April 2, 2007
TeachersFirst 2.0 Launched

TeachersFirst.com, the free web site for K-12 teachers, has launched “TeachersFirst 2.0,” a new version designed to provide teachers with a richer set of collaborative, web-based resources.

 TeachersFirst now offers a new look and free memberships that save time and encourage more active user participation and sharing. Registered users can tag, share, and comment on resource ideas, and they can also communicate with students and parents via a quick-edit teacher home page.

 The new version of TeachersFirst reflects an ongoing commitment to providing teachers an expanded set of resources that offer help for current teaching challenges. These range from differentiating content for a variety of learners—including ESL/ELL—to understanding and using new web 2.0 technologies such as blogs and wikis, familiar to students but often foreign to their teachers. Each new feature includes practical tips and suggestions, so teachers can envision its use in the classroom. All the original TeachersFirst features, including TeachersFirst’s free  weekly newsletter, will remain available to both members and non-members. Both member and non-member areas remain advertising-free.

 TeachersFirst was first launched in 1998. With users in all fifty states and more than forty countries, it is one of the web’s oldest sites for teachers. It was also the first to be developed by a team of experienced classroom educators. TeachersFirst is one of three web sites for teachers and families from Network for Instructional TV (NITV), a not-for-profit education and technologies corporation based in Reston, VA.

Commenting on the new release, Candace Hackett Shively, NITV’s Director of K-12 Initiatives, said, “TeachersFirst’s strength is knowing teachers and the realities of the classroom. We support teachers in becoming more effective users of technology, thus improving teaching and learning. The pedagogy is solid; the tone is supportive; and the practical details that ensure success are all there.”