What is the TES Resource Bank?

www.tes.co.ukresources

It is the social networking site where teachers can share their best ideas and materials. It enables them to find free teaching resources quickly and easily. Every day, teachers add resources and every five seconds a resource is downloaded.

Social networking underpins the web 2.0 revolution and relies upon its users to generate content that can be freely shared. The resource bank has adapted this model to make it suitable for teachers to share the extensive supply of resources that they create for their class every day.

The bank contains more than 25,000 resources, including lesson plans, activities, interactive resources, articles and reviews of educational publications aimed at pupils aged from three to 16-plus.

Users can search and upload resources, categorised by an extensive subject menu, ranging from accounting to Welsh. As well as the drop-down subject list, there are more than 100 dedicated channel pages organising resources across foundation; primary; secondary; whole school, such as assemblies; and special needs. The channels are set up in a way that helps teachers to browse the latest and most popular resources and articles for their subject and key stage.

What are the benefits?

More than half a million teachers from the TES community take part in resource exchange.

In a recent survey, we found 82 per cent spent four or more hours each week planning and preparing for the week ahead. On average, teachers found that a resource from the bank saved them about 30 minutes of planning and preparation time per lesson.

How can I access these resources?

Log on with your TES account details and start downloading. To register, visit www.tes.co.uk and provide us with an email address.

You can search for resources by subject, age range, resource type and file type.

What type of resources might I find?

INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES

There are more than 2,500 interactive resources, a highly-rated example being phonics zone at www.tes.co.ukphonics. It offers interactive activities, animated stories, songs and rhymes aligned to the phases in the Letters and Sounds teaching program.

DISPLAY IDEAS

Teachers have shared and uploaded a range of classroom labels, signs, certificates, motivational posters and behaviour charts that they have used to spruce up their classroom.

One of the most popular sites is www.tes.co.ukfreeposters, where you can download posters, flashcards and signs.

RESOURCES BY DATE

Teachers can search and upload resources by date specific events with the aid of an interactive calendar. For every event featured, there are links to a number of resources to help make teaching more topical.

Resources available to support teaching of events coming up soon include:

- Big School’s Birdwatch, January 19-30, 2009.

- Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27, 2009.

- National Storytelling Week, January 31-February 7, 2009.

SPECIAL NEEDS

Experienced special needs teachers have shared over 600 of their resources.

Most popular resources include: let’s make letters at www.tes.co.ukletters, model cursive letter formation on the interactive whiteboard.

PLANNING

There are over 1,000 lesson plans created by teachers. Here are the most downloaded plans in November:

- Year 1 Block C Numeracy Planning with resources www.tes.co.uknumeracy - “I am struggling with Block B at the moment so this is going to be really helpful.”

- Phase 4 letters and sounds phonics www.tes.co.ukphonicsphase4 - “About to sit down and plan phase 4. You’ve given me back my Saturday.”

- Nursery rhymes and traditional tales www.tes.co.ukrhymes - “As an NQT, these will help me.”

- Easy starters in languages www.tes.co.ukstarters - “Having starter ideas like this is extremely helpful.”

We’d love to hear from you. Email resources@tes.co.uk

Elli Karaolou, TES Resources editor

RESOURCES FACTS

- Resource bank was launched in 2006.

- More than 8 million resources have been downloaded by teachers.

- On average, one resource is downloaded every five seconds.

- Existing users save an average of 30 minutes preparation time per lesson.

UPLOAD AND SHARE RESOURCES IN THREE EASY STEPS

- Upload a file; add a web address; or add an embed code (from youtube video, for example).

- Give your resource a name and a brief description.

- Categorise your resource by subject, key stage and topic. Add key words that might be used as search terms.

TOP THREE DOWNLOADED RESOURCES IN 2008

- Free display resources.

- Web page with links to free signs and posters.

- Timetable cards. A set of cards to make a visual timetable.

- Early morning five-minute activities - a slide show with a collection of ideas collated from a thread in the primary staffroom forum.