Free Educational Resources And Teacher Discounts During Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to educators worldwide, forcing abrupt transitions to virtual instruction and creating significant hurdles for maintaining educational quality and engagement. In response, numerous companies, organizations, and establishments stepped forward to provide free resources, tools, and discounts specifically designed to support teachers during this difficult period. This article examines the comprehensive range of educational platforms, learning materials, appreciation offers, and support resources made available to educators during the pandemic, highlighting how these resources helped sustain educational continuity and recognize the critical contributions of teachers.

Digital Learning Platforms and Tools

The shift to remote learning created an immediate need for robust digital platforms that could facilitate instruction, collaboration, and engagement. Several technology companies responded by making their premium tools available at no cost to educators navigating the challenges of virtual teaching.

Video conferencing and collaboration tools became essential infrastructure for remote education. Avaya Spaces, a cloud-based platform typically priced at $6 per user per month, was made available to support teachers during the COVID-19 outbreak. This platform provided educators with the necessary tools to conduct virtual classes, facilitate discussions, and maintain classroom dynamics in an online environment. Similarly, Promethean's ClassFlow, a cloud-based lesson planning and delivery software, was offered freely to schools, teachers, and parents to support remote learning efforts.

Collaboration platforms evolved beyond simple video conferencing to include more comprehensive educational environments. The Collabrify Roadmap Platform emerged as a free, open, device-independent solution that provided teachers with tools to create curricula and collaborative lessons. This platform enabled real-time collaboration between students and teachers, with all curricula stored in a searchable repository of online lessons created and vetted by the University of Michigan Center for Digital Curricula.

Additional support tools addressed the administrative and organizational aspects of remote teaching. AppsAnywhere, a software delivery platform for higher education, offered licenses free for 90 days, allowing students to easily access the software they needed for their studies on any device. This solution helped bridge the gap between institutional software resources and students learning from home with varying device capabilities.

Free Educational Content and Curriculum

Beyond platform access, educators benefited from a wealth of free educational content and curriculum resources across various subjects and grade levels. These resources helped maintain academic standards and provide structured learning materials during school closures.

E-textbook providers made comprehensive learning materials accessible without cost during the pandemic. In Ireland, Edco offered free access to its complete range of e-textbooks for primary, Junior Cert, and Leaving Cert levels. Educators could access these materials using specific login credentials: "primaryedcobooks," "jcedcobooks," or "lcedcobooks" for respective levels, with the password "edco2020" across all accounts. Similarly, Walsh Educational Books Ltd. provided free access to Educate Plus's E-Textbooks and resources covering both primary and post-primary levels of Irish schools.

Subject-specific resources were particularly valuable for maintaining curriculum continuity. Open Up Resources and Kiddom partnered to offer free access to the Open Up Resources Math 6-8 curriculum on Kiddom's platform through August 1. This curriculum alignment ensured that mathematics education could continue with coherent, standards-aligned materials despite the disruption to in-person instruction.

Coding and digital literacy resources also saw increased availability. EarSketch, a free program developed by Georgia Tech, helped students learn coding through music, as evidenced by student participants in a remix competition featuring music by Ciara and Common. The program remained accessible to support computational thinking skills development during remote learning periods.

Financial literacy education received support through Money Experience's Essentials program, a self-paced course designed for students and young adults ages 15-24. The program walked users through different life milestones and demonstrated how decisions at each point could affect long-term financial health and lifestyle goals. This resource was made free to high schools and colleges through the end of June 2020.

Teacher Appreciation Discounts and Offers

Recognizing the extraordinary challenges and contributions of educators during the pandemic, numerous businesses and establishments offered special discounts, free items, and appreciation promotions specifically for teachers. These offers provided both practical support and symbolic recognition of teachers' efforts.

Restaurant and food establishments demonstrated particular generosity in supporting teachers. Macayo's offered a 20% discount on all orders for teachers with required identification. Four Peaks Brewery provided specials on drinks and food throughout the week for teachers and introduced a "Buy A Teacher A Beer" badge, allowing customers to purchase a drink for a teacher. Insomnia Cookies offered nurses and teachers one free classic cookie without purchase or a free six-pack of classic cookies with any purchase, with valid identification required. SONIC Drive-In provided teachers with a free large drink or slushy on mobile orders when using the code "TEACHERS" in the mobile app. Chin Up Donuts similarly offered a 20% discount for teachers.

Beverage retailers also participated in teacher appreciation efforts. QuikTrip provided teachers with a free fountain drink or iced tea, though this offer expired on May 7. Participation required enrollment in the QuikTrip rewards program, with the note that collector Big Q cups were not included in the promotion.

Entertainment and activity venues created special opportunities for teacher recognition and relaxation. Rainbow Ryders offered hot air balloon rides for $159 (compared to the regular price of $250), with bookings required to be made within a specific week and scheduled to fly by August 31. The Phoenix Art Museum provided one free general admission ticket, including access to the special "Fearless Fashion" exhibit, to teachers, nurses, hospital personnel, EMTs, paramedics, and firefighters from May 5-16 with valid identification.

Food service establishments also contributed to teacher appreciation. Angry Crab Shack offered a 10% discount for teachers during the first week of May, requiring valid identification.

Virtual Learning Support Resources

Beyond specific content and platforms, teachers benefited from a range of support resources designed to enhance remote teaching effectiveness and address the unique challenges of virtual instruction. These resources provided pedagogical guidance, creative tools, and community connections.

Professional development resources were made widely available to help educators adapt to online teaching methodologies. Boclips offered a free resource kit called "Remote Learning with Video" to provide tools, ideas, and inspiration for incorporating video into virtual learning. Curriculum Associates made a variety of free resources available to families and teachers, including printable activity packs and guidance to support learning at home. The "No-Nonsense Guide to Digital Learning" was also made available through Kiddom's site, offering practical advice for transitioning to digital instruction.

Cognitive development resources helped maintain student engagement and critical thinking skills. MindAntix released a weekly set of free brainteasers to help build cognitive creativity, with activities available for download from the MindAntix website. These resources provided teachers with ready-made materials to incorporate into their virtual classrooms, supporting intellectual development despite the limitations of remote learning.

Subject-specific support platforms emerged to address particular curriculum areas. Fiveable functioned as a free social learning platform for both high school students and teachers specifically focused on Advanced Placement preparation. The site offered live streams, trivia battles, and Q&A forums where students could connect directly with teachers across 15 different AP subjects within English, STEM, History, and Social Sciences.

Community support networks recognized the emotional and social challenges of remote teaching and learning. Participate launched "Survive learning at home with kids," an online community providing support and resources to families helping their children learn at home. Adults could connect with others during morning coffee chats and afternoon happy hours, while students could access a full schedule of live external events, such as music workshops, lunchtime art and writing sessions, and cooking classes with professional chefs.

State-Specific Resources

Educational resources and teacher support often varied by location and state, with some regions developing specialized collections of materials and opportunities tailored to their specific educational contexts and standards.

In Georgia, several state-specific resources were developed to support educators during the pandemic. Georgia Public Broadcasting, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), created collections of digital learning resources aligned to Georgia standards. The Georgia Virtual School provided teacher-led class-based learning environments, while Georgia Virtual Credit Recovery offered a self-paced learning alternative. Notably, the content in Georgia Virtual courses was made available for anyone to view through the Georgia Virtual Shared Content page, with courses divided into modules and aligned with the Georgia Standards of Excellence.

The "Get Georgia Reading" initiative compiled a comprehensive collection of resources including information about tracking COVID-19, school closures and cancellations, safety tips, guidance on meal assistance, and free learning resources. This centralized repository helped Georgia educators and families navigate the complex landscape of pandemic-related information and support services.

In the Phoenix metropolitan area, local businesses and institutions provided teacher-specific discounts and opportunities. Beyond the previously mentioned Phoenix Art Museum offer, local establishments like Macayo's, Four Peaks Brewery, and others created recognition programs specifically for educators. These regional offers provided both practical benefits and symbolic appreciation of teachers' contributions during a particularly challenging period.

Nationally recognized guidance resources also supported educational decision-making. The CDC issued updated guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools and provided a School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians. These resources helped educators and administrators implement evidence-based safety measures while balancing educational continuity with health considerations.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an extraordinary response from the educational technology sector, businesses, and institutions to support teachers navigating the abrupt transition to remote instruction. The range of resources made available—from comprehensive learning platforms and free curriculum materials to tangible discounts and community support—demonstrated a widespread recognition of teachers' essential role and the challenges they faced.

Digital tools like Avaya Spaces, Promethean's ClassFlow, and the Collabrify Roadmap Platform provided the technological infrastructure necessary for effective virtual teaching. Free educational content, including e-textbooks from providers like Edco and subject-specific resources such as the Open Up Resources Math curriculum, ensured that academic continuity could be maintained despite physical school closures. Teacher appreciation offers from restaurants, entertainment venues, and retailers provided both practical support and symbolic recognition of educators' extraordinary efforts.

The virtual learning support resources, from professional development materials to cognitive development tools and online communities, addressed the multifaceted challenges of remote teaching. State-specific resources like those developed in Georgia and the Phoenix metropolitan area demonstrated how localized support could complement national offerings, creating a comprehensive ecosystem of assistance.

These resources not only helped sustain education during the pandemic but also expanded the toolkit available to educators, many of whom continue to incorporate digital tools and innovative approaches into their teaching practices. The widespread availability of high-quality free resources during this period represents a significant contribution to educational resilience and innovation, with lasting implications for how educational content and support are delivered and accessed.

Sources

1. ClarityWave Coronavirus Deals
2. SmartBrief Free Resources for Educators
3. ABC15 Teacher Appreciation Deals
4. Pinterest Freebies for Teachers
5. P2P COVID-19 Information Resources