Resources Available Through the Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)

As a future educator, it is important for me to know and understand the resources that are available to help me not only better educate my students but will also help me in my professional studies. The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is such a resource. It is an informative web site that was designed by the Alabama Department of Education as an information resource not only useful to educators but parents and students as well. This site allows educators to share helpful lesson plans, web links and interactive activities with many teachers, parents, and students that may not know that these resources where available for their use. ALEX indicates that most of the resources that are available are connected to the Alabama Courses of Study by National Board Certified Teachers.

ALEX provides a wide variety of resources that are available to Elementary, Secondary and Special Education teachers. One of the most useful resources available allows you to search for lesson plans targeted to your grade level and course of study. You may also narrow your search to include specific information on your course of study. As a registered user of ALEX, you are provided a free personal workspace. In this Personal Workspace you have a place to help you write, organize and save lesson plans and you can also search for lesson plans there. Soon you will be able to create a web page in your personal workspace. Other feature of ALEX is its vast amount of Web Links. You may search for web links geared towards teachers, administrators, and students. Web Links available for teachers include not only your specific course of study but also Library and Media links, Online Projects links, reference links, and technology links. You will also find information on ALEX about Professional Learning. As teachers we must not only help our students continue with their educational progress but continue educating ourselves. The Professional Learning page provides information on professional development opportunities, grant opportunities and information on professional organizations. The best feature of ALEX is that is constantly improving and expanding. As more educators take advantage of the resources available on ALEX,the more that will contribute their wealth of knowledge to help others and myself on our professional journey.