Are you learning remotely for the first time? Are you having a hard time adjusting to online school? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of students around the world are also learning remotely due to the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic.
Online schooling is not a new thing though, so there’s already online resource ready for you to use.
Resources for Studying
A good place to start when remote learning is HowToStudy.org. Since everyone learns differently and at different paces, remote learning can be difficult for many students. This site makes studying easy again with a multitude of studying resources and makes navigating their information simple by organizing everything into searchable subject categories. Students can access guides that cover every step of the studying process, from first introductions of their subjects to dealing with test anxiety before big exams.
GoConqr has multiple tools that are helpful while remotely learning and was built around helping students stay on track. Students can create flash cards, study planners, and track how much they are learning.
This site also allows the user to make mind maps, which breaks down large subjects into smaller sections.
This resource is an app that allows you to make flashcards to help you self-study. You’ll also have access to over 500 million flashcards made by other people for you to review and study.
There’s also flashcard decks made by professionals to help with accurate learning, like the new AP Study Guides.
Khan Academy believes that education is a human right which is why their services are completely free to anyone, anywhere. Some of the various learning courses this site offers are:
- K-12
- College
- Test prep
- Life skills
- Liberal arts
Resources for Organization
It’s easy to lose track of time when online learning. Giving yourself breaks is important for your health and remaining focused, which is why the Marinara Timer was created. It was originally inspired by the Pomodoro method of productivity, that suggests working for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break and then after the fourth Pomodoro, you’ll take a 15-minute break.
On this site, you can choose from three timers:
- Marinara Timer
- Custom Timer
- Kitchen Timer
Each timer has unique customizable sound effects to alert you when your time is up.
This organization tool is accessible by both website and app. Making a free account with Evernote allows you to keep all your information together in one place that can be accessed at any time. This can also be useful for when working on a project or assignment.
Some of the features included are:
- Make & save notes
- Bookmark research
- Scan documents
- Markup websites
Typing all your assignments online can be tiring and can cause grammatical errors to slip up. To avoid that, this resource can help. You can either install it to your computer browser, download the app, or just use the website.
If you add Grammarly to your browser or as an app, it will follow along while you type and does spell checks, gives recommendations, and will tell you the tone (like if your word choices sound friendly or professional). If you’re writing an essay or article, you can set the tone of what you’re writing, and Grammarly will suggest word replacements that better fit to your desired tone.
If you just use the Grammarly website, it has the same features as the browser and app except you have to paste onto the website what you want to be spell checked. The website allows you to keep record of the pieces you submit to be checked.
Resources for Creative Learning
It’s no secret that studying isn’t the most fun activity in the world, especially if you’re at home with no study partners. With Kahoot, it combines friends and fun for a unique studying experience. You can make a custom trivia game and your friends can join by connecting with their own wireless device.
You can also use Kahoot to:
- Study by using the flashcard option
- Practice lessons
- Complete challenges
- Do self quizzes
This website allows students to create learning sets for any subject. With the information provided by the student, Quizlet creates study tools like flash cards, practice quizzes, and even games.
You can also review other flashcards made by other students and teachers.
Resources for Online Courses
edX offers online courses for many different subjects taught by colleges and universities. Whether you’re learning something new or wishing to further your knowledge on a subject, this site has a wide variety of courses for you to choose from.
After your free course is done, you can pay to have a certificate of completion mailed to you.
This resource is similar to edX. It provides free online courses provided by colleges and universities. This can be beneficial to you if you’re looking to further your understanding of a course you’re already learning or if you want to learn something new.
You can also get a certificate of completion after each course, but Alison offers three options:
- Digital diploma – free and available immediately after course completion
- Diploma- Costs a fee and will be mailed to you
- Framed diploma- Costs a fee and will be mailed to you in a frame
Resources for Research
If you need to research something, or want inspiration for an assignment, then RefDesk can help. This website has a searchable database for students to find information on a wide range of topics.
Some of the many features this website offers are:
- Dictionary databases
- News Sources
- Test Preparation
- Fact checking
- Demographics
- Biographies
- News Paper Archives
Internet Public Library (IPL) offers students links to information and reliable sources
The main categories you can search though are:
- Essays
- For kids
- For Teens
- Newspapers & magazines
- Special collections
- Resources by subject
Each category gets broken down into more specific sub-categories, making it simpler to find exactly what you are looking for.
Amber Hubenschmidt 