Sometimes, information is hard to understand just because it’s presented in a manner that just doesn’t quite appeal to the way we like to learn best. While it isn’t always possible to take every class or complete every project in a way that fits into your individual style, there are ways that you can help to ensure that you’re making the most of the material at hand. Here are a few tips to help you start improving your learning experience by helping make it work a little better with your needs, whether you’re a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner.

Visual Learners

Those who are visual learners understand concepts and ideas better when they are presented in pictures, text, drawings, graphs, charts or other visual representations. Here are some tips for making your coursework and schooling a little easier if you’re a visual learner.

Organization

Keeping your stuff together and staying on task can sometimes be a challenge. These tips can give visual learners a leg up on organization.

1. Color code. If you color code classes, assignments or anything else you’ll be able to identify and locate these items just at a glance. It can be helpful if you’ve got a habit of being messy.
2. Make lists. One way to organize your thoughts is to put them on paper or on the computer. Once you’ve created this visual representation it will be easier to see what you need to get done.
3. Keep like materials together. Creating groups can be one way to keep yourself visually organized. If you’ve got books and notebooks for one class, try keeping these together.
4. Diagram how things are related. Whether you’re trying to get research done for classes or just figuring out anything in your day to day life, you can benefit from creating a diagram or mind map to show how elements are interconnected and how you need to proceed.

In Class

Keep focused in class with these tips.

5. Always take notes. If you have a hard time remembering things that you hear, make sure to write them down. This can give you a visual reference later.
6. Visualize how to spell words. Spelling words in your own language or in another can be hard for visual learners who are just hearing them. Tying spellings, especially difficult ones, to visual cues can make it easier.
7. Relate things through graphs and charts. If your class is filled with facts and figures it can be helpful to lay them out in ways that make more sense to visual learners, like graphs, charts or diagrams. Your information will be more organized and easier for you to understand, helping you in the long run.
8. Use several colors. Some visual learners find that it helps to use different colors of ink to highlight different areas of their notes. Vocab words can be in one color, definitions in another and so on.
9. Sketch. Whether you’re taking a class on architecture or human anatomy it can be helpful to sketch out concepts sometimes. It will help you to better remember and understand how they work later.
10. Look at your professor. Because visual learners are so dependent on seeing things to understand it can help to sit near the front of the class and look at your professor. This can alert you to subtle body language and help you stay more engaged and focused.
11. Copy information off the board or overheads. If your professor is providing you with visual information to use in class, copy things down to your own notebooks, even if you can look it up later.

Studying

Studying can be a bore sometimes, but you can make the time you spend more effective with these tips.

12. Create a timeline. When dealing with a sequence of events you’re trying to remember or understand it can be useful to lay them out in chronological order on a timeline. This way, you’ll be able to more easily visualize how things changed over time.
13. Make outlines. Whether you’re writing a paper or just condensing your notes to key concepts, creating an outline is a great way to organize information in a way you can see.
14. Study in large blocks. Visual learners are often very good at concentrating for long periods of time. Take advantage of this and get your studying out of the way in big chunks.
15. Diagram anything you can. Diagramming can be a good way for visual learners to understand a variety of topics, from geological processes to sentence structure.
16. Make lists of important topics. Listing out the most important topics from your notes or readings can be a good way to help you remember the key elements and provides a visual reference for later.
17. Watch videos on relevant topics. Videos can be a big help to visual learners when trying to understand coursework. Search the Web for videos that apply to your topic to see if you can find some great visual tools.
18. Take notes on reading material. While understanding reading material is generally second nature to visual learners, taking notes can help improve the amount of information you retain and gives you something to study from later.
19. Use flashcards. Using images or text on flashcards can be a great way to associate concepts or vocabulary words with visual representations. Create separate piles for cards you answer correctly and those you miss. Go through the missed ones until you can get them all right.
20. Highlight, circle and underline. Creating visual cues for yourself as to what parts of your notes or reading are most important can be a a great way get more out of the time you spend working on homework and studying.
21. Look for photos. If there are images of what you’re learning about in class try to find them. This can often be all you need to understand even the most complex of concepts.
22. Implement mind maps. Mind maps can be a great way for visual learners to organize information from a class or to come up with ideas for projects and papers.
23. Use the computer. Much of our interaction with the computer is done in a visual manner, and this can form an ideal learning environment for visual learners. Check the Web for programs and sites you can use to improve your learning experience.
24. Try creating mental images. When you’re struggling to remember things, sometimes creating a mental image for yourself can help, especially when it comes to things that aren’t visual by nature.
25. Find visual representations of audio recordings. If your class relies on historical recordings or other audio materials try finding text versions of the same things. This can be a great way to help you get some visuals and possibly remember more.
26. Keep things quiet. Most visual learners are very easily distracted by noise in the background or other people talking around them when they’re trying to do work or study. Find a quiet place like the library to do your work.
27. Engage your imagination. Visual learners love to use their imaginations and think of new things. Use your imaginative abilities to come up with new ways of seeing topics in class, ideas for papers or great ways to visually represent an idea.

Using Other Learning Methods

The fact is that sometimes you’re not going to be able to use the learning method that works best for you. Here are some ways you can help improve your skills in auditory and kinesthetic learning.

28. Work on listening and speaking. Because visual learners are some image and text oriented, make it a priority to work on your listening and speaking abilities. Many jobs will require this from you in the future and you’ll be ahead of the game if you build the skills beforehand.
29. Don’t always rely on notes. Try testing yourself occasionally to remember material without writing it down. It can be better to do this with less important things at first and work your way up.
30. Try listening to texts. Improve your listening abilities by getting audio recordings of materials for class instead of text ones. This can be difficult at first but will help you learn to better process auditory information.
31. Write things down afterwards. See if you can remember a list of things without writing them down immediately. Wait a few minutes before writing them down to work on remembering oral information.
32. Create a process. Boost your kinesthetic skills by creating a process for everything you do. This interactivity with studying, homework or preparing for class can help you learn to engage your whole body in the learning process.
33. Work with others. While visual learners are not usually opposed to working with others, they do not require it as much as those that learn through interaction. Working with your classmates can be a great way to boost your abilities to work and learn with others, skills that will serve you your whole life.

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners understand things through hearing them, meaning they are partial to learning that involves music, talking and other kinds of sounds. Make the most of your learning abilities by using these tips to help you get through classes.

Organization

Keep your thoughts and things organized with some of these tips.

34. Repeat to-dos to yourself. Repeating the tasks you have to do can be a great way for auditory learners to remember them.
35. Create auditory cues. Have to set aside times to study and take breaks? Set up timers for yourself to indicate when to start and stop to help you better organize your time.
36. Make sure things are logical. Auditory learners have a preference for information that presented in a logical manner. Give yourself this advantage by keeping all your class materials together in a way that makes the most sense to you.
37. Leave yourself audio messages. Need to remember tasks or organize your thoughts for later? Get a tape recorder and leave yourself messages that you can listen to later.

In Class

Many class formats suit auditory learners quite well, but here are some additional tips to get the most out of class time.

38. Use a tape recorder. If taking notes does nothing to help you remember classroom lectures, then try recording them with a small tape recorder instead.
39. Ask questions. Asking questions can be a great way for auditory learners to cement in their minds the things they do know while helping them understand the things they don’t.
40. Sit in the front of class. Make sure you hear what’s going on in your classes by sitting up front.
41. Participate in discussions. If there’s a class discussion going on make sure you take part. It can help you to remember more and take more away from the class.
42. Close your eyes. If you can manage to do so without falling asleep, concentrating on the audio elements of your class while shutting out the visual can help you focus in.
43. Don’t skip class. While visual learners can read the material they miss and learn just as easily without going to class, as an auditory learner you may have a much harder time. So, no matter how tired you are, get up and get to class.
44. Ask for things to be repeated. Repetition can be a great way to remember concepts and can also help to ensure that you fully understand them as well.

Studying

Learn to study better and more effectively with these tips.

45. Study with others. Bouncing your ideas off others and talking out information from class can help you get a lot more from study sessions, so long as you don’t get distracted.
46. Read texts out loud. While it may take you a little longer, it can help you to remember more in the long run.
47. Get audio books. If you don’t want to read to yourself you may be able to find someone else to do it. Check to see if your class materials are available on tape instead.
48. Create oral stories to narrate ideas. Put the information from your class, whether it’s history or vocab words, together into a story for yourself and repeat it out loud. It may help you remember the material more easily.
49. Dictate your papers. Auditory learners may find it easier to narrate their papers and homework into a recorder and type them up later.
50. Work problems out orally. While talking to yourself may make you feel like a crazy person, it can also be a great way to help you understand material and better complete your homework.
51. Make speeches and presentations. If you’re given a choice, present your work in a oral format rather than a written one.
52. Create musical ways to aid memorization. Making up a song or a tune to memorize words and processes to can be a great help to many auditory learners.
53. Read notes to yourself. Reading over your notes out loud can be more beneficial to auditory learners than simply reading them quietly.
54. Explain ideas to others. Some students may find that they understand their coursework better when they explain it to other students.
55. Discuss your ideas verbally.Talk with other students, your teachers any anyone else to get your ideas out there. It can make it easier to formulate your ideas and shape your homework assignments.
56. Watch videos. Just like visual learners, auditory learners can benefit from watching educational materials. Browse video sites on the Web to find pertinent information to help you out.
57. Read directions aloud. If you’re having trouble understanding an assignment, try reading it out loud to yourself. You may find you understand it better then.
58. Try finding podcasts. Because auditory learners respond better to things they hear, finding educational podcasts can be a great way to supplement notes and lessons.
59. Listen to music. Some auditory learners find it helpful to listen to music quietly or to go to a public place to study, as they enjoy the background noise.
60. Put on headphones. You can help focus on the auditory elements of your environment by putting on headphones. This can help you to concentrate on the task at hand.
61. Spell things out loud. When learning new words, it can be helpful for auditory learners to say and spell them out loud until they sound familiar.
62. Use rhymes to remember important things. Rhyming can be a great way to create mnemonic devices to remember all kinds of information you need to know for classes.

Using Other Learning Methods

Learning without noise can be hard for auditory learners but they can boost their skills with these tips.

63. Mix formats. When trying to learn using another method it can be helpful to mix formats at first. This can mean watching videos, following along in a book to an audio recording, and more.
64. Write more down. You may not learn the best from things you write down, but you can help start adding note taking to your studying process.
65. Try to get meaning from photos. To improve your visual skills, spend some time looking at photos and visual representations of the information from class.
66. Play games and use flashcards. Make your learning process a little more hands on by creating games and using flashcards to study. If you struggle with this method you can also switch to an audio format instead.
67. Create charts and graphs. Map out the data in your class into graphs, charts and diagrams to give you a more visual representation of what it’s saying.

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic learners work the best when they can get hands on with things. This means interactive learning experiences like labs, demonstrations and computer programs help them to learn the most. Here are some tips for using these kinds of thing to study, work and organize.

Organization

Take a hands on approach to keeping your school stuff, and everything else, organized with these tips.

68. Make materials tactile. Because kinesthetic learners are so focused on touch, organizing along those lines can helpful. Buy notebooks and folders with different surfaces or create them yourself to make it easy and fun to touch your materials and distinguish one from another.
69. Use the computer. Computers are highly interactive devices and can excite and interest kinesthetic learners. Keeping to-do lists and assignments organized on the computer can be a great way to make organization easier.
70. Create processes. Make your organizational habits more interactive by creating a process. Whether it means turning on your favorite music when you start to pull things together or doing things in a particular order, find a process that works for you.
71. Make it active. Being organized doesn’t have to mean sitting in one place while you do it. Make cleaning, organizing and ordering more fun by getting active while doing it.
72. Make sure materials are functional. Kinesthetic learners are all about function over form. Make sure the materials you use to organize are highly functional.

In Class

Make the most of the time you spend in class each week with some help from these tips.

73. Take lab classes. Lab classes offer kinesthetic learners the perfect opportunity to interact with the materials pertinent to their class. If you can, try taking classes that include a lab element so you get as much hands on time as possible.
74. Go on field trips. Going to a museum, park or historical place that relates to what you’re learning can be a great interactive way to understand what you’re learning about.
75. Interact with professors and classmates. Don’t just sit quietly in the back of class, ask questions, interact with teachers, and work with other students. This will create a much more engaged learning experience and you’ll take more away from it.
76. Write and draw lecture materials. Just sitting and listening to a lecture may not be enough to make it stick in your mind. Take notes and make sketches related to class to reinforce the material.
77. Sit near the front. It will be easier for you to interact with your teacher and see what is going on if you sit near the front.
78. Chew gum. when you’re in a quiet classroom tapping a pen or your foot can be annoying to other students but many kinesthetic learners find it difficult to sit still. Chewing gum, quietly, can be a good way to keep moving around without bothering anyone else.
79. Type notes. If you can bring your laptop into the classroom, try typing notes out as the class goes along. This will keep your hands busy while you listen.

Studying

Keep yourself interacting with your study materials by trying out these ideas.

80. Study in short blocks. Kinesthetic learners will get the most out of short study sessions with breaks in between to get up and move around.
81. Role play. One way to get invested in your material is to act it out with yourself or classmates. You’re much more likely to remember material you’ve gotten involved with using your whole body.
82. Study with others. Working with other students gives you a chance to interact and bounce your ideas off of others, and can be a great way to improve study time.
83. Use memory games. Playing games to help you remember important vocab words and concepts can make learning fun and much more interactive than reading them out of a books.
84. Create flash cards. Along those same lines, flash cards are a great tool to help kinesthetic learners remember important information.
85. Make time to move around. Don’t just sit still and force yourself to study for hours. It’s likely you’ll just be thinking about that instead of focusing on what you should be studying. Incorporate breaks into your study schedule.
86. Draw or write things out. Get involved with your classroom materials by drawing or writing them out even if they are in audio format.
87. Create models. Because kinesthetic learners love to make things they can interact with, creating models, dioramas or computer animations can help them to better get a handle on even the most complex concepts.
88. Trace letters and words. When trying to learn new words in English or a foreign language kinesthetic learners can benefit from tracing them out on paper or using their eraser to spell them out.
89. Think about studying while working out or walking. You don’t have to sit still to study. Try listening to materials related to class while walking between classes, taking a jog on the treadmill or just cleaning your house.
90. Go through the motions. When you’re learning about processes it can be useful to act out how they work. You may remember more when you have the motions to go along with the words.
91. Draw charts and diagrams. Like visual learners, kinesthetic learners benefit from creating charts and diagrams of information from class.
92. Make things tangible. Abstract concepts may be difficult for kinesthetic learners to understand as they are interested more in things that can be touched and dealt with physically. Think of ways to represent these abstract concepts as tangible objects to make them easier to understand.
93. Copy notes. Rewriting the material in your notes can be a good way to help you remember it.
94. Multitask. For some people multitasking simply doesn’t work, but more highly active kinesthetic learners may find it highly productive.
95. Use interactive learning materials. Whether you create flash cards, pay games, quiz yourself on the computer or talk with friends, make sure the way you’re studying involves a certain amount of interactivity.
96. Don’t sit still. Sitting still can be a hard thing for many kinesthetic learners. Allow yourself to move around as you study, do homework or work on projects. You’ll stay more interested, no matter how boring the material is.

Using Other Learning Methods

Improve your skills in other learning methods by trying these methods out.

97. Talk things through. Work on your auditory learning skills by talking yourself through homework problems or to understand better understand notes and class materials.
98. Try to keep still and focus. It’s not in the nature of kinesthetic learners to sit still for long periods of time but work on improving your ability to stay put can be advantage for times when you have to.
99. Work at understanding things abstractly. You won’t always be able to create models or drawings of things you’re learning so work on trying to understand concepts without these aids when you can.
100. Listen to audio materials. Listening to CDs and other audio recordings instead of reading can help you to improve your auditory understanding of things. If it helps you, you can walk around or use your hands to work on something else while listening to these recordings.
101. Watch videos. Videos combine both auditory and visual learning, and can be a great way to improve your ability to learn either way.

General

Just about any teaching student can apply for these great scholarships.

1. Straightforward Media Teacher Scholarship: Every three months this website gives out a $500 scholarship to students currently enrolled in a teaching program.
2. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Scholarship Fund: These scholarships are given out in varying amounts to current and future teachers in areas all over the US.
3. The Coca-Cola Foundation Teacher Scholarships: Teachers nationwide can apply for a scholarship through the Coca-Cola Foundation and awards are given out in varying amounts.
4. Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teacher Scholarship: Undergraduate or graduate students majoring in education can apply for this scholarship in the amount of $1000.
5. Phi Delta Kappa Prospective Educator Scholarships: These scholarships are awarded to large number of students each year who are high school or college, are members of PDK, a sponsored club or have a parent who is. Awards range from $500 to $1500.
6. Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation Scholarship: Undergraduate or high school students interested in pursing a career in education can get awards in varying amounts through this scholarship.
7. American Montessori Society Teacher Education Scholarship Fund: Varying amounts are awarded each year to up to 20 students enrolled in an undergraduate education program.
8. Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation: Two freshmen college students in education will have a chance to win this $250 award each year.
9. Zeta Phi Beta Isabel M. Herson Scholarship in Education: Awards between $500-1000 are given out to several undergraduate and graduate students who are majoring in education each year.
10. AFT Robert G Porter Scholars Program: Between 4-10 undergraduate and graduate students majoring in education who have been AFT members for at least one year can win this $1000 award.
11. Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarships: The Office of Postsecondary Education offers this award to high school students entering a program in education. It covers many fees, but will require students to commit to teaching for at least two years at a specific school after graduation.

Region Specific

These scholarships are limited to certain states or regions.

12. Boeing Teacher Scholarships: Boeing generously provides scholarships to current teachers working in specific school districts in Southern California. Award amounts will vary depending on the applicant.
13. The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation Scholarship: Teachers seeking advanced degrees in education can apply for scholarships from this foundation. Applicants must be current teachers in Western Pennsylvania’s Fayette, Greene and Washington counties.
14. Edison International Scholarship: Teachers working in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley, Ventura County, San Bernardino County and the San Joaquin Valley can apply for this award which is given out in varying amounts.
15. Edward B. Rust, Jr. Scholarship Fund: Given out by the CEO of State Farm Insurance, this award is given out to teaching students in Illinois who are seeking certification in a Master’s degree program. It varies in amount according to need.
16. Judy Wolpe Endowed Scholarship Fund: One teacher working in the Michigan or Washington DC areas can win this award, which varies in amount each year.
17. Golden Apple Scholar of Illinois: Students pursuing teaching degrees in Illinois can apply for this award. Students must be in high school students entering a program in the fall or a college sophomore. Additionally, students must attend one of 53 member institutions. Award amounts will vary by student.
18. HOPE Teacher Scholarship Loan for Graduate Study in Critical Shortage Fields: To qualify for this award, students must hold a bachelors or masters degree in teaching and want to work towards an additional degree in a critical field. They must also be residents of Georgia and agree to teach in a Georgia school after graduation.
19. Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority: Undergraduate and graduate students working towards teacher certification at a Kentucky school can apply for this award. Amounts range from $625 to $2000 each semester.
20. Pacific Teacher Scholarship Fund: If you live in specific Pacific countries and are currently enrolled in a teacher certification program you can apply for this scholarship which gives out $750 to $1,000 to five students each year.
21. Tomorrow Teachers Scholarship Program: In order to recruit and sustain teachers in high need areas in New York, teachers can apply for this grant which can give them up to $3400 each year.
22. Emma Scott Scholarship for Future Teachers: Junior and Senior students in a teaching program who are members of the AEA or high school seniors can apply for this award which is given out to three students each year.
23. Missouri Teacher Education Scholarship: In order to attract teachers to high need areas, the state of Missouri provides these scholarships to those enrolled in teaching programs. Awards vary in amount.
24. North Carolina Prospective Teacher Scholarship Loan: Both undergraduate students and high school seniors can apply for this award which gives out $2500 to $4000 to qualified applicants.
25. The Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholarship Program: Students in education programs in West Virginia can get this award which varies in amount depending on the student.

Minority

Minority students can get extra support through these scholarship programs.

26. Rockefeller Brothers Fund: Teaching students of minority groups, 25 college juniors each year, can get up to $22000 over five years with the promise to teach in a public school for three years.
27. Hispanic Scholarship Fund and State Farm Scholarships: Each year this scholarship is given out to 20 Hispanic college students and awards them with up to $2500.
28. Siemens Foundation Teacher Scholarship: Minority students pursuing a teacher career can apply for this scholarship which is given out in varying amounts each year to at least five students.
29. Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program: Students who are planning to become preschool, elementary or secondary school teachers and are of African American, Hispanic, Asian or Native American origin may qualify for up to $5,000 per year as part of this Illinois scholarship program.
30. Western Washington University Future Teachers of Color Promise Scholarships: To qualify for this scholarship, students must be enrolled with WWU as a sophomore or junior in a teaching program and be of a minority. Award amounts will vary by student.
31. NAACP Lillian and Samuel Sutton Education Scholarship: Students who are members of the NAACP and majoring in education at the undergraduate and graduate levels can earn up to $1000 to $2000.
32. Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund: Undergraduate minority students majoring in education can qualify for up to $4000 through this award.
33. Florida Fund for Minority Teachers: Students enrolled in an undergraduate program at a Florida university, who are of select minority groups and who are majoring in education can be awarded up to $4000 a year.
34. University of Louisville Minority Teacher Scholarship: This scholarship is available to full or part-time minority students pursuing initial teacher certification at the University of Louisville. It covers al tuition expenses.
35. State of Arkansas Minority Teacher Scholars Program: African-American, Asian-American, Native-American, and Hispanic students attending a university in Arkansas can earn up to $5000 of support a year if they are willing to work in an Arkansas public school for five years.

Science and Math

Those focusing on these in-demand fields can get access to these funds.

36. GlaxoSmithKline Endowed Scholarship Fund: Present and future science teachers working or planning to work in middle to high school education can apply for these scholarships handed out by GlaxoSmithKline. Awards vary in amount.
37. AAPT Barbara Lotze Scholarships for Future Teachers: Two scholarships are given out each year to students who plan to teach physics after graduation from an accelerated bachelor degree program. Students can win up to $2000 for four years.
38. Hach Scientific Foundation Chemistry Teacher Scholarship: Current high school teachers with ideas to improve their classrooms and programs can apply for this scholarship which grants a minimum of $1500.
39. Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Fellowship: Students who have received a bachelor’s or advanced degree in science, engineering or mathematics and who teach high school science or mathematics can get this fellowship as well as students who are in teacher certification programs in these specializations. Support ranges but can be up to $10000.
40. Society of Physics Teachers Leadership Scholarship: Full-time undergraduate students in their junior or senior years in a physics teaching program will be eligible for this award. $5000 is given to one student and several students will get $2000.
41. Newton Fellowship Program: This fellowship is available to teachers currently working in the field of mathematics who are willing to complete graduate school and commit to four years of teaching in a New York City high school. A full scholarship for school is granted as well as $90,000 over five years.
42. Texas Instruments Demana-Waits Fund: Through this fund, one sophomore student pursuing a degree in teaching high school mathematics can earn a one time scholarship of $10,000.
43. David R. Layman Endowed Scholarship in Biology at NIU: Northern Illinois University students working towards a degree in teaching secondary school biology can apply for this award which grants scholarships in varied number and amounts each year.
44. The Mikkelson Mathematics and Science Teacher Scholarship Fund: Students pursuing a degree in the math and science teaching fields can qualify for the variety of awards given out through this fund.
45. Math for America Fellowship: This fellowship is a $50,000, four-year award available to teachers of mathematics in the New York City public secondary schools. The money must be used for student development programs or teacher education.

Subject Specific

These scholarships focus on a variety of subject specific teaching fields.

46. JEA Future Teacher Scholarship: The Journalism Education Association sponsors up to three $1000 scholarships for upper level undergraduate or graduate education majors who intend to teach scholastic journalism.
47. Suzuki Association of the Americas: Get some extra study time in over the summer with this scholarship program which awards $350 to $475 to undergraduate students of music who are SAA members.
48. Rudolph Dillman Memorial Scholarship: The American Foundation for the Blind offers this scholarship to undergraduate students who are entering programs to teach blind students. Awards range from $1000 to $2500.
49. Sigma Alpha Iota Music Education Scholarship: Students pursuing a masters or doctoral degree in music education and who are SAI members can apply for this $1500 award.
50. Dorothy B. Lucas Special Education Scholarship: Two scholarships of $2500 are awarded each year to students getting their MA in special education.
51. Mary Ann Baugher O’Brien Special Education Scholarship: Undergraduate or graduate students are the recipients of this award and must be majoring in special education.
52. Bill and Diane Stoneman Physical Education Scholarship Endowment: Undergraduate students enrolled in a physical education degree program at the University of Idaho can win this annual award.
53. The North Carolina Council for the Social Studies Student Teacher Scholarship: This $1000 scholarship is awarded to one student at Duke University who is pursuing teacher certification in social studies.
54. C.L. Dick Highfill Scholarship for Health and Physical Education Teachers: Northwestern Oklahoma State University awards this scholarship to one qualified physical education major with an interest in coaching.

Fellowships and Graduate Level Scholarships

There are plenty of awards available for upper level and post-graduate study.

55. Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program: Teachers in this fellowship program spend one year working in a congressional office or federal agency and are expected to work towards improving math, science and technology education.
56. Horace Mann Abraham Lincoln Fellowship: Teachers with a special interest in the life of Abraham Lincoln will jump at the chance to study him through this fellowship. Numerous fellowships are given each year and lodging, food and transportation are covered during the duration.
57. Teacher as Researcher Grant: Current teachers working to improve literacy and instruction in the classroom can win this grant which ranges from $1000 to $5000.
58. James Madison Graduate Fellowships: Get funding to better teach the American Constitution through this fellowship program.
59. Teach NYC Cohort Program: NYC is in need of qualified teachers and this cohort program can provide full tuition to students pursuing a masters in teaching who are willing to teach after graduation in critical need areas.
60. GWU Corey Hansen Scholarship Endowment: George Washington University graduate students pursuing a career in education administration or secondary education can be eligible to apply for this award.
61. College of Charleston Matthew Scott Ciganovic Memorial Scholarship: Undergraduate or MAT clinical practice students at the College of Charleston working towards teaching students with special learning challenges may be able to apply for this award.
62. University of Alaska-Anchorage Sheri Stears Education Scholarship: Students pursuing BA and graduate level degrees at the UAA in early childhood education and teaching can submit applications for this supportive scholarship.
63. The Citizen Schools National Teaching Fellowship: This fellowship is a two-year, leadership development program, including service as a team leader at a Citizen Schools campus. This fellowship is intended to prepare students for careers as leaders in their fields.
64. Pearson Teacher Fellowship: Earn up to $12,500 over two years through this fellowship which puts education students to work in preschools.
65. Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program: Indiana’s public school teachers can apply for this fellowship which supports programs in schools to improve creativity. Up to 120 awards are granted at $8,000 each.
66. John Hopkins The Allen Grossman Teaching Fellowship: Johns Hopkins graduate students with teaching experience are eligible for this fellowship which helps improve their academic writing, gives full tuition and an annual stipend of $18,000.

Current Teacher

Those currently working as teachers can get funding for further education and educational projects through these scholarships.

67. IRA Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award: College or university teachers of reading methods or reading-related courses can apply for this $1000 award.
68. Dale Seymour Fund: Current teachers can get funding to learn more about math through these workshop scholarships. A maximum of $2000 is awarded to a number of teachers working in grades K-5.
69. Inspired Teacher Scholarships: Inspiration Software funds this $1000 scholarship which is given to 25 teachers to use for personal development or new technology.
70. Fund for Teachers: Teachers from all over the nation can apply for these scholarships which give out funding in varying amounts for educational programs and professional development.
71. The Horace Mann Scholarship Program for Educators: This scholarship goes to primary, secondary, and post-secondary educators with at least 2 years of experience. The maximum award amount is $5,000.
72. Florida Critical Teacher Shortage Tuition Reimbursement Program: Those holding current teacher certification in Florida can get tuition reimbursement for graduate or undergraduate study in a critical need area.
73. Iowa Teacher Shortage Forgivable Loan Program: New graduates teaching in critical areas in Iowa schools can get up to 20% of their school loans repaid through this incentive program.
74. Mississippi Graduate Teacher Summer Loan/Scholarship: Teachers heading back to school to get a Master’s degree can get some assistance from the state of Mississippi in the form of tuition reimbursement with the promise to teach in critical areas in public schools.
75. Grow Your Own Teacher Scholarships: Students at select Idaho universities can take advantage of up to $3000 if they are working towards ESL education degrees or are Native American students expecting to teach in a predominantly Native American area.
76. Jostens Renaissance Teacher Scholarship: Up to 4 scholarships of $1000 go out to teachers at Jostens Renaissance schools who want to go back to school for additional education.
77. IRA Reggie Routman Teacher Recognition Award: The International Reading Association hands out this award to two teachers each year (one elementary and one secondary) who have excelled in teaching writing or reading. Applicants must be IRA members and the award is a one time payment of $1000.
78. The UPS Foundation Scholarship: The United Parcel Service gives out scholarships in varying amounts to teachers in Arizona, Texas and Washington pursing degrees in Early Childhood Literary or Reading programs.

College Specific

Whether you are looking for the best online college or your local state campus, many schools offer scholarships to ease your financial burden.

79. WGU Scholarships for Rural Mathematics and Science Educators: Those living in a rural community who wish to become math or science teachers and take courses at the masters or undergraduate level can get up to $7500 in funding to attend Western Governors University.
80. The Drexel University Noyce Scholarships: The Noyce scholarship goes to an undergraduate with a major in Mathematics or an area of Science or Engineering an provides $10,000 per year for two years.
81. University of Kentucky Opal T. and Theresa W. Bondurant Scholarship Fund: This scholarship provides funding to female students pursuing a degree in education at the University of Kentucky. Award amounts will vary.
82. University of Northern Illinois Iris Adams Memorial Scholarship: This annual award goes out to an NIU student at the junior level who is majoring in special education and can demonstrate financial need.
83. University of Wisconsin Madison Mary Ann Brichta Scholarship: Sophomores, juniors and seniors of a minority group majoring in Elementary or Secondary Education at UW can apply for this award. The amount awarded varies.
84. NC State John, Rebecca and Drew Logan Scholarship: This scholarship goes out to undergraduate students in education who have a special interest in special education. Award amounts vary by student.
85. California State University, Chico Teacher Recruitment Scholarship: Scholarships through this program awarded want to become secondary mathematics and science teachers. The awards will vary from $500 – $2000.
86. Kansas State University Tomorrow’s Teachers Scholarship: High school seniors who are Kansas residents and who will be attending KSU for an education major can apply for this scholarship. It awards up to $2500 for each school year.
87. Shorter University TEACH Grant Program: Teacher education majors at Shorter who are planning to teach in a low income school in a high need field can qualify for this $4000 award.
88. Point Loma Student Teacher Scholarship: Students at Point Loma can get funding during their student teaching for tuition and books. Three scholarships of $1500 are awarded.

Study Abroad and Foreign Language

Those going into foreign language education or teachers who want to learn abroad can take advantage of these scholarships.

89. The Association of Teachers of Japanese Bridging Project Scholarship: 100 American undergraduate students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan can get funding for study and living expenses through this scholarship program. Awards range from $2500 to $4000.
90. Goethe Institut German Teacher Scholarships: German teacher scholarships are offered for participation in language courses and professional development seminars. These awards vary in amount.
91. Winthrop-King Scholarships for High School Teachers of French: Teachers enrolled in a graduate program for French can win $1750-$10000 depending on their studies to take courses abroad.
92. Vermont Foreign Language Association Scholarships: Advanced level students of French can win a variety of scholarships to attend several different seminars up to $200.
93. School for International Training IATEFL Scholarship Fund: The International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language offers this scholarship to students entering a master’s degree program in teaching at SIT can win up to $15,000 of support.
94. Spanish Embassy/MaFLA Teacher Scholarship: One MaFLA member can win a full scholarship to participate in a summer education program at a Spanish university. Applicants must be current Spanish teachers.
95. ACTFL Spanish Language Study Scholarship: ACTFL members who are current Spanish teachers can apply for this scholarship that covers room and board and tuition for a two week study abroad program in Mexico.
96. AATF Walter Jensen Scholarship: A future teacher of French can get up to $1500 for study abroad through this scholarship program.
97. AATA Aldeen Foundation Scholarship for Arabic Language Teachers: Teachers of Arabic can get funding to attend several national and international conferences with this $1000 scholarship.
98. American Association of Teachers of German Endowed Scholarship: Future teachers of German can be eligible to receive varying awards from this scholarship fund.
99. Japan America Society of Chicago Scholarship Foundation: Undergraduate students looking to teach can study in Japan for a semester or a year with this scholarship ranging from $2,500 – $4,000.
100. Fulbright Scholarships: Fulbright offers numerous scholarships that allow students to pursue teaching opportunities abroad. These awards range in amount and are given to both undergraduate and graduate students.
101. National Spanish Examination Scholarship: The NSE offers one scholarship of $3500 for teacher study abroad in Spain and two scholarships for up to $1800 for teacher study abroad in Costa Rica.

Understanding How Students Respond to Technology

Before you can toss out the textbook and replace it with technology tools, you’ll need to understand how your students — whatever their age — respond to and work with technology.

1. Assessing What Students Learn in Technology-Based Learning Environments: Read this report to understand what students gain from technology tools in the classroom.
2. GT Prof: Students Learn Better Via iPod Versus Lecture: This article from Campus Technology cites a Georgia Tech professor who believes that iPods are more effective teaching tools for some students.
3. Critical Issue: Using Technology to Improve Student Achievement: Chapters in this report include "Technology and Youth: Wired Schools and Wired Lives," and "Inclusion: Reaching All Students."
4. Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students: From change in student and teacher roles to more collaboration with peers, this report argues for using technology in the classroom.
5. Students’ Evolving Use of Technology: This article considers a study of how college students use and benefit from information technology systems.
6. Kids Outsmart Web Filters: Sometimes, teachers are faced with students who know way more about technology than they do. Learn how to prepare yourself by reading this article.
7. In Class, I Have to Power Down: This article questions "why are schools lagging so far behind" their students when it comes to using and understanding technology.
8. Better Students Through Technology!: This guide helps teachers in their plan to implement technology-rich lesson plans and environments.
9. College Students Score Higher in Classes That Incorporate Instructional Technology Than in Traditional Classes: ScienceDaily reports that technology in higher education classes is very beneficial to older students.
10. Regular Computer Use for Work, But Not Play, Aids Student Test Performance: Find out how computer practice helps students perform on standardized tests.

Virtual World Tools and Communication

Teachers at some of the best online schools are ditching traditional textbooks in favor of virtual worlds and other innovative communication tools listed below.

11. Class Home Page Builder: Creating a class home page and website is a great idea for a teacher of any age group. This tool will help you get started.
12. Second Life: There is no limit to the kinds of educational opportunities you can set up for your students in this virtual world, including museums, simulated cities, stock markets, libraries and a lot more.
13. Virtual Companion for Choosing a Virtual Communal Space for Your Course: Use this guide to introduce you to the world of virtual teaching and learning.
14. Teen Second Life: This version of Second Life is exclusively reserved for teens, so all your environments, platforms and projects can come with teen-oriented avatars and other features.
15. Whyville: This educational platform is designed for kids aged 10-16 and incorporates many scientific challenges and activities.
16. The Sims Online: This extraordinarily popular virtual game is a great tool for social psychology classes, political science courses, economics, social studies and other subjects.
17. ClassNotesOnline: This platform lets teachers communicate with parents or even students through a free website.
18. activeCollab: College professors or high school teachers working with small groups on a project can use this project management and collaboration tool to assign and prioritize tasks, send e-mail alerts, manage time tracking, and communicate remotely.

Mobile Tools

Stay connected to your students and your lesson plans with these mobile tools.

19. iPod: iPods are catching on as an effective teaching and learning tool, and professors are even making their lectures available on iTunes so students can download them.
20. Twitterberry: Post to your Twitter account from your BlackBerry to send students updated homework assignments or class discussion questions.
21. Google Maps Mobile: Perfect for field trips, this tool will keep you and your students on track.
22. Viigo: View RSS feeds and get "one-click access" to news alerts, package tracking and other services with this mobile app.
23. Facebook for BlackBerry: If you communicate with your students over Facebook, use this tool to reach them wherever you are.

Library and Reference

Reference books are often too heavy to trek back and forth to the classroom, so use these websites for easy-to-access dictionaries, word puzzles and more.

24. Library Spot: This site has links to all kinds of reference sites like the Library of Congress and Britannica, as well as a Reading Room, where you can search for journals, literary criticism, newspapers, books, speeches and more.
25. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition: This Bartleby.com reference has over 90,000 entries that include audio pronunciations, word-root appendixes, usage notes, world history notes and more.
26. Rhyme Zone: Rhyme Zone is a fun tool for teaching synonyms, rhyming patterns and word definitions.
27. ArtLex Art Dictionary: Use this reference tool to quickly search for "definitions for more than 3,600 terms used in discussing art / visual culture, along with thousands of supporting images, pronunciation notes, great quotations and cross-references."
28. Google Scholar: Bring up academic journals and other scholarly material online by using this quick search tool.
29. WebMath: This online math tutor has conversions, self-help questions and answers, and even explanations for problems in different math textbooks, from K-8 mathematics to calculus to polynomials to geometry.
30. Fact Monster: Use this tool to help your students learn about different countries, the city you live in, geography projects, history lessons, science questions, word definitions and everything else.

Games

Access these educational games online, and let your kids have fun during their activity periods or lead one for the whole class as part of a lesson.

31. Educational Insights: Browse the online store for creative classroom games like Classroom Jeopardy, grammar games, math games and more.
32. Daily Dose – Brain Teasers: Start your class off with one of these online brain teasers and puzzles.
33. Free ESL Games: ESL teachers can turn to this resource for word games, team quizzes and brain teasers.
34. Funschool: sue this website during break time to play games like Lightning Librarian; Michael, Michael, Go Recycle; and Super Hyper Spider Typer.
35. Earth Day Games: Teach yours kids about recycling and the environment with this collection of computer games.
36. Buy It: You can get your entire class to play this no-frills money counting game at once, asking them to tell you how many dollars and cents make up the sale price of each item.

In Class Presentations and Ideas

From PowerPoint presentations to guest speakers, here are even more in-class ideas that don’t require textbooks.

37. Presentations for Teachers: This site has over 3,000 presentation ideas for science teachers alone. Browse other categories like English/Language, Art/Music, Tech and Social Studies.
38. Teaching With Technology: Lights Out!: This low-tech idea works best for small children. Find out how an overhead projector and a flashlight stimulate students’ learning abilities and interest.
39. Pete’s PowerPoint Station: Check out these free PowerPoint presentations that you can use to teach lessons in science, math, social studies, language arts, social skills, reading, world culture, drama, or during the holidays.
40. PowerPoint Tutorial: Oregon State University has published this online tutorial to teach instructors how to use PowerPoint.
41. Write a collaborative story: This project works well as a grammar and spelling exercise for younger students and as a character development and plot structure lesson for older students in a fiction writing class. Have each student write a sentence or chapter before passing it along to a classmate.
42. Cook a different food for each continent or country: As a class project, cook a different food that represents each continent or a different country as long as your social studies unit lasts or as long as the school year lasts. Search for recipes here.
43. Invite a guest speaker: If you’re planning a lesson on healthcare, invite a local nurse to speak to your class. Ask a detective to give a presentation about crime or safety. Your students will learn way more from a real-life presentation than a boring chapter in a book.
44. Smithsonian Images: Find beautiful photographs of space, American history, sea life, U.S. presidents, nature and fireworks to add to your presentations from this site.
45. Put on a skit: Have your students put on a short skit and then go over the lesson it teaches or dissect its cultural and historical themes.

Web 2.0 Teaching

Catch up with your students’ Internet savvy and try out tools like diigo, Twitter and Ning. If you don’t have any idea what we’re talking about, you’d better read below.

46. Twitter: Twitter is starting to make a name for itself in the higher education world, as professors can quickly reach their students and students can track down information for research papers and class discussions almost instantly.
47. Top 5 Quiz Generators for Online Educators: All teachers can use these quiz generators to post practice tests and study guides on their class websites or let college students take tests online.
48. diigo: Diigo is an excellent tool for teachers and students: you can highlight, annotate and bookmark websites and specific content, then organize your material in groups to share with classmates or start a study guide.
49. Zoho Meeting: Distance educators and college instructors can reach their students at any time with Zoho Meeting’s Web conferencing capabilities.
50. Edublogs: Teachers and students can create their own blogs on this site, which features support tutorials and allows podcasting, image uploading and videos.
51. Ning: This clever site lest you "create your own social network for anything." You can open it up to your students, your school, or to teachers in your field around the world.
52. Monkey on Your Back: Sending a forgetful student a "monkey on their back" is the newest way for teachers to get results and keep students prioritized. You can use a different monkey for each task and set up e-mails to a student (or fellow teacher) whenever he or she is about to miss a deadline.

Materials and Books Online

Sometimes you do need to access the text from a book, but you can use these websites to find whatever you’re looking for without searching for a hefty reference book.

53. TeacherTube: This site connects you to the videos you want, without having to search through all the crap on YouTube.
54. Google Books: Access summaries and even whole texts of classic literature, math books, physics books, philosophy books and more here.
55. The Writer’s Block: Chat live with a librarian, find links to college writing centers online, find online references and more on this site for English and writing teachers.
56. ClassZone: Select your school subject and your state to find online resources for your textbook. If you don’t feel like using the textbook, you can just use the test practice, and unit summaries online.
57. Children’s Storybooks Online: While it’s certainly beneficial for a child to interact with a physical book, this online database of ebooks has plenty of free storybooks for several age groups that you may not find at your library.

Sites to Bookmark

Bookmark these great sites for finding innovative teaching ideas, accessing tools for your presentations and more.

58. YouTube: There is a lot of crazy junk out there, so make sure you’re the only one searching for instructional videos before you let your students watch.
59. Google Image Search: You can find gorgeous pictures on any subject by using this specialty search engine.
60. Education Search Engines: If you only want to bring up information meant for teachers and students, use these search engines for academic materials and indexes.
61. Podagogy: This blog is "where podcasting meets teaching and learning." You’ll get updates on how to podcast, cool iPod learning tools, and more.
62. Web 2.0 Teaching Tools: This blog is designed to give higher education teachers insight into new Internet tools that help them connect with and keep up with their students.

Websites and Online Lesson Plans for Teachers

Visit these sites to access thousands of lesson plans on every subject.

63. Education World: Lesson Plans: From maps to holiday ideas to printable work sheets to writing prompts, this website has all kinds of lesson plan ideas for teachers.
64. Teaching History with Technology: This entire website is devoted to K-12 history and social studies teachers who want to access PowerPoint tips, lesson plans, teaching online ideas and more.
65. Teachnology: Browse lesson plans by subject, like computing, holidays, language arts, mathematics, health, ESL, world languages, music education and a lot more.
66. MyProjectPages.com: This site was designed by teachers to help other teachers "create structured online inquiry-based learning activities" for their students. You don’t have to know HTML coding or any other technical skills: this site does it all for you.
67. Mindomo: Lead brainstorming activities in your classroom with this tool, or invite your students to set up their own mind mapping project to help them with papers and research.
68. Notemesh: Help your students organize their notes by using this collaborative note taking tool online. Students and teachers can share their notes to create one mega study guide.
69. Teachers.net: The lesson plans on this site have been submitted by actual teachers, and you can find ideas for pre-school, kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school and higher ed.
70. The Lesson Plans Page: Search over 3,500 lesson plans on this site, all of which are free to use.
71. Hot Chalk: This online learning management system features news videos from NBC, a library of lesson plans, and student and parent access to grades, homework assignments and notes.
72. A to Z Teacher Stuff: Find lesson plans, work sheets, word search maker tools, and science experiment ideas here.
73. Notecentric: Notecentric is another online note taking site that lets you share notes with students and encourage collaboration.
74. edHelper: Toss out your textbooks and access word and phonics games, coloring books, foreign language lessons, special ed activities, puzzle makers and daily skills review helpers.
75. The Teacher’s Desk: Teachers of reading, spelling, English and writing will find exercises lesson plans here.

Classroom Essentials (Besides the Books)

Check this list to make sure your room is stocked with the newest teaching essentials.

76. PBS Resources: PBS encourages teachers to sign up in order to access their digital media educational tools.
77. CutePDF: Create your own PDFs for free with this secure tool.
78. Plum: Get all the teachers in your department to use Plum, which features a DropBox for your friends to leave you notes and refer you to websites that will help you lesson planning. The Shoebox feature lets you safely store and organize photos, websites and other favorites to save for later use.
79. Empressr: If you’re sick of PowerPoint, use this free tool to design "visual storytelling and presentations" online. You can also share your creations with other teachers or distance learners.
80. Writeboard: Writeboard is an excellent tool for all teachers, but college or high school instructors working on projects with their students can use it to store all edit changes, manage project collaboration and share drafts with others.
81. Assignment Calculator: Keep yourself and your students on task by using this assignment calculator, which also helps you find study resources by subject.

Planning Field Trips and Excursions

Get your students out of your stuffy classroom and into a museum, aquarium, park zoo or any other place that presents a learning opportunity.

82. Field Trip Planner checklist: Print out this sheet for a mock up permission slip and a check list for planning and what to pack.
83. Field Trip Ideas: This guide starts you off on brainstorming for field trip ideas, including a trip to the post office, picnics in the park, and adopting a tree.
84. Elementary School Field Trips: Off-site Ideas and Resources: This guide links to typical field trip locations and gives more off beat ideas.
85. Field Trip Ideas: From zoos to museums to special park events, this list has lots of great ideas.
86. Why Take Field Trips?: If you’re not convinced that a field trip would be a good activity for your class, read this guide, which also gives tips for planning the entire day.
87. Planning a Museum Field Trip: Get tips on taking students of all ages to a museum here.

Teaching Real-Life Lessons

To teach real-life lessons, you don’t need a textbook. Plant a garden, adopt a rainforest or even teach Internet safety tips.

88. Plant a garden: Teach your kids about the environment, photosynthesis, ecosystems, and responsibility by growing a class garden.
89. Invest in a stock project: Research, select and buy a stock as a class, and then analyze its progress over the school year.
90. Figure out your classroom’s carbon footprint: For a lesson on conservation and protecting the environment, figure out your classroom’s carbon footprint.
91. Adopt-A-Rainforest: This official group invites school groups and other philanthropists to raise money for a specific part of the rainforest. You can raise money by washing cars or writing an producing an environmentally-themed play, and then study the culture and ecosystems of the area you’ve adopted.
92. Biography Project: Have your kids select a famous person to research, and then have them give a presentation to the class about that person.
93. Research family tree: Let your kids tell you more about their family history by organizing a family tree research project.
94. Adopt a City Block: Find out if your class or school can adopt a city block, and then volunteer to have various clean-up days throughout the year.
95. Local social studies project: This project works for students of all ages: as a group or as individuals, your class can research your school neighborhood or different areas of your city to analyze demographics, culture, poverty, and other statistics.
96. Online Safety and Logic: This article urges teachers to teach their students "critical thinking online" so they aren’t vulnerable to sexual harassment, e-mail scams or viruses.

Miscellaneous Guides and Resources

For even more guides and resources to help you teach without a textbook, read this list.

97. 10 Ways to Take Charge of the Web: Learn how to set limits, avoid plagiarism, and understand search engines before you let your students go crazy with the Internet in class.
98. SchoolNotes.com: Post your notes online so that students and parents can study any time…even if a forgetful child leaves his notebook at school.
99. Wiki Becomes Textbook in Boston College Classroom: This Computer World article explains how one Boston College professor has started using wikis as a "primary teaching tool," in place of textbooks.
100. School Says Goodbye to Books: Read about how this school went materials-free and relied on e-resources and conversation to teach.
101. No Books, No Problem: Teaching Without a Text: This chemistry teacher maintains that "the less I use the book, the more they learn." Find out why by reading this article.
102. OnCourse: OnCourse tools in this award-winning system include an online grade book, a discipline tracker and lesson planner.