We’ve put together a list of 10 resources for online school to help yo make it through lockdown learning. These are great for all students, but if you’re in year 10-12 especially, keep reading!
Our resources are presented in no particular order, some are only suitable for certain year groups, others for certain subjects. Just have a sift through and find any that apply to you.
Edrolo
Edrolo is a video teaching platform for years 11 and 12 that covers the content of most HSC subjects dot point by dot point. The only way to access the content is through a school subscription, so if your school offers it, I highly recommend. It is a great platform that you need to be utilising. If your school, however, does not have access to it, definitely get in touch with the respective heads of department and request they purchase access to this resource.
What I found this resource to be most helpful for was both teaching myself content (if I missed or even just zoned out in that lesson), and consolidating my knowledge to prepare for exams. You can change the pace of the videos, which is essential to me who can only focus when something is in 2x speech. There are questions that are worked through by the teachers. And there are module review tests that contain exam-style content.
Stile App
Stile APP is a science-based resource for years 7-12. It is structured as a comprehensive lesson with both video and text resources as well as multiple-choice and long response questions. I like how this website goes into a lot more detail than other resources for each concept, the only negative side is that your teacher is required to mark a lot of the work (which can be more helpful than it being automated) but it also means your feedback will be on a delay.
Like Edrolo, personal packages cannot be purchased. Instead, let your science teacher know about the resource and for them to look into purchasing a class subscription.
Quizlet
You’ve probably heard of Quizlet before, and for good reason! Quizlet is useful for just about every subject and grade, and it is free. The website works as an online flashcard maker in its simplest form but has many more features once you delve a little deeper. You will have to check it out for yourself but a few of my favourite features and uses are the learning assistant, match and gravity games, and for English quotes in general.
Remember to keep it well rounded: 16 hobbies for teens in lockdown and beyond
Education Perfect
I hate that Education Perfect has made the list. After dreading the platform and avoiding it at all costs my first three years of high school, I’ve actually come to appreciate it as a senior.
This home learning platform is a comprehensive program for most streamlined subjects from years 5-12. I like to use it as an information resource and skip the questions (which were the confusing and time-consuming reasons I used to hate EP). This program can be purchased as a ‘parents pack’ and can be aligned with the syllabus in VIC, NSW, and QLD.
Speechify
I am someone who gets bored and loses focus very easily. Speechify is a text-to-speech chrome extension that has helped with that immensely. If I need a break from reading or feel like multi-tasking (recently crocheting while listening to example essays), I can just click play, adjust the speed and continue engaging with the content.
This resource is free, so even if you will only listen to text on your morning walk or on the bus, it is still worth it!
Physics High (YT)
Physics High is a Youtube channel specifically for Year 11 and 12 physics students. Much like the others, each video correlates specifically to the NESA syllabus. The videos have worked exam questions, concepts, practical experiments, and more that really help solidify understanding.
This resource was *the only* thing that let me pass preliminary physics. Trust me, binge-watching 24 hours worth of content might not sound like a good idea but it was effective.
NESA
I’ve mentioned ‘the syllabus’ a few times already but what is the syllabus? where do I find it? NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) mandates what each student must learn per subject in documents called syllabuses. Finding the specific syllabus for your subject will guide you on what to learn and give you specific examples. Their website also has plenty of past papers and other seasonal resources.
Also good: 30 cool creative writing ideas for kids and teens
SparkNotes
Forget what your teachers tell you about SparkNotes, it is a lifesaver. No, maybe don’t copy the analysis word for word, but skimming over the quotes and other pages (especially No Fear Shakespeare Translations) will do you a world of wonders when trying to understand the complicated world of Shakespearean drama.
AceHSC
Again, this resource is mainly for Years 10-12. AceHSC provides student-submitted exam papers, assignments, and notes for every subject you could think of. Finding yourself a bit stuck with what to write about Great Gatsby? Have a look at a full mark response from last year to give you some ideas. Totally free as well!
Maths Online
MathsOnline is a maths AI tutoring platform for years 5-12. The content for courses up to Maths Extension 1 is offered with great videos for understanding and questions for drilling the skills. ‘Parent Packages’ can be purchased if your school does not offer these resources.
Eddie Woo explains why it’s not too late if your teen hates maths
For those of you who are always looking for something extra… maybe an online essay competition? The Immerse Education Essay Competition offers applicants the opportunity to win a 100% scholarship to participate on an Immerse summer programme. Details of the competition, the guidelines, the prizes and important competition dates for your diary are outlined here. The next round closes on 5th January 2022.
Still looking for more resources? Take a peek at these 10 free chrome extensions for school
Feature image by Giovanni Gagliardi on Unsplash