
78. Take small steps: Don’t try to tackle a huge task all at once: break it down into small, manageable tasks.
79. Make your online life simpler: Reduce the amount of time you spend online by simplifying.
80. Learn to let go: You don’t have to be a perfectionist — just get things done.
81. Make it easy to get started: Give yourself a small way to start up a task.
82. Eliminate unnecessary tasks: Just say no to things you don’t really need to do.
83. Use technology: Fully utilize web meetings, email, and voicemail to communicate effectively.
84. Give yourself daily goals: Have specific goals in mind for every work day.
85. Create an action plan every evening: Before you stop working every day, plan out what you’re going to do the next day.

Parents

Working or studying from home is a special challenge to parents of young children. Follow these tips to stay productive.

86. Hire a babysitter: Consider child care, even if it’s just for limited hours.
87. Make naptime work time: Use your child’s nap times to get work done.
88. Keep your children occupied: Set up an area for your child to play with lots of toys, or even a mini office for them to imitate you working.
89. Take turns: If you and your spouse both work or study at home, switch off times when one works while the other watches over children.
90. Work late at night: If your schedule can handle it, get your work done when the house is asleep.
91. Manage your interruptions: If your baby starts crying, instead of immediately running to tend to it, take a few seconds to write down the task you were on or the thought you were forming, so you can get right back on track.

Health

Follow these tips to keep yourself healthy and productive while working or learning at home.

92. Stay active: Make sure you take time to be active throughout the day, whether it’s a morning walk with your dog, or a trip to the gym.
93. Give your eyes a break: About ten minutes of every hour, your eyes need to be away from your computer.
94. Keep water at your desk: Stay hydrated and healthy by always keeping water to drink at your desk.
95. Fidget: Don’t stay perfectly still when working at your desk.
96. Stretch: Sitting at your desk all day or all night can take a toll on your body, so be sure to get up and stretch every now and then.
97. Eat a full lunch: Don’t just snack throughout the day; take the time to sit down and have a healthy lunch.
98. Stand up for phone calls: Whenever you get a phone call, get up and walk around the house.
99. Take a micronap: Doze off for a few minutes and wake up refreshed, ready to tackle your work.
100. Be careful not to munch all day: Avoid eating all day while you’re distracted with work: stop to eat instead of multitasking.

100 Free Courses & Tutorials for Aspiring iPhone App Developers

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the iPhone is a big deal and it’s one of the most popular subjects of development these days. Lots of developers are creating their own iPhone apps, and with the right know-how, you can too. Check out our list of courses and tutorials to learn everything that’s important about developing for the iPhone.

University

Here you’ll find iPhone development courses offered by top universities.

1. iPhone Application Programming: Learn about programming for the iPhone from Stanford on iTunes. [Stanford]
2. Introduction to iPhone Application Development: Use this course’s posted slides to get a crash course in iPhone application development. [MIT]

Apple Resources

You can learn about iPhone development straight from the source with these Apple documents.

3. Getting Started with iPhone: Here you’ll find a general introduction to iPhone development. [Apple]
4. Object-Oriented Programming with Objective-C: This document offers an excellent guide for object oriented programming. [Apple]
5. Networking & Internet Coding How-Tos: In this resource, you will find lots of great advice for networking and Internet development on the iPhone. [Apple]
6. Getting Started with Audio & Video: Use this document to get started with audio and video features in iPhone applications. [Apple]
7. Your First iPhone Application: This introductory tutorial offers a step by step description of getting started with an iPhone application. [Apple]
8. Getting Started with Performance: This guide offers an introduction to improving the performance on iPhone apps. [Apple]
9. iPhone Application Programming Guide: Get an introduction to the iPhone OS and development process. [Apple]
10. iPhone OS Technology Overview: Learn about the iPhone OS and its technologies from this guide. [Apple]
11. Getting Started with Data Management: Here you’ll find a reference that will help you with data management. [Apple]
12. Security Overview: Get an understanding of the security concepts on the iPhone from this resource. [Apple]
13. Performance Overview: Get a look at the factors that determine performance through this guide. [Apple]
14. Resource Programming Guide: Check out this resource to learn how to work with nib and bundle resources.
15. Getting Started with User Experience: This document offers an introduction to constructing iPhone application user interfaces. [Apple]
16. iPhone Human Interface Guidelines: Follow these guidelines to make sure your iPhone app has a good human interface. [Apple]
17. iPhone Development Guide: Use this development guide to get an introduction to creating web apps on the iPhone. [Apple]
18. Data Formatting Programming Guide for Cocoa: This guide will teach you how to use Cocoa formatters for data. [Apple]
19. Getting Started with Tools: You will find a guided introduction to the Xcode toolset from this document. [Apple]
20. Data Management Coding How-tos: Get answers to common data management coding questions. [Apple]
21. Introduction to Cocoa Application Tutorial: You’ll need at least a base level understanding of Cocoa for iPhone development, which you can check out in this tutorial. [Apple]
22. Core Animation Programming Guide: Follow this guide to get the main components and services of Core Animation. [Apple]
23. Coding Guidelines for Cocoa: In this guide, you’ll learn about naming guidelines for the Cocoa API as well as design advice. [Apple]
24. Getting Started with Graphics and Animation: Follow this guide for an introduction to 2D and 3D graphics and animation. [Apple]
25. Learning Objective-C: A Primer: Check out this document once you’ve worked through object oriented programming and Cocoa. [Apple]
26. Cocoa Fundamentals Guide: You’ll learn about the basic concepts, terminology, and more in Cocoa from this guide. [Apple]
27. Graphics and Animation Coding How-Tos: In this resource, you’ll find lots of great tips and advice for graphics and animation on the iPhone. [Apple]

Getting Started

Get an introduction to iPhone development through these tutorials.

28. iPhone App Development-Where to Start: This tutorial will teach you how to get started in iPhone app development. [The Daleisphere]
29. Bootstrap: Learn a few pointers for iPhone development from this resource. [furbo]
30. Learn How to Develop for the iPhone: This tutorial will show you how to build an alternate page and style sheet for the iPhone. [NETTUTS]
31. iPhone Application Development, Step By Step: In this tutorial, you will find a step by step guide to creating a simple iPhone game. [Open Laszlo]
32. First iPhone Application: Get a brief introduction to creating your first iPhone application. [iPhone SDK Articles]
33. iPhone Dev: Check out this PDF to get a tutorial for iPhone development. [Lucas Newman]
34. iPhone App Development for Web Hackers: Use this tutorial to learn about geo-location features and beginner development tips. [How to Iphone Application]
35. How to Write an iPhone App: This tutorial gives you a basic look at what it takes to write an iPhone application. [Webmonkey]
36. iPhone App Development for Web Hackers: In this article, you’ll learn about web hacking development for the iPhone. [Dominiek]
37. Writing Your First iPhone Application: Bill Dudney will walk you through all of the tools and pieces of knowledge you’ll need to write your first iPhone application. [The Pragmatic Bookshelf]
38. Cocoa Touch Tutorial: iPhone Application Example: This tutorial will show you how to make a very basic Cocoa Touch application with Interface Builder. [Cocoa Is My Girlfriend]
39. Building an iPhone app in a day: Check out this tutorial to see how you can build a useful app quickly. [The Bakery]
40. Seven Things All iPhone Apps Need: Check out this list to see what’s essential when creating an iPhone app. [APCmag]
41. Put Your Content in My Pocket: Learn how to use the iPhone web browser to your advantage from this article. [A List Apart]
42. iPhone Training Course: Become a master at writing iPhone applications through this course. [Rose India]
43. So you’re going to write an iPhone app…: Learn about code reuse, memory, and more from this tutorial. [furbo]
44. Learn How to Develop for the iPhone: Check out this tutorial to see how to build an alternative page and style sheet for the iPhone. [Net Tuts]
45. Developing for the iPhone: This resource will show you how to develop ASP.NET applications for the iPhone. [Dot Net Slackers]
46. Getting Started with iPhone Development: Ed Burnette offers a basic introduction to iPhone development. [ZDnet]

Tools

These tutorials will teach you how to use specific tools in order to create iPhone apps.

47. Make an iPhone App Using the Envato API: Make your own iPhone app with the Envato API with the help of this tutorial. [Net Tuts]
48. Developing iPhone Applications using Ruby on Rails and Eclipse: Learn how to detect mobile Safari from a Ruby on Rails application through this tutorial. [IBM]
49. 14 Essential Xcode Tips, Tricks and Resources for iPhone Devs: Learn how to make sense of xcode with this helpful resource. [Mobile Orchard]
50. Develop iPhone Web Applications with Eclipse: This tutorial will help you learn how to create iPhone applications with Aptana’s iPhone development plug-in. [IMB]
51. Build an iPhone Webapp in Minutes with Ruby, Sinatra, and iUI: You can learn how to quickly put together an iPhone app with these tools. [Mobile Orchard]
52. iPhone Development with PHP and XML: In this tutorial, you’ll get a look at developing custom applications for the iPhone. [IBM]

Details

These tutorials cover all of the important details in iPhone app development.

53. Avoiding iPhone App Rejection from Apple: This tutorial holds the secrets to making sure your iPhone app makes the cut. [Mobile Orchard]
54. Landscape Tab Bar Application for the iPhone: Follow this tutorial to learn about making the tab bar application support landscape orientation. [Cocoa Is My Girlfriend]
55. iPhone Programming Tutorial-Using openURL to Send Email from Your App: This tutorial explains how you can send email through applications, and even pre-fill fields. [iCode]
56. Multi Touch Tutorial: This tutorial will show you how you can respond to a tap event. [iPhone SDK Articles]
57. Create a Navigation-Based Application: This tutorial will teach you how to create and run a navigation-based application from XCode.
58. Advanced iPhone Development: Go beyond the basics with this iPhone development tutorial. [Dot Net Slackers]
59. Here’s a Quick Way to Deal with Dates in Objective C: Get information on dealing with date fetching through this tutorial. [Howtomakeiphoneapps]
60. Navigation Controller + UIToolbar: Through this tutorial, you can learn how to add a UIToolbar to an app. [iPhone SDK Articles]
61. iPhone Asynchonous Table Image: Follow this thorough article to learn about loading multiple images in your iPhone app in an asynchonous manner. [Markj]
62. Localizing iPhone Apps-Internationalization: You can use resource files to display text in a user’s language-learn how in this tutorial. [iPhone SDK Articles]
63. Tutorial: JSON Over HTTP on the iPhone: With this tutorial, you’ll get a step by step how-to for JSON web services through an iPhone app. [Mobile Orchard]
64. Parsing xml on the iPhone: This tutorial will show you how to parse XML using the iPhone SDK. [Craig Giles]
65. Reading data from a SQLite Database: Here you’ll find a quick tutorial for reading data from a SQLite database. [dBlog]
66. How to Make an Orientation-Aware Clock: Through this tutorial, you’ll learn about building a simple, orientation-aware clock. [The Apple Blog]
67. Finding iPhone Memory Leaks: Carefully find iPhone memory leaks by using this tutorial. [Mobile Orchard]
68. Localizing iPhone Apps: MAke sure that your iPhone app is properly formatted according to a user’s native country or region with the help of this tutorial. [iPhone SDK Articles]
69. OpenAL Audio Programming on iPhone: Here you’ll get code snippets, learning, and more. [Gehaktes]
70. 9 iPhone Memory Management Links and Resources: Here you’ll find a variety of iPhone memory management resources that can help you get things under control. [Mobile Orchard]
71. Parsing XML Files: Get an understanding of how you can parse XML files with this tutorial. [iPhone SDK Articles]

User Interface

These tutorials are all about the user interface and interaction.

72. UITableView-Drill down table view tutorial: Check out this tutorial to learn how to make a drill down table view. [iPhone SDK Articles]
73. iPhone Coding-Learning About UIWebViews by Creating a Web Browser: In this tutorial, you’ll learn about UIWebViews through the creation of a browser. [iCode]
74. Design Patterns on the iPhone: Check out David Choi’s guest lecture on user interface design for the iPhone. [New Jersey Institute of Technology]
75. UITableView-Adding subviews to a cell’s content view: This tutorial will show you how to customize the UITableViewCell. [iPhone SDK Articles]
76. Drill down table view with a detail view: Learn how to load a different detail view on the UITabBarController. [iPhone SDK Articles]
77. Extending the iPhone’s SDK’s UIColor Class: Learn how to extend the iPhone SDK UIColor class, and get code samples from this article. [Ars Technica]
78. UITableView: Learn how to make a simple index for the table view with this tutorial. [iPhone SDK Articles]

Building Tutorials

Check out these tutorials where you’ll build a specific app, and learn more about iPhone development along the way.

79. Build a Simple RSS Reader for the iPhone: Get walked through the creation of an RSS reader for a simple feed on the iPhone. [The Apple Blog]
80. iPhone Gaming Framework: This article offers a look at writing code for iPhone game developers. [Craig Giles]
81. Build a Simple RSS Reader for the iPhone: Follow this tutorial, and you’ll learn about building a simple iPhone RSS reader.
82. iPhone Game Programming Tutorial: This multipart tutorial offers a way to learn OpenGL and Quartz for iPhone development. [iCode]
83. Build your very own Web browser!: Follow this tutorial to learn about the process of building your own iPhone web browser. [dBlog]
84. iPhone application development, step by step: Find out how to build the iPhone application NEWSMATCH using OpenLaszlo. [OpenLaszlo]
85. Building an Advanced RSS Reader using TouchXML: Get step by step information for creating an advanced iPhone RSS reader from this tutorial. [DBlog]
86. iPhone SDK Tutorial: Building an Advanced RSS Reader Using TouchXML: This tutorial will help you learn more about iPhone development by building an advanced RSS reader with TouchXML. [dBlog]

Videos

Watch these videos for a visual guide to iPhone app development.

87. Basic iPhone Programming: Check out this video to get started with iPhone programming. [iPhone Dev Central]
88. First Step Towards the App Store: Work towards getting your app in the app store with the help of this tutorial. [You Tube]
89. Hello World: This tutorial will help you learn the basics of iPhone programming. [iPhone Dev Central]
90. UITableView iPhone Programming Tutorial: Watch this video to learn how to populate a UITableView. [YouTube]
91. iPhone App Tutorial 1: Check out this video to quickly learn about Interface Builder. [YouTube]
92. iPhone IB-Your First App: Watch this tutorial to learn how to use the Interface Builder. [iPhone Dev Central]
93. Understanding Source Code: Learn how to get started with development on the iPhone through this video tutorial. [YouTube]
94. How to Make an iPhone App: Create an iPhone app using Jiggy and this tutorial. [YouTube]
95. iPhone Development with Dashcode: Find out how to develop iPhone applications with Dashcode through this tutorial. [YouTube]

Development Resources

These resources are not courses or tutorials, but they are incredibly valuable resources for beginner iPhone app developers.

96. iPhone Open Application Development: This book will teach you how to create software for the iPhone environment. [Safari Books Online]
97. iPhone GUI PSD File: Use this set to get a comprehensive, editable library of iPhone UI assets. [Teehanlax]
98. 31 iPhone Applications with Source Code: Teach yourself how to create iPhone apps by taking a look at the code in these. [Mobile Orchard]
99. iPhoney: Using iPhoney, you’ll be able to see how your creation will look on the iPhone. [Market Circle]
100. 35 Free iPhone Icon Sets: Check out this resource to find a great variety of iPhone icons.

How to Create Your Own Online Course: 100 Tools, Guides, and Resources

Perhaps you have a special skill, talent, or knowledge-base that you want to share with others, and maybe you’ve heard that teaching online courses can make you a little extra money. The resources below will help you discover how to combine both what you have to offer and what you wish to gain by guiding you through creating and establishing an online course. No matter what age of student, subject you want to teach, or size of the class, you will find resources and information to bring your class online.

Learning Management Systems

Learning Management Systems host your online class and provide a place for students to receive and turn in assignments, class communication, and more.

1. Moodle. This free and very popular course management system allows you to design a course for thousands or only a few students and gives access to creating forums, wikis, databases, and much more.
2. Blackboard Learn . Blackboard is used by many institutes of higher learning, as well as other organizations, as a source of online classroom management.
3. eLearningZoom. Take advantage of the free trial to see how this application works for education, organizations, and businesses.
4. Nicenet’s Internet Classroom Assistant. Set up your course here and have access to conferencing, scheduling, document sharing, personal messaging, and link sharing.
5. FlexTraining. This e-learning system offers a low-cost solution to providing online training and education. The home page also offers plenty of thinking-points for considering a learning management system.
6. Backpack. While not specifically a learning management system, this app is great for organizing groups and sharing information–and is available at no charge for the basic services.
7. OPEN Learning Management System. This open-source management system helps online teachers with course building as well as class management activities such as creating a syllabus, discussion forum, file uploader, a grade book, calendar, and more.
8. Manhattan. This free system is run on Linux and is currently being used at many colleges and universities for their online education programs.
9. ATutor. ATutor is an open-source web-based management system that is easy for administrators to install and easy for instructors to utilize.
10. .LRN. .LRN was developed at MIT, is currently used in a wide range of educational settings, and is open-source.

Resources for Getting Your Class Online

Read these articles to find out everything from using a free blog to host your class to selecting and implementing a Learning Management System.

11. How to Teach an Online Course using WordPress. This article clearly outlines how you can use a free WordPress blog to create a simple online class.
12. How to Create Your Own Website to Support an On-line Course: tips, hints and practical information. If you want to design a website to support your online course, then check out this article that gives technical step-by-step directions.
13. How to Set Up an Online Class Using WebCT 6. Find out how to set up your class with this Blackboard application.
14. How to Write a Free Online Course to Promote Your Website. This article offers suggestions for creating an online course as a marketing tool.
15. How to Create a SCORM Compliant Quiz. Learn to make quizzes that work seamlessly in your online environment and effectively measure student progress.
16. Online classrooms for FREE?! A Review of Free Online Learning Management Systems (LMS). This article takes a look at several different free learning management systems and offers suggestions for ease-of-use and other criteria.
17. White paper provides advice for implementing an LMS. This article offers a synopsis of a white paper that offers suggestions to get your LMS going with few problems and also includes where to access the white paper for free.
18. Learning Management Systems (LMS). Find many resources to learn about the various LMS available and help you choose the right one for your online course.
19. 7 Tips for Selecting a LMS. These seven tips will put novice online course developers at ease when considering an LMS.
20. LMS 2.0: How to Select an Advanced Learning System. Read this white paper to learn what to consider when selecting a system for your course.

Resources for Developing Your Class

You may have plenty of great ideas for your class in your head, but you will need to translate those ideas into approachable tasks for the online environment. These resources will help you do that.

21. Excellence in Online Teaching and Learning. Click through these selections offering advice and information on what a good online class should provide and how to create an online learning environment.
22. SCORM Explained. Learn what SCORM is and why it may be important to your online learning environment.
23. How to Develop Your Online Course. This article offers a wealth of information and points of consideration when developing an effective online course.
24. Sloan-C Events. Many of the workshops listed here are perfect for learning how to set up your online course.
25. E-CLASS: Creating a Guide to Online Course Development For Distance Learning Faculty. Written by a professor, this article offers an in-depth look at how you can start a distance learning class or program within an institute of higher learning.
26. Develop Online Courses. This self-paced online course offers information that you may find helpful when first developing your online course.
27. Nine Tips for Creating a Hybrid Course. If you will have students in a combination of face-to-face and online classes, this article offers plenty of suggestions.
28. Planning online courses. While this class requires a fee to take, it teaches both new and experienced instructors how to get their course online.
29. Writing online courses. Pay to take this class that brings together the best in teaching methods and technology to help you learn how to write a quality online course.
30. Tips for Developing Media-rich Online Courses. From thinking about the learners’ perspective to providing regular feedback to content preparation, this article helps you create an engaging, media-rich class.

Resources for Teaching Online

Find plenty of suggestions to enhance your teaching skills and to learn about special issues for online teaching with these resources.

31. How to Teach an Online Class. These steps provide plenty of information on various aspects of teaching, including creating a syllabus, creating lessons and tests, and student contact.
32. How to Set Up an E-Course. The advice here provides helpful ways to ensure your online class goes smoothly with tips on welcoming students, setting up "office hours," and more.
33. Online Courses - Tips for Making Them Work. This veteran online educator shares her experience and offers suggestions for creating an online educational environment that promotes student learning and satisfaction.
34. Tips for Training Online Instructors. Whether you will be hiring someone to teach your online course or you will be doing it yourself, this article offers plenty of good advice on how to make sure the teacher is prepared and equipped to teach online.
35. Six Tips for Students’ Online Success. This article offers advice for ways to acclimate students to an online learning environment after leaving a traditional classroom setting.
36. Teaching Online: Tips and Advice. This site offers a listing of helpful resources that cover such topics as tips and opinions, teaching with technology, journals for teachers, and discussions.
37. CTDLC: Teaching Tips. From the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium, get links to information on what students want from online teachers to what students say about online assessment to preventing cheating in online classes.
38. Teaching Tips Index. This site is full of resources that any teacher, online or in the classroom, can use and range from preparing lesson plans to creating a syllabus to using inclusive language.
39. Tips and Tricks for Teaching Online. This resource includes help with everything from designing the online course to assessment ideas and even includes some Blackboard tutorials.
40. Tips for Teaching Online. This article offers great advice for such aspects of online teaching as keeping the lines of communication open, coping with workload, and using discussion as a tool.
41. Teaching Online: Tips and Tricks Part 1. From creating a sense of community to contact with the instructor, this article offers plenty of sound suggestions for making your online teaching experience a positive one.

How-to Videos

Watch these videos to get help with everything from creating your class in Moodle to using audio and visual media in your class to best teaching practices.

42. How to Create an Online Course in Moodle!. This video shows how to get started creating your course with Moodle.
43. How to Create an Online Course in Minutes. Using eLearningZoom, this video tutorial will walk you though the initial course set-up.
44. Best Practices in Online Education. Learn how UMBC motivated and stimulated students in this 2-hour presentation on best practices.
45. Second Life: NC State Classes Go Virtual!. Learn how two classes at NC State successfully incorporated Second Life into their structure.
46. Narrative Forms in the Digital Classroom. Discover how this literature class at Vanderbilt University utilized online technology to teach students how to improve their critical thinking and composition skills.
47. Opencast Project Open House at UC Berkeley. This 1 hour video presentation discusses using audio and visual media as a tool for learning, including online learning.
48. Earth Internet Solutions. Watch this video to learn how Earth Internet Solutions can help you get your class online.
49. Tips and Tricks for Teaching Math Online. Whether you are planning to teach math or not, this PowerPoint presentation offers great suggestions for keeping online students engaged.
50. Teaching Excellence Workshop Session 4 - It’s Showtime!. Watch as these instructors discuss tools used to enhance their online teaching.

Resources from the Student’s Perspective

Good educators have the ability to put themselves in their students’ shoes in order to understand how best to reach them. These resources provide information about what makes a good online learning environment for students. Make sure your online classes provide plenty of these opportunities or even point your students to these links.

51. How Students Develop Online Learning Skills. From online discussions to instructor techniques to connections with fellow students, you will find lots of information about how online students learn best.
52. Tips for online courses. Texas A&M offers these tips to students taking online classes to ensure they get the most out of their experience.
53. Survival Tips for On-line Courses. These ten tips offer sound advice for students in general as well as online students.
54. The 7 Mistakes Distance Learners Make. Help ensure your students don’t make these mistakes while taking your online class.
55. Study Tips for Distance Learners. These tips include suggestions such as "Check your email at least once a day" and "Demonstrate good communication skills."
56. 7 Success Strategies for Distance Learners. These basics can apply to any student, but even more so for distance learners.

Creating Content

If you need help creating content for your class, check out these resources.

57. OER Commons. Get free content for K-12, college-level classes, and other educational courses at this invaluable resource for online instructors creating their own courses.
58. Quia. Access online text books; create educational games, quizzes, and other online activities; and get unlimited math questions that cover hundreds of topics.
59. The Online Books Page. Find a free text for your class among over 35,000 available at this site.
60. Open Courseware Consortium. Why reinvent the wheel when you have access to so many great classes already developed. Check out the open courseware classes on the subject you hope to teach and see about incorporating them into your class.
61. Cool School. This Canadian company will develop dynamic content targeted for K-12 for your online lessons available for a fee.
62. Federal Resources for Educational Excellence. Browse through the many available resources here which include primary documents, photos, videos, and animation in subjects ranging from jazz to American literature to astronomy–and they are all free of charge.
63. Biz/ed. This British site offers educational materials for students and educators in the fields of business, accounting, economics, travel and tourism, and sports and recreation.
64. Mrs. Glosser’s Math Goodies. Find math lessons, worksheets, and more at this site.
65. Distance Learning Center: Creating Online Content. The resources at this site from Community College of Allegheny County offer suggestions and links to places that will help you create content for your online class.
66. Guide to Create Content. If you want to stream digital media for your online class, learn how to do so with this resource.
67. Topmarks. Another British website, this one finds teaching resources and educational websites based on the criteria you select. They find content for early education through adult education in a variety of subjects.

Helpful Tools

Use these tools that range from catching plagiarism to reference materials to assistance with organization.

68. CopyCatch. Find out if students are plagiarizing their work by using this application.
69. Alphabetizer. Paste any list into this tool to immediately create an alphabetized list easily.
70. Writeboard. Create online text documents that can be edited and shared with this tool that also integrates with Backpack.
71. WordCounter. See if your students’ 1000 word papers are actually 1000 words with this online word counter tool.
72. Google Alerts. Find new information on your research topics or ideas for new classes by receiving email updates on any topic through Google Alerts.
73. Bartleby.com. Access several handy reference books for your own personal use or to encourage students to use.
74. Connotea. Research is much easier with this tool, specifically designed for researchers, that manages online references.
75. SiteTradr. Find out what sites educators are recommending with this tool that takes the worry out of Internet reading.
76. Nozbe. Keep yourself organized with this application that allows you to keep to-do lists, manage class projects and tasks, get reminders, share with students, and even access from your mobile phone.
77. Notely. Recommend this app to your students. Notely provides tools such as note-taking, a scheduler, homework planner, a calendar, and is made especially for students.

Collaboration Tools

These tools will help keep your online class connected through group projects, communication, and more.

78. Zoho Show. Zoho Show helps students create awesome presentations that can also be shared with others.
79. Campfire. Set up instant chat rooms with your class or study groups using Campfire and help facilitate communication between students.
80. MeetWithApproval. Plan a virtual meeting with your students with this meeting planner.
81. Thinkature. Students can collaborate with each other, organize thoughts and research, and prepare papers and projects with this tool.
82. Wizlite. Students can use this tool to highlight any text online and share with others while working on group projects or collaborating on assignments.
83. ProBoards. Create a discussion board easily and quickly so you can create an area for class collaboration.
84. CiteULike. Share scholarly articles on the Internet or have students research them, then use this tool to store, organize, and share with ease from any browser.
85. Google Calendar. Use this shareable calendar to keep track of assignments, tests, deadlines, meetings, and more while keeping the whole class informed.
86. ThinkFold. ThinkFold allows groups to create interactive, real-time outlines collaboratively.
87. Notefish. Students and instructors alike can save web content on Notefish notes, then organize and share notes with the class.
88. PBwiki. Group collaboration is easy with this popular wiki platform.
89. writewith. For writing projects, this app keeps students working together with shared documents and tasks, discussions, and more.

Distance Education Blogs

These blogs offer the latest information on distance education, including news and information for teaching and learning online. Stay on top of what is happening in the distance education world in order to keep your online courses on the leading edge.

90. Virtual High School Meanderings. This blog looks at the many issues of distance learning, but with a specific eye on high-school online learning.
91. California Dreamin’. Learn about course development, conferences on distance education, and much more with this blog.
92. e-Learning Evangelist. Working in the world of e-learning since the mid-1990’s, this veteran online educator has plenty to share.
93. My State of Flux. Find resources, reflections, and information about online learning in this blog.
94. BestOnlineHighSchools.com. Find out what’s going on in the world of high school distance education by reading the information here.
95. Teaching and Developing Online. This blog offers lots of advice and links to resources to enhance the online learning environment.
96. Thoughts from BFE. The technology director from the only fully online high school program in the US blogs about technology as well as online learning in both high school and higher education.
97. Online Learning Update. This news aggregator offers all the latest trends and developments in online learning.
98. Inside eLearning by Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.. Find information on creating effective teaching tools such as effectively using visuals in papers and how to use statistics to support your research.
99. Inspiration for Education. The news articles and interviews here offer uplifting stories that usually revolve around online education.
100. Michelle’s Online Learning Freakout Party Zone. Get tips and resources to enhance your online learning environment with this blog.

100 Free Online Lectures that Will Make You a Better Teacher

Great teachers know that learning doesn’t stop as soon as you graduate from college. Teachers learn from their experience, from their colleagues, from their students, and any number of other resources. If you are a teacher looking for ways to expand your knowledge base, here are 100 free lectures you can watch to help facilitate some of that learning.

Creative Learning Environments

Find out how these creative learning environments have inspired teachers and students alike.

1. Ken Robinson, (TEDTalks) - Do schools today kill creativity?. Mr. Robinson shares his perspective with humor in this informative and entertaining lecture.
2. Outdoctrination: Society, Children, Technology and Self Organisation in Education. Sugata Mitra speaks about education and students in remote locations, both geographically and socially.
3. The Global Dimension: Walter Payton College Prep High School. This math, science, and world language magnet school brings the global community into their school to enhance learning.
4. Developing Minds: Learning How to Rebuild a Town. High school juniors and seniors combine economics and government to learn how to put together urban development plans.
5. Around-the-Clock Learning: John Spry Community School. Find out how this school shifted their schedule and spread education beyond the typical school days to help the students get ahead.
6. Interview - Jean Choplin. Students interview the founder of AIESEC, an organization that empowers students and recent graduates to have a positive impact on society.
7. Ivy League Scholar Breaks the Rules, Waives the Fees, and Welcomes Harlem Residents. Watch this video to learn about a professor’s work to inspire learners and the implications on creativity and learning.
8. Global Citizenship post 9/11 - How do they do it in the USA?. Learn how this New York school district teaches with a global perspective in just about all subjects and grade levels.
9. George Lucas: Sharing His Hope for Education at Dreamforce. George Lucas discusses educational innovation and incorporating businesses in the educational process.
10. Starting Over: New School Development Group. Find out how educators in Oakland overcame the devastating results of decay and underfunding to give new life to schools and their students.
11. Ohayo, Portland: Using Foreign Language as a Bridge to Learning. Learn how this partial-immersion Japanese language program in Portland, Oregon teaches more than the basics.

Technology

The following videos demonstrate ways to use technology in the classroom and offer tips, lessons, and information.

12. Rights Management and Educational Repositories. Learn how educators can effectively share resources via technology and stay within the law from this educator.
13. London Knowledge Lab: Learning, Context And the Role of Technology. Explore learning and technology in this lecture given by Professor Rosemary Luckin from the London Knowledge Lab.
14. Using video as a lecture tool. Find out how this professor learned from his students and transformed his lectures based on video-taping the lectures.
15. One Woman’s Wanderings with Web 2.0. This teacher in New Zealand explains how her school implemented technology in the classrooms.
16. Blogging in the Classroom. Find out the benefits of blogging and learn how to set up a classroom blog.
17. The Virtual Classroom: Online Learning. Learn how online classes can complement traditional education for today’s students.
18. RSS in Plain English. Find out why you should use RSS in the classroom and how to do so.
19. SMART Board in Action. Learn how to use a SMART board in this easy-to-understand video lecture.
20. What is a pbwiki? These teachers describe what a wiki is and how wikis can be useful in the classroom.
21. Make Classroom Posters with Microsoft Excel. Learn how to make super-sized posters easily with an Excel spreadsheet.
22. PowerPoints that Rock. This PowerPoint video lecture explains how effective your presentation should be and how to make it something your audience will remember.
23. Social Bookmarking in Plain English. Learn how and why social bookmarking works with this video presentation.
24. Semantic Web: Web 3.0 in Education. Professor Jason Ohler presents his findings on using semantic web in education.
25. Using GPS and Geocaching in Education. Dr. Alice Christie explains how to use GPS and geocaching as an educational tool in K-12 classrooms.

Information for New Teachers

New teachers will love these videos that offer previews to teaching, helpful hints, and even a little humor.

26. The Teachers TV ITE Lectures - What Kind of Teacher Will You Be?. Learn about developing your identity in the classroom as well as what shapes your decisions.
27. Pre-School Teacher Video: Educational Requirements for Pre-School Teachers. Watch this video to learn what kind of education you need to get started as a pre-school teacher.
28. Approach to teaching. New teachers will learn useful tips from this experienced teacher.
29. Empowering New Teachers: Bank Street College of Education. Learn how this college teaches new educators ways to effectively communicate with students.
30. Project Promise: A New Path for Prospective Educators. Professionals making a career switch to teaching learn in this fast-track program how to become effective teachers.
31. Curry School of Education: Early Classroom Exposure Improves Teacher Preparation. Find out how prospective teachers are learning more helpful teaching techniques from actual in-class experience.
32. Teacher-Preparation Overview: A Survey of Top Programs. Learn which teaching programs are the top in the US and why they are rated among the best.
33. Teacher Education Pathway: What New Teachers Should Expect. Focusing on the first year, this lecture offers valuable insight for new teachers.
34. Teacher Education Pathway: Preparing Portfolios. Learn what a portfolio is, why they are important, and how to create an effective portfolio.
35. Top 10 Things You Don’t Learn About Teaching in College. A combination of a real David Letterman top 10 list and a creation by new teachers, this top 10 list tells you what you won’t learn about teaching until you get in the classroom.

Information for All Teachers

From teaching in a multicultural society to tips for teachers to teacher support, learn useful information for teachers in these videos.

36. Lectures: Teacher Education in a Multicultural Society. Dr. Etta Hollins discusses preparing teachers for working more effectively in a multicultural society.
37. RSA Lectures - Stephen Heppell - Learning 2016. Find out what Heppell and other educators think about the future of learning.
38. Classroom Quick Start Ideas. Find out some great suggestions for getting started first thing in the morning or when switching between lessons.
39. Routine in the classroom. This teacher explains what she means by routine and why it’s important to students and teachers alike.
40. Tricks of the Trade: Quieting Your Classroom. Experienced teachers share their strategies for getting control over a noisy classroom.
41. Tricks of the Trade: Using Sign Language in the Classroom. Find out how using sign language with younger learners can help with classroom management.
42. Tricks of the Trade: Using a "Fishbowl" for Discussions. Learn how you can use a "fishbowl" to stimulate discussion, strengthen social skills, and promote positive classroom management.
43. On Teaching and Education: Jason Kamras, Part One. This 2005 National Teacher of the Year shares his experiences in the classroom. Don’t miss Part Two of this two-part series.
44. Principal Mentoring: The Push for New School Leaders. With a potential loss of 40% of current principals in the next 10 years, this program of principal mentors has begun to provide a successful influx of new school administrators.
45. Teacher Support: Sherman Oaks Community Charter School. Learn how teachers at this school receive support from their principal in order to have access to continuing education, more planning time, and other important support measures.
46. RSA Lectures - Howard Gardner - Future Minds. Listen to Gardner lecture on nurturing mental capacities for a global world, then hear what a group of teachers say about implementing his ideas in the classroom.

Teaching Specific Subjects

Reading, math, and science are all covered in these lectures that share specific ways to teach these subjects.

47. Teaching Storytelling in the Classroom. Watch children tell stories as a backdrop to educators talking about the storytelling experience.
48. Literature Circles. These teachers demonstrate how to conduct a literature circle using a popular book in this video lecture.
49. The Magic of Math: Continuing Education Adds Up. Find out how this K-5 school in Oregon boosted math skills by incorporating mathematical ideas throughout all the subjects.
50. Teach Area and Perimeter Using Google Earth. Follow along as this fourth grade teacher steps you through this engaging math lesson.
51. Cooperative Arithmetic: How to Teach Math as a Social Activity. Learn from this master teacher as he demonstrates teaching math as a social and emotional lesson.
52. The Abacus-How to Use This Ancient Wonder. Learn how to use both the Japanese and Chinese abacus for teaching ancient math techniques in the modern class.
53. for teachers: Videos (Teaching Evolution Case Studies). Watch the four PBS videos filmed in actual classrooms that provide several strategies for teaching evolution.
54. Geometry using circles and squares. This Teacher of the Year explains her technique for teaching geometry to middle school students.
55. Erosion Science Lesson. This experienced teacher explains how she teaches erosion to her middle school students.
56. Understanding Embryonic Stem Cells Part 1. This is the first of a multi-part video lecture series from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute that describes embryonic stem cells and their role in health.

Special Needs

Whether you work exclusively with special needs students or have special needs students in your inclusion classroom, these videos will teach you a bit about the specific needs of these students.

57. Temple Grandin - Focus on Autism and Asperger’s. Temple Grandin lectures on autism spectrum disorders in the classroom.
58. Best Practices in the Assessment of Autism. This video has a decidedly medical perspective, but offers useful information for ways to recognize autism.
59. Beautiful Minds–The Einstein Effect. If you work with children on the autism spectrum, then you will want to check out this video.
60. Whole Schooling Video Project. Check out the many videos here, organized by category, that address specific needs of inclusion classrooms.
61. Edutopia AT Video. Find out what type of assistive technology is available for students with special needs and learn how this technology can change the learning experience for students.
62. School Matters–Coping with Bereavement. Learn how schools can make a difference while helping students deal with bereavement.
63. Write an Opera - The Voice of Deaf Students. This video presents teachers and hearing-impared students creating operatic pieces worthy of an audience at a popular arts venue in the UK.
64. Wheelchair Design in Developing Countries. Check out the videos from this class at MIT that explores ways in which innovative students help solve problems for those without access to wheelchairs. The class also explores social stigma, operating wheelchairs in less-than-ideal environments, and other issues for those facing physical challenges.
65. Just for Governors - Special Needs. Two British school governors share their experiences with special needs students in their schools and offer suggestions for other schools.
66. Peer-to-Peer Learning: Kids Helping Kids with Autism. Learn how typically-developing children interact with children with autism to help teach social skills.

Arts

From film to music to the nature of creativity, watch these videos to learn about teaching the arts.

67. Art Works: Integrating Creativity in the Curriculum. Learn how this arts academy harnesses students’ passion for the arts while teaching the basics.
68. A Conversation with Martin Scorsese: The Importance of Visual Literacy. Martin Scorsese discusses the importance of teaching and learning visual literacy.
69. Action! Teacher Video - Primary Art. Watch as this teacher discusses how he brought together a professional artist, teachers, and students to result in a positive program that increased student confidence and learning.
70. The Teaching Challenge - The Car Restorer. Learn how this famous car restorer worked with students to help gain a new logo for his company and to teach students about art and inspiration.
71. Music and dance Drive Academic Achievement. This video discusses Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) as an enhancement to overall learning in Tucson, Arizona.
72. Learning and Working in the Collaborative Age: A New Model for the Workplace. Learn what Pixar University’s Randy Nelson believes schools must do to better prepare students for careers in new media.
73. Animating Dreams: The ACME Animation Program. Professional cartoonists share their experience and knowledge with students in this program that provides students with skills and education beyond the art classroom.
74. Music Perception and Cognition. Watch the introductory video from the instructor of this MIT class that discusses the psychology of music perception.
75. The Nature of Creativity. Another MIT course, this one offers videos of lectures from this class that explores imagination and innovation as it pertains to art, philosophy, and psychology.
76. The Film Experience. Watch the video lectures here that chronicle the history of narrative film in this class from MIT.

Physical Education and Health Education

Learn new techniques for physical education classes, the importance of sports in schools, or about sexual health with these physical and health education videos.

77. Smart Moves: The New PE. From zip lining to untying a human knot, find out what new activities for PE are great for both body and mind.
78. Student Body: Classroom Exercises Make Learning Lively. Learn four techniques to use in the classroom to get students focused and re-energized.
79. Get out into wilderness and boost your self esteem! Learn how exercising in the great outdoors can help your students feel better about themselves in this British video.
80. Contemporary Activities in K-12 Physical Education. Find new activities for PE classes, why they are important for students, and how to assemble your own curriculum in this video series.
81. Yoga Across the Curriculum. Watch to see what happens when a teacher brings yoga into her classroom.
82. Estelle Morris Meets - Sue Campbell. Sue Campbell discusses the importance of sports in schools and her influence over sports in the British school system.
83. The Teaching Challenge - Kelly Holmes. Watch this Olympic gold medallist teach basketball and listen as she shares her experiences as an athlete.
84. Nature Deficit Disorder: Mother Nature’s Role in Health and Wellness. Dr. Karla Henderson lectures on getting out in nature to promote health and wellness.
85. Sexual Health (Thinking outside the Box: Moving Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) testing out of the Clinic and into the Community). Learn what these two experts say about their research and the importance of public information about STDs.
86. Our Bodies, Ourselves. This lecture discusses pregnancy and women’s health care.

Lectures from Influential Professors

Go back to school with these lectures from college professors at top universities sharing lectures directly from their classrooms that can broaden your knowledge base and provide instruction on improving your oratory skills.

87. Telling a Free Story: Fugitive Slaves and the Underground Railroad in Myth and Reality. Beginning with slave narratives, dive into the culture of antebellum reform by examining the multiple facets of this historic time in American history.
88. Legacies of the Civil War. Explore three strains of Civil War "memory" that affect the US today.
89. Russia: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Listen to Senator Bill Bradley as he lectures at Princeton on his thoughts about Russia from his experience working there.
90. The American Novel Since 1945. Watch these video lectures from Amy Hungerford’s class at Yale and learn about American authors like Flannery O’Connor, Jack Kerouac, and J.D. Salinger.
91. Milton. John Rogers discusses John Milton’s poetry, prose, and his influence on English poetry.
92. Linear Algebra. This is actually 35 video lectures documenting Gilbert Strang’s class at MIT on Linear Algebra.
93. Differential Equations. Learn all about differential equations in this class taught by Arthur Mattuck.
94. Introduction to Algorithms. Watch these videos to learn all about algorithms from Charles E. Leiserson.
95. Introduction to Ancient Greek History. Learn all about Greek history in this video series from Yale professor Donald Kagan.
96. The Paris Commune and It’s Legacy. Explore the history of the Paris commune of 1871 and it’s impact on modern-day France.
97. Photosynthesis - from light to ATP. Learn about light reactions that occur during photosynthesis in this lecture.
98. Photosynthesis - from CO2 to sugars. Continue learning about photosynthesis with this lecture that discusses fixed reactions.
99. The World is Flat 3.0. Thomas Friedman discusses the basis of his books and what he has to say about globalization.
100. How Do We Communicate?: Language in the Brain, Mouth and the Hands. Take a close look at human’s acquisition and use of language in this lecture from Yale’s Paul Bloom.

100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World

The world is full of students and visionaries and people who want to make a difference in the world, and many of those people share their knowledge online through their blogs. Whether you want to change the world through environment, humanitarianism, business, or any other way, there’s a blog out there that can offer you guidance and inspiration. Read on, and you’ll find 100 blogs that can help you change the world.

General

These blogs highlight good works in everyday life, around the world, and more.

1. United Nations Good Works: Find out what the United Nations is doing around the world from this blog.
2. Gladwell.com: Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers and other inspirational bestsellers, discusses making a difference, intelligent thinking, and other important topics.
3. Ordinary People Change the World: Find out how regular people can make a difference in the world from this blog.
4. Evange-list: Check out Evange-list to learn how you can use the Web to make the world a better place.
5. The Give Well Blog: This blog will tell you how to get the most change out of your giving dollar.
6. What Do You Stand For?: This blog encourages readers to find a cause for support.
7. A Volunteer’s Guide to Changing the World: Find out how you can change the world as a volunteer from this blog.
8. How I changed the world today: See what this blogger does on a regular basis to make a difference in the world.
9. Kiva Stories from the Field: Read the stories of Kiva fellows on this blog.
10. Blog for Change: Blog for Change will help you learn about causes, connections, and action.
11. The Change Blog: This blog is all about changing the world and changing your life.
12. So what can I do?: Read So what can I do? to find out hundreds of actions you can take to change the world.
13. One Person Can Make a Difference: This blogger demonstrates being a force for change in the world.
14. Skip a Lunch: Skip a Lunch is about making small personal sacrifices in order to help others.
15. Have Fun - Do Good: Have Fun-Do Good is written for people who want to change the world while having fun.

Environment

Check out these blogs to learn about changing the world through the environment.

16. How to Save the World: Dave Pollard shares environmental philosophy and more on this blog.
17. Worldchanging: This blog encourages readers to change their thinking to support a more sustainable world.
18. Change the World: HGTV’s blog will tell you how to change your world without losing your mind.
19. Green Tech: Through Green Tech, you’ll learn about the newest, most innovative green developments in technology.
20. Gristmill: Gristmill is full of environmental news and commentary.
21. Sustainable Food: This blog discusses practices and actions for more sustainable food.
22. GoodGuide: Check out GoodGuide to find products that are safe, healthy, and green.
23. Animal Rights: This blog focuses on the cause of animal rights.
24. Green Blog: This blog helps business leaders choose environmentally friendly solutions.
25. Sustainablog: Check out this blog to learn about sustainability, green business, and environmental politics.
26. Bright Green Blog: This blog discusses alternative energy, wildlife, living green, and more.
27. Stop Global Warming: Read this blog to learn what you can do to help put a stop to global warming.
28. Green Fork: Learn how to eat well and eat sustainably from this guide.
29. TreeHugger: TreeHugger shares green news and sustainable design with a modern twist.
30. Green Inc.: See how your business can be more environmentally friendly from this blog.

Social Action & Human Rights

These blogs highlight human rights and social change.

31. Social Work/Social Action: This blog is written by the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University.
32. Spare Change: Nedra uses social marketing to promote causes including health and social issues.
33. On Social Marketing and Social Change: Read this blog to find news and commentary on social change and marketing.
34. Human Rights Watch: Read Human Rights Watch to stay on top of the latest developments in human rights.
35. Poverty in America: Poverty in America fights poverty and supports organizations that help to end it.
36. Social Citizens: Learn more about social giving from this blog.
37. TakePart: On this blog, you’ll find out how to take action on social issues, human rights, politics, environment, and more.
38. Stop Genocide: Read this blog to find discussion on Darfur and more.
39. Aid Worker Daily: Get humanitarian news and reviews from Aid Worker Daily.
40. Survival International: Survival International encourages support of tribal peoples.
41. Gay Rights: Learn about developments in gay rights, and what you can do to support them.
42. Humanitarian Relief: Check out this blog to learn about humanitarian workers.
43. Global Health: Read the Global Health blog to learn what is being done about health crisises around the world.
44. Social Actions: Social Actions has blogs and community that supports social action.
45. Coalition for the Homeless: On this blog, you’ll learn about programs, advocacy, and ways to can help end homelessness.
46. The Humanist Community: This blog is all about promoting humanism.
47. Women’s Rights: Take action on women’s rights with the help of this blog.
48. Peace in the Middle East: This blog discusses the need, and actions for, peace in the Middle East.
49. Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog: On this blog, you’ll learn about refugees, IDPs, and forced migration.
50. End Homelessness: Find out what you can do to help end homelessness through this blog.
51. Blog for Darfur: This blog is on a mission to save Darfur.
52. End Human Trafficking: In this blog, you’ll learn what you can do to help end human trafficking.
53. iAbolish: iAbolish is the blog behind an American anti-slavery group.
54. Criminal Justice: This blog focuses on actions you can take to support a more fair criminal justice system.
55. Tobi Indyke’s Social Action Blog: Tobi Indyke shares events, actions, and more for social improvement.
56. Education: In this blog, you’ll find out how education can be reformed and improved.
57. Religious Action Center: The Religious Action Center shares how you can tackle world changing action through religion.
58. Immigration: On this blog, you’ll learn about the latest in immigration rights.

Inspiration

Changing the world takes commitment and motivation. Students and professionals alike can find the oomph you need to keep going from these inspirational blogs.

59. Operation NICE: Get inspired to be nicer every day by Operation NICE.
60. Gimundo: Gimundo shares good news and positive stories.
61. Zen Habits: On Zen Habits, you’ll learn about improving your life through simplicity.
62. The Hero Workshop: The inspiration in this blog will help you find your inner hero.
63. The Happiness Project: Check out this blog to learn about facing the challenge of being happier.
64. Abbey of the Arts: Abbey’s blog is a great resource for any artists who are creating for social change.
65. Sublime Goodness: This blog delivers inspiration with stories of goodness around the world.
66. Inspire Me Today: Gail Goodwin writes to help give you the motivation and inspiration to be, do, and create.
67. The Serendipity Factory: The Serendipity Factory celebrates happy discoveries, sharing news, quotes, and inspiration.

Philanthropy & Funding

Nonprofits can find a wealth of useful information through these blogs.

68. A Small Change: Check out this blog to learn about fundraising for non-profits.
69. Marketing for Nonprofits: On this blog, you’ll learn how you can help nonprofit marketing efforts.
70. Give & Take: Give & Take is an aggregator of blogs for the nonprofit world.
71. Tactical Philanthropy: Read Tactical Philanthropy to learn about the Second Great Wave of Philanthropy.
72. Philanthropy Journal: On this blog, you’ll find nonprofit news and resources.
73. Cause Marketing: This blog highlights and analyzes cause marketing promotions.

Health Care

Learn about making a change in health care from these blogs.

74. Universal Health Care: This blog discusses universal health care as a way to reform the health care system.
75. IgniteBLOG: IgniteBLOG offers a convergence of health care, marketing, and technology.
76. The Health Care Blog: The Health Care Blog is incredibly informative about the health care system and reform.
77. Subject to Change: Subject to Change focuses on social change in public health.
78. The Alan Katz Health Care Reform Blog: Learn about health care reform from Alan Katz on this blog.
79. Autism: On this blog, you’ll find news and actions relating to Autism.

Art

In these blogs, you’ll see how art can make a difference in the world.

80. The Groundswell Blog: The artists featured on this blog are a part of social change.
81. Women’s Creative Collective: This collective is a group of women who create for change.
82. Make Art Like You Care: This blogger creates good art and good works for a better world.
83. the Painting Activist: This artist describes the world with a paintbrush.
84. on Social Design.: Check out this blog to find out what designers are doing for social change.
85. art + craft = craftivism: This blog focuses on art and craft for good.
86. Art for a Change: Mark Vallen’s blog highlights art theory and commentary.

Leadership & Business

These blogs examine how business and effective leadership can help the world.

87. All Day Buffet: All Day Buffet supports a business model that is based on investment in people.
88. Leading Blog: The Leading Blog writes to build a community of leaders.
89. Social Entrepreneurship: Nathaniel Whittemore’s blog is all about entrepreneurial ideas that support the greater good.
90. The Greater Good: Learn about new scientific research and compassion through this blog.
91. Fair Trade: This blog highlights ways in which fair trade is working, and how it can be better utilized.
92. How to Change the World: Guy Kawasaki’s blog is all about changing the online world.
93. The Practice of Leadership: This blog discusses influencing the world through leadership.
94. Social ROI: Get inspiration for social entrepreneurship through this blog.
95. Servant-Leadership Blog: Learn about the concept of becoming a leader who serves from this blog.
96. Ecopreneurist: Ecopreneurist offers news and support for green and sustainable business ventures.
97. Chief Happiness Officer: Alex Kjerulf’s blog discusses making business more fun, happy, and profitable.
98. Tworque: In this blog, you’ll find news and commentary on entrepreneurship and innovation in developing countries.
99. Seth’s Blog: Seth Godin can help you learn a thing or two about leadership.
100. SustainableWork: SustainableWork supports the idea of creating sustainable startups and emerging enterprises.