ALEX

ALEX stands for the Alabama Learning Exchange. ALEX is a wonderful, useful tool for teachers in the state of Alabama. ALEX provides numerous materials and resources for teachers, which is always helpful to school systems. ALEX can be found at http://alex.state.al.us.

ALEX provides numerous resources for all types of teachers. ALEX specializes in all grades and all subject areas. The Home page of Alex has eight different boxes or links. Each one is a resource for teachers. The eight links include, "Courses of Study, Personal Workspace, Professional Learing, Help Box, Search Box, Podcast Treasury, Web Links, and Lesson Plans". Each of these breaks down into specific subgroups to further the resource. For example, under "Courses of Study", a teacher could search according to grade level, subject area, or keywords. Once a subject and grade are chosen, ALEX gives a list of different standards for that subject and grade; ALEX then provides web link(s) and lesson plans that relate to that standard. ALEX does this example for every grade and subject area.

Another great resource for teachers that ALEX provides is the "Professional Learing" box. ALEX provides teachers with the "Alabama Department of Education Program websites to find professional development opportunities, teaching and learning tools, the latest news, best practices and more" (ALEX). ALEX also provides teachers with a "Personal Workspace". Teachers have to have an account for this particluar tool, but the account is free. "Establishing an ALEX account allows you to create personal workspace for storing and submitting lesson plans and teacher web pages" (ALEX).

ALEX is very helpful to teachers. The links allow teachers to find any information that they might need in order to teach better, learn more, and overall be a more effective teacher to students from K-12. I know that once I start teaching, ALEX will be a Favorite on my cmputer becasue of the numerous resources that it provides. I can create lesson plans using ALEX that go right along with the grade and subject. I can look up different news, links, and practices using ALEX's resources. Anything that I might ever need to teach can be found on ALEX's website. ALEX is an essential tool or resource for teachers k-12.