Everyone knows that simple studying will be able to make you more intelligent. But what people don’t quite have a grasp of, is how to eat properly and in such a manner so that it can potentially increase your learning abilities. This guide is by no means indicating that food alone will increase your brain power, but it will certainly help you on the way to become a lot smarter!

Proteins

Protein is the best way to get amino acids which are essential to brain health that the body cannot synthesize itself. A high-protein diet is usually recommended to athletes as it helps to build strong muscles, so give that brain a workout with protein-rich foods!

Spinach: Along with other leafy vegetables, spinach is a good dietary source of protein. An added benefit to spinach is that it contains anti-oxidants that can dispose of free radicals.

Nuts and Seeds: Another great source of protein. Easy to snack on and readily available, nuts/seeds/whole grain foods make for a great way to easily improve your brain power.

Eggs: Not only do they contain a large amount of protein for your brain, but they also carry a great deal of choline, a member of the B-Vitamin group and responsible for maintaining the health of neurotransmitters in the brain.

Fats

We often hear that we need more “omega-3” or that a food is rich in “omega-3”, so when you hear this, know that they’re referring to a type of fatty acid which is usually considered as being food for the brain as well as having the added benefit of reducing heart disease, amongst other things.

Seeds and Nuts: Returning again, seeds and nuts are a fantastic source of fatty acids, including the omega-3 variety of fatty acid. Prime examples of nuts or seeds will include almonds and pumpkin seeds.

Fish and Shellfish: Rich in fatty acids and omega-3, fish truly is food for thought. You’ll often find that people will claim fish is the number one food to make you more intelligent. Anything Oily: Except maybe for people, you’ll find that anything that’s vaguely oily (fish, flaxseed, soya oil, virgin olive oil) will be high in fatty acids and a lot of them will also contain decent amounts of omega-3 for added brain-boosting power.

Carbohydrates

When people think of carbohydrates, they might think of the “carbs” which are bad for them because they induce weight gain. But the truth is that carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for metabolism, the body breaks down carbohydrates and is in return supplied with energy to keep going, thus keeping your brain alert and active. The problem is knowing how much to have, for having too much can indeed lead to weight gain (as can too much of anything) and a high blood/sugar level, but can be partially countered with non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, for example.

Starch-Rich Vegetables: Pastas, corn, carrots and potatoes are all high in carbohydrates and starch, providing the body (and therefore the brain) with an abundant energy source.

Whole Grain Foods: Another supply of energy can be found in common whole grain foods such as breads and cereals, things we commonly have for breakfast to give ourselves that much-needed wake-up boost in the mornings.

Minerals and Vitamins

Vitamins and minerals also contribute to the fight against harmful free radicals, as well as being full of anti-oxidants and other beneficial nutrients, they generally keep the body at its healthiest, maintaining the status quo, as it were. The building blocks of a healthy mind and body. Fruit and Vegetables: The most common and plentiful supplies of vitamins and minerals can be found in such everyday items as small portions of the most common fruits (apples, bananas, oranges, etc) and stir-fried/raw vegetables.

Vitamin Supplements: Supplements shouldn’t be frowned upon for any reason just because they come in little labeled boxes and containers. They can be an incredibly important and beneficial source of health for a person, however, it is important to stress the fact that one cannot live on supplements alone. Think of them as a booster to a well-balanced diet, greatly enhancing the effects of the nutrients contained within normal food.

Blogging is becoming more and more popular in the classroom. Teachers can blog to stay in touch with parents and students or they can incorporate blogs from all of the students as a learning tool. The beauty of the student blog is that children from Kindergarten to high school can blog. No matter how you use blogs in your classroom, these tools will help you get started, enhance your experience, or bring the students into the fun.

Where to Create Your Blog

Creating a blog is the first step. The following resources all offer blog publishing. Some of these are aimed specifically at school blogs while others are available for anyone.

1. Class Blogmeister. Created as a blogging platform specifically for educators, this free service will get you and your students blogging in no time. An added bonus to this service is that it is rarely blocked by school filters due to it’s specific safety features.
2. Edublogs. Another blogging platform made just for educators, this service is based on WordPress, so comes with all the features of WordPress. Another benefit of Edublogs is the short and simple URLs for the blogs that make it easy to share with parents.
3. WordPress. Get a free blog with WordPress and you will also have access to plenty of tools such as spellcheck, integrated stats tracker, and spam protection. This is one of the more popular blogging platforms.
4. Blogger. Another popular blogging publisher, Blogger is teamed up with Google and offers lots of tools to make your blogging experience easier. You will need a Google account to create a blog with these folks.
5. TypePad. TypePad lets you select from thousands of designs and has lots of widgets, custom banners, and more. However, this service is not free. You can take advantage of a free trial before you decide to pay the low monthly fee or annual subscription, though.
6. LiveJournal. In addition to providing a blog, LiveJournal also makes it easy to create a social network through the blogs. This might work great for your class if all the students will have their own blog as well.
7. Moveable Type. Another free blog publisher, Moveable Type offers many of the same features as the others with a spam blocker, templates, and more.
8. Tumblr. Not really a full-fledged blogging platform, Tumblr is designed for smaller posts and a much more personalized experience. If you aren’t ready to go the way of the blog, this might be a good way to get your feet wet.
9. Windows Live Writer. Get a Space in Windows Live and download Live Writer to start blogging with this publisher. You can connect with others, post video, and more with Live Writer.
10. Thingamablog. All you need to get started with this blog platform is FTP, SFTP, or access to a server. The setup wizard will guide you through the steps of getting your blog in place.

Blogging Tools and Help for Teachers

The following tools and articles are all focused on helping teachers blog or provide free access for teachers to blogging tools that would normally cost money.

11. Smilebox. Create scrapbooks, slide shows, postcards, and more to post on your blog with this tool. While it’s not specifically designed for educators, teachers can receive the premium subscription for free.
12. Using Del.icio.us for Blogging. This article describes how you can incorporate the popular bookmarking site, Del.icio.us, into your blogging program.
13. avatars. Let your students design their own personal avatars with one of these free tools. Using an avatar lets the students personalize while also keeping their identity private.
14. VoiceThread. Create an online presentation with audio and text. You can incorporate PowerPoint, Flickr, Word, PDF, and more. Teachers get a free account.
15. Teacher Training Videos. While this site is not specifically for blogging, it is directed at teaching educators how to use technology in the classroom. There are some blogging videos that will help get you started.
16. A Vision for Classroom Blogging. Read about reasons to blog in your classroom as well as how to go about doing it in this article written by an experienced teacher and blogger. She also includes links at the end of the article for even more information.
17. Classroom 2.0. Read blog discussions between teachers with blogging experience ranging from newbie to veteran blogger. You can find helpful advice as well as resources in these blog posts.

General Blog Tools

From adding fun photos to maps showing where your blog readers live, these tools will help you and your students create fun and educational blogs.

18. Spellery. Type in the URL to your blog and find out if you have any spelling mistakes. This simple tool is invaluable for ensuring your posts are in top shape.
19. Jiglu. This tool creates tags within your blog that allows readers to find more information from your previous blog posts. You can manually assign tags or let Jiglu assign the tags automatically.
20. Wufoo. If you would like to create an online form for your blog, use this tool to do it for you. It’s easy to use and you’ll be creating polls, invitations, and more right on your blog.
21. AddThis. With this simple tool, you can add a button on your blog that allows readers to easily bookmark and share your website. Having this button will allow parents and other teachers easier access to your site.
22. Buttonator. If you need to create buttons for your blog, this easy tool will help you with the task. Choose the style, font, color, and more.
23. Bananr. Want to put those photos from the class field trip or talent show on your blog? This tool allows you to enter your Flickr user id or photoset id and easily add the photos to your blog.
24. Gickr. Add photos to your blog and put them in motion with this tool. Create fun slide shows and more without using difficult software.
25. Website Ribbon Generator. Create a ribbon for your favorite cause or use an originally designed ribbon to tie all your students’ blogs together with this simple tool.
26. FeedBlitz. Add this tool to your blog so readers can have your blog posts sent directly to their email. FeedBlitz also offers widgets to add to your blog such as a blogroll.
27. ClustrMaps. When visitors click on your blog, this tool logs their location on a map. Watch as over the life of your blog, the map fills with information on your visitors’ locations. This tool can also serve as a geography lesson.
28. MakeBeliefsComix.com. Choose your characters and add word or thought bubbles complete with your own text to create your very own comic strip. This is a fun activity for students to incorporate in their blogs, too.
29. TagCrowd. Create a cloud of words from your blog with this tool. Once you have created the cloud, the tool will provide the HTML code so you can put it on your blog.
30. widgetbox. Add any imaginable widget to your blog with this tool. Let your students run wild to allow their individuality to shine with these widgets that range from clocks to animals to word searches.
31. LabPixies. Add any number of fun widgets like Google maps, games, calendars, and more on your blog. There are some great learning opportunities among these.
32. gabcast. Record using your phone and post audio on your blog with gabcast. This tool can also be used to host conference calls, which would be helpful with parent-teacher conferences.
33. BlogRolling. With this tool, you can add a blogroll to your blog to show readers what other blogs you find interesting. The is great for localizing a whole class worth of blogs in one spot.

Blogging and Internet Safety

As a teacher, you are already well aware that keeping your students safe is a priority. Introducing blogs in the classroom is undeniably a powerful learning tool, but it also brings about an opportunity for the teacher to reexamine student safety. The following resources will help you protect your students from harm.

34. Google Analytics. Keep a close eye on your blog traffic and find out who is visiting your website. This tool breaks down the visitor information in several ways, including plotting a map of where the visitors are located.
35. Keeping students cybersafe!. This blog post, written by an educator, offers suggestions on how you can protect your students while enjoying student blogs.
36. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998. This law explains how a child’s privacy is protected online. Working with children and blogs, this is a must-read item.
37. Copyright and Fair Use. This simple primer gives the basics on copyright and fair use laws as it pertains to the Internet. Any teacher posting on the Internet should take the time to read this.
38. A Teacher’s Guide to Fair Use and Copyright. Another helpful guide to fair use and copyright, this one is specifically designed for teachers. It also includes a chart for fair use to post in your classroom.
39. Responsible blogging. Taken from a 10th grade class, these guidelines for safe and responsible blogging are not just teacher-generated, but also come from the students themselves.
40. Blogger’s Contract. This contract between the teacher and student is a great way to remind the student of the safety and responsibility required when blogging. Use this contract as a model for one you can create for your class.
41. Consent for Your Child to Participate in Online Collaborations. This teacher has drawn up a consent form for parents explaining how technology will be used in the classroom and asking for parental consent. Click on the link at the beginning of this letter for the actual consent form.
42. Blogging Rules. This list of rules was compiled by a teacher for his classroom. You may find this helpful for setting the rules in your class before you begin blogging.
43. Discovery Blogging Rules. Another set of rules for classroom blogging, this one is a bit more extensive and also includes clearly defined consequences to breaking the rules. This list can serve as a model for the rules in your classroom.

Getting Students in on the Action

Don’t keep all the fun to yourself–let your students blog too. These resources offer suggestions and tools for getting students into blogging.

44. 21Classes. Set up classroom homepages and host and manage blogs for your students with this free service. Students can customize their pages and insert photos and videos.
45. Reflections on Student Blogging. This article written by a teacher working with middle and high school students describes how she implemented a student blogging project. She also offers more generalized helpful tips on blogging with students.
46. Blogging Basics: Creating Student Journals on the Web. This tutorial covers all the basics for getting your students set up to blog in the classroom. There are even some links to school blogs.
47. Students 2.0. This blog is run by students and allows them a chance to raise their voice on the topic of education. Not only does this blog serve as an example of what student blogs can be, it is also a great tool to share with your older students.
48. Student Tools–Let them fly!. Compiled by an educator, this list offers the top tech tools for students. Many of these tools can be used in student blogs or help students set up blogs.
49. iLearn Technology: Dipity. This educational blog reviews Dipity, a time line generator that students can use to create time lines on any topic. Students can use Dipity in conjunction with their blogs to create personal timelines.
50. Making it Interesting: What would you add to this classroom. This is a fun little visual to suggest various technology tools to get students excited about learning. Think about what you would add for your students.

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.

Beyond Google, Wikipedia and other generic reference sites, the Internet boasts a multitude of search engines, dictionaries, reference desks and databases that have organized and archived information for quick and easy searches. In this list, we’ve compiled just 100 of our favorites, for teachers, students, hypochondriacs, procrastinators, bookworms, sports nuts and more.

Dictionaries and More

When you need a quick definition or want more specialized results that display synonyms, rhyming words and slang, turn to this list.

1. OneLook: This no-frills online dictionary lets you look up basic definitions, related words, phrases and more. You can even customize your experience with different searches.
2. RhymeZone: Type in a word to find rhyming words, synonyms, definitions, Shakespeare references and more.
3. Strange and Unusual References: Head to this site to look up all-vowel words, magic words, magic archetypes, how to identify unicorns and other odd material.
4. freedict.com: This online translator can find words in Dutch, Afrikaans, Russian, Portugese, Swedish, Japanese, Hungarian and more.
5. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: Search through topics like technology, American history, literature in English, proverbs and more to become a more "active citizen in our multicultural democracy."
6. Word Spy: Search for a specific word to bring up funny quotations and a definition, or you can browse categories and sub categories like aging and death, hacking and hackers, entrepreneurs, jargon and buzzwords, art and design, drugs, euphemisms, sleeping or cell phones.
7. Slang Site: Look up Web words, slang and even made up but often used words here.
8. Behind the Names: Find out the history of your name or search names by categories like English, Spanish, mythology, Biblical names, African and more.
9. Directory of Occupational Titles: If you’ve ever wanted to know the official name of your job, look it up here.
10. Glossary of Real Estate Abbreviations, Terms and Phrases: Get through your next home signing by doing some extra research on this site.

Teacher References

Teacher guides like these will help you double-check facts, look for relevant quotes and get ideas for lesson plans.

11. Twain Quotations A to Z: Inspire (or confuse) your students by throwing out a Mark Twain quote every once in a while. You can search by subject matter.
12. Math Glossary: Look up words and concepts like abacus, Thales’ theorem, obtuse triangle and a lot more in this special site.
13. Biology Website References for Students and Teachers: Learn about evolution, cell chemistry, anatomy and genetics from this list of reference sites.
14. Children’s Literature Web Guide: Look for award-winning children’s books, readers’ theatre sites, stories published online and more on this site.
15. Charles Dickens Gad’s Hill Place: Use this quote page to search by topic, title, or phrase, or pull from The Daily Dose of Dickens book.
16. Encyclopedia Mythica: Search for text, quotes and history of mythology, folklore and religon. Categories include Greek people, Celtic mythology and Roman mythology.
17. American Memory: The Library of Congress’ American culture and history reference site features topics like environment and conservation, immigration, women’s history, Presidents, religion, maps, literature, African American history and others.
18. ASL Browser: Look up American Sign Language signs here.
19. Ditto: Search the web for all kinds of beautiful images on this site.
20. Learning and Performance Glossary: From accelerated learning to guidance package to meta skills, this glossary is full of education terms for teachers.

Librarian References

Librarians will benefit from these great reference sites, some of which were designed just for or by librarians.

21. A Glossary of the Humanities: Click on a letter to look up words, phrases and concepts that use references from Foucault, Burke, Frye and others as definitions.
22. Library of Congress Online Catalogs: We’re pretty sure most librarians have heard of this site, but it’s seriously one of the best reference sites on the Web.
23. Historical Text Archives: This site boasts nearly 687 articles and 70 books about history, especially American history.
24. KidsClick!: This educational search engine was created by librarians and is organized by topics like society and government, machines and transportation, health and family, facts and reference, and a lot more.
25. Library Spot: This great reference site has links to encyclopedias, Top 10 lists, business references, public libraries and a LOT more.

Just for Fun

Search for unique profanity, sex terms and ridiculously long words here.

26. The Dialectizer: Paste a URL into the box and select a dialect like Redneck, Cockney or Elmer Fudd to have the whole site translated.
27. The Devil’s Dictionary: This adapted version of Ambrose Bierce’s The Devil’s Dictionary contains words like brute, gallows, damn, wrath, and X.
28. Sexual Dictionary: Look up quotes for "doin’ the wild thing" here, as well as other slang terms for sex.
29. Grandiloquent Dictionary: Impress your friends by using huge words you found here.
30. Roger’s Profanisaurus: Have fun looking up profane words at "the ultimate swearing dictionary."

Health Care

Instead of Googling your symptoms, use these authoritative reference sites to get drug information, find a hospital and research a disease or condition.

31. Medline Plus: Look up anything to do with health care on this site from, prescription drugs to local resources to symptoms and diseases.
32. RxList: RxList is "the Internet drug index," and you search by prescriptions dispensed, names searched or just by letter.
33. Google Directory - Health and Medicine: Categories and individual web pages are listed on this Google reference site. Browse topics like health news, history of medicine, medical dictionaries or patient education.
34. Patient Care: Columbia University Medical Center lists a number of patient resources, including tools for finding a doctor, dentist and hospital.
35. MediLexicon: At MediLexicon, you can use the medical dictionary search, hospital search, medical abbreviations search or read all the latest medical news.
36. InteliHealth: This reference site has an Ask the Expert section, as well as a database full of information for diseases and conditions, from asthma to digestive issues to weight management to STDs.
37. Healthfinder: This government site features a Drug Interaction Checker, a Health Library and consumer guides.
38. The Merck Manual: Search this online medical library for diseases and conditions and drug products.
39. Bristol Biomedical Image Archive: Browse thousands of biomedical images on this site.
40. Online Medical Dictionary: This simple search tool lets you browse by letter or subject area.

References for Students

From homework help to art definitions to almanacs, students of all ages will find reference material here.

41. Online Music Theory Helper: Order flash cards or look up different theory lessons on this site.
42. ArtLex: Browse this art terms dictionary for historical context information, definitions and more.
43. The Works of the Bard: Use the Shakespeare search engine or browse plays by category to get references and text of Shakespeare’s works.
44. Factmonster Reference Desk: Here, you’ll find an almanac, homework center, atlas, dictionary and encyclopedia for younger students.
45. Little Explorers Picture Dictionary: Students learning to read will find pictures to go along with their definition results.
46. Distance Education Glossary: If you’ve recently enrolled in a distance ed course or program, use this glossary to help you navigate your new education portal.
47. HyperHistory Online: There are over 2,000 files on this site, on all kinds of world history topics like politics, religion, culture, science and special events.
48. Style Guides and Resources: This reference list will help you out when you need to write a paper using APA, MLA, and other special citation systems.
49. Statistical Resources on the Web: Find updated statistics on everything from agriculture to business to labor to housing to the military.
50. RefDesk: Check your facts quickly and easily at the RefDesk, which features a site of the day, thought of the day, and plenty of multi-search tools.

Niche Sites

When you need to look up highly specialized materials and facts, look to these niche sites for help with online conversions, transportation and military acronyms, legal help and more.

51. Dictionary of Metal Terminology: Search online or order the hard copy version to find metal-related words.
52. Online Conversion: Convert "just about anything" on this site, which understands over 5,000 different units for date, time, density, energy, acceleration, angles and a lot more.
53. Transportation and Logistics Acronyms: Find acronyms for the U.S. government and military, supply chain systems, transportation, trucking, freight and more.
54. Harry Potter Glossary: If you’re behind in your Harry Potter reading, use this extensive glossary to help you sort out all of the characters and unique vocabulary.
55. Videoconferencing Glossary: Even non-techies can understand the fundamentals of videoconferencing thanks to this website, which lists definitions for words like analog signals, camera presets, bps, continuos presence and others.
56. Everybody’s Legal Glossary: Nolo’s legal glossary is designed for everyday people who need help understanding traffic tickets, real estate forms, and "hundreds of legal terms, from the common to the bizarre."
57. All About Jewels: Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry: Find a picture of each gem or jewelry and learn about its minerals, fashion history, gravity and colors.
58. Dictionary of English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions: ESL students and curious native speakers can search this dictionary to find idioms like "part and parcel," or "gnaw your vitals."
59. WestNet IT Glossary: Search results for IT words bring up definitions, a list of related words, animations and graphics.
60. Travel Industry Dictionary: Look up words and acronyms like gay friendly, day rate, WAPTT, recall commission statement and more on this site.

Search Engines

Search engines are unique Internet reference guides. Read this list to find lots of search engines besides Google.

61. Giga Blast: Giga Blast is still in beta form, but you can search websites, images and video.
62. MsFreckles.com: Cute little Ms. Freckles gives you all the tools to conduct a meta search here.
63. Kart00: Here, you have the option of only searching English pages or the entire web.
64. Gimpsy: Gimspy specializes in "active sites for active people." You can search by verb or action, by filling in the sentence "I want to…"
65. CustomSearchEngine.com: This site is a link directory for Google’s custom search engine.
66. Rollyo: This highly customizable search engine lets you enter a keyword or phrase and then select specific categories to search, like travel and hotels, health, celebrity gossip and more.
67. Ms. Dewey: Your off-the-wall host Ms. Dewey flirts, sings and offers silly trivia or analysis while you search.
68. Ulyssek Search Engine: You can view your results organized into categories on this site.
69. Cha Cha: This creative search engine makes you feel like you’re sending a text from your cell phone when you search.
70. FactBites: FactBites is "where results make sense" and is touted as a search engine crossed with an encyclopedia.

Open Source Sites

For open source materials that also serve as reference guides, use this list.

71. DataParkSearch Engine: Use this open source search engine to find multilingual sites, pull up "fuzzy searching based on acronyms and abbreviations" and find text files, mp3s and .gif files.
72. Wiktionary: Wikipedia’s free dictionary is a collaborative, multilingual resource.
73. Open Library: This user-generated book catalog has over 13 million books in its library.
74. dmoz: dmoz is an open directory project, where you can search for or edit topics and results for kids and teens, reference materials, business, health, arts and more.

Internet and Computer Reference

Non-techies and experienced web workers may want to brush up on Internet and computer terms by searching these sites and glossaries.

75. CNET Glossary: Use this glossary to look up network terms.
76. Glossary of Internet Terms: From ADN to Meta Tag to SDSL to cgi-bin, find definitions of Internet terms here.
77. Chat Stuff: This short dictionary has translations for popular chat acronyms like AFK, BAK, and BCNU.
78. McAfee Virus Glossary: Learn about online threats and computer security by browsing this authoritative glossary.
79. Tech Encyclopedia: Look up a specific word or click to get a random definition each day.
80. What Is? IT Dictionary: Browse categories like personal computing, call centers, cheat sheets, authentication, network hardware, compliance, Linux, storage management, Telecom, robotics and a whole lot more for tech definitions.

Consumer Research and Public Information

Use this list to find customer reviews, a currency converter, small business directories and more.

81. USA.gov: Search all kinds of government information here, from public safety to jobs and education to taxes to voting.
82. Pricewatch: Look up low prices on computer hardware, electronics and other gadgets here.
83. Small Business Big World: This is the "almost free" site for finding local and international small businesses.
84. Kelly Blue Book: Here you’ll find all kinds of consumer information about new and used cars.
85. XE Currency Converter: Transfer euros, USD, Canadian Dollars, UK pounds, Algerian dinars, Chinese yuan and any other currency here.
86. Hoovers: Hoover’s is "your one-stop reference for business information," and you’ll find industry overviews, business reports, and a lot more.
87. ZoomInfo: Research an industry or company by using this business search engine.
88. Stock Market Yellow Pages: Search for stocks on this search engine, which pulls results from Forbes, Yahoo!, Wall Street City and other sites.
89. SeatGuru: View layouts of airplanes so that you can easily pick your seats on your next trip.
90. Zillow: Find homes, get mortgage information and search loans on Zillow.

News and Pop Culture

Discover pop culture references, a sports almanac, new literature guides and more in this list.

91. Who’s Alive and Who’s Dead: Keep track of which famous musicians, performers, actors, athletes and political figures are alive and which ones are dead.
92. AllMusic.com: Search by genre like rock, jazz, pop, world, rap or blues.
93. Dictionary of Pop Culture References: From A to Z, you can find words, phrases and characters from pop culture.
94. Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Browse topics like Japanese art, astronomy, horticulture, popular entertainment, domestic life, conservation and more on this authority site.
95. Science.gov Energy and Energy Conservation: Find new and archived articles about energy conservation here.
96. Internet Broadway Database: Look up directors, actors and more for all Broadway shows here.
97. Grove Music Online: This site is "the world’s premier authority on all aspects of music."
98. bibliomania: Over 2,000 classic texts can be found on this site, as well as reference books, study guides and links to buy books.
99. Sports Almanac: From the Olympics to hockey, you can find everything there is to know about sports history and players on this site.
100. Newsknife: This reference site ranks the top news sites by each particular story, by month, homepage resources and other categories.

Everyone has a story of their favorite teacher and how they were inspired to graduate, appreciate a certain subject or achieve a certain academic, professional or personal goal. The teachers in this list have inspired whole communities. Some have even transcended the generations of their students and continue to influence the way we view philosophy, education, politics and humanity. Keep reading for our picks of 25 different teachers who drastically changed the world.

Historical Leaders

This list features some of the most successful and well-respected thinkers and teachers from antiquity to the twentieth century. Through research and discoveries and philosophy and mathematics, as well as the firm belief in the fundamental rights of all human beings, these teachers are still admired today.

1. Socrates: Educators, philosophers, politicians and scientists all over the world acknowledge that Socrates was one of the most enlightened teachers and thinkers in our history. Through students like Plato, Socrates encouraged the pursuit of virtue through critical thinking and questioning. This system has affected all industries and fields of study and has inspired other great philosophers.
2. Annie Sullivan: Annie Sullivan is best known as being Helen Keller’s instructor. She coached her deaf and blind student by giving her obedience and social etiquette lessons, as well as teaching her Braille. Sullivan became well-known and respected for her teaching methods and for being able to help Keller progress well beyond her expected potential. Sullivan traveled with Keller to give lectures and was supported by Alexander Graham Bell and Andrew Carnegie. Sullivan was also recognized by Temple University and other educational institutes "for her tireless teaching and commitment to Helen Keller."
3. Leona Edwards: Leona Edwards was the mother and teacher of the civil rights legend Rosa Parks. In a 1995 interview with the Academy of Achievement, Parks credits her mother with inspiring her to believe "in freedom and equality for people." She says that her mother "did not have the notion that we were supposed to live as we did, under legally enforced racial segregation." Edwards was a teacher in a small school in Montgomery, AL, and her basic faith in the fundamental rights of all human beings could be credited as indirectly responsible for her daughter’s reputation as "the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement."
4. Nathan Hale: Nathan Hale was a devout revolutionary and patriot who was hanged in September of 1776. He famously declared, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country," inspiring courage and honor in his fellow soldiers and future fellow Americans. Before the Revolutionary War, Hale was a teacher in Massachusetts and then later in Connecticut. According to the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Hale "considered the question whether the higher education of women were not neglected" and eventually opened up a special class just for female students. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Hale joined the militia and eventually spied on the British troops, for which he was hanged.
5. Verrocchio: Verrocchio is still considered one of the greatest Florentine sculptors and painters, but his pupil Leonoardo da Vinci is perhaps the most well-known Renaissance artist in the world. Verrocchio is credited as teaching Leonardo basic skills and nurturing his genius, and "it was in Verrocchio’s studio, according to the art historian Giorgio Vasari, that Leonardo gave the first great demonstration of his ability" when "he assisted in painting Verrocchio’s Baptism of Christ."
6. Walt Whitman: Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is considered one of the most important works of poetry in the nineteenth century. Like many writers, Whitman was a teacher in his early professional life, on Long Island, NY. He later became a journalist and political activist in Brooklyn, in addition to writing poems that introduced new and often controversial themes like the poet’s individuality, rebirth, democracy and the elements of both body and soul. His poems influenced other major American poets like Emily Dickinson and Allen Ginsberg, and "is a poet not only of America but of the whole of mankind."
7. Harriet Beecher Stowe: When Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, he famously remarked, "So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war." As a child in Connecticut, Harriet Beecher attended her sister’s seminary and eventually became an assistant teacher there. In the 1840s, she founded a new school with her sister in Ohio, where the family had moved and where Harriet married Calvin Stowe. In Ohio, Stowe often studied and communicated with slaves who fled to her free state from Kentucky. When she and her husband moved to Maine, Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which revealed the harsh treatment of slaves in America and enraged critics and slaveowners. The Ohio History Central website maintains that Stowe’s book "did cause more and more Northerners to consider ending the institution of slavery."
8. Lyndon B. Johnson: Lyndon B. Johnson was often harshly criticized for his handling of the Vietnam War as President of the United States, but before he even made it to Washington, LBJ was a teacher in South Texas. Johnson attended the Southwest Texas State Teachers College and served as principal at a Mexican-American school during a brief break from college. After graduating, Johnson taught at Pearsall High School in Pearsall, TX, and led his debate team to to win the district championship when he taught at Sam Houston High School in Houston.
9. John Adams: As a respected patriot and lawyer involved with the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and the 2nd president of the United States, John Adams made a drastic impact on the shaping of the United States. Before getting into politics, however, John Adams graduated from Harvard College and became a teacher. He was greatly respected and admired for his independence, intelligence, and his devotion to and involvement with the Continental Congresses, the Declaration of Independence, various peace processes and the presidency.
10. Pythagoras: Pythagoras, also known as "the father of numbers," was a Greek philosopher and mathematician who invented the Pythagorean theorem, which is still taught and used today. Though Pythagoras spent much of his life traveling and learning, he also became a teacher in India, where he is still known as "the Ionian teacher," or Yavanacharya. He later built an educational institute in Croatia to teach philosophy and basic "moral training."
11. Sir Isaac Newton: Sir Isaac Newton is credited with discovering the theory of gravity, but he was also a Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, appointed by Isaac Barrow. During this time, Newton made advances in his optical research.
12. Roger Bacon: During the second half of his life, Roger Bacon lived the simple life of a friar in England during the 13th century. As a younger man, however, he studied geometry, mathematics, philosophy and astronomy in Paris, where he was also a teacher. Bacon made groundbreaking discoveries and conducted experiments in these areas, understanding how each field was closely intertwined with the other. Bacon was also known as Doctor Mirabilis, which in Latin translates to "wonderful teacher." Wikipedia acknowledges that he is "sometimes credited as one of the earliest European advocates of the modern scientific method."

Pop Culture Icons

From popular authors to real-life teachers who inspired Hollywood movies as well as their students, these teachers can also be considered pop culture icons.

13. Ayn Rand: Ayn Rand’s novels like The Fountainhead and Anthem, as well as nonfiction works like The Romantic Manifesto and The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution introduced controversial topics that affected the ways in which people all over the world considered gender roles, identity, sexuality, war and peace, capitalism and religion. Rand founded the Objectivist movement, which encouraged the idea that "individuals should choose their values and actions solely by reason." Famous followers of this philosophy included Alan Greenspan, and Ayn Rand traveled as an educator and lecturer during the 1960s and 70s.
14. Erin Gruwell: Erin Gruwell was the original teacher who inspired the movie Freedom Writers, starring Hilary Swank. Gruwell began her teaching career at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, CA, where her students came from tough, often dangerous neighborhoods and immigrant communities. Gruwell was able to inspire her students to embrace learning, and she progressed with her class by teaching them each year until they graduated high school. She also followed her students to college, where she continued to support their Freedom Writers campaign, based on journals they kept in class and as a tribute to the Freedom Riders who impacted the Civil Rights movement. The Freedom Writers Foundation is still in existence, bringing awareness to educators and students, as well as government groups and corporations across the country.
15. LouAnne Johnson: Another popular movie inspired by a real-life teacher is Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer. LouAnne Johnson is the teacher who wrote a book based on her experiences with at-risk teenage students "because [she] was concerned about how easily adults give up on kids who have made mistakes. If we give up on them," she writes, "they give up on themselves." Today, LouAnne keeps an updated website and travels to different schools and conventions to give both teachers and students support. She has written other books, including The Queen of Education: Rules for Making Schools Work, and another of her works, Becoming Eduardo, is going to be adapted into a movie in early 2009.
16. Melvin B. Tolson: Melvin B. Tolson has been named the poet laureate of Liberia, and was a scholar of the Harlem Renaissance, but many people today recognize him as the character played by Denzel Washington in the 2007 film Great Debaters. That movie portrays Tolson’s life when he was a speech and English teacher at Wiley College in Marshall, TX. Tolson challenged his students to break with convention and led them to the national debate championship at Harvard. His group organized the first debate team at Wiley College and were some of the first black students to compete against white students in the same championships.
17. Frank McCourt: In works like the Pulitzer-Prize winning Angela’s Ashes, ‘Tis, and Teacher Man, Frank McCourt chronicled his rough Irish upbringing and his professional experiences as a teacher in New York City. McCourt’s unique writing style disposes of quotation marks yet involves colorful dialogue. He was a high school teacher in New York City, refusing to give up on his boisterous students and instead learning how to work with them in order to earn respect and help them learn.
18. Mary Duncan: It’s pretty safe to say that the teacher who inspired Oprah Winfrey has drastically changed the world, indirectly affecting racial progress, media trends, and even orphans in Africa. Mary Duncan, Oprah’s fourth-grade teacher in Nashville, TN, led the class in which Oprah has said that she "really came into myself." In 1989, Oprah hosted Duncan on her show, saying "after all these years, I could say thank you to a woman who had a powerful impact on my early life."

Award Winning Teachers

Read about the projects and methods of these teachers, who’ve won the National Teacher of the Year Award, and other awards.

19. Stephen Collis: Stephen Collis of the Northern Beaches Christian School in New South Wales was one of Microsoft’s Innovative Teachers’ Award winners in 2006. Collis developed a computer program called Beyond Borders, which his class used to send e-mails, post blogs and chat live in order to practice their French. Beyond Borders has also been used for teaching other foreign languages, as well as math and visual arts, and teachers and students from countries all over the world now use the program.
20. Thomas A. Fleming: Fleming was the 1992 recipient of the National Teacher of the Year award. Fleming is a special education teacher in Ann Arbor, MI, but as a teenager, he dropped out of his Detroit high school. After going back to school and earning a Master’s degree, Fleming is a teacher at the Washtenaw County Juvenile Detention Center, educating inmates in history, geography and government. He tells his students that "there is still time to make good choices," and helps drop outs, students with learning abilities, and kids from broken homes realize their potential.
21. Chauncey Veatch: Chauncey Veatch is an inspiration to his students, especially students who come from migrant worker families. Veatch won the National Teacher of the Year award in 2002, and he teaches social studies at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, CA. Many of his students are migrant workers, which means that they fall behind in class. Veatch, though, wants to be ""a dream-maker for my students, not a dream-breaker," and spends extra time helping his students catch up on their work. Veatch is respected because of "his acceptance and sincerity" when getting to know the local community.
22. Tom Byers: Tom Byers is a professor at Stanford University and the Faculty Director of Stanford Technology Ventures Program. Byers has received several awards that recognize his teaching strategies and commitment to students, and his Stanford Technology Ventures Program combines engineering and entrepreneurship resources to help students recognize their professional potential through academic study.
23. John Taylor Gatto: John Taylor Gatto is a three-time New York State Teacher of the Year, but he ultimately quit his teaching career in order to focus his attention on reforming the public school systems, which he claimed "hurt children." Now, John Taylor Gatto’s mission to "challenge the myths of modern schooling" has sparked nationwide discussion and activism.
24. Tim Thompson: Tim Thompson is dedicated to making technology accessible to his school children. Thompson is an award-winning educator who uses blogs "to communicate class activities to parents" and encourage students to use technology in everyday school projects. He has also produced a daily show called "The Morning Show" to review skills, as well as various podcasts and at-home learning videos that can be shared online.

Everyday Inspirations

For a look at how one teacher can truly make a difference, consider the story of music teacher and Irish immigrant Caroline Duggan.

25. Caroline Duggan: In 2008, the New York Times reported on music teacher Caroline Duggan’s Irish step dancing troupe: her Bronx students. In response to her students’ unending curiosity, Duggan began teaching Irish step dancing moves as a way to share her native heritage and open up the rest of the world to the group of inner-city kids. The students completely embraced Duggan’s culture and even took a trip to Ireland to perform on national television.